Care Connections That Go Beyond
Issue III: March 15, 2021
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Dear Members, Families, and Friends,
Welcome to the third edition of The Connection Newsletter from Southern Tier Connect. In this issue are heartwarming stories from our members and some important updates and resources for you. With spring on the horizon, we hope you enjoy these stories of perseverance and new beginnings.
Do you have a story to share?
Email us at marketing@southerntierconnect.org, or tell your Care Manager you would like to be featured in our next issue. Tell us about your goals, your accomplishments, or just something fun you have been up to. Your stories are important to us!
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My name is Ana Rodriguez;
I am a new mom and living independently. I am 21 years old and I’m proud of the accomplishments I’ve made over the past few months.
I met my new care manager, Elayne Mosher-Campoli, when I was six months pregnant. I needed a safe place to live and services to help me prepare for my baby’s arrival. My care manager got right to work contacting all my providers and helping to coordinate all my care needs.
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When I found an apartment I wanted to move into, Elayne helped me apply for an
OPWDD Housing Subsidy contract. Community Transition Funds helped me move by providing reimbursements for furniture and other moving expenses to help me get settled. The OPWDD contract will continue to support me by paying a portion of my rent every month.
My baby, Joshua, was born on January 2, 2021. When the hospital questioned my ability to give consent for medical care after the birth of my baby, Elayne helped by consulting with a lawyer from Mental Health Legal Hygiene Services to advocate for my rights. My family is providing me with lots of support, and I love being a mom and spending time with Joshua.
I have lots of goals for my future and the future of my family. To help me achieve my goals, Elayne assisted me with a referral to Community Options for community habilitation. I recently started with a staff who meets with me several times a week. I’m also taking parenting classes via Zoom and I’m doing everything I can to be a good parent and to be more independent. I am thankful to have Elayne’s consistent support to help me through whatever comes up.
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ENROLLEE & FAMILY SUPPORT:
Bridging the Technology Gap
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Throughout the pandemic,
being able to coordinate services and feel connected has been extremely hard for many people. Southern Tier Connect serves 14 counties, most of which include rural areas with limited or no access to wireless internet connections. Many families enrolled in STC do not own computers, tablets, or smartphones.
What happens when these members need to engage in a video conference to have an appointment? STC has done a lot of work to bridge the technology gap!
Every STC office is now equipped with video conference-enabled tablets (Zoom, RingCentral Meetings, and more)! These tablets are available to any STC member to use with the support of their CCM. STC care managers have supported their members during the pandemic by helping to set up and participate in video conferencing. We assist by providing members access to these tablets to complete CAS Assessments, interviews for new housing opportunities, psychological evaluations, and more! If you or your loved one needs assistance in completing a video conference reach out to your care manager for more information and assistance!
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Above: A testimonial from an STC member after her care manager helped her connect virtually for a new housing opportunity. She didn't want her name published, but did want to share her words of thanks. |
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Staying the Course through Covid-19 |
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Moving out on your own for the first time is an exciting adventure, and moving in the midst of a global pandemic is an adventure filled with unexpected challenges. COVID-19 has affected millions of lives across our nation. Despite all the challenges, through the turmoil and chaos that was 2020, the old adage remains true, “Courage is the power to let go of the familiar.”
Southern Tier Connect members Will Sutton and Deidre Herr personify courage.
Will and Deidre have each dreamed of living on their own. So they worked with STC to put the proper steps in place to achieve that goal. They plan on moving into their own place in the Cherry Valley area this spring. Pandemic or not, Will and Deidre would not be deterred. Will shared,” I would like to have more control of where I live.”
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Comprehensive Care Management:
The DDP and You
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When you enter into OPWDD services you also enter into a world of acronyms and assessments. One that has been around for quite some time is the Developmental Disability Profile-2, or DDP2. There are many different versions of the DDP that a care manager may use throughout their work with you but today we are going to look at the DDP2 and what role it plays in service planning.
The DDP-2 form is used to provide an accurate and thorough description of the skills and challenges of a person with I/DD to better understand their service needs. DDP-2 data is also used to describe, plan, and manage the system of services that a member can receive (including the available budget within a Self-Direction Plan). The data collected from this skills assessment falls into one of three categories: a person’s ability for self-care (adaptive skills), any behavioral health needs they may have (behavioral skills), and their overall health (health skills). An overall score called the Individual Service Planning Model Score (ISPM) is then generated. This score determines the level of support needed for that member (see accompanying chart below)
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At Southern Tier Connect, the DDP-2 is completed within 30 days of enrollment with our organization. Thereafter, the DDP2 is updated whenever a significant change occurs to a person’s characteristics, abilities, and health and/or at least every two years to ensure an accurate reflection of a person’s capabilities.
If you’re interested in seeing exactly what questions are asked on a DDP-2 you can view the form here. If you have more questions or want to review the answers on your or your loved one's current DDP-2 reach out to your care manager at any time!
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Streamlining a Tedious Process
A First-hand Account of STC Guardianship Assistance
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A letter from Jeff and Jenn Schumacher
In 2018, as our son, Justin—then 16 years old—was nearing the age of becoming a consenting adult, we were faced with two major decisions; First, determining that he was going to need us to be his long-term guardians, and second, trying to understand the maze of the guardianship process. After years of proudly managing our journey with little outside help, we then determined that we needed to reach out for some help. We did extensive research before we came across Southern Tier Connect and their care manager program. We reached out and were immediately greeted by their friendly staff who made arrangements to meet us and soon enough, we were on-site, completing the necessary steps to become enrolled.
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Since that time, we have been delighted by the resources made available to our family. Of course, once enrolled, we began working with Melissa Rathbun (Justin's care manager) right away on preparing for guardianship. She helped us get the necessary referrals and made sure we knew whom to reach out to and what to expect when the time was right.
Fast forward to 2020, Justin has turned 18, and we hired a lawyer to help us through the legal process (as we had anticipated). One of the first things he did was send us a plethora of materials that we needed to fill out, affidavits to get, and other odds and ends. Much to our delight, we already had most of the paperwork needed thanks to Southern Tier Connect. We aren’t quite complete with the process, but without the help of Melissa at Southern Tier Connect we wouldn’t be nearly as far as we are now in the process. Kudos to such a caring organization!
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NAVIGATING GUARDIANSHIP
A SPECIAL GUEST WEBINAR
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What is guardianship?
Why is it important?
Who can apply?
Where do I begin?
STC held a Special Webinar on December 16 featuring the Honorable Judge David Guy, who has provided assistance with over 500 guardianship cases. A guardian is typically a family member, close friend, or advocate appointed by the court to make decisions for a loved one regarding health care, personal affairs, and financial matters. Becoming a guardian is a serious responsibility.
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If you have questions about guardianship for your loved one, but missed the webinar—no worries! You can watch it on our website at any time.
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Finding Solutions in a Crisis |
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2021 had just started when Madison, an STC care manager, received an urgent call about Richard. He was on another care manager’s caseload but the situation was overwhelming. Right away, Madison stepped in to help.
Richard lived in Cortland with his sister, who acted as his primary caregiver. Outside of his day program, his sister took him to his appointments, was his appointed representative payee, and she made sure he stayed healthy and safe in their home. Unfortunately, Richard’s sister became ill with a life-threatening condition and had to be hospitalized, leaving him with hardly any assistance. Upon receiving this news, Madison quickly coordinated respite for Richard. Due to the pandemic, respite care was extremely rare and hard to obtain. Working with staff from Richard's day and community habilitation programs, they arranged for 24-hour care for Richard while his sister was in the hospital.
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Advocate Today against NYS Budget Cuts |
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#StopCuts2Care
10 years ago, Governor Cuomo promised: "care for all." Now, the state is threatening a 39% cut in care coordination funding for New Yorkers with developmental disabilities.
Join our advocacy campaign by clicking the "Advocate Now" button and demand that your legislature reverse this drastic proposal. Our advocacy tool allows you to contact your legislative officials with one simple form.
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ENROLLEE & FAMILY SUPPORT:
Cornerstone Mobile Counseling
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Cornerstone Mobile Counseling links people across New York State to local, licensed mental health professionals for free/low-cost, immediate counseling in their homes. They aim to help relieve the need for readily available mental health providers in communities.
The referral process is easy - anyone can call or text (607) 435-6324 to be connected to a local counselor within two hours and have an appointment set within 48 hours. Cornerstone's counselors work with adults, children, couples, and family units. We accept Fidelis and MVP insurance plans but work with anyone in any situation by connecting them to our care management team.
For More Information:
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On Friday, February 5, Southern Tier Connect featured Cornerstone Mobile Counseling in a special guest webinar for our members. You can now watch the archived video on our website to learn more about the counseling opportunities they offer in your area.
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