Writing on the Wall: Spring 2023
The quarterly newsletter of Wall Residences: a Virginia agency who provides services for individuals with intellectual or developmental disabilities. Services include sponsored residential, group homes, community engagement & community coaching, nursing, therapeutic consultation, and behavioral support. This issue highlights recent achievements of residents, providers, staff, and the agency as a whole during the first quarter of 2023.
The quarterly newsletter of Wall Residences: a Virginia agency who provides services for individuals with intellectual or developmental disabilities. Services include sponsored residential, group homes, community engagement & community coaching, nursing, therapeutic consultation, and behavioral support. This issue highlights recent achievements of residents, providers, staff, and the agency as a whole during the first quarter of 2023.
- TAGS
- person centered care
- therapeutic consultation
- esop
- employee owned company
- group home
- medicaid waiver
- family caregiver
- professional caregiver
- direct support professional
- caregiver
- disability awareness
- disability inclusion
- disability support
- sponsored residential
- aba services
- nursing
- wwwwallresidencescom
- provider
- virginia
- collaboration
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<strong>Spring</strong> <strong>2023</strong><br />
<strong>Wall</strong><br />
<str<strong>on</strong>g>Writing</str<strong>on</strong>g><br />
<strong>Wall</strong><br />
<strong>on</strong> <strong>the</strong><br />
New Flavors, New Places<br />
The Opportunity of Adventures Toge<strong>the</strong>r<br />
3<br />
6 8<br />
Double Date<br />
Working toge<strong>the</strong>r to support<br />
a special night out<br />
Functi<strong>on</strong>al Communicati<strong>on</strong><br />
Speech and Language services can ease<br />
communicati<strong>on</strong> frustrati<strong>on</strong>s<br />
Seeking W<strong>on</strong>derful People<br />
Cross-team cooperati<strong>on</strong> for optimal<br />
candidate recruiting at job fairs
President’s Corner<br />
John Wea<strong>the</strong>rspo<strong>on</strong><br />
Collaborati<strong>on</strong> is key to <strong>the</strong> work we<br />
do at <strong>Wall</strong> Residences. Reaching<br />
across teams and agencies to work toge<strong>the</strong>r<br />
to ensure <strong>the</strong> best outcome is of<br />
paramount importance. Collaborati<strong>on</strong><br />
looks like staff from different parts<br />
of our company recruiting toge<strong>the</strong>r at<br />
a job fair or DSPs and program staff<br />
coordinating <strong>the</strong>ir support to bring<br />
people toge<strong>the</strong>r for a special night of<br />
celebrati<strong>on</strong> and fun. This type of partnership<br />
and cooperati<strong>on</strong> happens in<br />
plain sight when sp<strong>on</strong>sors and individuals<br />
socialize toge<strong>the</strong>r, allowing for<br />
friendships and community to grow. It<br />
happens when staff who serve different<br />
job functi<strong>on</strong>s but share a regi<strong>on</strong><br />
ga<strong>the</strong>r for training and networking.<br />
Not all <strong>the</strong> ways we join toge<strong>the</strong>r to<br />
make a difference are so visible. Collaborati<strong>on</strong><br />
also looks like Sp<strong>on</strong>sored<br />
Residential Providers and staff helping<br />
to seek out specialized services<br />
like Speech and Language to enhance<br />
an individual’s life. It happens behind<br />
<strong>the</strong> scenes when we all advocate<br />
for services to our state legislative<br />
members and when those lawmakers<br />
meet with us and are resp<strong>on</strong>sive to<br />
<strong>the</strong> needs of <strong>the</strong> ID/DD community.<br />
This coming fall will be an extremely<br />
important time for all of us to engage<br />
in this arena as we welcome a new<br />
group of law makers to Richm<strong>on</strong>d<br />
and say goodbye to several key<br />
lawmakers as <strong>the</strong>y retire and return<br />
to private life. We will be<br />
educating <strong>the</strong> next generati<strong>on</strong><br />
of support within <strong>the</strong> General<br />
Assembly.<br />
We learned to collaborate<br />
using technology throughout<br />
<strong>the</strong> pandemic. While we benefit<br />
from our c<strong>on</strong>tinued ability<br />
to collaborate across <strong>the</strong><br />
state virtually at any time, we<br />
are enjoying increased opportunities<br />
to reach out in pers<strong>on</strong> to share informati<strong>on</strong><br />
about <strong>the</strong> services we provide<br />
and <strong>the</strong> career opportunities we offer<br />
in <strong>the</strong> communities we serve. The<br />
in-pers<strong>on</strong> listening sessi<strong>on</strong>s we have<br />
held with staff and c<strong>on</strong>tracted providers<br />
across Virginia over <strong>the</strong> last three<br />
m<strong>on</strong>ths have been extremely valuable<br />
and important as we work toge<strong>the</strong>r to<br />
enhance what we do as an agency.<br />
Throughout this issue, we celebrate<br />
ways we work toge<strong>the</strong>r and <strong>the</strong> positive<br />
outcomes teamwork creates. We<br />
are grateful for your partnership in this<br />
important, life-changing work. If you<br />
have ideas for ways to deepen collaborati<strong>on</strong><br />
in service of our missi<strong>on</strong> of<br />
“Valued Lives, Meaningful Living,”<br />
I am always happy to hear from you.<br />
Above: Parent Provider Nancy Weed, Regi<strong>on</strong>al<br />
Coordinator Julie Neal, SLP Lori Klein,<br />
and Director of Therapeutic Services Hea<strong>the</strong>r<br />
Cromer at NRV Resource Fair.<br />
Right: QAC Coordinator Amanda Branigan,<br />
Regi<strong>on</strong>al Coordinator Amber Hall, Regi<strong>on</strong>al<br />
Coordinator Mel Waler, Lead RN Care Manager<br />
Kevyn Burn, and Operati<strong>on</strong>s Officer<br />
Amanda Craig dressed for <strong>the</strong> occasi<strong>on</strong> at an<br />
80’s <strong>the</strong>med regi<strong>on</strong>al coordinator meeting.<br />
<str<strong>on</strong>g>Writing</str<strong>on</strong>g> <strong>on</strong> <strong>the</strong> <strong>Wall</strong><br />
<strong>Spring</strong> <strong>2023</strong><br />
Editor and Designer: Marketing Coordinator Angie Covingt<strong>on</strong><br />
C<strong>on</strong>tributors: Director of Clinical & Therapeutic C<strong>on</strong>sultati<strong>on</strong> Hea<strong>the</strong>r Cromer, WRAP Program Manager Denisha Gilliam-Spence,<br />
Group Home Program Coordinator Justine Paters<strong>on</strong>, WRAP Coordinator Joey Warren<br />
2
A Night to Remember<br />
So fun to get dressed up and go out!<br />
In February, Prest<strong>on</strong>, Emma, Shann<strong>on</strong>,<br />
and Daniel attended <strong>the</strong> Culpeper<br />
Night to Shine prom toge<strong>the</strong>r,<br />
with support from DSP Kayla Myers,<br />
WRAP Program Manager Denisha<br />
Gilliam-Spence, and Provider Erin<br />
Quinn. It was a true cross-team<br />
collaborati<strong>on</strong> between In-Home<br />
services, WRAP, and Sp<strong>on</strong>sored<br />
Residential to ensure <strong>the</strong> perfect night<br />
for all four individuals.<br />
Preparati<strong>on</strong>s started in advance as<br />
Kayla assisted Shann<strong>on</strong> and Emma<br />
with finding just <strong>the</strong> right dress. The<br />
group spoke with a local c<strong>on</strong>signment<br />
shop and were able to have two beautiful<br />
dresses d<strong>on</strong>ated!<br />
On <strong>the</strong> day of <strong>the</strong> dance, Kayla,<br />
Denisha, and Erin worked toge<strong>the</strong>r<br />
to assure every<strong>on</strong>e was ready <strong>on</strong> time<br />
and looked <strong>the</strong>ir absolute best. They<br />
coordinated to meet at <strong>the</strong> LOVE<br />
sign in downtown Culpeper to take<br />
pictures before <strong>the</strong> big event.<br />
Emma and Prest<strong>on</strong> have been dating<br />
for about six years and really enjoyed<br />
<strong>the</strong>ir special night out toge<strong>the</strong>r.<br />
Prest<strong>on</strong> was a total gentleman<br />
who walked his date to <strong>the</strong><br />
car and opened her door. He<br />
noted that he loved “eating<br />
Chick-Fil-A and drinking <strong>the</strong><br />
tea.” He also enjoyed giving<br />
Emma a corsage, which he<br />
put <strong>on</strong> for her. Shann<strong>on</strong> had<br />
<strong>the</strong> fun of getting ready with<br />
Emma, <strong>the</strong>n attending <strong>the</strong><br />
prom with Daniel, who lives<br />
with <strong>the</strong> Quinns.<br />
As you can see in <strong>the</strong> pictures,<br />
<strong>the</strong> four had a w<strong>on</strong>derful<br />
time. Kayla, who also attended<br />
<strong>the</strong> event, shared, “I loved<br />
how <strong>the</strong> prom setting was so<br />
detailed. The decorators did a<br />
fantastic job with <strong>the</strong> details!”<br />
She loved supporting <strong>the</strong> individuals<br />
and seeing <strong>the</strong> interacti<strong>on</strong>s<br />
between<br />
<strong>the</strong>m and <strong>the</strong><br />
volunteers and<br />
o<strong>the</strong>r attendees.<br />
The best part of<br />
all? “The smiles<br />
<strong>on</strong> every<strong>on</strong>e’s<br />
faces!”<br />
~Joey Warren<br />
Left: Prest<strong>on</strong>, Emma, Shann<strong>on</strong>, and<br />
Daniel relax toge<strong>the</strong>r during <strong>the</strong> event.<br />
Top: Daniel and Shann<strong>on</strong> danced <strong>the</strong> night away at <strong>the</strong><br />
Culpeper Night to Shine prom.<br />
Above: A gorgeous sunet framed Emma and Prest<strong>on</strong><br />
during photos at <strong>the</strong> Culpeper LOVE sign.<br />
3
Around<br />
Our <strong>Wall</strong><br />
Opportunties for growth, fun, and<br />
living best lives abounded for<br />
supported individuals, providers,<br />
and staff over <strong>the</strong> last quarter.<br />
Enjoy this sampling of all we’ve<br />
had going <strong>on</strong>. To see more, we<br />
encourage you to follow us <strong>on</strong><br />
Facebook or Instagram.<br />
Providers and staff are invited to<br />
share pictures by sending to<br />
marketing@wallresidences.com.<br />
www.wallresidences.com<br />
4
5
Supporting Communicati<strong>on</strong><br />
<strong>Wall</strong> Therapeutic Soluti<strong>on</strong>s is excited<br />
to offer Speech and Language Therapeutic<br />
C<strong>on</strong>sultati<strong>on</strong> across Virginia.<br />
Here are some frequently asked questi<strong>on</strong>s<br />
about this valuable service.<br />
Who provides this service?<br />
Lori Klein is a Speech Language<br />
Pathologist with over 12 years of<br />
experience working with individuals<br />
with a range of disabilities and variety<br />
of communicati<strong>on</strong> and feeding needs.<br />
Prior to joining <strong>the</strong> <strong>Wall</strong> Residences<br />
team, Lori worked for <strong>the</strong> M<strong>on</strong>tgomery<br />
County Public School system in<br />
Virginia and <strong>the</strong> South King Early<br />
Interventi<strong>on</strong> Program in Washingt<strong>on</strong>.<br />
She is passi<strong>on</strong>ate about providing<br />
individuals with improved functi<strong>on</strong>al<br />
communicati<strong>on</strong> skills to improve <strong>the</strong>ir<br />
quality of life.<br />
Who can access this service?<br />
Speech and Language Therapeutic<br />
C<strong>on</strong>sultati<strong>on</strong> is available to individuals<br />
who receive <strong>the</strong> Community<br />
Living Waiver, Family and Individual<br />
Support Waiver, or Building Inde-<br />
pendence Waiver and have a need for<br />
functi<strong>on</strong>al communicati<strong>on</strong> support.<br />
Some clients may also choose to participate<br />
in private pay services if <strong>the</strong>y<br />
do not receive waiver services.<br />
We provide assessment<br />
and recommendati<strong>on</strong>s<br />
for assistive technology<br />
to support functi<strong>on</strong>al<br />
communicati<strong>on</strong>.<br />
What does Speech and Language<br />
Therapeutic C<strong>on</strong>sultati<strong>on</strong> look like?<br />
As c<strong>on</strong>sultative model, this service<br />
can provide assessment and recommendati<strong>on</strong>s<br />
for assistive technology,<br />
low-tech or high-tech, to support individuals’<br />
functi<strong>on</strong>al communicati<strong>on</strong>.<br />
Our team has a variety of equipment<br />
and devices available to trial. Once<br />
<strong>the</strong> most appropriate augmentative<br />
communicati<strong>on</strong> mode is identified,<br />
<strong>the</strong> device is requested and provided<br />
based <strong>on</strong> authorizati<strong>on</strong>. We <strong>the</strong>n<br />
provide c<strong>on</strong>sultati<strong>on</strong> to <strong>the</strong> client<br />
and <strong>the</strong>ir support team <strong>on</strong> using <strong>the</strong><br />
augmentative communicati<strong>on</strong> as it is<br />
incorporated into <strong>the</strong>ir daily life.<br />
How l<strong>on</strong>g does <strong>the</strong> c<strong>on</strong>sultati<strong>on</strong><br />
take?<br />
Typically, <strong>the</strong> time it takes to trial<br />
different devices and fully develop <strong>the</strong><br />
client and support staffs’ skills using<br />
<strong>the</strong> device can range from six m<strong>on</strong>ths<br />
to a year.<br />
I use words to communicate but<br />
sometimes people have a hard time<br />
understanding me. Can this service<br />
help?<br />
Yes! Speech and Language Therapeutic<br />
C<strong>on</strong>sultati<strong>on</strong> can help build<br />
vocal skills or supplement those vocal<br />
skills with o<strong>the</strong>r low and high-tech<br />
supports.<br />
How do I make a referral?<br />
Referrals can be made by filling out a<br />
referral <strong>on</strong> <strong>the</strong> <strong>Wall</strong> Residences website<br />
or by reaching out to Lori Klein<br />
at lklein@wallresidences.com.<br />
~Hea<strong>the</strong>r Cromer<br />
Know Some<strong>on</strong>e Who Could Benefit from Our Services?<br />
The <strong>Wall</strong> Residences Admissi<strong>on</strong>s team has staff in all parts of <strong>the</strong> state to resp<strong>on</strong>d to your referral needs and<br />
answer questi<strong>on</strong>s about <strong>the</strong> services we offer. We work quickly to find <strong>the</strong> right match for l<strong>on</strong>gterm success<br />
while striving for <strong>the</strong> quickest placement in services possible. The Admissi<strong>on</strong>s Team is here to serve you.<br />
Alex Jacks<strong>on</strong><br />
Admissi<strong>on</strong>s<br />
Director<br />
(434) 610-7578<br />
Emily Eagle<br />
Central Virginia, Danville,<br />
Charlottesville, Staunt<strong>on</strong>/<br />
Waynesboro/Lexingt<strong>on</strong><br />
(434) 907-5067<br />
Ashea Green<br />
Nor<strong>the</strong>rn<br />
Regi<strong>on</strong><br />
(202) 760-6411<br />
Brooke Keen<br />
Roanoke, NRV,<br />
SWVA<br />
(540) 541-8563<br />
Lisa Schalasny<br />
Eastern<br />
Regi<strong>on</strong><br />
(804) 380-4309<br />
6
A Taste for New Experiences<br />
Shawn and Provider John Gomez<br />
celebrate <strong>on</strong>e year toge<strong>the</strong>r in April.<br />
The two have filled that year with adventure,<br />
focusing <strong>on</strong> new experiences<br />
for Shawn. John is part of a large,<br />
internati<strong>on</strong>al family. When he decided<br />
to become a provider, he hoped<br />
and prayed for <strong>the</strong> chance to support<br />
some<strong>on</strong>e who would mesh well with,<br />
and ultimately become part of, <strong>the</strong><br />
family. With Shawn, he says,”I have<br />
seen that dream come true.”<br />
The two met when John volunteered<br />
at a day program Shawn attended.<br />
Unfortunately, <strong>the</strong> supports at<br />
Shawn’s group home were not ideal.<br />
One day John and a fellow DSP saw<br />
Shawn <strong>on</strong> <strong>the</strong> street, in need of help.<br />
The two stepped in to assist him and<br />
c<strong>on</strong>tacted his case worker. John, who<br />
was approved as a Provider, decided<br />
to open his home to Shawn, who<br />
was very happy about <strong>the</strong> chance to<br />
live with him. They spent <strong>the</strong>ir first<br />
few m<strong>on</strong>ths making sure Shawn was<br />
thriving in <strong>the</strong> home <strong>the</strong>y share and<br />
Above: John Gomez and Shawn<br />
Above Right: Shawn enjoys a seaside<br />
meal with John’s family in <strong>the</strong> D.R.<br />
exploring <strong>the</strong><br />
community<br />
toge<strong>the</strong>r.<br />
Their days<br />
are filled with<br />
frequent trips<br />
to Shawn’s<br />
barber, <strong>the</strong><br />
movies,<br />
sports outings,<br />
bowling,<br />
and<br />
Shawn’s<br />
favorite activity:<br />
“Eating!”<br />
Once Shawn felt comfortable, <strong>the</strong><br />
pair tackled a new goal: adding travel<br />
into <strong>the</strong> mix of things <strong>the</strong>y do toge<strong>the</strong>r.<br />
Their first big trip was to New<br />
York City at Christmas. They took in<br />
<strong>the</strong> sights, including Times Square,<br />
Rockefeller Center, holiday decorati<strong>on</strong>s,<br />
and overlook attracti<strong>on</strong>s, The<br />
Summit and The Edge. Best of all<br />
for Shawn was exploring new foods.<br />
He tried New York bagels and pizza,<br />
but his favorites were items from <strong>the</strong><br />
Spanish food trucks in uptown Manhattan.<br />
Developing a sophisticated<br />
palette has been <strong>on</strong>e side effect of<br />
living with John. A former huge fan<br />
of fast food, Shawn now appreciates<br />
seafood, Spanish style delicacies, and<br />
o<strong>the</strong>r new tastes.<br />
A trip to Washingt<strong>on</strong>, D.C. was <strong>the</strong>ir<br />
sec<strong>on</strong>d big adventure. This destinati<strong>on</strong><br />
had a bigger goal than merely<br />
enjoying a new city. They were<br />
<strong>the</strong>re to pick up Shawn’s passport!<br />
That passport got its first use <strong>on</strong><br />
<strong>the</strong>ir biggest trip of all, a visit to <strong>the</strong><br />
Dominican Republic. They spent<br />
time with John’s family and enjoyed<br />
beaches, waterfalls, and of course,<br />
<strong>the</strong> best of <strong>the</strong> local cuisine! “Shrimp,<br />
fish, chicken, pineapples, plantains,”<br />
Shawn resp<strong>on</strong>ds when asked what he<br />
liked eating best. John notes Shawn<br />
is a good traveler. Shawn shares his<br />
favorite part, aside from <strong>the</strong> delicious<br />
food of course, was <strong>the</strong> beaches. He<br />
loved “looking at <strong>the</strong> water.”<br />
The pair are focused <strong>on</strong> goal setting.<br />
A return trip to <strong>the</strong> D.R. is <strong>on</strong>e wish,<br />
with a goal of getting into <strong>the</strong> water<br />
this time. A trip to Disney is ano<strong>the</strong>r<br />
dream <strong>the</strong>y will work toge<strong>the</strong>r<br />
to acheive. It’s not all play and no<br />
work:learning to save m<strong>on</strong>ey and<br />
how to budget are skill building goals<br />
that nicely dovetail with Shawn’s<br />
new love of travel, as well as ano<strong>the</strong>r<br />
new interest, dressing nicely in new<br />
clo<strong>the</strong>s from Tommy Hilfiger and<br />
Nike found at <strong>the</strong> nearby outlet mall.<br />
At home, in <strong>the</strong> local community, or<br />
adventuring abroad, John and Shawn<br />
have some very fundamental things<br />
in comm<strong>on</strong>, most especially a love<br />
for family and community. John says,<br />
“Shawn is a good dude. What’s important<br />
to him is his family. He likes<br />
to help people.”<br />
~Angie Covingt<strong>on</strong><br />
7
Recruiting DSPs<br />
We all know <strong>the</strong> last few years have<br />
brought many changes to employee<br />
recruitment, with a competitive job<br />
market for companies looking for<br />
<strong>the</strong> best talent. <strong>Wall</strong> Residences has<br />
worked diligently to adjust to compete<br />
in this new employee driven<br />
market and find <strong>the</strong> best people to<br />
add to our teams.<br />
Cross-team collaborati<strong>on</strong> was exemplified<br />
by our agency’s presence<br />
at several recent hiring fairs. WRAP<br />
Program Manager Amber Castanes,<br />
WRAP Coordinator Kira Appel,<br />
and Central Virginia Group Home<br />
Coordinator Justine Paters<strong>on</strong> joined<br />
forces for two job fairs in Bedford<br />
and Lynchburg.<br />
At <strong>the</strong>se job fairs, we asked people<br />
if <strong>the</strong>y wanted a job where <strong>the</strong>y<br />
could make a difference.<br />
We said, “Do you want to<br />
support individuals to live a<br />
meaningful, fulfilling, and<br />
pers<strong>on</strong>-centered life in both<br />
<strong>the</strong> home and community?”<br />
If <strong>the</strong>y said yes, <strong>the</strong>n we let<br />
<strong>the</strong>m know we had <strong>the</strong> perfect<br />
job for <strong>the</strong>m and gave<br />
<strong>the</strong>m informati<strong>on</strong> about<br />
being a DSP. We let <strong>the</strong>m<br />
know working at <strong>Wall</strong> Residences<br />
isn’t just a job, it’s<br />
a privilege to be able to enrich <strong>the</strong><br />
lives of o<strong>the</strong>rs to live <strong>the</strong>ir best life.<br />
<strong>Wall</strong> Residences recognizes <strong>the</strong> need<br />
for Direct Support Professi<strong>on</strong>als within<br />
Residential and WRAP services<br />
and is working to find opportunities<br />
to educate about our services and<br />
discuss opportunities for employment.<br />
Justine Paters<strong>on</strong> and Amber<br />
Castanes at <strong>the</strong> Bedford Job Fair.<br />
If <strong>the</strong>re are additi<strong>on</strong>al areas in which<br />
we can fur<strong>the</strong>r support with this recruitment<br />
as an agency, please let us<br />
know!<br />
~Justine Paters<strong>on</strong><br />
Digital B<strong>on</strong>us: James in NYC