APS Magazine Spring 2022

INSIDER

Adult Protective Services Quarterly Magazine

Save The Date Resources Coffee with Kathy April 26!

Learn what resources are available to you and to the clients you serve.

Critical Incident Stress Management Learn how to practice self-care in stressful times.

SPRING 2022

Spring 2022 | TABLE OF CONTENTS 11

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Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Learn about Diversity

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APS Employee Spotlight

Getting to know your colleagues.

TIVA 2 Updates

Learn about the latest improvements and changes.

02 | DIRECTOR'S WELCOME 03 | DEPUTY DIRECTOR’S WELCOME 05 | EQUITY, DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION 07 | UPDATES AND INFORMATION 11 | REGIONAL EMPLOYEE SPOTLIGHT 13 | REGIONAL SUCCESS STORIES 15 | HQ SPOTLIGHT 16 | GETTING TO KNOW ONE ANOTHER 17 | TIVA 2 UPDATES 19 | PROGRAM EVALUATIONS 20 | APS RECRUITMENT EFFORTS 21 | CRITICAL INCIDENT STRESS MANAGEMENT 23 | UPCOMING EVENTS

APS Events Be sure to check out all the upcoming APS events so you can learn more and stay updated on the latest happenings that impact APS and your important role in the division.

HELLO FROM

KATHY MORGAN

In 2021, APS had several other accomplishments that I want to highlight:

ACCOMPLISHMENTS Now that we have successfully made it through another year in COVID, we in APS have taken stock of our accomplishments from the last year while also looking forward to our goals for the remainder of 2022. Even as COVID restrictions and safety measures are relaxed across Washington, our core mission in APS is to protect vulnerable adults from abuse, neglect, self-neglect, abandonment and exploitation. Last year, we processed over 66,000 reports, not including information and referral calls, and assigned over 48,000 reports for investigation.

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The training team held 19 APS training academy cohorts and trained over 280 staff.

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We received federal grant funding for the first time since the Elder Justice Act was passed over 20 years ago.

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We developed forensic interviewing training in partnership with field and headquarters staff and the University of Washington. Over 7 cohorts and 70 staff were trained.

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We conducted annual regional all-staff roadshows to talk to and hear from our staff around the state.

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We rolled out new technology to staff, including voice-to-text laptops and iPhones, scanning equipment and other tools to assist workers in telework and to support investigations.

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We facilitated and conducted over 11 workgroups, pilots and lean events that included field and headquarters staff.

I’m so proud of the commitment and efforts of our APS staff who support our mission in myriad ways. We accomplished all of this and more despite the challenges posed by the continuing pandemic. As we look ahead to the rest of 2022, we have two overarching goals that we feel will support staff and significantly impact our ability to protect vulnerable adults.

Goal 1: Retention and Recruitment

Goal 2: Workforce Training & Support

Recruiting a diverse workforce who are passionate about serving and protecting the public supports our mission of protecting vulnerable adults and builds trust within our community.

We know that providing appropriate onboarding and training to staff upon hiring leads to increased job satisfaction and reduced turnover. Providing initial and ongoing training and support to staff increases skills and helps staff feel more confident in their work.

We plan to hire a workplace development specialist using funding from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA 2) grant if approved. This individual will work closely with leadership to address retention and recruitment issues across the division while ensuring that equity, inclusion, access and diversity are built into all our hiring practices.

We will continue to support workforce development through training and opportunities to enhance staff skillsets at all levels.

Want more? Take an in depth look HERE 02

HELLO FROM PAULA HUGHES

SPRING IS HERE! First, I want to thank all of you for your dedication and commitment. We have had to overcome continued challenges during the pandemic, and you all continue to deliver excellent service despite these challenging circumstances. While we have much to look forward to this Spring, APS remains committed to serving the needs of our team and the community at large to the best of our ability.

Looking ahead, we are excited about our upcoming conference on May 3rd in Vancouver. Along with the opportunity to learn from and collaborate with some great speakers. The conference gives us a chance to meet with APS counterparts from Alaska, Idaho, Montana, and Oregon, and to finally connect once again in person.

I also want to reiterate how much I appreciate your optimism and perseverance during these challenging times. I know it has not been easy, and we have all been under unprecedented pressure to do our jobs to the best of our ability.

We continue to serve the people of Washington and remain focused on providing the best quality of care and service possible to those under our watch.

Just a friendly reminder, April is World Autism Awareness Month, and the goal is to provide awareness for people with Autism Spectrum Disorders. How can you celebrate World Autism Day? Read about the history of autism if you have not already done so. Here in APS, as you all know, we frequently work with clients who have a diagnosis of autism. Education and awareness are paramount for us to be able to support and meet the needs of the clients we serve.

Lastly, with Spring in full bloom all around us, I highly encourage you to get out and enjoy all that our beautiful state has to offer!

WASHINGTON

OREGON

2022 Adult Protective Services

APS CONFERENCE May 3, 2022 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. Keynote Address Everyday Ethics - Chris Dubble Presentations Self Neglect - Michael Hagenlock Bias Busting - Tavares Terry Enhanced Cognitive Interviewing - Chris Dubble Registration opens in WSLC 03/25/22 through 04/15/22 Hotel Reservations at Hilton Vancouver Washington website.

SAVE THE DATE

IDAHO

ALASKA

MONTANA 04

EQUITY, DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION

APRIL IS DIVERSITY MONTH It was officially designated as diversity month in 2004, and it strives to help people gain a deeper understanding and appreciation of each other and their differences. To participate in April’s diversity celebrations, consider new ways you can integrate diversity into your life. This could be considering implicit biases you have or how they impact the judgment of the people around you or asking questions to make connections with others. See Governor Inslee’s message here.

April offers everyone the opportunity to learn more about diversity, celebrate and participate in various events that occur throughout the world. Below are just some of the opportunities that are regonized and celebrated in the month of April.

April 2022 Diversity Calendar • April 2: World Autism Awareness Day • April 2: Ramadan • April 15: Passover • April 17: Easter • April 22: Earth Day • April 21 - 23: Gathering of Nations

Final Thoughts Celebrating diversity days that are unfamiliar to you can be intimidating. However, don’t think of them as something that you have to do perfectly. They are simply an opportunity to engage with communities that you otherwise wouldn’t, and that in itself is a learning experience. https://www.diversityresources.com/april-2022-diversitycalendar/

As Americans, we believe in justice for all. Yet, every year an estimated 5 million, or 1 in 10 older Americans experience elder abuse, neglect, or exploitation. Working together, we can build the social supports that can prevent this abuse and keep everyone safe as we age.

World Elder Abuse Awareness Day (WEAAD) – commemorated on June15th every year – is an opportunity for people or organizations to take action to protect older people by raising awareness about elder abuse, why it occurs, and what we can do to stop it. We can act collectively to support justice for all.

The World Elder Abuse Awareness Day Tool Kit contains resources to help you engage your community, educate others, raise awareness about this serious problem, and empower people to take action to end elder abuse.

The Toolkit Includes: • Outreach Guide: This booklet provides event planning tips and outreach ideas to help organizations generate awareness of the need to prevent elder abuse.

• Event Planning Materials: Event planning materials such as fliers, and PowerPoint templates are available for you to download and customize to meet your needs. We also provide a list of things one can do to mark WEAAD and links to videos one can show at a WEAAD event.

• Help with FAQs: Red Flags of Abuse and 12 Things Everyone Can Do to Prevent Elder Abuse handouts to empower organization members to be advocates as they educate community members about this important issue.

• Fact Sheets: Educate people in our communities about how to recognize and intervene in instances of elder abuse, and provide information to help people protect themselves from potential abuse with consumer fact sheets. These are available in multiple languages.

• Web Banner: Show support for WEAAD by posting a banner ad on websites.

• Poster: Raise awareness about elder abuse by putting up an 8x11 inch posters in your community, such as in a local grocery store, pharmacy, post office, and places of worship.

• Media Tools: Use our customizable social media posts for Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram as well as a more formal Press Release template.

The World Elder Abuse Awareness Day Tool Kit is sponsored by the Administration on Aging, an agency of the Administration for Community Living. For more information visit us at http://eldermistreatment.usc.edu/weaad-home.

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UPDATES & INFORMATION Grant Update - Risk/Safety Screening Tools September 1, 2021, APS released a Management Bulletin (MB) to incorporate a standardized safety screening tool into APS practice. Developing a standardized safety tool was a goal and outcome measure expected under the 2019 Elder Justice Act - Administration for Community Living (ACL) grant that APS received. The tool aligns with national standards and to meet APS’ stated goal of addressing safety concerns for alleged victims. The next phase of this effort will include the release of a build of the safety screening tool into TIVA2 to replace the currently implemented paper version.

The digital version of the safety screening tool is expected to be available on the planned April 2022 TIVA2 release.

Another standardized screening tool that is a main objective of our initial ACL grant is the risk screening tool. Risk screening differs from safety screening in several ways, but the most important is that a risk screening identifies conditions, behaviors, or circumstances that create situations where alleged victims are at an increased chance of not remaining healthy or stable in their environment. When screening for risk, APS is screening to understand the context an alleged victim exists within and the end goal is to identify tailored resources, supports, or referrals that APS may be able to offer the alleged victim to improve their condition. All staff will have

access to an online training of the risk screening tool sometime in the fall and the tool is expected to become part of APS policy for all investigations sometime in winter.

Grant Update - UW Forensic Interviewing Videos Forensic Interviewing for alleged victims continues to enroll and train staff in this approach through the University of Washington (UW). In response to feedback the training team received from participants, our program will be expanding our partnership with the UW to include the development of an additional 3 forensic interviewing training videos. For those that have not had the opportunity to take the training, on day 3, a video featuring an APS investigator completing an interview with an actor portraying an alleged victim is a highlight to demonstrate the real application of the skills taught in the training. In feedback forms, APS staff expressed the desire for additional examples, especially given that most freely available videos online heavily feature children. APS leadership and the training unit have started the process of developing these additional videos and is working to identify APS staff that will serve as our interviewers. The new videos will be completed by the end of the summer, and we look forward to incorporating them into the existing forensic interviewing training and we are exploring new ways that we will be able to share the content.

Regional Support - SHPC Support for Regions The Outreach and Engagement team has been working closely with each region to identify areas where they can offer the most support. Because each region has different needs, the team has been tailoring support based on guidance received from both regional leadership and the teams they have met with so far. Some of the areas that the team has been involved with over the last several months have been; staff recruitment, marketing materials development, identification of contractors for intervention services, onboarding of vendors for intervention services, community resource identification and dissemination, and staff training support. If you’d like to have one of the Outreach and Engagement Specialists attend a unit meeting or if you’d like to hear more about the ongoing projects, don’t hesitate to contact them or their supervisor directly.t Region 1 - Angela Allen Angela.Allen@dshs.wa.gov Region 2 - Chasity Smith Chasity.Smith@dshs.wa.gov Region 3 - Nicole Bullis Nicole.Bullis@dshs.wa.gov HQ - Victoria Gawlik Morse Victoria.GawlikMorse@dshs.wa.gov

For more information on resources to support you and those we serve go to the APS SharePoint.

Statewide Staff Supports - Shared Interest Staffing In 2019, a workgroup comprised of both field and headquarters staff met to discuss ways to support field staff on topics including; complex cases, alleged victims where decision making is questionable, vulnerable adult status or perceived inabilities are difficult to discern, multiple screen outs, or other case complexities, to name a few. From the workgroup, a Shared Interest Staffing was developed and implemented.

This staffing is available for any staff to discuss case ideas, collaborate, and provide a forum for shared decision-making. The group may consist of people from regional leadership, investigative staff, supervisors, regional program managers, HQ staff, and other staff that may be a part of the investigative or protective services process (DDA, HCS, LE, mental health etc.).

These staffings are scheduled to occur every other Friday and are open to any APS staff member who would like to use the resource. For additional information, staff should review MB A20-003 and if there are outstanding questions, should contact their Program Manager. Check out this link for more information.

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Update to Chapter 6 - APS The Long-Term Care Manual Chapter 6 (Chapter 6 - APS) was updated and released on March 4, 2022, with changes taking effect on March 7, 2022. This latest revision was the result of a year-long effort by APS policy staff and Executive Leadership to carefully analyze each section of Chapter 6. The goal for this release was to remove unnecessary or repetitive language, align the material with business workflow, and update policy and procedure to address necessary changes identified in 2021.

Take a moment to review the new version of Chapter 6 to ensure you are up to date on the latest policy and procedure.

This is expected to be the final release of APS policy and procedure as Chapter 6 in it’s current format. As we look to the future, APS policy and procedure will transition to a new platform to improve the user experience. The intent is to make it easier for staff to search and identify relevant policy and procedure, along with tracking policy changes over time. Stay tuned for this release later in 2022.

Washington State Learning Center It’s been just over a year since the Learning Center has come online and since that time there has been a lot to learn for how to navigate and use the system. To limit the number of clicks it takes to get to the information you want to see most often there are new “short cuts” on the control panel side bar on your Learning Center dashboard.

Depending on your Learning Center role you may see one or more of the following on the side bar: •

Advanced Reporting

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All Users

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Learning Activities

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Training Transcript

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Training Schedule

As always, you can find more tips, tricks, and resources on the Learning Center SharePoint site.

If you get stuck or have questions you can’t find an answer to on the Learning Center SharePoint, please submit a Help Request with the details of the problem and someone should respond within 48 hours.

UPDATES & INFORMATION CONTINUED...

Client Resources Corner - Resources for Serving Clients/Victims >> Healthcare << Health centers are community-based medical homes that serve an underserved patient population and provide access to a range of comprehensive services on a sliding fee scale. A sliding fee scale means that these centers provide care based on the ability of the patient to pay. Many of these centers offer services beyond primary care including; mental health, dental, pharmacy, vision, case management, patient navigation, and even some specialty care like cardiology or dermatology.

These centers can be an invaluable resource for individuals who have limited access to a medical home including nonEnglish speaking, individuals experiencing homelessness, agricultural workers, rural populations, and other groups that may have lower resources. At the core of every center is the mission to coordinate care in order to reduce health disparities that may be present amongst their patient populations. To find a center and read about the services they offer, you can use the Health Resources and Services Administration’s (HRSA) clinic locator tool.

>> Food Insecurity << Food Lifeline is an organization dedicated to ending hunger in Washington. They directly provide food to hundreds of thousands of individuals experiencing food insecurity through partnerships with food banks, shelters, and various other community food programs. Their website includes a state-wide food map where visitors can specify the type of meal or food they are looking for including: hot meals to go, prepackaged boxes, shelf-stable/no-cook meals, and home delivery. To find out what’s available in your area, use their food map tool.

>> Caregiver Support for Veterans << Caregiver Support Program is two programs to serve and support Veterans and their caregivers across all eras. The Program of General Caregiver Support Services (PGCSS) serves caregivers of enrolled Veterans of all eras and provides peer support mentoring, skills training, telephone support, online programs and referrals to available resources to caregivers of Veterans. The Program of Comprehensive Assistance for Family Caregivers (PCAFC) is for Veterans injured before 5/7/1975 or after 9/11/2001 and provides peer support mentoring, skills training, telephone support, online programs, referrals, a financial stipend, health insurance, and beneficiary travel to caregivers. There is an online application process to access services, but there are multiple ways to get support to complete the application. Read more about the programs and the applications process.

For more information on these and other programs, you can visit the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Caregiver Support Program page.

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Yakima, WA

REGIONAL EMPLOYEE SPOTLIGHT Susie has been an investigator with APS for the past 12 years and continues to demonstrate her passion for protecting vulnerable adults and connecting them with available resources. Susie has also been a strong advocate for expanding intervention services and when she becomes aware of a new resource, she shares it with her colleagues. Susie has appreciated the additional COVID-19 funds and has been successful in utilizing them, which have had a big impact for the alleged victims she is working with.

Susie Goodwin Investigator Region 1

Susie is someone who works extremely hard and is viewed by others as the ultimate team player. Susie has always been willing to help her colleagues out with investigations and these past months with our workforce challenges, Susie has continued to step up. She has helped fill the gap by volunteering to take additional investigations to ensure alleged victims were being protected.

Susie describes herself as someone who is outgoing and enjoys connecting with others, working hard, and is a true go-getter. We are fortunate to have Susie in Region 1.

Adriana Hernandez is the Administrative Assistant 3 in Region 2 reporting to the Deputy Director, starting in this new role on February 1. Adriana came to Washington from Salem, Oregon where she was born and raised. She and her husband have family in both Oregon and Washington and she feels that the move to Washington has been a great experience for them.

Adriana is a pet-lover and enjoys cooking, mainly Mexican, pasta, or Asian style dishes. She may start with a recipe, but then adds her own unique touches to the dish and makes it her own. Her husband always asks her to make chocolate Flan when they are going to a gathering where food is shared. However, once she makes it, he doesn’t want to share it anymore. Adriana ends up making two Flans now, one to share with others and one for her family.

Adriana Hernandez Administrative Assistant Region 2

Adriana is tied to her community in Oregon as she and her husband are active members in their church there. They volunteer every weekend helping with the youth and music. That is some real dedication and a lot of commuting back and forth.

Why APS? Adriana likes seeing the difference investigators can make in the lives of our clients. She believes the investigators are amazing people because they can do so much to change lives. She briefly worked for APS in Oregon and had the opportunity to go into the field with some of the investigators which was a great experience for her.

For those of you who don’t know Adriana, she describes herself as someone who enjoys spreading positivity and love. She is a ray of sunshine to be around and always has a smile. If you have an opportunity to meet Adriana, you’ll be very glad you did. We are very grateful that she made that decision to move to Washington and apply with APS! Amy Grannemann is a focused, compassionate advocate for vulnerable adults and the APS program overall. Doing her part is her minimum expectation. Along with her fellow Social and Health Program Consultant (SHPC) team, she has managed cases as part of the transfer unit as well as her SHPC duties.

Amy takes her role to heart and brings a fresh lens when looking at her cases. She holds her “why” close to her daily tasks.

Though her plate is already full supporting and training new hires, she has also supported our Investigation Review Team (IRT) process. Amy reads hundreds of pages of investigations each week to help review cases and determine if they meet substantiation or if it needs some finishing touches. She is the definition of a team player and one we are happy to honor in this spotlight. Thank you, Amy.

Amy Grannemann

Social & Health Program Consultant

Region 3

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REGION 1

A THOROUGH INVESTIGATION PROTECTS AN ALLEGED VICTIM FROM FURTHER FINANCIAL EXPLOITATION Due to the perseverance of a Region 1 investigator, an allegation of financial exploitation that spanned over 3 years was presented before the regional Investigative Review Team who concurred with the recommendation to substantiate against two alleged perpetrators. Our 64-year-old vulnerable adult experienced an acute medical crisis that resulted in admission to a hospital and then long-term into a nursing facility where she did not have access to her bank account and trusted her family to oversee paying her expenses. The alleged victim’s son and daughter-in-law used their position of trust and deception to improperly spend almost $70,000 of the alleged victim’s money to purchase items and pay for personal expenses for themselves and their family.

The investigator did a fantastic job of thoroughly investigating the allegation while coordinating with community partners to ensure the protection of the vulnerable adult through guardianship, care services, and law enforcement. The money taken from the alleged victim is currently being repaid to her.

REGION 2

A FEEL GOOD CAT STORY

During the month of January 2022, investigator Brandon Lodge was assigned an intake of self-neglect with the client residing in a mobile home and reported to have 15 cats that resided in the home with her, and she was physically unable to care for herself or her cats. She had recently moved to this home from a much larger home after the loss of her mother. She has physical limitations and was unable to take care of and clean up after all the cats, leaving the home full of cat waste and unsanitary. She often chose to crawl on the floor around her

REGIONAL SUCCESS STORIES

home instead of using her wheelchair. She reported that her preference is to crawl around as she was able to get places quicker that way. However, she was often navigating through these unsanitary conditions on her hands and knees. She doesn’t have a lot of natural supports and was feeling overwhelmed by the number of cats in her little residence. She also cannot drive so she was unable to drop the cats off at shelters even if she was willing to part with them.

While interviewing her, Brandon was able to build rapport with her about the number of cats in her home and inquired if she would like assistance with rehoming some of them. She agreed with rehoming 11 of the 15 cats, however she felt she could keep the 4 oldest cats that were already fixed and did not want to separate from them.

Knowing that one of our APS supervisors is a foster parent for kittens, Brandon and supervisor Andrea Thompson, reached out to supervisor Kelly Machnik during the visit, and inquired if there were any foster homes in our area willing to pick up some cats to rehome. Within an hour Kelly was able to reach out to her foster network and received a response from a foster home.

The client consented to speaking with this foster home and by the end of that day the foster home was able to successfully pick up 6 cats/kittens (left) from the home. The client is amenable to having the other 5 cats rehomed, but this was a good start to lowering her stress and decreasing the amount of waste that occurs from having such a large number of cats in the home. She seems very appreciative for the swift response and action in this case and continues to work with our APS team on cleaning up her living environment, gaining access to more suitable equipment and other protective services.

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Regional Success Stories Continued

REGION 3 A DEMONSTRATED UNDERSTANDING OF CHAPTER 6 Krystal Bononcini is a dedicated and passionate investigator lead within Region 3. She brings her passion for vulnerable adults to the table daily. Recently, she led a case through the Investigation Review Team (IRT) process and the findings were elevated directly to the court of appeals. She demonstrated her understanding of Chapter 6 under pressure and relaying clear facts while firmly outlining APS advocacy during her testimony for a vulnerable adult in the ever-changing landscape of the pandemic. These findings were validated by an affirmed initial order for the department on all three appeals/cases. Like many, she’s also known for going the extra mile for vulnerable adults. We are glad Krystal is a part of the APS team.

Jesse Dixon

Communications and Marketing Manager

Headquarters SPOTLIGHT

Jesse joined our team as a marketing & communications manager in March of this year.

Government service is not new to him, as he just completed a 13year career in the U.S. Army. He and his family finally decided to settle down in Washington due to their love for its beautiful lands, cultural diversity, and welcoming residents.

“It is a pleasure to get to work with a group of talented and dedicated people who work tirelessly every day to transform lives and protect some of Washington’s most vulnerable,” said Jesse. “I consider it a privilege to tell your stories and inform the public about all of the excellent services that this organization provides.”

“Public perception and awareness are vital to APS and our mission,” said Jesse. “We need to stay proactive and ensure that our organization reaches our customers on their terms.” Jesse and the communications team provides APS personnel with a wide range of communications and marketing services and is more than happy to help support the internal and external communications needs of the organization.

For all of your communications support questions or requests, contact: jesse.dixon@dshs.wa.gov

GETTING TO KNOW ONE ANOTHER

Regional Success Stories Continued how our unique experiences Understanding

contribute to a diverse workforce

EVE AUSTIN, RDN, CD APS DEPUTY REGIONAL ADMINISTRATOR, REGION 3

Eve Austin is the APS deputy regional administrator for Region 3 and is passionate about mental health advocacy and nutrition support for the state’s vulnerable populations. Eve joined our team in October of 2021 after serving as a special projects manager for the Renton school district. Eve’s passion for public service began at a young age when she had the opportunity to work closely with vulnerable adults at her grandparent’s elder care facility in Minnesota.

“I learned profound lessons from the great generation and saw exploitation,” Eve said. “Working in mental health for several years, I grew a distaste for the stigma tied to mental health and the overall marginalization of this population to have direct experience with another marginalized group: Indigenous People.”

Eve remembers her first experience with APS was through her work with tribal communities. A long-time mentor with the state’s APS program’s tribal program helped Eve understand a complicated history rife with exploitation and marginalization by state governments against indigenous communities and how those relationships are now being mended through advocacy and partnership.

Eve is passionate about helping underprivileged, underserved, and marginalized populations. “Having a foundation in mental health administration leadership, all my roles morphed into leadership roles,” said Eve. “I’m a problem solver and a person that deeply cares for people and our society. I hold respect, kindness, and personal accountability as core values.”

Working for APS has been a valuable and rewarding experience for Eve. She says that she feels a strong connection with the work and the people who dedicate their lives to the most vulnerable members of our society.

Eve says that APS is an excellent organization to work for because “the people carry the strongest “why” I’ve seen in my professional career and a unified vision for what they want their communities to be. Overall, it’s a safer place for vulnerable adults. I can ask every one of my employees, and I believe each could articulate their “why.” It’s humbling and an honor to work in Region 3.”

When Eve’s not working at APS, she likes to listen to podcasts, reading, writing, creating memories with her family, BBQs with friends and family, kayaking, and barre class with her best friend. She is inspired by her faith, family, and the world’s innovators, both past and present.

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TIVA 2 Updates

There are many smaller changes, improvements, and fixes to come so keep an eye out for the release notes for each new version!

TIVA2 is always growing and changing to better meet our needs. These change ideas come from the need to fit policy requirements, improve processes, create efficiencies, and fix bugs, but mostly the changes in TIVA2 come from ideas and insights provided by the people who use the system every day—you.

Small improvements and fixes may occur without much notice, but here is a list of some of the bigger changes made in TIVA2 over the last few months, and some to look forward to in months to come.

September 2021 •

A dashboard was added for Paralegals and LBAs to help manage their open appeals and tracking response for the substantiation letter. An Appeal Activity section allows for better recording of appeal process milestones which will in turn feed into the DataMart to provide more comprehensive reports for the Due Process Unit.

December 2021 •

After much discussion and feedback from the field the date/time picker was updated. Time can now be entered manually by typing directly into the hour and minute fields or adjusted using the corresponding arrow buttons. Also, if military time is entered the hour will convert to standard time to comply with the standard format (ex. Military time 14:15 -> 2:15 PM in TIVA2).

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Intakes in TIVA2 can now be copied into a new report. A “Copy Intake” button is present under the Actions section on the left side of the screen. This opens the Copy Intake action window where the AV/ AP information to be brought into the copy can be selected and the narrative information updated.

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A case note type of “APS Telephone Contact” was added to the investigation case notes list.

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A dropdown was added to the “Restricted” checkbox so staff can briefly see why an intake or investigation was restricted.

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For substantiated investigations, the Youth Finding Type has been updated to reflect policy changes for investigations with alleged perpetrators 17 years of age or younger. The two options for youth findings are now “Youth 11 or younger” or “Youth 12 to 17” to specify age ranges of the alleged perpetrator.

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The Vulnerable Adult definitions were updated to reflect the statutory definition change to the Guardianship and Conservatorship RCW.

March 2022 •

Addition of a “Assignment Notes” section to the TIVA2 rotation tool. This 20-character field will display next to the investigators name when assigning a new intake to provide details for assignments such as indicating the investigator is a Self-Neglect or Financial Exploitation Specialist or that the investigator should not receive any 24-hour responses.

Tentatively Coming April 2022 •

Addition of a new tile in investigation which will display the screenings completed by APS investigators. The first addition to this tile will be the “APS Safety Screening” tool which will allow users to answer the screening questions and then display the results and next steps on the page.

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Display investigator assignment history in the investigation as well as the investigation action log.

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Removal of the “AV Deceased/Financial Exploitation” intake screen out code.

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Addition of the AV’s date of birth to the investigation dashboard.

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Adjusting the text display in “High Contrast” mode to improve visibility in the header.

Later in 2022 •

Addition of the APS Risk Screening tool to the new screening tile.

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New Public Online Report (POR) queue design.

Helpdesk How-To For TIVA2 There have been many improvements and changes in TIVA2 over the years, and with every change comes the possibility of problems. Whenever you encounter a problem with TIVA2 there are some specific steps you can take to help the TIVA2 experts help you.

You should always request help by submitting a ticket via the “ALTSA-DDA Helpdesk” Service Portal. Using the helpdesk Service Portal to submit your ticket ensures your concerns can be directed to the correct person and allows for tracking of your issue. The ALTSA-DDA Helpdesk can be accessed via the ALTSADDA Helpdesk icon on your desktop. This is the same system you use for making helpdesk requests for general IT problems with your computer or other programs.

Once you click on the ALTSA-DDA Helpdesk icon the Service Portal will open. Click the “Application Issue” button to open a TIVA2 ticket.

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In the dropdown labeled “Select the application”: Select “TIVA2”

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In the dropdown labeled “Select the type of issue you are experiencing” select the issue which most closely describes the problem you are experiencing.

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Once you have selected the issue you will need to describe the issue in detail.

For TIVA2 it is important you provide as many details as you can around any system issue you are reporting.

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When the issue first occurred.

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How frequent does the issue occur (every time you log in, every day, after lunch)?

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What piece of work was the issue related to (Intake or investigation number AND the AV name)?

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Are there steps you have used to successfully address/fix the issue on your own?

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If you have a screenshot of the issue or an error message, upload this as an attachment.

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If you are making the ticket on behalf of someone else, identify by name who that person is.

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If you are requesting a document, be removed from TIVA2 include the following:

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The intake or investigation number and the AV’s name.

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The uploaded documents name.

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The date the document was uploaded.

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If you have a screenshot of the document details from TIVA2, upload this as an attachment.

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After these details are entered on the ticket, select an urgency level.

Once your ticket is received, one of the experts will review, and may be in touch with you for clarification.

Following this process will help ensure you get a quick and effective response to your concerns. We look forward to helping you!

-Data Unit

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Program Evaluations

1. Self-Neglect •

Purpose: To evaluate existing best practices for investigating self-neglect allegations and determine the appropriate method to support these alleged victims for long-term success

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Evaluation Partner: ADvancing States

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Project Duration: 8 months

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Staff Engagement Opportunities: staff interviews and an all-staff survey

Program Evaluations in Adult Protective Services and Opportunity for Staff Engagement As many of you are aware, in 2021 the Adult Protective Services program received generous funding from the Administration for Community Living through two grants – the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act of 2021 and the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021. Both grants were given to each state with the overarching objective that all activities paid for would enhance the APS program in some manner, whether that be through the purchasing of technology to support the continued need for remote work, the hiring of temporary staff to support improvement goals, or the support of largescale marketing efforts to raise awareness about adult maltreatment. While our program has opted to include funding for all the projects previously listed, one of the most exciting areas for enhancement is the opportunity to fund program evaluation activities.

The last full program evaluation of APS was nearly a decade ago and predates APS becoming its own division as well as multiple policy and procedural updates that have influenced the way APS conducts itself daily. To understand the current reality and inform our path over the next several years, we have chosen to embark on three separate evaluation projects to support the continued growth of the program. These projects are multifaceted, but each involves the review of APS data, staff and stakeholder interviews or surveys, and a final synthesis of recommendations for enhancements based on fact.

To the right is a brief explainer on each project; more information will be forthcoming, so keep an eye out for opportunities to participate. If you have questions about any of the projects or would like additional detail, please contact Victoria Gawlik Morse.

2. Staffing Models •

Purpose: To evaluate existing best practices for staffing APS programs in Washington and across the country.

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Evaluation Partner: ADvancing States

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Project Duration: 8 months

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Staff Engagement Opportunities: staff interviews and an all-staff survey

3. Full Program Evaluation •

Purpose: To evaluate the APS program in its entirety including its organizational structure, policies, procedures, and data approaches. Additionally, a direct comparison analysis outlined through the voluntary consensus guidelines with similar APS programs

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Evaluation Partner: University of Washington, Center for Health Innovation and Policy Science

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Project Duration: 2 years

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Staff Engagement Opportunities: staff interviews and all-staff staff surveys

This is an exciting time for our program and each evaluation project has the potential to make a lasting, positive impact on the work that we do. Thank you in advance for your willingness to participate and provide feedback to our project partners and your commitment to improving the services we provide to the vulnerable adult population of Washington.

APS Recruitment Efforts

One major goal for the APS program in 2022 is an expanded focus on staff recruitment through career fairs and other similar venues. On March 16, 2022, APS joined the Joint Base Lewis-McChord Transition Assistance Program at the American Lake Conference Center. The event was open to transitioning service members, veterans, and military family members.

Employers present promoting careers in law enforcement, emergency medical services, customs & border protection, homeland security, firefighting, department of justice, and security services were all in attendance. This event served as an opportunity for APS staff to promote open positions and to network with community partners that serve the vulnerable adult population in Washington. In preparation for this event, APS partnered with communications staff to update recruitment materials, and are currently working on the development of an APS-specific careers webpage to provide detailed information about the organization and promote open positions to the public.

The outreach and engagement team along with leadership is looking to identify additional career fair opportunities throughout 2022 to promote APS to the wider Washington community.

Stay tuned for additional information about these efforts throughout the year!

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Critical Incident Stress Management Corner During our most stressful times, our self-care often takes a backseat to everything and everyone else. This is often even more the case as helping professionals. We often find it is easier to focus on other responsibilities and obligations rather than to focus inward. Those of us in the field of helping others are compassionate and empathetic individuals, so it is typically just in our nature to support, guide and encourage others. However, when it comes to taking care of ourselves, we find reasons why we can’t or tell ourselves that we are too busy and just simply don’t have the time. It’s during these busy and stressful times that we need to take care of ourselves the most. This is when we really need to move our bodies, get enough rest, eat regular meals, and take time to just breathe. Practicing self-care not only helps us feel better but also allows us to function at our best so that we can continue to provide the support for those we care about the most.

While planning a fun getaway can be a wonderful way to take care of oneself, self-care doesn’t have to be on a grand scale. We can do little things throughout our day to take care of ourselves, like drinking enough water, taking an extra 5 minutes in the shower, eating lunch away from your computer, taking a moment to stand up and stretch, etc. You decide what you enjoy and will work for you. The key is to just be intentional and identify whatever you are choosing to do as self-care. As practicing self-care is often easier said than done, try to show yourself the same compassion that you show to others and allow yourself to take the time you need for you.

Submitted by Rebeca Estrada, PhD, Region 2 CISM Program Manager

It’s during these busy and stressful times that we need to take care of ourselves the most.

This is when we really need to move our bodies, get enough rest, eat regular meals, and take time to just breathe.

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Coffee Break with Kathy

April 26, 2022 | 9:00 - 10:00 AM (on Teams)

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.

Click HERE to join!

UPCOMING | APS EVENTS

Employee Survey Listening Sessions with the APS Director and Deputy Director We will hold a small group discussion regarding the employee survey and to obtain feedback and input around the survey results

REGION 1

Spokane Union Gap Kennewick / Walla Walla Omak /Moses Lake / Wenatchee

REGION 2

Holgate Everett Renton Bellingham / Smokey Point / Mount Vernon

REGION 3

Tumwater Tacoma Vancouver Port Angeles / Bremerton Kelso / Aberdeen

HQ

Intake Intake PM / Legal

Thursday, June 2 Thursday, June 2 Thursday, June 8 Thursday, June 8

9:00am-9:55am 10:05am-11:00am 9:00am-9:55am 2:15pm-3:10pm

Wednesday, June 15 Wednesday, June 15 Wednesday, June 15 Wednesday, June 15

8:30am-9:25am 9:45am-10:40am 11:00am-11:55am 1:00pm-1:55pm

Thursday, April 28 Wednesday, May 11 Wednesday, May 11 Wednesday, May 18 Wednesday, May 18

8:30am-9:25am 1:00pm-1:55am 2:10pm-3:05pm 10:00am-10:55am 11:00am-11:55am

Wednesday, March 30 Wednesday, March 30 Thursday, March 31

1:30pm-2:25pm 2:40pm-3:35pm 8:30am-9:25am

Sessions will be held on Microsoft Teams via a dedicated link for each meeting 24

Let Us know!

Do you have content ideas, success stories, or photos for the next quarterly APS Magazine?

Send your ideas or submissions to jesse.dixon@dshs.wa.gov