What is a host home provider?
A host home provider (HHP) is someone who is passionate about supporting others in their daily lives, specifically, adults with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities. Host home providers are responsible for ensuring that the individual in services basic needs are met including, but not limited to: providing meals, ensuring the individual’s hygiene is maintained, supporting the individual with their medical needs, and working with the individual to increase their independent skills so that they can be an active member of the community. Qualifications The environment is very flexible and person centered. With this, you can be a single provider in a 2 bedroom apartment supporting someone, or you, could have your own family with an extra bedroom in your home. Each individual has different wants and needs and we work with you to find the best match for your lifestyle! Supporting someone in your home, also comes with the responsibility of ensuring their care needs are met 24/7. Don’t worry though, we have services and supports to help ensure you get the break you need in order to be successful! To qualify to serve an individual in their home they must meet the following requirements: 21 years of age or older, pass criminal and driving background checks, have room within their home to provide the individual in services with their own space. From there, providers will work with their residential team to complete necessary documentation and trainings, which includes CPR/First Aid, QMAP for medication administration, Blood Borne Pathogens Training, and Non-Violent Crisis Interventions for verbal and physical de-escalation techniques. How much do host home providers make in Colorado? Providers do not work with individuals to get just a paycheck, rather they are making a long term investment in supporting individuals in increasing their quality of life through learning more skills and integrating with their surrounding community. Though we do understand that with these many responsibilities, compensation is an important aspect to be able to provide quality care. Many HHPs do not have out of the home jobs, not because they do not have time to, but because they receive competitive compensation which provides them financial freedom to stay home. Services are paid to providers through daily rates referred to as difficulty of care payments, the best part of this payment is that qualifies as tax free income! The services and supports that a Host Home Provider is expected to provide can vary widely based on the needs of the individual in services. Individuals’ needs may include support ranging from hands on assistance to reminders with tasks such as bathing, dressing, meal preparation, medication administration, behavior support, and accessing the community. Determining Compensation Rates Compensation for the provider is determined based on a standard assessment administered through the state called a Support Intensity Scale (SIS). The SIS assessment is administered by a certified professional, and results in a SIS score between 1–6 that determines the daily residential daily rate for the individual. Host Home Providers receive compensation based on this SIS level that can range from an estimated $1390/month-$4830/month. Room & Board In addition to the daily rate, individuals in services may receive Social Security benefits which are used in part to make a monthly Room & Board payment to their Host Home Provider. This amount is evaluated by the Social Security Administration on an annual basis. In 2021 this amount is $700. With the compensation received, Host Home Providers are expected to provide all necessary supports to the individual to ensure their residential needs are met, including providing meals to the individual, and to support individuals in accessing additional services, medical visits, and engaging in their community. Apply Now Interested in taking the next step? Apply to become a provider here: https://www.samplesupports.com/become-a-host-home-provider.html
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What is behavior analysis?
When people think of behavior analysis, they typically think of the old fashioned mouse and water experiment. Behavior analysis has come a long way over the years, and the principle behind that study has only strengthened and evolved over time. Today, behavior analysis simply refers to the science of behavior. The idea is to improve the human condition through behavior change.This can be applied across populations of individuals, and is primarily used within the educational setting and behavioral health treatment setting. 3 Branches Behaviorism Behaviorism, which may also be known as behavior psychology, looks at the behavior as a response to environmental stimuli. Within behaviorism, we utilize classical and operant conditioning as a means to learn new behaviors. An important thing to remember from this specific branch is the idea that this focuses on the ways in which environmental factors influence behavior. Experimental Behavior Analysis Experimental behavior analysis is a process of analysis that allows us to predict and control behaviors through operant conditioning techniques by establishing functions relations between antecedents and behaviors.This specific approach is both inductive and data-driven by nature. Applied Behavior Analysis The process of applied behavior analysis begins with assessing the functional relationship between a targeted behavior and the environment. This specific applied science is devoted to developing certain procedures to produce observable behavior changes. Some of the key components of this scientific approach include understanding the following components: environment, reinforcement, punishment, and extinction. It is also important to note some of the most commonly used interventions within ABA which include: task analysis, chaining, prompting, fading, generalization, and shaping. Behavior Analysis in the Field The use of ABA services are primarily used in the field of working with individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Specific times when ABA becomes a necessity include when an individual has deficits in adaptive behaviors, has slow rates of learning, and have behavior disorders that interfere with learning, or if they have behavior disorders that place themselves or others at risk. Now that you have a better understanding of all of the wonderful things that behavior services entail, there is nothing stopping you from enriching the lives of anyone you know who is struggling. ABA services are widely available, all it takes is reaching out getting the process going! Learn more at www.samplesupports.com What exactly is therapy?Have you considered therapy, but unsure of what exactly it means to get started?
Learn more about what you actually do in therapy — and how you can adapt each intervention to meet your needs. What do I do in Therapy?
There are so many different Therapists out there, how do I pick!?There are many types of therapists! Licensed Professional Counselors (LPCs), Licensed Clinical Social Workers (LCSWs), Licensed Marriage and Family Therapists (LMFTs), Licensed Addiction Counselors (LACs) are all trained professionals who can address different problems. LPCs and LCSWs usually specialize in individual treatment, working with people one on one. They may also run therapy groups for people to connect with others going through similar experiences. LMFTs specialize in the area of families and couples and work through issues related to those aspects. LACs focus on treating substance use disorders and challenges related to substance use. What do I do next?It is important to do research on the type of therapist you want to work with! Do you want a male or female? What are the issues you are wanting to address? Do the therapists have a speciality training that you think sounds interesting? Most therapists offer a free consultation before you start, so you have a chance to see if you would be a good fit. You can always switch too! Sometimes you won’t find the best fit on the first try, but don’t be discouraged, just like finding a doctor you feel comfortable with, finding a therapist that you are comfortable with is extremely important. How Many People Live with Disabilities?
According to the CDC, there are approximately 61 million people in the United States, or nearly 1 in 4 people, living with disabilities. Those living with disabilities can experience many effects, in all areas of their lives. Without education and campaigns to raise awareness, people living in the US may continue to live unaware of the challenges and effects people living with disabilities may face on a daily basis. Historically, individuals living with disabilities in the United States have been stigmatized, segregated or denied choice in educational opportunities, employment opportunities and living in community settings. Raising awareness for people with disabilities is critical in continuing to ensure each person regardless of their level of need receives the care and support they need in their community. What is Disability Awareness? Disability awareness and education brings barriers and potential negative attitudes individuals living with disabilities may face to the forefront. Over the last decades in the United States, there have been many changes and progress has been made to end prejudice that surrounds disabilities. But, more change needs to occur to end ongoing barriers and negative attitudes individuals with disabilities face. Sample Supports staff believes the more we educate, advocate and raise awareness the better and more inclusive our communities will become. Sample Supports Mission At Sample Supports we know each individual has unique needs and we work with teams and communities across Colorado to ensure the success of each individual in our care. Sample Supports works to recognize people for their abilities, not their disabilities. Our programs and staff work each day to ensure individualized services and supports developed to meet the needs of each person. Our teams work with communities, schools, police departments and many other organizations to educate on disabilities and disability services. Through this outreach, we partner with our communities to ensure inclusivity. Most importantly, we support each individual to be their own best advocate. There is no service delivery without the individual themselves being in full control and power of their wants and needs. Person-centered practices are critical to ensure each person with disabilities is treated with dignity, respect, and self-worth. The Why Behind the Work We believe that every individual, regardless of ability or disability, deserves the same opportunities everyone else has. We do not shy away from hard work to ensure each individual is successful, fulfilled and happy living in their community. At Sample Supports, we recognize that historically those living with disabilities have faced many hurdles and are committed each day to breaking those barriers. Our goal is to offer a network of support and connection to help individuals feel empowered to take the lead in their own choices and outcomes. Additional Resources ANCOR Alliance Colorado The National Association of Councils on Developmental Disabilities Interested in learning more? Find out more about our mission and service options at www.samplesupports.com. Why is Autism considered a spectrum condition?
Autism or Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is considered to be a spectrum condition due to the variety of symptoms and severity of these symptoms that can occur. We know that ASD occurs across the board of genders, ethnicities and socioeconomic status. Every person diagnosed with ASD has to meet diagnostic criteria according to DSM-5 — a diagnostic tool used by a variety of professionals during assessments. To meet that criteria a person must have persistent deficits in each of three areas of social communication and interaction plus at least two of four types of restricted, repetitive behaviors. The impact of these deficits is then determined by the severity. Some people may have more severe repetitive behaviors, and less severe communication deficits while others may have severe deficits in both. With such a wide variety of potential impacts it was determined that ASD is a spectrum. In short, a spectrum disorder really just means that two individuals with the same diagnosis can have a vastly different presentation and experience. Why is Autism a spectrum? Prior to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th Edition (DSM-5) update in 2013, Autism was broken out into different categories including Asperger's, Autism, and Pervasive Developmental Disability. Autism was known as the more “classic” version with extreme delays and severity of behaviors. Asperger's was classified as the “mild” version, presenting as someone who had particular interests and less communication difficulties. Pervasive developmental disability was reserved for those who had even “milder” symptoms or did not hit all of the criteria, but still had challenges in communication. During the update process, the psychologists who develop the DSM-5 decided that the best fit for these diagnoses were to put them together as one spectrum disorder instead of three separate entities in order to best capture the wide variety and overlap in symptoms that we see. When is Autism diagnosed? Typically Autism is diagnosed in early childhood. As children progress and miss certain developmental milestones, or start exhibiting behaviors such as fixation on certain topics they may be referred to a specialist for testing. Since Autism is a spectrum the level of severity also determines whether or not someone gets the proper testing and it may go undiagnosed for a long time. This is especially common in females, who tend to have diagnoses later on in life then males. Who does Autism affect? Autism can affect anyone, it has been seen consistently across genders, ethnicities, and socioeconomic status. However we see more boys than girls being diagnosed with Autism as a trend that is not yet fully understood by the scientific world. This could be due to the trend we mentioned earlier about females being diagnosed with ASD later in life, but does not fully account for the discrepancy. Are Autism and ADHD related? Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and ASD can look very similar to each other. Children and Adults with either condition can have problems focusing, be impulsive or difficulty communicating. Although they share many of the same symptoms, the two are distinct conditions. ASD can affect language skills, behavior, social interactions, and the ability to learn. ADHD impacts the way someone’s brain grows and develops. Someone can have both ASD and ADHD co-occurring, and they are often diagnosed alongside each other. What are the causes of Autism? It isn’t known what “causes” ASD yet, however many scientists believe that it is a combination of biological, environmental and genetic factors that can contribute to the development of ASD. These all increase the risk of developing autism but increased risk does not mean cause. Not everyone with these risk factors will develop ASD, but they have been shown in cases of ASD. Can Autism be cured? The process of receiving a diagnosis can be overwhelming to the individual and those around them. Often people deem a diagnosis as a limiting factor or indicator that a person will have less opportunities for a typical life trajectory. This leaves people searching for a cure or solution — while it may be challenging to receive a diagnosis, autism and other intellectual and developmental disabilities are do not mean a person cannot live a full and successful life. With that, Autism cannot be “cured” — but with proper intervention we can support individuals with ASD in improving their social and communication deficits or other behavioral needs. Learn more about all that our behavior program can offer here! https://www.samplesupports.com/behavior-program.html What makes housing for people with disabilities different? Hint: not much!Just like everyone, individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities need somewhere to live and thrive in their communities.
While people with disabilities may need support and accessibility in their housing options, it does not limit the choice in housing setting or determine where the person is able to live. There is no one size fits all model for housing for people with disabilities. Each person’s needs differ in their capabilities to live totally on their own — with some requiring a higher level of care and others needing with less frequent check-ins and guidance. Even with a variety of needs, people with disabilities have the option to live anywhere they choose. From supported apartments to provider host homes — supported living still allows for independence.For people with disabilities who do need help with their activities of daily living, there are a wide variety of housing options that offer support services as well. Independent apartment programs are structured to have support staff come into a person’s apartment if and when they need. This usually includes scheduled services, like cooking help or grocery shopping, as well as on-call services in case of an emergency. The apartment can be owned or leased directly by the person and the provider agency can help with basic associated costs like rent, accessible furniture, and week to week expenses. Learn more about our independent apartment program here. Some people need a higher level of day to day support that is best served in a host home (or provider home) setting. A host home setting is where a person in need of services lives in a home with a full-time provider. The best part about a host home is that no two look alike. There are single provider homes, family homes, and homes with roommates offering support to the person in services. The person’s needs are met 24/7 while still being in a fully independent housing environment with access to their friends, family, jobs, and communities. Listen to one of our providers share their story here. There are also people who have strong family systems and would prefer to continue to live in their family home. This a great option for people who are just getting started in their independent living as well as people who simply prefer to stay where they are comfortable. A combination of family-provided and agency-provided care can be integrated to meet the needs of the person in their family home. Learn more about our family caregiver program here. Are there limits on housing for people with disabilities?There are endless possibilities when it comes to developing supported housing for a person with disabilities. From part-time support to full-time care, provider agencies and people in services are able to work together to develop what living plan works best for them. The most important piece of creating housing options for people with disabilities is to simply allow the person to be in control of their home, their access, and their future. The rest will follow! Interested in learning more? Resources from Sample SupportsFind out more about our housing programs and other support service options at www.samplesupports.com!
What is the difference between foster and adoptive homes? Foster Homes and Parents Foster parents are for temporary care in which adults provide for the care of a child or children whose birth parent is unable to care for them. The role of foster parents is to provide a safe and stable home for the children and youth in their care. This means meeting the physical, emotional, and social needs of the foster youth or child for weeks, months, or years, but it is always a temporary arrangement. Additionally, foster parents do not have parental rights over the child. Foster parents cannot make medical decisions for a foster child. They also cannot make decisions about where the child will attend school or what religious services they should attend without the birth parents’ consent. In some states, foster children can’t even get haircuts without their birth parents’ permission. The biological parents still have parental rights, and can have visits, phone calls, and make decisions about their child in many cases while receiving parental support or other services in order to address the reasons for placing the child in foster care. The goal for a child living with foster parents is reunification with the birth family, but may be changed to adoption when this is seen as in the child’s best interest. Adoptive Parents and Homes Adoptive parents also provide a safe and stable environment, meeting the needs of the child, but this placement is meant to be permanent compared to the typical foster care placement. Adoptive parents are also given full custody of the child and full parental rights, as they would their own birth child. In adoptive situations, the adoptive parents are responsible for all decision-making for their child, just as if he had been born to them. Adoptive parents are responsible for the child’s medical care, financial obligations, and educational and spiritual development. Sometimes foster placements can turn into adoptive placements if the birth parents are deemed unfit by the court and lose all parental rights, but in most cases, foster placements are not foster-to-adopt. Sample Supports Foster Care Program Sample Supports is a licensed Child Placement Agency (CPA) with the state of Colorado. Our Foster Care Program team certifies trained and skilled providers to become licensed CHRP foster homes which support children with disabilities. Our team completes a SAFE home study to certify all of our foster homes. This process includes extensive training and preparation for children with diverse needs. Sample Supports Foster Care team helps foster parents provide stable environments for children of all ages and ability to thrive in community based settings. Learn more about our Foster Care and CHRP Program here! WRITTEN BY Sample Supports Social service agency raising the bar to provide superior and competitive community-based care options to the people most in need in our communities. We are living in a unique cultural moment as we start 2021, with racial inequality and our nation’s division once again on display. This comes following a year in which the loss of Black lives around the nation, often at the hands of police, has sparked rallies and protests that have brought increased attention to the issue of racism and racial injustice in our nation. Governments, corporations, schools, and small businesses have released statements on their commitment to racial justice, and individuals have been called to stand up as allies. So what does that even mean?
What is an ally? So what does it mean to be an ally? Wikipedia defines allyship as “the practice of emphasizing social justice, inclusion, and human rights by members of an ingroup, to advance the interests of an oppressed or marginalized outgroup. Allyship is part of the anti-oppression or anti-racist conversation, which puts into use social justice theories and ideals”. To be a good ally we need to be comfortable challenging our own viewpoints and listening when others correct us. This is especially important when listening to voices of color. Get used to admitting when you are wrong. Being an ally means frequently admitting that your viewpoint has been limited. When corrected by a person of color you may want to say “I hadn’t thought of that before, thanks for helping me to understand” or “I didn’t know that, thanks for being willing to correct me.” The worst thing we can do when confronted with new information is start from a place of defensiveness. Don’t ask “Are you sure?” or tell someone that you disagree right away. Instead, consider responding with, “That’s new information for me” or “I’ll need to look into that more to better understand that, thank you for drawing my attention to that”. The point is to listen and learn. Am I not already an ally? We have a unique position as IDD professionals because being an ally is an essential part of the work that we do for those who have been marginalized as a result of their disabilities. Our job each day is to empower the voices of others, support others in reaching their goals, and advocate to break down barriers. In many ways we can approach social justice work in a similar way. Think about who you can lift up through your engagement in the issue, or how you can be a behind the scenes supporter so that someone with less privilege than you can shine. Becoming a better ally: Diversifying my feed One way that we can be better allies is to ensure that we are exposing ourselves to diverse viewpoints and perspectives. Even if our social media feeds are full of content regarding racial justice, are we listening to diverse voices? Look for people of color to follow on more topics than just racial justice. There are valuable voices out there sharing about beauty, culture, sports, religion, disability and so many other topics. Make sure that white voices aren’t the only ones you are hearing. The same can apply in the TV we watch and books we read. When we seek out ways to be exposed to the culture and experience of people of color, we are better able to understand that our own understandings or perspectives are incomplete and limited to our own experience. “Do the best you can until you know better. Then when you know better, do better.”― Maya Angelou Becoming a better ally: Learning the history (and so much more) History is also a great place to start learning more about how we’ve ended up where we are today. We say Black Lives Matter because since the conception of this nation we have devalued black lives. Learning about the ways that we have done that better equips us to not only have and show compassion for people of color by educating ourselves and breaking down some of our biases, but it also equips us to be better advocates for policies and cultural initiatives that can make positive changes. Resources If you’re looking to learn more and engage with diverse voices, this document is full of amazing resources! bit.ly/ANTIRACISMRESOURCES There are lots of ways to think about what happens when you start counseling for mental health or behavior supports. However, one thing to keep in mind is that what you and your therapist are focused on will most likely change over time. When we break this change down we can see 5 different stages of therapy.
The first stage is relationship building. When you start therapy you are meeting someone brand new. A therapist is there to be a guide and to help you discover your own goals and abilities. However, in order to do this effectively your therapist will need to find out what is important to you, and you will need to find trust in your therapist. Relationship building can happen very quickly or it may take some time. While we often want change to happen quickly, remember that taking time to build a professional relationship will create a strong foundation for the other stages of therapy to build on. The second stage is assessment. Sometimes we start counseling because we have a specific question or concern we want to address. Sometimes we start counseling because we know we just don’t feel right or we feel overwhelmed. Either way therapists may need to do some assessments in order to fully understand what challenges you would like to overcome. Just like relationship building, these assessments might happen quickly or they may take some time. Taking the time to do assessments allows therapists to learn more about you and clarify what concerns and supports might be the best fit for you. The third stage is goal setting. Once you and your therapist understand each other and know how best to work together it is time to put goals down on paper.
The fourth stage is intervention. This stage is normally the longest and where the majority of the work is done. Every individual is going to have a different experience during this stage because every individual wants and needs slightly different things. Sometimes people meet their goals in a few sessions. Other times meeting goals can take several months. Each experience is okay! There is no one size fits all therapy. As long as you are feeling supported and doing hard but important work, you are on the right track. The fifth and final stage is termination. Just as no feeling lasts forever, no therapeutic relationship lasts forever either. Maybe you have met your goals, maybe your therapist is moving locations, or maybe you are moving to a new chapter in your life. Maybe it’s time to work with a new therapist who can support you in a different way. No matter the reason, therapy relationships do come to an end. And that can be a very good thing! Even if you have more goals and more work you would like to do — ending a therapeutic relationship with your counselor can be a milestone that shows you just how far you have come! It is important to remember that while all these stages should happen in therapy, they can often be hard to distinguish between. You might have two or three stages happen in the same session. You might also move back and forth between stages. Maybe after a period of time you need to set new goals, or your therapist might want to learn more about your life through another assessment. The five stages of therapy are a good guideline to help you understand what might happen when you start therapy — but guidelines aren’t hard and fast rules. What is most important is working together to see changes that matter to you! Before we jump in…what is behavior analysis?
Behavior analysis is a term dating back to the early 1900’s marked by the famous and foundational research of B.F Skinner, Ivan Pavolov, and John Watson. While the ideas that have come from these brilliant minds paved the way for the work a behavior analyst does, we have also come a long way from the days of the Skinner Box. In today’s world, a behavior analyst works with individuals experiencing behavioral concerns to help them navigate the world in a productive way. While the old techniques often included the classic mouse receiving a reinforcement for good behavior, the techniques used today are much more than that. This includes working with both the individual and their immediate circle of support to address behavioral issues that adversely affect their quality of life. While it is still important to understand the reinforcers to encourage positive behavior change, it is also crucial to understand the ways in which environmental pieces influence those individuals behaviors as well. What does a behavioral analyst actually do? One on one with an individual: As behavioral analysts, we work to assess behaviors and their function as well as impact on someone's day to day life. For more on behaviors and what they can be, jump over to our blog post What is a behavior?. When assessing behaviors, we start with reviewing if they are occurring in a way that is more or less preferred. Less preferred behaviors occurring in an inappropriate environment usually lead to individuals and families to seek support. After we have assessed the behaviors, using evidence-based assessment tools like the FAST Assessment and Functional Analysis tools, we create a behavioral support plan including positive behavioral interventions to assist them in navigating healthier coping mechanisms. Through this process we work with the individual themselves to help identify the areas of their life that cause them distress or trigger the maladaptive coping mechanisms to come out. By identifying those situations we are able to work with them one on one to face these challenges head on. Through our one on one work we are also able to be proactive in identifying potential triggers. We are then able to practice with the individual methods for how to react in those situations before they come up as well as coping strategies for when they arise. Behavioral intervention work takes time and there is no immediate solution to decreasing challenging behaviors, however consistency in positive reinforcement is a tool we use as clinicians to support the individuals we serve in adapting their behavior in a way that helps them have a positive quality of life. With those who support an individual: Through this process we also work with parents, guardians, friends, family members, co-workers etc. to teach them how best to remind individuals of their positive coping mechanisms. Behavior Analysts will also work with those individuals in their common environments, like school or the workplace, to integrate both individual interventions and environmental interventions. We collaborate for a whole-person approach as behaviors are rarely caused by one precipitating factor, but rather a full life history of interacting with the world around you. Learn more about Behavior Services and where we can help. |
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