KOKUA SPIRIT Summer is for Adventure! Winter and Dawn M. recently went for a day trip with friends to visit Mt. Rainier. Three of the four ladies had never been and it was quite awe-inspiring for them to see! Kudos to Gray and Lily for getting them there and making this happen and thank you to Tricia at 59th for allowing a last-minute vehicle switcheroo! Spending time outside in nature can be so calming and soothing to our souls when the world around us is so non-stop. It can give us a moment of quiet to breathe in the fresh air, enjoy being outside, and some much needed time spent away from screens! There are plenty of places, even right here in Thurston County that would be close enough to not take all day to get there, but nature enough to feel like you are getting away! Maybe that can be on the Summer Bucket List for some more folks because there is still time to enjoy the sun! Happy Birthday to all those July Bdays out there! May you enjoy the fun and the sun and perhaps a good old barbecue or a scoop or two of ice cream to celebrate!
Inside find info about UV Safety, Disability Pride Month and a little History of the ADA, a really quite easy 3 ingredient homemade mac and cheese, and some support info and shoutouts for our awesome staff! PS- Stay tuned for more picnic details- it will be Friday August 28th! We are also participating at a Thurston County DD Ice Cream Social event on August 21st and will have a flier to come about that!
NEWSLETTER ; Vol. 22 Issue 6-7
The Sun helps us to get Vitamin D
into our body which is useful for many different body processes and functions. We need sunshine, but we also need to be careful about our exposure. We don’t want to get too much at once, and end up with a bad burn, heat related illness, or longer term issues due to repeated over indulgence in the rays! Take precautions to make sure that your sun time is safe and you don’t overdue it!
Disability Pride comes from passion and achievement of goals, along with problem solving challenges and developing resilience. Start by helping people look for ways they can share their unique gifts. Everyone has something to contribute. To learn more about Disability Pride check out the toolkit at: https://ncil.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/NCILDisability-Pride-Toolkit.pdf
The ADA (American with Disabilities Act), was signed into law in July 1990! It’s been around for 36 years this summer and although we have accomplished a lot there is still so much to do! Start by learning a little more about it and sharing that knowledge with others!
3-Ingredient Stovetop Mac and Cheese Recipe: Fewer ingredients than the boxed version but comes together in the same amount of time. By J. Kenji López-Alt @ seriouseats.com Updated on September 25, 2025 Cook Time: 15 mins Total Time: 15 mins Servings: 2 servings Yield: Serves 2 Ingredients: 6 ounces (170 g) elbow macaroni Salt 6 ounces (180 ml) evaporated milk 6 ounces (170 g) grated mild or medium cheddar cheese, or any good melting cheese, such as Fontina, Gruyère, or Monteray Jack Directions: Place macaroni in a medium saucepan or skillet and add just enough cold water to cover. Add a pinch of salt and bring to a boil over high heat, stirring frequently. Continue to cook, stirring, until water has been almost completely absorbed and macaroni is just shy of al dente, about 6 minutes. Immediately add evaporated milk and bring to a boil. Add cheese. Reduce heat to low and cook, stirring continuously, until cheese is melted and liquid has reduced to a creamy sauce, about 2 minutes longer. Season to taste with more salt and serve immediately. Special Equipment: Medium saucepan or skillet
Notes: If you are willing to kick the total ingredients up to more than three, try a good dash of hot sauce, some mustard powder, or a little knob of butter stirred in with the evaporated milk.
7 Tips for Handling Aggressive Behaviors in Dementia
Requesting And Responding With Respect A simple change that could make a dramatic impact on a patient's behavior is requesting and responding with respect. It gives out a positive response to the patient’s behavior and increases willingness to comply with the caregiver’s request. When making a request or responding to a patient’s request, it helps to consider the following questions: Does the patient like to do this activity? Does he/she know how to do it? Is he/she already busy with some tasks? Is he/she having a choice about how or when to do the activity? Are you asking in a way that you would like to be asked yourself? The Golden Rules of Behavior support? First, ALWAYS STAY CALM. It can be easy to get caught up in the emotion of a situation, but it is important to remain cool-headed. This will not only help keep the situation under control, but it will also make it easier for a DSP to think clearly and find an effective solution. Second, try to understand what is causing the challenging behavior. There may be an underlying reason for the behavior, and addressing this issue may be the key to resolving the problem. Finally, communicate with the client. This may involve explaining expectations, setting boundaries, or simply communicating that you are there to help them. By establishing a clear line of communication, a DSP can help ensure that any future challenges can be addressed promptly and effectively.
DBT Coaching FOR DSPs! (the very basics): The Four Main DBT Skills DSPs can help clients practice four sets of skills: 1) Mindfulness: Being in the present moment. DSPs use this to help clients focus on what is happening right now rather than worrying about the past or future. How can being in the moment help? Sometimes people spiral and need help focusing back on the moment and the facts. 2) Distress Tolerance: Learning to sit with tough feelings or get through a crisis (or bad feelings), without making it worse. This includes using distraction or self-soothing tools instead of self-harm or aggression. (Think coping skills!) Help someone you support make a “Coping Skills Toolbox.” What things, actions, “tools” can they put into their box so that they are prepared when they are having a crisis? 3) Emotion Regulation: Understanding and managing big feelings. DSPs assist clients in naming their emotions(like anger or sadness)- “you sound like you are upset or I am hearing you say you’re mad...let’s take a deep breath and STOP: (Stop, Take a step back, Observe, Proceed mindfully.) Emotions are part of being human and we cannot avoid them. We need to learn to sit with them and be comfortable getting through them, but also to express them in a way that doesn’t make the situation worse. How can you help someone learn to do that? 4) Interpersonal Effectiveness: Communicating clearly and setting boundaries. DSPs can coach clients on how to ask for what they need and say "no" respectfully. In addition, maintaining our own personal boundaries helps set an example for those supported, what healthy boundaries look like.
Staff Shout-Outs and Kudos!! "I would like to give a shout out to Adara (On Call). I believe she does a great job trying to find coverage when needed for emergency situations but besides that, she is an outstanding person! She sometimes has to make hard decisions when it comes to work situations, and she does it with style and grace. Even if it may not benefit you sometimes, she is making the best decision for the company and the clients and she does it from her heart. Anyone can tell that she works hard at her job, AND she is always willing to help out in any situation. Sawyer House would like to She has helped me numerous times when I have had recognize two standout staff emergencies or when I just needed to talk about the situation. members who have made a She deserves a BIG KUDO for all the hard work she does and lasting impact over the last few especially, the way she does it. Thank her for me for being herself! Someone that is approachable and caring and will months: help if she possibly can. She's absolutely awesome!" *Sandra Josh Springer deserves a Budd massive thank you for his
incredible support of both Sawyer Clients and his fellow staff members. Your willingness to go the extra mile does not go unnoticed. Sawyer is blessed to have you! We also want to thank Vienna Wargo for her hard work and her commitment to bringing positive energy to the team. Vienna, thank you for your willingness to help out with our weekday grave shifts; you are an amazing asset to the team. Thank you both for all you do! ~ Sawyer House
Shout-out to our wonderful RM Group for the effort and work they have been putting in at the MONTHLY RM meetings! We are seeing some very positive collaboration and appreciate all that you bring to the table! Shout-out to our Swings, Graves, and Fill-ins! You may not hear it often enough but we couldn’t stay afloat without you and thank you for all of your hard work, even though your office team may not always see it! Shout-out to Lexus and Justin at Clearfield as it has been a rather bumpy road for them to start in the house, with a lot of un-expected changes back to back, and they have been so dedicated in continuing to care for clients and been a positive support to their team!
"I'd like to shoutout Myriah, the scheduling coordinator. She handles scheduling quick and efficiently and makes sure the houses are running as smoothly as possible. She is so very appreciated! "
Contact us to learn more about your benefits! Help Desk: 1-888-813-5468 Hours: Monday to Friday, 8:00 am to 5:30 pm CT **Freshbenies is not a stand alone insurance! It is a discount/cost savings benefit for medical and mental health care, and can help with out of pocket costs to you!**
Get a MH appointment up to 4x faster! Get (up to) zero cost RX/ 0$ on your prescriptions. (Not all RX are covered or the savings may be variable)
Visit the Kokua Website: https://www.kokuaservices.org and under Staff Resources you will find Employee Benefits and you you can find out how to sign-up!
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South Sound Block Party ah r r u H t s August 28-29 La s ’ r e m m Port of Olympia ! Enjoy Su y t 1210 Marine Drive NE, Olympia oun C n o t s r u If you love music, you don’t want to miss the in Th ! o d o t s South Sound Block Party! Each day is full of g n i h t n u F incredible concerts. Refresh yourself in the Upcoming beer garden and food vendors. There are Thurston County Fair July 30-August 2 Thurston County Fairgrounds 3054 Carpenter Road SE, Lacey It’s not summer without a trip (or two) to the Thurston County Fair! Check out the 4-H projects, enjoy live entertainment, carnival rides and games and of course all the fair food you can handle! Stories in the Park, Stories in the Dark August 8, 7 p.m. – 9 p.m. Squaxin Park 2600 Eastbay Drive NE, Olympia Experience the magic of live storytelling with the South Sound Story Guild at the East Grove Shelter (behind the Rose Garden). Enjoy a mix of humorous folktales that shift into spooky stories as darkness falls. This event is perfect for groups, so bring your friends, lawn chairs, snacks, and a trusty flashlight! Movies at the Marina August 21, September 5 Port of Olympia 1022 Marine Drive NE, Olympia Free Watch a free movie at the Port of Olympia on August 21 (SING) and September 5 (Jumanji). Both movies are familyfriendly! Concessions available to purchase.
tickets for general admission, weekend passes and VIP. Lacey in Tune Concert Series July 28, August 4, August 11 6:30 p.m. Huntamer Park 618 Woodland Square Loop SE, Lacey Free Enjoy free entertainment at Huntamer Park throughout the summer with Lacey in Tune! Each date has something different, from orchestras and science to bands and comedy acts!
Olympia Harbor Days September 4-6 Olympia Waterfront Free Enjoy the last weekend of summer at the water! There will be Budd Bay cruises, boat tours, live entertainment, tribal cultural sharings, LEGO builds for kids, pirates and more!