February 2014
A MONTHLY NEWSLETTER FOR THE EMPLOYEES OF MCFI AND ITS AFFILIATES
THE
IN THIS ISSUE Calendar of Events . . . . . . . . . . 2 Intergeneration Programming. . . . 2 Go Red . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 A Commitment to Diversity . . . . 4 HumanaVitality . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 How Accessible are We? . . . . . . . 6 Anniversaries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
OPENING A
A
bout 10 years ago, after Brenda Chomicki’s two sons were grown and married with children of their own, the MCFI receptionist decided to become a foster mom. “I just love kids, and my heart just goes out to kids who don’t have anyone to take care of them,” she said. Since then, she and her husband, Golden, adopted Davontae, 7, who had been their foster son from the time he was nine months old. “I couldn’t stand to see him go to anyone else,” she said. “It would be heartbreaking.” Shortly after, Davontae’s brother, Jason, now 16, joined the family as a foster child. More recently, they made room for one more child, De’lavontae, 5, who needed emergency placement. “He didn’t have anywhere to go,” she said. The decision to add to her already growing family — she has eight grandkids and two great-grandchildren — was easy. “I said, ‘I want to live again.’ I made up my mind that I’m going to do this.” CONTINUED ON PAGE 8
Brenda
Davontae
Jason
February 2014
2 — A MONTHLY NEWSLETTER FOR THE EMPLOYEES OF MCFI AND ITS AFFILIATES
ONE FOR THE AGES
SEDA students read to our older adults
O
n Monday and Wednesday afternoons, our students and older adult clients are bridging the generation gap. From 2 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. on those days, first– and second-grade students from our School for Early Development and Achievement are reading to our clients in the Older Adult Day Center.
“The goal is for them to do the reading,” said Nicki, “but also to interact with older people. It is a way for our kids to give back and be a bigger part of the organization.” She said the students get practice reading and working on fluency and comprehension. OADC client June Spalding enjoys being read to by Janiyah Lipscomb.
Tracey Sparrow, vice president of Children’s Programs, came up with the intergenerational idea, and both Nicki Ciurro, SEDA principal, and Amanda Bandkowski, OADC manager, love it.
And the older adults benefit too, said Amanda.
“Having the older ones and young ones together builds a sense of community,” she said. “It says, ‘you’re wanted, you’re needed.’ It helps give everyone a sense of purpose.”
Calendar of Events FEBRUARY Free heart disease risk assessment throughout the month WHERE: MCFI Health Center MAKE AN APPOINTMENT: Call 414-937-3971
Monday through Thursday.
February 2014 Sun Mo Tue We Thu Fri Sat 1 2
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7
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FEBRUARY 7
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National Wear Red Day
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FEBRUARY 14 Valentine’s Day
FEBRUARY 10 Expressing and Exploring Abilities Artist Reception WHERE: Brooklife Church, 857 S.
Rochester St., Mukwonago WHEN: 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. L.I.F.E. Services Art Therapy artists’ work will be on display at the church through Feb. 20. The church is open from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
FEBRUARY 20 Enjoy a night at SPiN Milwaukee and help raise money for MCFI Children’s Programs! WHERE: SPiN Milwaukee, 233 E. Chicago Ave., Milwaukee WHEN: 6 p.m. to 9 p.m., with ping pong tournaments from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. COST: $35 per person, includes unlimited beer and wine and light appetizers
February 2014
3 — A MONTHLY NEWSLETTER FOR THE EMPLOYEES OF MCFI AND ITS AFFILIATES
Y
male participants. Everyone grew to associate heart attacks and strokes By Cynthia Wozniczka as men’s diseases. Physicians Assistant Treatments and screenings were based on the results found in men, which is why men were regularly tested for high blood pressure, diabetes and high cholesterol while women were not. It wasn’t until the 1990s that it became evident women were also at risk for heart disease. Nearly 500,000 women were dying of this every year, and people finally began noticing.
ou’ll be seeing a lot of red in February – but it’s not just for Valentine’s Day.
Heart disease is the No. 1 killer of women. It is often sudden, without symptoms and misunderstood. To help combat this, the American Heart Association created Go Red for women – an initiative designed to empower women to take charge of their heart health. Go Red encourages awareness and challenges women to know their risk factors and take action to reduce the risks of heart attack and stroke. These risk factors include: high blood pressure, tobacco use, diabetes, physical inactivity, unhealthy diet, high cholesterol and obesity. Why is the spotlight on women’s heart health? Most of the research on heart disease has been performed on
Your MCFI Health Center will be offering FREE heart disease risk assessments during the month of February to help in the fight against heart disease in women. For more information and to schedule your appointment, call 414-937-3971. Join us on Feb. 7 to celebrate National Wear Red Day and help spread the word! (Information derived from the American Heart Association. For more information, visit www.heart.org and www.goredforwomen.org)
HEART DISEASE: MYTH VS. FACTS MYTH
MYTH
MYTH
Heart disease mostly affects men.
Heart disease affects only older women.
Doctors know how to treat female heart disease.
TRUTH
TRUTH
Every year since 1984, deaths from heart disease in women surpassed that of men.
Women as young as 30 can be at risk.
TRUTH In 2005, only 17% of cardiologists knew heart disease killed more women than men.
February 2014
4— A MONTHLY NEWSLETTER FOR THE EMPLOYEES OF MCFI AND ITS AFFILIATES
A new year to make diversity work at MCFI
T
he new year brings renewed thoughts on how we can leverage diversity for the benefit of MCFI, and it is contingent on interlinking the workforce, workplace structure and the marketplace. Leveraging diversity in the marketplace includes:
Serving clients with sensitivity to their diversity.
Assuring persons of all dimensions are included in every aspects of MCFI and reducing barriers so all employees can fully use their talents for the agency.
Addressing organizational structures to build effective teams, work effectively across levels and organizational boundaries, and blend work cultures of all MCFI business units and affiliate organizations.
We need to remind ourselves that this is a journey and a learning process. We realize we may make mistakes and that change is forcing the continuous evolution of our agency, but that MCFI — built on core values, strong leadership commitment and effective strategies — can leverage cultural diversity to organizational and individual success. Each of us has a responsibility to make diversity, cross-cultural communication and relationships work. MCFI’s leadership team has the responsibility to ensure it creates a work environment where people can make a difference. The Office of Diversity stands ready to lend guidance in our effort to have a culture that leverages diversity for the benefit of the entire agency. While I have no doubt we must embrace our similarities, we must also embrace cultural differences that makes us unique — and strive to do so in a culturally competent manner. If we choose to act, to make a difference, we will have richer lives and likely achieve financial and business sustainability, a best-place-to–work culture and organizational success this coming year. — Al Hill Director of Diversity and Cultural Competence
A Commitment to Diversity MCFI’s Diversity Team works to provide opportunities in the workplace and community, because we believe diversity enriches us all.
Our mission is to foster an environment that reflects the community we serve, values the skills and talents of each individual, and ensures quality service to our clients with special needs.
Our vision is to be the benchmark of diversity and inclusion among nonprofit agencies in southeastern Wisconsin. MCFI will be the organization where clients want to receive services, funders want to provide support, vendors want to do business and employees see diverse opportunities.
Diversity recognitions February is Black History Month Feb. 3 Constitution Day, Mexico (Marks the approval of the national constitution during the Mexican Revolution in 1917.) Feb. 14 Lantern Festival, China (Marks the end of the 15-day celebration of Chinese New Year.) Feb. 21 Shaheed Day, Bangladesh (Honors the memory of youths who died on this day in 1952 during a protest against the imposition of the Urdu language as the only state language.)
February 2014
5— A MONTHLY NEWSLETTER FOR THE EMPLOYEES OF MCFI AND ITS AFFILIATES
Take advantage of HumanaVitality Boost your health and Vitality Points
H
umanaVitality is a wellness rewards program that inspires lifelong well-being for everyone, no matter what your current level of health is. It gives members customizable tools to reach their optimal health. Members can earn Vitality Points by engaging in health-related activities such as a daily workout or a preventive health screening. Points are also awarded based on customizable goals you choose to set and work toward within the program.
Vitality Status Blue Bronze
# of Vitality Points Required
# of points for each additional individual over age 18
Benefit
Any adult member after biometric screen and health assessment
Silver
5,000
3,000
10% discount
Gold
8,000
4,000
20% discount
Platinum
10,000
5,000
40% discount
The more HumanaVitality activities you complete, the more points you earn. Points translate into Vitality bucks to use in the Vitality Mall. When you earn enough points to reach a higher vitality status, you can receive up to 40 percent off your Vitality Mall purchases!
our wellness
WORKS
Congratulations to Wellness Winners: Lisa Dehn
Margaret Kruse
Sabrin Rizk
Pauline Young
Lindsey Druschke
Lisa Kuptz
Ali Rud
Mara Zywicke
Julie Abramoski
Jessica Du Bois
Rachel Leahy
Florence Simms
Amber Bachand
Lynn Dzurick
William Leifer
Danielle Skenadore
Elizabeth Bayer
Barbara Eaton
Loni Luna
Alyssa Starck
Valerie Becke
Susan Endes
Ann Martinek
Christine Taylor
Rae Hansen
Melissa Benke
Ursula Flores
Rochelle McCray
Katie Thanig
Yuriy Ksenidi
Arlene Bjugstad
Luz Franklin
Ann Marie Mollenhauer
James Vailliencort
Sarah McCure
Michelle Black
Elise Gruna
Kristen Nehring
Julie VanAlstine
Irina Shklyar
Tiffany Brantley
Victoria Hay
Thomas Neuens
Michael Vandertie
Jane Westpfahl
Tamula Bufford
Kristen Haywood
Domingo Nicks
Rob Wedel
Natalie Buss
Eric Herz
Erin O’Brien
Joy Wedel
Sherry Carpio
Alvin Hill
Andrea Peterson
James Wegner
Brenda Chomicki
Kelly Holderwiltzius
Nancy Plotkin
Joyce Wene
Greg Bachrach
Wesley Christiansen
Elizabeth Howard
Ryan Prom
Ryan Wiklin
Sarah Booth
Scott Curwick
Kimberly Imp
Jody Pryor
Judy Williams
Jennifer Fojtik
Jennifer Davis
Ellen Johnson
Jacob Putirskis
Jennifer Yaris
Ryan Hanson
Silver Level
Gold Level
Platinum Level
Jody Krainer
February 2014
6— A MONTHLY NEWSLETTER FOR THE EMPLOYEES OF MCFI AND ITS AFFILIATES
HOW are we?
Collecting client data is critical
I
n order for our records to be in compliance, we need to collect and update information about our clients on a regular basis. Following is a list of data to gather when registering a client in one of our programs:
First and last name
Insurance or other funding source authorization
Date of birth
Gender
Representative payee
Mailing address
Social Security number or state identification
Guardian (if applicable)
Ethnicity
Emergency contact
Race
Primary language
Referral source
Primary disability or diagnosis
These critical facts will improve our quality in the following ways:
Reduce or prevent the use of an alias to receive services (identity theft).
Reduce or eliminate documentation of services on an incorrect client ID due to a lack of identifying information on a common client name.
Aid our reimbursement process, which is essential in our quest to fully serve our current and future clients.
Ensure that we have valid contact data should a medical or weather-related emergency occur.
Clients are under no obligation to provide their Social Security number or picture identification. However, we are unable to provide services without verifying a person’s identity. Please contact Director of Compliance Julie Van Alstine, 414-937-2103, with any questions.
H
ave you ever wondered if the new sinks in the restrooms are accessible? (Yes, they meet Americans with Disability Act’s guidelines.) Do you have questions or concerns about the agency’s accessibility? For instance, do you wonder about MCFI’s:
Architecture (such as sink heights)
Environment (such as lighting and temperature)
Transportation
Attitude
Communication
Community integration
Employment policies
If so, you might want to consider contributing to the 2014 Accessibility Plan. All you have to do is contact Dr. Rosalyn McFarland at 414-937-2257. — Dr. Rosalyn McFarland Director of Health Services
February 2014
7 — A MONTHLY NEWSLETTER FOR THE EMPLOYEES OF MCFI AND ITS AFFILIATES
February Anniversaries Patricia Arata, 37 years
Tracey Sparrow, 4 years
Ardelia Conley, 1 year
Mary Wetley, 22 years
Delneicia Browder, 3 years
Cynthia Delgado, 1 year
Karen Campbell, 20 years
Latoria Brown, 3 years
Kelly Doucette , 1 year
Brenda Chomicki, 18 years
John Chianelli, 3 years
Laquita Dudley, 1 year
Mark Nowaczynski, 15 years
Ellen Johnson, 3 years
Denise Hall, 1 year
Steven Seidl, 14 years
Tiara Koberstein, 3 years
Victoria Hay, 1 year
Tanya Powell, 13 years
Barbara Payno, 3 years
Lasheena Hughes, 1 year
Darryl Byas, 8 years
Misty Reimann, 3 years
Ashley Katz, 1 year
Marta Arus, 7 years
Ronyanika Rowe, 3 years
Mary Makowski, 1 year
Geoffrey Dimin, 7 years
Shunda Garrett, 2 years
Kristen Nehring, 1 year
Ursula Flores, 7 years
Leonard Johnson, 2 years
Yvonne Oden, 1 year
Kären Cohen, 6 years
Vincent Johnson, 2 years
Chantelle Robertson, 1 year
Pamela Sprewer, 6 years
Londa Porter, 2 years
Lakita Scott, 1 year
Ryan Bamberg, 4 years
Diandra Brown, 1 year
Katherine Shope, 1 year
Jennifer Froemming, 4 years
Rachel Brunette, 1 year
Amandeep Sran, 1 year
Welcome New Employees Susan Chycinski, Accounting Manager
Traesha Herrod, TLS Community Recovery Specialist
Sara Jewell, Community Living Specialist
Lawanda Miles, Kitchen Supervisor
Dana Hegerty, TLS Community Recovery Specialist
Le'Keya Lee, Winged Victory Benefits Specialist
Dechelle Coleman, CSP Case Manager, Racine
Amie Hensel, Benefits Specialist
Steven Ostrander, EHR Compliance/Training Specialist
Julie Peterson, IRIS Field Representative
Tonja Riley, PSN Driver
Evone Nash, TLS Community Recovery Specialist
Katherine Ketter, Nurse Extern
Jo'Nique Reynolds, Pool CNA
Lisa Jasso, Nurse Extern
Ashley Whitley, CRC Community Recovery Specialist
Dion Willis, Nutritional Services Site Manager
Alexandra Madsen, Pool CNA
Andrea Clemins, Pool CNA
Cheryl Honeycutt, RN Healthcare Trainer
Kira Springer, Pool CNA
Ociera Butler, Activity Assistant/CNA
Laleace Thurman, Pool CNA
Bernard Rehming J.V. II, Employment Support
Debra Harris, Pool CNA
Jolanda Zhuka, NHS Scheduler
Quantia Johnson, Pool CNA
Brittney Papador, Community Recovery Specialist
See Thao, Pool CNA
LaCressa Neal, Activity Assistant/CNA
LaKuisha Greer, Community Recovery Specialist
Montaous Walton, Production/Assembly Assistant
Jessia Koutecky, Nutritional Services Site Manager
Timothy McGuire, Residential Services Program Manager
Jason Weckerle , TLS Community Recovery Specialist
Dinah Krueger , Speech Therapist
8 — A MONTHLY NEWSLETTER FOR THE EMPLOYEES OF MCFI AND ITS AFFILIATES
Brenda’s family opens heart, home to children in need But it hasn’t always been easy, she admits. Davontae, Jason and De’lavontae have either special needs or medical issues, and, as any parent will tell you, taking care of any child requires a major time commitment. “There are many nights I’ve been up all night because they’re sick.” “But I tell people you have to do it from your heart, and you have to love what you do,” she said. Jason will live with Brenda and her family until he is 18, and De’lavontae, she hopes, will one day be reunited with his biological mom. “We’ll miss him, but he needs his mother,” she said. If or when that time comes, Brenda said she’ll open her heart and her door to another foster child. “I’ll probably take another one. It’s just a joy for me. The kids just make our lives complete.” Brenda became a foster parent through Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin Community Services, which featured Brenda and her family in a recent promotional video. Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin Community Services and the Bureau of Milwaukee Child Welfare recruit, license and provide support services to foster and adoptive parents. The need for foster care parents in Milwaukee County is great. As many as 100 children are removed from their homes each month because they are not safe. At any given time, 2,000 children are in foster care in Milwaukee County.
February 2014
WHY I
G I V E Beginning this month, we are starting an employee giving campaign, titled Why I Give. If you haven’t received a brochure detailing the campaign, you will soon. We will also stage a variety of fun events throughout the year that will provide employees opportunities to make a charitable donation to MCFI. Stay tuned! If you have any questions regarding the campaign, please contact Manadra Rainey, 414-937-2258, or Dawn Kondreck, 414-9372225. Either can tell you why they give — and why you should too!
For more information, please call 414-KID-HERO (414-543-4376).
News and Notes New ways to earn Vitality Points You can now claim Vitality Points for both dental (200 points each, up to 400 per year) and vision exams (200 a year). To claim those points, fax or mail the preventive care claim form to HumanaVitality. Questions? Contact Michelle Black at 414-937-7509.
Trio to teach about self-direction Dani Skenadore, customer development coordinator, Gerianne Prom, vice president of long-term care, and NHS’ Jody Krainer are teaching an online and in-person course for University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee’s School of Continuing Education to prepare
case managers, consultants, brokers and human service professionals to better support consumers using self-directed service models in long-term care. The course is slated for June or July of 2014 and will consist of a seven-hour online option and a seven-hour in-person seminar.