INSIDER Adult Protective Services Quarterly News
ASK THE EXPERTS
Understanding Guardianships
STRATEGIC PLAN
and YOU
5 ACHIEVABLE
NEW YEAR'S RESOLUTIONS
WINTER 2020
Image of North Bend, WA
WINTER 2020 | TABLE OF CONTENTS
Legislative Session Update
04
APS Roadshow & Staff Idea Tour
05
02 | DIRECTOR & DEPUTY DIRECTOR'S WELCOME 03 | APS 2020 JOINT CONFERENCE
APS Mission, Vision & Purpose
04 | 2020 LEGISLATIVE SESSION UPDATES
We received input from staff during our engagement sessions and hosted leadership workshops to develop our statements. These statements remind us of the importance of our work and help us work towards the same goal.
05 - 07| APS ROADSHOW & STAFF IDEA TOUR 08 | STRATEGIC PLAN 09-10 | APS SUCCESS STORIES 11 | EDI & SAFETY FEATURE 12 | ACHIEVEABLE NEW YEARS RESOLUTIONS 13 | EMPLOYEE SPOTLIGHT 14 | GUARDIANSHIPS 15 | APS COMMUNICATIONS 16 | DIVISION UPDATES
1
ALTSA/APS Mission: To transform lives by promoting choice, independence and safety through innovative services. APS Vision: Vulnerable adults live free of harm with appropriate protective services in place and accountability of perpetrators. APS Purpose: To transform lives by educating the public, conducting quality investigations, providing advocacy and offering protective services to vulnerable adults.
MEET OUR APS LEADERS Welcome to the very first issue of our quarterly APS Magazine! As our division continues to grow, it's important for us to stay connected. We wanted to create the magazine as a fun way to share relevant topics, updates on what's happening with the legislative session and future plans for our division. We want this magazine to be meaningful to you. If you have ideas or feedback for future issues, let us know! We're eager to hear your ideas.
Kathy Morgan APS Director
This past year has been one of growth and change. APS became its own division July 1, 2019, our intake team became centralized at headquarters and we implemented TIVA2 to create efficiencies and enhance our reporting capabilities. I appreciate your flexibility throughout all of these changes. Our innovation is what allows us to continue to best serve vulnerable adults in Washington. This coming year will bring many exciting things! We're refining our communication tools to improve public education about APS. We are also developing a brand new APS Academy and will be hosting our first multi-state conference with Oregon, Montana, Idaho and Alaska (more on that later). Thank you for your continuous hard work and dedication to APS. Let's make 2020 one for the books!
Happy New Year! As you may know, I transitioned into my role as Deputy Director on March 16, 2019 and have hit the ground running learning the ins and outs of headquarters. My goal for this year is to get to know you all better and how we can best assist you with your daily work. I had the privilege of meeting with many of you during our 2019 Roadshows and heard excellent feedback about areas of improvement. I'll be hitting the road with Kathy again in 2020 and hope to meet even more of our amazing team.
Paula Hughes APS Deputy Director
In the meantime, feel free to reach out if you have any questions or need anything from me!
2
WASHINGTON
OREGON
2020 Adult Protective Services
APS CONFERENCE May 5, 2020 Hilton Vancouver Convention Center Vancouver, WA Join APS professionals from Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Alaska and Montana to network and learn about hot topics with APS. Stay tuned for details about guest speakers, agenda items, accommodations, registration and more.
COMING SOON - SPRING 2020
IDAHO 3
ALASKA
MONTANA
2020 Legislative Session The scheduled legislative session runs from January 9 through March 12 this year. We are asking lawmakers to approve changes to chapter 74.34 RCW that will help best serve our clients and provide appropriate accountability to perpetrators. House Bill 1422 and Senate Bill 5338 will be introduced where they left off last session.
Key Benefits • Provides an opportunity for some people with final substantiated findings to request review for removal from the ADS registry. • Clarifies the definition of abuse to include actions of people who knew or should have known their conduct was likely to harm and adds language to recognize accidental and protective actions as not being “abuse.” • Provides technical changes to include: o Ensures the continued partnership and sharing of information between DSHS and the Department of Children, Youth and Families (DCYF) and its employees as mandated reporters. o Authorizes the department to acknowledge a report and outcome of an investigation with caveats to ensure protection of the vulnerable adult. o Provides a quality assurance review process similar to that in Child Protective Services (CPS) and hospitals.
Olympia, WA
o Allows the department to request and obtain coroner’s report. 4
APS FALL ROADSHOWS STAFF IDEA TOUR We heard a lot of great feedback from the APS Fall Roadshows and the Staff Idea Tour. Learn how we’re addressing some of the key issues.
5
Ellensburg, WA
ADDITIONAL TRAINING
A reoccurring theme throughout the Roadshows and Staff Idea Tour is the need for additional training. Our cases are becoming increasingly more complex. We are challenged with unique situations and behavioral issues on a daily basis. We want to help provide you with the education and resources necessary to thrive in your position. We constantly are reviewing and revamping our training courses and offerings. In 2020, we will launch our revamped APS Academy. Additionally, APS Office Chief Vicky Gawlik plans on phasing in new learning opportunities such as advanced webinars and monthly training topics.
MODERNIZING THE WORKPLACE:
SCHEDULES
We heard a lot of people say that we need to modernize the workplace and we could not agree more! Our goal is to utilize flexible scheduling and telecommuting for positions that make sense. We want all of our staff to have a healthy work-life balance. We want to create an environment where you can perform your best in all aspects of life. This is a work in progress as we slowly roll this out across the state, while still meeting our core business needs. We are coordinating this work with Home and Community Services (HCS). Kathy Morgan, Paula Hughes, Sheri Konsonlas, Anita Canonica and Tara Fairfield are working hard to meet your needs! Stay tuned as we move forward. 6
APS FALL ROADSHOWS Continued
EMPLOYEE SUPPORT SERVICES
TUITION REIMBURSEMENT Have you thought about finishing a degree or continuing your education? Did you know there are options for financial assistance through the state? As a state employee who is employed at least half-time, you can take classes at most of the state-funded colleges or universities (see the attached document for exceptions) and have your tuition costs waived.
Working with vulnerable adults is challenging yet rewarding work. One of the topics we focused on at the 2019 APS all staff conference at JointBase Lewis McChord was how to take care of yourself in order to care for others. We learned about preventing burnout, identifying secondary trauma and acknowledged that it is completely okay (and necessary!) to turn to coworkers and supervisors for assistance and support.
To find out more about the program, visit the DSHS Tuition Waiver web page. Still not sure if it's right for you? Contact your human resources representative for additional information.
While practicing self-care is important, we recognize that sometimes it is not enough. In Region 3, we implemented the Critical Incident Stress Management (CISM) program to help staff navigate through challenging situations. Check out the article on page 16 to learn more about CISM. We hope to learn from this program over the next 12 months and be able to expand the program.
COLLEGE RECRUITMENT The current workforce is rapidly approaching retirement. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 10,000 people turn 65 every day in the United States. In order to build a sustainable workforce that can appropriately serve vulnerable adults, we have to start thinking about the next generation of APS employees. We began our recruitment efforts in fall 2019. Staff attended seven college career fairs throughout Washington and Oregon to discuss career opportunities with APS. Learn more about the career fair outreach campaign on page 15.
7
Leader Lake, WA
Timely Investigations Objective 2.8 Goal: Complete 98% of investigations within 90 days* by June 2020 *Or over 90 days with good cause
Quality Assurance Objective 3.1 Goal: Maintain 100% completion of APS quality assurance review through July 2021
Initial Response Success Measure 2.11.1: 100% initial response for high-priority investigations and maintain 99% for medium and low-priority investigations by June 2020.
Equity, Diversity & Inclusion Objective 3.5 Goal: Train 100% of all ALTSA staff in CLAS Standards by June 2020
[ S T R AT E G I C
Plan]
SUCCESSES MEASURES
Did you know that the Strategic Plan is updated every year even though it reflects two years of goals and work? Check out the latest version of the Strategic Plan on our ALTSA Intranet page.
DSHS Agency Goals If you read through the Strategic Plan (which we highly recommend that you do!), you'll notice that each objective is related to five main goals. Each administration within DSHS are working towards the same causes: 1. Health: Each individual and community will be healthy. 2. Safety: Each individual and community will be safe. 3. Protection: Each individual who is vulnerable will be protected. 4. Quality of Life: Each individual in need will be supported to attain the highest quality of life. 5. Public Trust: Strong management practices will ensure quality and efficiency.
How the Strategic Plan Relates to Our Work The Strategic Plan is the overarching document that helps describe our work, set goals and measure successes. ALTSA creates a Strategic Plan is a two year plan that showcases the trajectory of our work. Our teams do great work to serve our clients every day. The Strategic Plan holds us accountable to our mission to transform lives and provides the public with a snapshot of our continuous improvement. The plan is designed with the intent that we can all see how we fit into the greater picture of the administration. To better reflect the staff, Will Reeves, Special Executive Assistant to the Director, collected and organized all of your feedback and thoughts on our current plan and presented your priorities to APS Director Kathy Morgan. These priorities for APS will be given to Bill Moss (assistant secretary of ALTSA) and eventually to DSHS as a whole. Be on the lookout in 2020 for the published strategic plan!
Transforming Lives
Celebrating successes as we work to serve vulnerable adults and hold perpetrators accountable. 9
Shelton, WA
REGION 1: RECLAIMING FUNDS - BUILDING A FUTURE We received an intake regarding possible neglect of a young person who has a developmental disability. During the course of the investigation, it became apparent that the individual was living with a grandparent while completing high school. Meanwhile, the mother was the payee and was using the monthly Social Security check for her own use. The investigator initiated guardianship proceedings. After the process, a professional guardian was appointed and the income is now being used for the benefit of the individual. Since the investigation, the individual has successfully graduated high school, continues to live with the grandparent and is working with the Developmental Disabilities Administration (DDA) case manager to begin a part time janitorial job at the school where the individual graduated from last June. We're excited to see what the future has in store for this individual!
REGION 2: GUIDE TO GUARDIANSHIP An elderly client was living independently and receiving informal support from family and friends. We received an intake for neglect and self-neglect. The individual was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease and diabetes and was not managing medications correctly. The investigator quickly identified some cultural barriers and that the family needed additional assistance to navigate the state's support systems. The investigator helped the family file for a guardianship and helped the individual’s son through the process. The individual is now in a facility and is receiving appropriate care. The son was officially appointed as the guardian and thanked the investigator for help throughout the process.
REGION 3: PATIENCE AND PERSISTENCE An elderly person had a wound that required daily care and left a facility against medical advice. The investigator visited the person's house, which appeared neglected, and found the individual wearing a neck brace and in clothes that were repaired with duct tape. The investigator talked with the individual, who acknowledged alcoholism and that the wound needed care. The individual didn't want to receive treatment and didn't want to go to a doctor. All services were initially refused, but eventually the individual agreed to have a visiting nurse examine the wound. The individual’s conditions worsened by the time the nurse visited and was in dire need of medical attention. After a lengthy conversation, the individual agreed to go to the hospital and received appropriate medication and care. The individual was discharged to the same facility they initially left and is doing well. This is a case that shows it pays off to be patient and persistent to help our clients. 10
EQUITY, DIVERSITY & INCLUSION
Bringing Your Whole Self to Work
Read the original article on Forbes.com How well do you know your co-workers? Really know them. Do you know their highest aspirations? What did they want to be when they were kids? What keeps them up at night? Chances are we keep even our personal conversations at work on a surface level. Most of us have a work persona. There are parts of ourselves we feel uncomfortable revealing to others at work. We often try to keep things to ourselves to avoid possible judgment by our colleagues. But what if we decided to reveal more of who we are at work? What would be possible? How would our workplace be different? What would be the impact on the people we work with and lead? Experts have been exploring what it means to bring your whole self to work and the benefits of being authentic with team members. Bringing our whole selves to work means showing up authentically, leading with humility and remembering that we are all vulnerable, imperfect human beings doing the best we can. It's also about having courage to take risks, speak up and ask for help. By being our true self, we open the doors to new ideas, backgrounds, perspectives and often a little bit more fun. 11
SAFETY SOLUTION Did you know state issued iPhones come equipped with an SOS feature that automatically contacts 911 in case of an emergency and can also be programmed to notify your emergency contacts? To activate this function on iPhone 7 or newer: 1. Rapidly press the side (or top) button five times. The Emergency SOS slider will appear. 2. Drag the Emergency SOS slider to call emergency services. Do you have a different smart phone model? Want to learn more about the emergency SOS feature? Check out our Management Bulletin to learn all about different phone SOS features.
5
Achievable
NEW YEAR'S RESOLUTIONS
1
Pack your lunch at least three days each week. IIt's very tempting to buzz out for fast food or order delivery to the office. While dining out is a tasty treat, it is often expensive and can result in an unbalanced diet. Try packing your lunch from home three days each week. Make sure to pack flavorful, healthy options that will keep you satisfied throughout the day. Bonus: try eating your lunch away from your desk (you deserve the break!)
2
Try something new. We are creatures of habit and it's easy to do the same things every day (especially during the dreary winter months). Beat the bad weather blues and try at least one thing new every week. This could be a new hobby, craft, book, type of music, food or sport. Adding variety to your routine will help you feel engaged. Who knows, you might discover your something great!
3
Designate uninterrupted unplugged time. With computer screens, tablets, phones, car entertainment systems and TVs, it seems like we are constantly connected to our electronics. Begin practicing mindfulness with your connectivity and set designate at least two hours each week to fully disconnect from all electronics.
4
Relax and Recharge. Set aside at least 30 minutes each week to do something you love that helps you relax and recharge. Read a novel, stretch in your living room, sip a cup of hot tea, work on the Sudoku you started six months ago or take a quick power nap. Your body and mind will thank you for taking some time to yourself.
5
Clear the clutter. Our busy schedules mean we are often running from one place to the next. The result: our desks become a dumping ground for handouts, post-it notes, pens, wardrobe changes and more. Every Friday (or whichever day marks the end of your work week), set aside time to do a quick 10 minute tidy. Toss anything you don't need and straighten out your belongings. You'll thank yourself when you return to an organized, ready to go space! 12
EMPLOYEE SPOTLIGHT PATRICIA FRY joined the APS team in 2014 and has proven herself to be flexible, adaptable and policy driven. She is a natural student with a passion for knowledge and her leadership skills make her an amazing supervisor for the Spokane training unit.
Patricia Fry Supervisor : In-Training Unit Spokane
Patricia began her role as supervisor in December 2019. Her favorite part of her job is watching the staff learn and grow. Patricia enjoys spending time with her team, learning about their career aspirations and helping them to achieve their goals. Patricia's attention to detail, sense of humor and genuine care for her colleagues makes her an exceptional team member.
Earl Horton is a wonderful asset to our division. He was recently asked to assist with the monthly 60-90 day reports and created a user-friendly template that helps us produce consistent, professional reports. His turnaround time is amazing! Earl works quickly with an excellent attention to detail.
Earl Horton Customer Service Specialist Mount Vernon
Earl joined APS in March 2018. His professionalism, accountability and innovation makes him an extraordinary team player. We're excited to see where Earl's expertise and willingness to take on new projects will take him!
COLLEEN JENSEN has proven herself to be an outstanding leader in Region 3. In addition to her wealth of knowledge about APS, she is an experienced Lean practitioner and facilitator for the region's leadership academy. Recently, Colleen was nominated by one of her staff members as supervisor of the month. Colleen has a knack for making difficult conversations seem easy. Her insightful communication methods help staff to learn more about themselves to effectively work with clients and colleagues.
Colleen Jensen APS Program Manager Tumwater, Centralia, Shelton
Colleen began with her career with APS in 2002. She's briefly pursued other career paths but always finds her way back to APS.
ASK THE EXPERTS
If you believe a person is in need of a guardian, it is necessary to gather evidence to help you demonstrate why you think a person is "incapacitated." This includes contacting primary care providers, family, friends, neighbors and others who care about the client's wellbeing, and conducting more than one faceto-face meeting to develop your own impressions. There is no one size fits all solution when it comes to guardianships. It's important for us to always advocate for choice and independence while keeping our client's safety as a priority.
Q: What is a guardianship and why is it an important service for vulnerable adults? A: Guardianships are a complex topic. On one hand, they are essential to protecting the personal and financial safety and well-being of our clients. On the other, they must be used as a last resort since our clients may lose rights by appointing a guardian. Generally, we should explore all other alternatives to guardianship prior to petitioning the Court. According to chapter 11.88 RCW, a person must be determined legally "incapacitated" before a guardian is appointed. The court considers someone to be incapacitated if the person is at "significant risk" of personal or
financial harm based on their demonstrated inability to provide nutrition health, housing or physical safety or if they cannot properly manage their finances. The process of determining incapacity can look similar to a trial if the parties don’t agree about the need. Two or more parties may present evidence to the court about the person's state. There are numerous factors that play into this process. However, the court always requires a physician's report that contains factual information about the person's condition as well as the physician's opinion about what type of assistance the individual needs.
If you come across a case where you think a guardianship may be necessary, talk to your supervisor. They'll help you through the process.
What's New with
TIVA2
TIVA2 version 1.5 rolled out on Dec. 13th and has some big changes! 1. Keep Current: Stay up to date with what's new with TIVA2. The latest user guide is always available on the TIVA2 SharePoint. 2. Provide Feedback: We're always looking for new ideas about how to improve our system. Contact your TIVA2 SHPC to share your ideas!
14
COMMUNICATIONS CORNER CAREER FAIRS Working for APS is a challenging, yet rewarding career. One of our primary focuses throughout fall 2019 was to visit college career fairs to recruit the next generation of talented APS employees. Staff from Regions 1 and 3 hit the road to talk to undergrad and graduate students about career path opportunities with APS. We talked to more than 300 students and visited seven campuses including University of Puget Sound, Washington State University, St. Martin's University, Pacific Lutheran University, Central Washington University, Portland State University and Walla Walla University. Thank you to Rhonda Scott, Linda White, Lance Rickman, Denise
Rammel, Arielle Finney, Kellie Weishaar, April Lickar, Andrea Shanley - Ortiz, Sarah Walker, Dawn Guille, Lorena Swift, Kat Kersten and Amanda Williams for attending the events! We are planning to hit the road again in the spring to visit different universities throughout the state as well as veteran resource fairs. Stay tuned for more information and opportunities to attend events!
NEW MATERIALS We're refreshing our look! The communications team is hard at work developing new flyers, posters, presentations, brochures and more. We'll provide updates to Regional Administrators, Deputy Regional Administration and Program Managers as materials become available.
APS MAGAZINE SUBMISSIONS It's time to start planning for the next edition of our quarterly magazine and we want to hear from you! Is there a topic you'd like to learn more about? A fun article you'd like to see included in the next issue? We're always looking for content ideas. Email your comments, suggestions and ideas to Amanda Williams. Our next issue will be published in April. Please send all feedback to Amanda by March 13.
Division Updates • Critical Incident Management Program: Our team is developing a new Critical Incident Stress Management (CISM) program to support staff who experience burnout, trauma or vicarious trauma as part of their work. This evidence-based curriculum is designed to provide staff with a professional debriefing opportunity and referral to more in-depth counseling if needed. The CISM is being created in response to feedback from staff about the challenges of dealing with complex cases on a daily bases. We value the health and safety of our team and want to provide a more comprehensive support system. Currently, staff manage their job-related stress through self-care or the Employee Assistance Program. The CISM will respond specifically to the nature of APS work and will provide timely assistance to both individuals and team. The program is set to launch in 2020 for all staff in Region 3 with the goal to expand the service statewide. Dr. Matt Goldenberg, a reputable psychologist, accepted the lead position for the program and is currently developing curriculum and procedures. • APS Academy: We're in the process of reworking our APS Academy. Our goal is to have the new curriculum ready by spring 2020. • Growing Teams: From September 1, 2019 - November 30, 2019, we added 28 team members throughout the state. We welcomed six new colleagues in Region 1, 10 in Region 2 and 12 in Region 3!
16
Census 2020
You count. Be counted. Census Day
minutes questions years
It takes just 10 minutes to answer 10 questions that will shape investments in your community for 10 years.
www.ofm.wa.gov/2020census 17
Coffee Break with Kathy
January 28, 2020 |9:00 AM Call-in info coming soon!
Grab a cup of coffee and call-in to chat with APS Director Kathy Morgan! This casual chat is the perfect opportunity to learn about what’s new with APS and ask any question you’d like! Want to learn more about employee engagement, training, roadshow updates or Kathy’s favorite restaurant? Ask away! She’s happy to chat about anything. Send your topic ideas or questions to altsacomms@dshs.wa.gov by January 21. 18
LET US KNOW! Do you have content ideas or success stories for the next quarterly APS Magazine? Let us know! Send your thoughts to altsacomms@dshs.wa.gov
Coupville, WA