Trendy

Sometimes being part of the latest trend isn’t a great idea.

More than 50 years ago, families and educators in Colorado began to form organizations designed to offer opportunities for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD) to become fully participating members of their communities. Some of those organizations became Community Centered Boards, such as Imagine! here in Boulder, and some became advocacy organizations, such as the ACL (also here in Boulder).

A key consideration in the development of these organizations was the idea that the organizations would represent and reflect the local communities they served. Communities, like individuals, were (and are) unique, and the range of services and opportunities were designed to mirror the distinctive nature and natural resources of each community.

That system worked, and continues to work, extremely well. As I have pointed out before, the current system of I/DD services in Colorado offers remarkable outcomes despite an inadequate (at best) fiscal effort on the part of the state.

Notwithstanding that success, we are seeing a rapidly increasing move away from the trend of local control. As more federal funding and state requirements creep into service delivery, services have become more homogenized, and fewer controls are in the hands of families.

Furthermore, as funding for services remains flat or even shrinks in respect to a community’s cost of living, the trend we will see is only organizations with economies of scale and controls built to respond to funding regulations will remain viable options to provide services where financial margins can be realized … and not at all where financial margins cannot be realized.

This means multi-state corporations are more and more likely to become the only available providers of services in Colorado. These organizations, some for-profit, some not-for-profit, and some which provide a variety of human services with I/DD being a relatively small portion of their services, may have little need or incentive to pay much attention to any unique characteristics or natural resources of an individual community.

I’m not suggesting in any way that the quality of these larger organizations’ services is in question. Not at all.

I do think, however, it is worth asking some other questions about this trend, such as:

Will this trending away from local control of services mean less choice and customization for people in services?

What will it mean for the long-term support services in communities with higher costs of living? 

Will local funds (mil levies, charitable donations) stay local? 

I don’t have all the answers to these questions. At the same time, I don’t hear enough dialog about the questions as the federal and state restrictions and regulations continue on a certain path. That disturbs me greatly as we continue to careen toward homogenization and consolidation without pausing to reflect on some of the unintended consequences.

Then again, what do I know?

Technology Tuesday

Imagine!’s commitment to using technology to improve the lives of individuals with developmental and intellectual disabilities isn’t only about computers and smart phones and bits and bytes. It is about finding (or designing) the tools that help create a world of opportunity for all abilities.

Case in point: here’s a picture of Katy using an adaptive brush to paint in an Imagine! CORE/Labor Source (CLS) Art Class.

Good News Friday!

Today I’d like to invite all of you to attend Imagine!’s CORE/Labor Source Annual Art Show and Performance, scheduled for Friday evening, August 12, at the Dairy Arts Center, 2590 Walnut St., Boulder, CO, 80302. The Art Show will begin at 6:00, with the Performance starting at 7:00.

What will you experience if you go?

Art 

Music 

Dance 

 

Theater

 

So mark your calendars for August 12, and I hope to see you there!

Technology Tuesday

Throughout Imagine!’s history of exploring how technology can be used to improve the lives of individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD), we’ve made every effort to reach out to others in the field so we can share information, learn what others are doing, and take advantage of the strengths that can arise through collaboration.

Below are a few recent examples of those efforts.

 

On Friday, July 8, representatives from Imagine!, North Carolina-based Simply Home, Wisconsin-based Innovative Services, and South Carolina-based Charles Lea Center met to discuss what a 21st organization serving people with disabilities should look like, and what steps are necessary to get there, and what role technology will play in the continuing evolution of services. The group also took a tour of Imagine!'s Charles Family SmartHome in Longmont.

On Monday, July 11, Imagine!’s Director of Business Operations and SmartHome guru Greg Wellems met with Serena Lowe and Zoe Gross from the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services’ Administration for Community Living (ACL). The two ACL reps are working on developing a technical resource for states and providers that provides examples, strategies, and effective practices for providing integrated day services to support individuals to engage fully in their communities. As part of this effort, they are interviewing disability service providers to learn more about best practices in integrated day services provision in the community, as well as state and federal policies or funding structures that may make it easier or more difficult for providers to reach these best practices.

And later this year, Greg will again team up with folks from Simply Home to present at the 2016 ANCOR Technology Summit and Showcase. Here’s a brief description of the presentations:

Empowering Independence: How Imagine! Creates New Outcomes Through SimplyHome 

 Technology 

Technological solutions are critical to the success of virtually every enterprise. When we look at the challenges facing the future of supports for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities, there is an increasing understanding that technology will be a fundamental component toward supporting a person centered life in the community. Working together, SimplyHome and Imagine! are blending technology with natural support systems to support successful outcomes. 

The session will overview SimplyHome’s support solutions and Imagine!’s processes for incorporating the technology as a core service to better support individuals in the community. This will include sharing the process of referring, assessing and incorporating the identified technology into the individual planning and support process. 

As you can see, Imagine! is continuing its tradition of acting as “technology evangelists” to increase the use of technology in the I/DD field. We’ll keep you posted on further developments.

Good News Friday!

Mark your calendars for August 8 for a way to support Imagine! and enjoy a great meal at the same time.

Next Door Boulder will donate 50% of sales to Imagine! from participating tables on Monday, August 8, from 5-9 p.m. They are located at 1035 Pearl Street. Just mention to your server that you're there for the Imagine! Foundation.

Thanks to Next Door Boulder for their generous support of their community and all of its members. I hope to see you all there August 8!

Technology Tuesday

Here’s a picture of Adam, who accepts services from Imagine!, working on his spelling skills using the Osmo app while participating in an Imagine! CORE/Labor Source class.

Good News Friday!

Today I’d like to share a couple of stories about some high schoolers who are taking time this summer to make a difference in the lives of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

First, I’d like to give a shout out to the students from Eldorado High School in Albuquerque. As part of the Eldorado High Eagle Earth and Reality Project, the students came all the way up to Colorado and volunteered at Imagine!’s CORE/Labor Source (CLS) site in Longmont last month. Fifty students, along with teachers Allison Dunn and Sean Thomas, hosted art, sports, jewelry, and cupcake making stations. They also did a spiffy job cleaning the vehicles that CLS uses in delivering services and supports throughout the community.

Below are a few images captured throughout their day.

Not pictured is the amazing lunch that Project Reality grilled up. Many thanks to the EHS students and teachers for being there and making for such an enjoyable day!

Second, I’d like to share that last Friday, St. Vrain Valley School District (SVVSD) Innovation Center students and Axel Reitzig, the Innovation Center’s Robotics & Computer Science Coordinator, took a tour of Imagine!’s Charles Family SmartHome.

The Innovation Center prepares SVVSD students for successful Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) careers by partnering with industry to provide real world work experiences. The Center’s mission is to match highly-skilled students with business, research and development opportunities, fostering analytical and problem-solving skills, encouraging entrepreneurial ambitions, and creating mentorships with experts in the STEM fields. What better place than our SmartHomes for students to learn first-hand how technology is changing the lives of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities?

One of the students told us after the tour: “I am extremely grateful for the awesome tour of the house, and I was astounded by the glimpse of the wonderful work you do for the community. It was truly an enlightening experience!”

Many thanks to Imagine! ambassador extraordinaire Leona Stoecker for arranging and helping to host the tour.