Daily Companions

enriching lives of adults with developmental disabilities

A woman in a red shirt smiling in front of a white wall.

Posted by Debra Mendes

· May 10, 2016

Katherina Hagedorn, Service Coordinator “Ms Kat”

Where our CEO Ms. C. is the head with the vision for where DCI is going. Our Companions are the hands that put together the daily work. Ms. Kat is our heart.

Ms. Kat has been with DCI for over 5 years and has consistently found new things to do and better ways to enhance the quality of life of each member and family. Be it discovering new things to explore in the community or ways to support the families with big or small needs she is the go-to gal.

Ms. Kat is a BSP1 and a Therapeutic Options Trainer. What does this mean? As a BSP Ms. Kat will assist members and families by developing steps and training skills that will help them to reach their goals. Therapeutic Options is a comprehensive and sensible approach to reducing violence and the use of restraint and seclusion in behavioral health care, health care, habilitation, and education settings. The program provides the tools to keep people safe while maintaining their commitment to positive approaches in serving individuals whose behavior sometimes poses danger to themselves or others. Ms. Kat is licensed to train DCI staff in these approaches.

Ms. Kat (Kathrina Hagedorn is just too long) services as Daily Companion’s Service Coordinator. Her past experience as a teacher for 8 years at Gafton Schools, and her case management experience with MI Adults, in addition to her work with state regulations at Mountain Heart has contributed to her ability and understanding of the IDD waiver role of Service Coordinator. But it is her own combination of creative thinking and passion that makes her a valuable member of the DCI team.

“Watching our members and the program grow has been a joy. I am thankful to have been and plan to continue to be a part of something that makes such a difference in the lives of others.” “I enjoy the challenge of finding ways to meet the individual needs and of supporting each family in their journey with their loved one with special needs.”

Meet the other members of our team

Categories : Team

A man standing in front of a group of numbers.

Posted by Debra Mendes

· May 2, 2016

How To Apply For The I/DD Waitlist Grant

Ok you have gone through all the steps to apply for the I/DD wavier and you have in your hand a letter that says you are eligible. Now you have to wait for a slot for services to open. Realistically due to the demand for services you will be waiting for about 5 to 6 years before a slot is available.

The good news is there are other resources and programs you may be able to use while waiting. Along with your I/DD eligibility letter you should receive a list of other resources/programs that you might be able to use while waiting for your slot to open. One of the programs listed is the Support Grant for Individuals on the West Virginia I/DD Wavier Eligibility Applicant List.

Contact information for this program is:

Web Site: www.wvdhhr.org/bhhf/mrdd.asp
Phone: 304 356-4811
Contact person: Mr. Steve Brady

Steve will give you contact information for several agencies in your area that actively work with the Support Grant program. Once you have established contact with an agency you will then need to have a face to face meeting with a Service Coordinator who will review program options with you and explain support you can receive while on the grant. You, the Service Coordinator and a Behavioral Support Professional will develop an Individualize Program Plan for your grant application. The application will be submitted along with the plan. You will hear directly from Mr. Brady and the Service Coordinator about your status with the Support Grant. The attached description gives you the type and amounts of support services that are available through the Grant. This is a grant that will need to be reapplied for by your Service Coordinator every 3 months and will need to have a new IPP written every 6 months. Eligibility is based on the availability of funds and needs of the individuals.

Waitlist Grant application

Categories : Resources

Posted by Debra Mendes

· May 2, 2016

Understanding The I/DD Waiver Process

To apply for I/DD waiver the family or individual must complete the WEST VIRGINIA I/DD WAIVER APPLICATION and send it to APS Health Care as noted on the application.

The family will be contacted by APS within five business days.

APS will provide a list of approved psychiatrists from which the family chooses and makes an appointment for the evaluation. Once the appointment is made, the family notifies APS of the choice and appointment day. It is important for the family to bring documentation of services the individual received in school (copies of last 2 IEP’s and evaluations completed by the school as well as any information from OT, PT or Speech services provided) in order to establish that the condition developed was before the age of 21 and to show need for an ongoing program.

When meeting with the psychiatrist completing the evaluation, please remember that all questions asked are as if the individual was independent and had to do things totally on their own without any assistance or support.

For example, the question might be “Does he/she take their medications on a regular basis?” A caretaker might want to answer “yes” to this question because when the caretaker gives them the medications the individual takes them and swallows them or he/she can take them from a pill box that is filled by the caretaker.

This is not what the question is asking- The question is can he/she take the medications totally by themselves without help – meaning, can they tell time and know it is time to take the medications? Can they open the pills and get the right number of medications out – and take them the right way? Do they know what they are taking and why? The question in this context would get a “No” for an answer.

The evaluation is not about the successes of your loved one, though there are many. It is about determining if services are needed. If support (family, community, volunteer) is already there to meet an individual’s needs why would the state pay for things that the individual is already receiving for free and therefore does not need them?

Please apply as soon as possible for waiver assistance as the wait list for services is four years long.

Categories : Resources

Posted by Debra Mendes

· May 2, 2016

Learning To Work Together

Not all behavior is bad. We need behaviors to function in society. Shaking some one’s hand. Saying hello and goodbye. Purchasing groceries. Talking on the phone. Interacting on a job site. These are all behaviors. Behaviors are measurable observable actions. Behaviors are actions we use to get something we want. Behavioral actions can be positive or negative and still serve their function. A child that screams and cries will get the attention of their parent just the same way a child who is laughing loudly will. All behavior is learned. Therefore, all behaviors can be taught.

It is the job of the Behavioral Support Professional to discover the function of negative behaviors and to determine what positive behaviors an individual need to acquire in order to function as independently in the community as possible. The BSP then develops the goals for the induvial based on their assessed need and writes the steps that the direct care worker will use to teach the behavior needed to reach the goal.

Learning new behaviors happens at different paces and for many people learning requires repetitive consistent instruction. But everyone can.

Learn more about our Behavior Support Services

Categories : Behavior Support, Client, Stories

Learning through movement and expression

Posted by Debra Mendes

· March 30, 2016

Acting Out! Learning Teamwork And Ways Of Thinking Through Movement And Expression

On Wednesday, March 30th, an improve class was held at DCI, led by Andrew Nelson from Marshall University, and Emily Stotler. During this class, participants took part in a variety of games and exercises encouraging teamwork and diverse ways of thinking through movement and expression.

The first game consumers took part in was called “Bang Bang.” “Bang Bang” was a name game in which everybody stood in a circle. This was simply a warm-up to help everyone loosen up, and get to know one another. One person in the middle of the circle would point at another person and say their name. If a person’s name was called, they would have to duck quickly, and the two people on either side of them would have to point at one another saying “Bang Bang.” Whoever said “Bang Bang” last would jump in the middle and say the next person’s name.

The next exercise was called “Statues,” in which one person would be the “sculptor” and the other the “statue.” The sculptor would “mold” the statue, by moving parts of his or her body to reflect a certain situation. Then everybody else in the group would guess what the situation was. This game helped consumers build different types of characters through communication and trust.

“Liar Liar” was the next game, in which two people would take turns asking one another what they were doing. Player 1 would ask Player 2 “What are you doing?” and Player 2 would answer with a lie. Player 1 would then have to act out whatever Player 2 said. Player 2 would then ask Player 1, and vice-versa. During this game, consumers had a lot of fun simply being creative and spontaneous. Consumers then took part in a storytelling exercise. One person would stand with their arms behind their back and tell a story. A second person would stand behind them using their arms to help convey what the other person was saying.

Consumers then took part in a storytelling exercise. One person would stand with their arms behind their back and tell a story. A second person would stand behind them using their arms to help convey what the other person was saying.

The last game was called “The Machine.” This game required everybody in the group. The first person would do any type of movement their heart desired. The
next person would then add their own movement, and so on and so on until everybody in the group was contributing to “The Machine.” This game encouraged the importance of teamwork and reminded consumers that everyone’s role was important to make “The Machine” work.

The class ended with Emily playing her guitar and singing a couple of songs. A few clients took turns playing the guitar afterwards. All participants seemed to enjoy themselves as evidenced by the thunderous laughter during the activities.

Categories : News

Posted by dci2admin

· March 23, 2016

Program Empowers Adults With Special Needs

When participants in Daily Companions Inc.’s adult programs look into a special mirror in the Daily Companions center in Martinsburg, they can smile knowing they helped create something unique and meaningful.

Daily Companions Inc. is a center that provides assistance for members of the West Virginia Title XIX I/DD Waiver program. DCI offers a residential living program, a supported employment program and a rehabilitative program geared toward adults with mental or developmental disabilities.

Part of DCI’s mission is to help program participants live and work as independently as possible. Daily Companions founder Lee Cloughfeather shaped the center’s mission to follow something her brother, Arty Smith, said related to being an adult with special needs:

“Don’t tell me what I can’t do. Let me show you what I can do.”

Janice Anderson, executive administrative assistant at DCI, helps organize weekly field trips for the clients on Fridays.

Recently, Anderson arranged for the clients to attend CraftWorks at Cool Spring, an art and nature center in Jefferson County.

Anderson said she asked the clients what they wanted to do, and they said they wanted to learn how to cook and how to make art.

“I sent a number of letters to artists, but the only studio that responded was CraftWorks,” Anderson said. “We had taken (the clients) out to Michael’s (craft store) in the past, but they would be bored and want to leave in five minutes. They liked going to CraftWorks and experiencing what it’s like to make a piece of art and have that physical and mental challenge.”

According to Linda Case, executive director of CraftWorks, the DCI participants learned how to make polymer clay tiles and decorate them. Many of the clients pressed leaves or beads or carved their names into their tiles, which were then arranged as a border around a mirror.

In addition to making the clay tiles, those who participated in the field trip to CraftWorks learned how to make quesadillas, salad and brownies, which they had for lunch that day.

“Daily Companions staff said their clients had been given too many childish projects in the past, and they wanted something more challenging. They also wanted to be able to walk away with something they could take home at the end of the day,” Case said. “They (DCI) have a strong philosophy of not dumbing things down and instead, really engaging people.”

Anderson said field trips and projects like the visit to CraftWorks help build clients’ self-esteem, hand-eye coordination and their appreciation for the world around them.

“I think the trip to CraftWorks helped them think creatively. Now, when they look at a picture or a painting, it has more meaning and they can understand how it came to be. Art is just something that happens until they experience it, and it’s stimulating,” she said.

Case said CraftWorks specializes in connecting people with art and nature, which are subjects that span all ages and skill levels.

“Art and nature touch our hearts. They’re subjects that span the spectrum of age and ability, and it’s a combination of an emotional response and an intellectual one,” she said.

Anderson said the Daily Companions group is tentatively planning another visit to CraftWorks in the spring, where they will do some painting and walk on the trails on the CraftWorks property.

“These trips and activities are good for (the clients’) self-esteem and self-respect,” Anderson said. “They are adults, and they deserve to be dignified and respected as adults.”

-Published in The Journal, written by Staff Writer Mary Stortstrom

Categories : News

A man in overalls standing next to two goats.

Posted by Debra Mendes

· March 10, 2016

A Goat Farm Teaches Discipline Skills Through Customized Employment

Chris has been actively involved with Daily Companions, Inc since 2006. Along with his mother, he has an extended family including cousins, aunts, and uncles.

Along with numerous family ties, Chris is very well known in the community and has many friends. In knowing Chris and observing him in daily activities through DCI, it is obvious that he is very well liked, enjoys helping others, and would pretty much do anything to help out. He needed help with being on time, and focusing on tasks. He did well with working closely with male companions.

During the discovery process, we had the opportunity to explore a locally owned goat farm where they raise goats and process various fine goat cheeses for marketing. Ms. Cloughfeather, CEO of Daily Companions, while being given a tour of the farm discovered for herself how friendly goats are. As we entered the gate, the goats approached us, and one particular goat continued to chase after Ms. C. as she was quickly heading back toward the gate. Although she was trying not to be rude to the host, this shows how the work environment needs to “fit comfortably” for the individual. I have to add that this was quite possibly the quickest I’ve ever seen Ms. C. move.

Chris, during a discovery activity, went to the County Fair to visit some of the goats entered in the fair for judging and met the owner’s older daughter. The business got its start with her one goat that was entered through 4-H years ago. Chris participated in helping out with tending the goats and observed the hand milking process. He was tickled and surprised by their cooperativeness and their social behavior. Chris is a natural with the goats and showed much interest and enthusiasm for all the animals/livestock at the fair. During our time at the fair, he knew so many people and introduced me to many friends and acquaintances. He was interested and curious to learn more about the farm and exploring helping out as a farm support worker.

Through Customized Employment, Chris participated in job exploration and training at the goat farm since August 18, 2014, working on learning and completing tasks as a support staff.

These tasks are broken down into three categories:

Goat Support Work, which includes replenishing their hay in numerous bins, graining, watering, attending and care for the goats. This also includes learning to identify and call them by name.
Milking Set Up – Preparation and milking up to six goats.
Clean Up – Washing/Sanitizing and Recheck Goats water supply

One day is learning about the cheese production and assisting with preparing the cheese for market.

Chris made significant progress in many areas with ihs skills on these tasks and he continues to show interest and desire to improve on being a support staff for the farm. In this supportive environment, working closely with the support staff and owner, this role became a great fit for him and for the business.

Chris was employed for 8 hours a week @ $7.25 an hour. This was an increase in his wage income.

Along with learning new skills, Chris had to adjust to an early schedule as he was required to be at the farm for the 6 am milking. He worked on learning the basic routines along with the out of normal issues/changes that arise for tending and milking the goats.

The owner has plans to increase cheese production and her number of milking goats. She has plans to purchase a cheese press which extracts the whey from the cheese. As she explained and demonstrated, this has been a cumbersome and timely process doing it by hand. We are currently exploring increasing his hours to expand his skills to assist with the cheese processing and marketing. She is encouraged with Chris’s progress and she has also talked to Chris about helping out with spring projects at the farm.

Chris’s previous work experience was through work exploration in high school and working a car wash. He was also previously employed hanging door flyers for a local pizza shop. Now that he is working at the goat farm this is providing him new work experiences and challenges to enhance his work skills, and establish good work ethics. During the training and employment, Chris learned to adapt well to changes in routines. At the goat farm, there is never a dull moment. Again, goats are very social in nature and are very smart. There is one particular goat, Po that is the nuisance goat. He would not leave Chris alone while he was working and sometimes would chase after him. Chris was never mean or insensitive to this goats’ nature, but rather tolerated her and worked on figuring out ways to keep her in a gated area/block her while he filled the bins. It was hilarious how this goat would open up the gate and get out. Also, just after the first couple weeks the milking machine broke down, so he got to learn not only how to start the milking and stripping but do the entire process by hand. This truly was an experience, and he again adapted quite well.

One of Chris’s attributes is his caring nature and attentiveness of the goats. The owner has been impressed with Chris’s attention to issues or concerns that were related to safety or wellness of the goats. Again, goats are very social and smart. They know their names when called. Chris worked hard on recognizing them by their marking, colors, characteristics and their physical response to his interactions. He had six goats that he needed to learn to identify at the beginning so visual aides were created and strategies were devised to help him with this. We also incorporated labeling and task list for the setup and the milking procedures. We also devised simulated hay bale to practice proper lifting and carrying techniques, a milking strainer/lid that has to be correctly inserted, math practice time sheets for recording his time and photos and quizzes for identifying all the goats. As the weather changed, so did the tasks. To help devise shortcuts and problem solving for the getting the grain in a trough that was difficult to fill due to its location in the hay shelter, I attempted to find a way for Chris to fill it. The goats surrounded and blocked me in to get to the feed. One goat just went right through my legs, and I ended up just sitting on the goat while he ate. Chris has never let me forget that episode. Goats will also try and “get your goat” by being at the door to be milked first and respond to other’s names. On this particular day, Chris and I both got the wrong goat three times due to the lighting changes (daylight savings time), their wintry changes and because they “tricked” us. We look forward to sharing more of the goat’s antics and shenanigans and to be involved with helping with the kidding process, welcoming the newborn “kids” that are due in a few weeks. This will also be a new experience and adventure for Chris.

Learn more about our Customized Employment Services

Categories : Client, Customized Employment, Stories

Tags : customized employment

A part of the workforce through customized employment

Posted by Debra Mendes

· March 10, 2016

Preparation And Experience Led To Paid Employment With DCI Supported Employment

When Jonathan joined Daily Companion’s program in October 2010 he was volunteering at the Salvation Army for 3 mornings a week. He expressed that he liked being there and enjoyed the support he had in the organization, but he wanted a bit more – he wanted to be paid.

Jonathan continued to volunteer at the Salvation Army and participated in other training goals and volunteer work experiences with Daily Companions. In February 2013 a Supported Employment specialist connected with a business opening in an expanded location. Jonathan’s job at Black Dog Coffee began. As Black Dog Coffee grew so did Jonathan’s work opportunities with them.

It has been a perfect fit for Jonathan who loves coffee and is able to put labels perfectly on the bags of fresh roasted coffees sold by Black Dog. Jonathan who is not one to sit back on success expressed that he wanted to work more. He is currently employed at Black Dog two days and week and was able to be employed at ROC’s one day a week as his schedule allows. If you ask Jonathan, he hopes to work even more days at Black Dog or ROC’s in the future.

Update on Jonathan’s story: Jonathan is now employed Tuesday thru Thursday at Black Dog. As of June 1st, he set a personal record for 229 bags of coffee! Jonathan also picked up a third job. He is also working at Cracker Barrel. The whole DCI family is proud of him and his success.

Categories : Client, Stories, Supported Employment

Achieving goals through Daily Companions Support Services

Posted by Debra Mendes

· March 10, 2016

Reaching Goals Through Supported Employment

You know life is funny. When Quincy joined Daily Companions in 2010 one of the first things he told us when we met him is that he would like to have a job at Subway. In August of 2015 Quincy is indeed working at ROC’s Subway. Quincy had several programs, volunteer experiences and work experiences with Dominoes and Mc Donald’s over the 5 years he has been in the program that have prepared him for reaching this goal of his.

Quincy and Daily Companions program has gone through a lot of changes since 2010. Quincy has grown and matured. Daily Companions has adapted to Quincy’s changing needs and abilities and has grown with Quincy to the point that a statement that Quincy made to staff in 2010 has become a reality for him.

Today Quincy enjoys his work at Mc Donald’s 2 days a week and at Roc’s 2 days a week. The rest of the time he enjoys interacting with his friends at Daily Companions and going out into the community every day for different activities and job exploration experiences.

Categories : Client, Stories, Supported Employment

A red book with the word faq on it on a shelf.

Posted by Debra Mendes

· January 2, 2016

General Knowledge and Resources

Daily Companions Inc does not endorse specific 3rd party resources, but the below are a list of those we think are helpful for general knowledge and information

Books and guides for parents and kids with behavioral disabilities

Parenting with Disabilities: A guide to Home Modifications

How Financial Aid for Students with Disabilities Works

The Guide To Keeping Your Home Through Debilitating Disease

Long-term Disability vs. Short-term Disability Explained

Categories : Resources