InspirationsFall 2011

A Perfect Finish

Medicaid MattersProtect this lifeline for people with developmental disabilities

On the Right PATHSCareer development program opens associates’ eyes

A Willing WorkforceVocational program readies people for work in community

inside

Walk for D.R.E.A.M.S. exceeds expectations

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KoinoniA HoMES, inc.6161 Oak Tree Blvd., Suite 400Independence , OH 44131Phone: 216.588.8777Fax: 216.588.5670

KoinoniA EntERpRiSES, LLcThe Center for Day, Vocational & Career Services1200 Resource DriveBrooklyn Heights, OH 44131Phone: 216.741.6659Fax: 216.741.6838

www.koinoniahomes.org

BoARD of DiREctoRS

fred A. Watkins, Chairmantodd Hays, Secretary/TreasurerKate fenner

Josh Gordon

Melissa Majkut

Ethan Mcpeake

pRESiDEnt/cEoDiane Beastrom

vicE pRESiDEntSJody curry Institutional Advancement & Communications

nancy Disbrow Human Resources

David Laubenthal Physical Resources

carol Morton Finance

Jason Umstot Programs & Organizational Learning

Joann Watterson Government Relations

from the president /cEo

D i a n e B e a s t r o m

Medicaid MattersMedicaid provides vital services to people with intellectual and/or developmen-tal disabilities (I/DD) and has been described as a lifeline with good reason–not only is Medicaid a health insurance program, but for many it provides food, clothing, and a place to live. Medicaid provides the services of Direct Support Professionals (DSPs) who do so much to support individuals living in the com-munity as independently as possible. Medicaid provides day programs, pre-vo-cational and career services. And Medicaid is jobs–jobs for those who provide services to the I/DD community.

Did you know that Koinonia is 98% government funded, and that 90% of our funding comes from Medicaid? Medicaid is what allows us to do what we do to serve people with I/DD.

Arbitrary cuts to Medicaid or block granting of Medicaid would threaten people with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities by reducing or eliminating services in a system that is already stretched.

What can you do to protect Medicaid for people with I/DD? The Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction (the Super Committee) is charged with iden-tifying $1.5 Trillion in federal budget cuts by this November, and the state of Ohio continues to take a hard look at Medicaid. It is critical at this time to make our voices heard in support of Medicaid for people with intellectual and/or de-velopmental disabilities.

Please visit the Koinonia website at www.koinoniahomes.org/advocacy.htm to find a list of our legislators–legislators’ whose districts contain homes where Koinonia serves people with I/DD. Please contact our legislators and let them know why Medicaid matters to you and to individuals with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities. In particular, please contact Senator Rob Port-man who serves on the Super Committee. Share your stories. Let your voices be heard.

COVeR PHOTO By MeLODy & ANTHONy CONIgLIO

The world looks a little different to Renae Jackson. Since go-ing through the PATHS program at Koinonia, she sees and ob-serves with sharper eyes. The training program expanded both her knowledge and awareness about working with people with intel-lectual and/or developmental disabilities, which she utilizes daily as a Direct Support Professional (DSP). Jackson became a DSP fifteen years ago because she had always liked working with and helping people. She worked part-time in the position and became full-time in spring of 2011. PATHS (which stands for Professional Advancement through Training and educa-tion in Human Services) attracted Jackson because she thought she could learn information to better help the individuals she served. But “for years she said she couldn’t do it,” recalls Janice Smith-Morrison, Jackson’s supervisor and PATHS skills mentor. Although it was challenging, today Jackson is an enthusiastic cheerleader for the program. “everyone really should take the program,” she says. Jackson earned her PATHS Certificate of Initial Proficiency (CIP) in August 2011. To graduate, she completed 60 hours of classroom instruction, which included training on documentation, positive behavior supports, advocacy, health and safety manage-ment, conflict resolution and much more. She and her fellow stu-dents also had to complete an extensive portfolio of work samples. One of Jackson’s work exercises involved teaching an individ-ual about how to dress appropriately for the weather. She made a booklet with tactile samples of material to show what was appro-priate for the various types of weather. Jackson also took the indi-vidual to the clothing store to identify proper clothing. Through work samples and classes, Jackson gained and en-hanced her skills. A topic that stuck with her was kinesics (the in-terpretation of body language). “I started paying attention to body language,” she says. So when a new client was not eating well, Jack-son noticed “he didn’t like people sitting by him when he ate, so we re-arranged the tables, and he started eating with no problem.” “PATHS participants really see individuals differently,” says Smith-Morrison. “They were compassionate before, but the pro-gram really enlightens them.”

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on the right

PATHS

Renae Jackson is a Direct Support Professional at Koinonia who went through the PATHS program.

Career development program opens eyes and doors for associates

Smith-Morrison recognizes Jackson’s professional growth—and the positive impact she has had on individuals since being in the PATHS program. “I have seen a lot of change in the clients,” she says. “Renae has gotten them involved in so many activities in the community that don’t cost money,” and more involvement in the community leads to increased acceptance of people with intel-lectual and/or developmental disabilities. Jackson also makes the time and effort to individualize activities based on what each per-son likes. Professional development is at the core of PATHS, but personal development is an inevitable by-product. The program challenged Jackson, but Koinonia staff urged her not to give up. When Jackson realized she lacked the computer skills necessary for the program, Smith-Morrison encouraged her to take computer classes, which she did. She ended up purchasing a computer of her own. Jackson agrees that PATHS gave her confidence. She recognized that she could teach herself and teach the individuals she serves, too. “you can use PATHS in your everyday life,” says Jackson. “The lessons stick with you.”

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Walk for D.R.E.A.M.S. raises over $35,000 for a greenhouse

we raised the roof!

Cuyahoga County Councilwoman yvonne Conwell (center) and Koinonia President/CeO Diane Beastrom (right) with two individuals Koinonia serves.

Two Koinonia individuals were crowned King and Queen of the Walk, respectively.

The sun was out at this year’s Walk for D.R.e.A.M.S., but it was the people that truly shined. The enthusi-asm and generosity leading up to the Walk and at the event was contagious. With the support of sponsors, donors, fundraisers, and walkers, we exceeded our goal and raised over $35,000!

The proceeds will indeed “raise the roof” on Koino-nia’s greenhouse, where individuals that we serve in our vocational program will work. As part of Koino-nia’s Farm Project, the greenhouse joins a large vege-table and herb garden, tended by individuals we serve.

Koinonia extends our sincere thanks to the event sponsors (listed on page five). We also appreciate the efforts of many staff and volunteers who went the extra mile!

PHOTO By MeLODy & ANTHONy CONIgLIO

PHOTO By MeLODy & ANTHONy CONIgLIO

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The National Telephone Supply Company

Melissa Majkut

thank you to our event sponsors!

D.R.e.A.M.e.R.S. CLUBKe Cruisers TeamKHI Sole Team

PARTNeRS CLUBemerald Necklace greenthumb gardenersWaiver Walkers

ACHIeVeRS CLUBTeam Avon LadiesThe Beastrom FamilyTeam CBIZThe Curry Familyemerald Necklacegarden ClubThe gordon FamilyOhio State LandscapingDr. gerald Strauss

Far above: Smiles were abundant at the Walk.

Above: Sneakers the Clown provided colorful enter-tainment in balloon creations and glitter “tattoos.”

PLATINUM SNeAKeRS SPONSOR

gOLD SNeAKeRS SPONSORS

SILVeR SNeAKeRS SPONSOR

PATHFINDeR SPONSORS

PHOTO By MeLODy & ANTHONy CONIgLIO

D o n o R S p o t L i G H t : t o D D H A y S

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a willing workforce

“Why not?” That is Chris’ response when asked why she wants to work in the community. Chris is an individual who participates in Koino-nia’s vocational and career services program. Like others, she enjoys her job at Koinonia but is eager for employment outside the or-ganization. Koinonia is actively working to help individuals like Chris find paid work in the community. We are honored to be one of only ten agencies in the state participating in the Ohio Department of Developmental Disabilities’ employment First Initiative. Through this program, Koinonia is working with a national consultant to help reach the goal of employing 15 individuals in the com-munity by June 2012. The process includes identifying individuals, analyzing jobs to de-termine appropriate placements, providing job-readiness training for individuals and

When Todd Hays transferred to Cleveland in 2005 with KeyBank, he was looking to be-come involved with a non-profit whose mission he felt strongly about. An introduction through BVU (Business Volunteers Unlimited) brought him to Koinonia, and in 2007 he joined our Board of Directors. Currently, he serves as sec-retary/treasurer of the Board. Hays has long had a special connection with the developmental disabilities field. “I grew up in Southwest Ohio,” he says. “My mom worked as a bus driver for the Clark County MRDD then became transportation di-rector. My summer jobs in college were washing buses and vans and then driving clients to their jobs.” When he lived in Springfield, Ohio, Hays recalls that in-dividuals from a county workshop made cargo nets that were used to move equipment at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base. Just seeing the work they did, the pride in it, and the sense of

community made a big impression on him. Hays brings this perspective, along with his professional experience from a career in bank-ing, to Koinonia. “I don’t think people under-stand the scope of the things Koinonia does, to help people with developmental disabilities have a better quality of life,” he says. Spreading the word about our mission is important, says Hays. He credits the Walk for D.R.e.A.M.S. for helping to do so. “We started

from scratch with the Family Fun Walk four years ago,” he says. “To see how it’s grown is impressive.” As a gold Sneak-ers sponsor, Hays’ employer KeyBank was an integral part of making this year’s Walk a success. “There is so much out there to offer to people with intel-lectual and/or developmental disabilities,” says Hays. “People with I/DD all have potential, and the services that Koinonia provides can help bring that potential to light.”

assisting in their transition into community employment. “The goal is to normalize their lives as much as possible,” says Bob Sprague, Koi-nonia’s vocational manager. Working in the community allows them the opportunity to interact with people without disabilities and exercise greater independence. “The focus is not on their disabilities but their abilities and how they can benefit businesses,” says Lina Monteleone, Director of Koinonia’s Center for Day, Vocational and Career Services. Those benefits can be numerous. “Peo-ple with developmental disabilities are com-mitted and are energetic” says Monteleone. “They want a job so they give it their all.” Studies support her findings. A three-year study at Washington Mutual, Inc. found a turnover rate of 8 percent among people with developmental disabilities, compared

with an overall rate of 45 percent, accord-ing to an article in Crain’s Chicago Business (April 7, 2003). In 2012, Koinonia will intensify its focus on community supported employ-ment. If you would like more information about this program or if you know of paid work opportunities in the community for people Koinonia serves, please contact Bob Sprague at 216.588.8777, ext. 312.

program readies people for work in community

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you can measure the success of Koinonia’s vo-cational and career services program by the truck-load. Since March 2011, the program has main-tained a contract with Humaneering, a packaging company with ties to U.S. Cotton. Humaneering delivers boxes of cotton swabs to Koinonia, and individuals in the vocational and career services program learned how to correctly fill and seal bags, ready for consumers to use. Other individuals are assigned to shipping and receiving duties, like packing up large boxes of the finished product and moving them onto pallets. Up until September, workers were packaging one freight truckload of cotton swabs a month. Now, they are completing one and a half truck-loads. Vocational manager Bob Sprague says their goal is to complete two truckloads a month. Just how many cotton swabs is that? each truckload contains boxes of swabs that fill about 12,000 bags. With approximately one thousand swabs per bag, that’s a lot of cotton! Koinonia’s vocational and career services pro-gram handles more than cotton swabs. A cleaning crew works at The Center for Day, Vocational and Career Services, and Koinonia Farm employs indi-viduals in work outdoors, growing vegetables. In-dividuals manage and stock vending machines at both Koinonia’s main office and The Center and are actively seeking vending contracts outside the or-ganization. In addition, a portion of space in the new 6,000 square feet vocational and career services build-ing, which Koinonia moved into in August, is de-voted to document shredding. Using two industrial shredders Koinonia received through a grant from the Lubrizol Foundation, individuals shred sensi-tive documents. Recent contracts include Norman Floro Medical and Independence Schools. “I like shredding paper,” says Frank, an indi-vidual in the vocational program. “I love it here.” Frank is not the only individual who has found his niche. After moving into the vocational and ca-reer services program, some individuals who were previously unengaged began to flourish. Sprague

refers to an individual, who prior to working in vo-cational, had many challenges and needed continual direction. “Not only has she done really well, she is one of our top earners, and is happier,” says Sprague. Success stories like these are commonplace at Koi-nonia, and more will surface as the vocational and career services program continues to grow. Since just 2010, the number of participants in the program has increased eight-fold, and revenues have shown a con-sistent growth since January.

all in a day’s work

6161 Oak Tree Blvd, Suite 400Independence, OH 44131

ph: 216.588.8777

fax: 216.588.5670

www.koinoniahomes.org

partnering with people who have developmental disabilities to achieve healthy, fulfilling, enriched lives.

InspirationsFall 2011

Walk for D.R.E.A.M.S.see more photos on page 4

PHOTO By MeLODy & ANTHONy CONIgLIO PHOTO By MeLODy & ANTHONy CONIgLIO