Written by Mark Emery, CEO of Imagine!, with the creativity of Fred Hobbs. This blog is meant to discuss ideas of interest in the world of Intellectual Disabilities in Colorado and beyond. The blog is a “safe zone” where discussions are open and honest, and new ideas and new ways of looking at things are encouraged.
This is another great story that indicates how Imagine! and our community work together to create a world of opportunity for all abilities.
On September 19, the Boedecker Theater at the Dairy Center hosted a screening of “Far From The Tree.” This movie follows families meeting extraordinary challenges through love, empathy, and understanding. This life-affirming documentary encourages us to cherish loved ones for all they are, not who they might have been. Following the screening, Kate Hines, an Imagine! Dayspring Occupational Therapist, and Patti Micklin, Executive Director of the Imagine! Foundation, hosted a “Talk Back” discussion about the family dynamics that can come from having a loved one with an intellectual disability. Kate and Patti shared intensely personal stories with humor and heart, and the evening was a spectacular success.
Last week, we hosted a really special tour of Imagine!’s Charles Family SmartHome: students from Australia and their Boulder Valley School District hosts! The students were able to get hands-on, using some of the devices we are testing, and they learned so much about the difference technology can play in peoples’ lives. We may have a few little assistive technology specialists in the making!
Today, I’d like to officially introduce the members of the 2018-2019 Imagine! Leadership Development Group (LDG). This year’s LDG members are (from left to right in the picture below):
Victoria Thorne, who works for Imagine!’s Family Recruited Employee department.
Paula McCormick, who works for Imagine!’s Innovations department.
Emily Walsh, who works for Imagine!’s Dayspring department.
Jessie Michaud, who works for Imagine!’s CORE/Labor Source department.
Gabbie Norton, who works for Imagine!'s Case Management department.
The purpose of Imagine!’s Leadership Development program is to provide a coordinated platform that strategically develops talent within Imagine! to address the company’s leadership needs for the future. The program is designed to educate employee participants about the complexities of the organization and to assist management in learning about people with talent that may be good matches for leadership roles.
Each participant in the LDG will gain a broad understanding of leadership skills and be provided the opportunity to apply their learning in various settings. Each participant will assess their present strengths and areas for growth and realize their potential for leadership. Leadership skills and knowledge gained will be applicable in many aspects of the successful participant’s experiences.
The Leadership Development Group will utilize a variety of methods of learning during the course of the year. These methods will include opportunities for self-study, facilitated group meetings, attendance at other Imagine! meetings, mentoring, training opportunities, and presentations.
Congratulations to all of this year’s LDG members. I think you will find it to be a very rewarding experience. I’m looking forward to getting to know you and, just as important, to learning from you throughout the year.
Check out the short video below to learn more about Imagine!’s Leadership Development Group.
The week of September 10-14 has been proclaimed Direct Support Professionals Week.
All week long, Imagine!’s Twitter feed, our Facebook page, and our Imagine! Voices blog have been honoring amazing Imagine! DSPs. I encourage you to check them out. To help get you started, below are some brief highlights of DSPs we’ve put in the well-deserved spotlight.
Bren Lindemann
“I’ve learned to adapt tasks or activities so that participants are happy and comfortable doing things they should be happy doing.”
Patty Gutierrez
“Patty is amazing. She manages my son’s behaviors better and better as she gets to know him, and he is a happy guy when they’re together.”
Shen Hollcraft
"I could be serving someone breakfast and at the same time get a little side hug or a sweet comment. It’s a natural sharing that nourishes both people.”
Emilie Still
“Emilie is constantly ensuring that the individuals we support receive the best customer service possible by being extremely detail oriented and always having a smile on her face.”
Sean Van Lierop
“Imagine! definitely restores my faith in humanity, seeing all the good people can do. I work with people who not only give a damn, they give a lot of damns, they give all of the damns.”
Will Hebert
“I studied Journalism because I wanted to help people out and write about important issues. I found the DSP job path and it felt like a more direct way to help people.”
Collin Whitten
“Collin is completely reliable, confident, and attentive. He makes sure that his participants’ needs are met and are reaching a goal at each activity. He keeps a calm demeanor in high-stress situations and has great problem solving skills."
Imagine! is participating in this day of giving, and I encourage you to help us support our climbing program which allows individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities to experience the joy and self-esteem that rock climbing can bring.
Robert Strieby, a resident at one of Imagine!’s Group Homes, recently spent some time recording Johnny Cash's "Ring of Fire" along with Imagine! employee Chelsea O'Day. This is just one demonstration of how the individuals we serve are capable of remarkable achievements, and how Imagine! as an organization works to shine a light on those capabilities so everyone can see the contributions that folks with I/DD can, and do, bring to their communities every day. Take a listen below.
