Independence Insider: February 2021

Alleghenies United Cerebral Palsy | February 2021

NEW FACES at AUCP

Forrest Newman Team UPMC Southwest

NCQA ACCREDITATION We are so pleased to announce that AUCP has once again been awarded a three-year accreditation of Case Management for Long-Term Services and Supports (LTSS) by the National Committee for Quality Accreditation (NCQA). This is the second consecutive time that AUCP has been awarded this accreditation, this time with a perfect score.

This accreditation is a comprehensive, evidence-based program that is awarded to programs that meet NCQA’s Standards and Guidelines. It addresses how the organization delivers efficient, effective person-centered care that meets each participant's needs, measures the quality improvement to support people living in their preferred setting, and meets the state's Managed Care requirements.

We owe our success to our hardworking staff and their dedication to our participants and the quality of services provided. Thank you for all you do in making AUCP a premier agency.

Visit our website to read the full Press Release: https://buff.ly/2N1hEWh

Abigail Mishler Team UPMC Southwest

Caitlin Robbins Team UMPC Southwest

2021 HIGHMARK WALK The 2021 Highmark Walk has officially kicked-off as of February 1st! This year will mark our 6th year participating and each year we are so incredibly thankful for the support we receive from our partners, friends, and community. We expect 2021 to be no different. Below you will find more information about how you can support AUCP in 2021 Highmark Walk in reaching our total goal of $7,500!

Here’s what to do: • Register: This is the first step towards supporting AUCP, follow the links below: • Pittsburgh Walk: http://hcf.convio.net/aucppitt • Laurel Highlands Walk: http://hcf.convio.net/aucplaurel • Share: Support from outside agencies and individuals is our biggest help when it comes to the Highmark Walk. Start sharing about the walk with your coworkers, friends, and family. Get them excited about joining your team!

• Recruit: Grow your team by asking friends and family to walk with you!

• Stay tuned: Visit us on Facebook to stay up-to-date: http://bit.ly/aucpfacebook.

To learn more about how you can make a difference in your community and support AUCP in the Highmark Walk, visit our website: www.scalucp.org/hmw2021

Cara Hannan Team UMPC Central

UCP

Alleghenies United Cerebral Palsy Service Coordination

844.819.4455 | WWW.SCALUCP.ORG | INFO@SCALUCP.ORG

In the

SPOTLIGHT

STAFF HIGHLIGHT - DA-TRICE BURNS For the staff highlight for the month of February, we would like to introduce you to Da-Trice Burns. Da-Trice has been a Service Coordinator at AUCP since March of last year working for team UPMC in the central region of the state.

Da-Trice lives in Hermitage, PA, but was born in Sharon and then moved to Ohio for elementary school and from there finished high school in Tampa, Florida. She received a bachelor's degree in Psychology and 60 credits in elementary education from Theil College in Philadelphia, PA.

AUCP’s CEO, Tammy Rhoades, was featured in the January issue of Community Care Connections by the 1889 Jefferson Center for Population Health.

Read more about Tammy and how she has lead our agency in expanding our reach over the last few years by visiting the link below.

Go to: bit.ly/tammyrhoades

Da-Trice has a wonderful family that consists of her fiancé, 4 children (ages 17, 16, 14, & 8), a 2 year-old miniature pinscher/chihuahua mix named Ace, and a kitten named Cain. As any proud mom, Da-Trice boasts about how awesome her children are. Their schedules are full of high school and college classes, cheerleading and softball, and of course a bit of video games in the mix, too! Outside of spending time with her family, she enjoys reading, meditating, and listening to music.

When asked what her biggest goals in life are, she says she loves to make those around her smile and be happy. She also wants her children to succeed in life and to go further than she could ever imagine for herself.

Working at AUCP over the last year, Da-Trice has really begun to enjoy getting to know her participants, assisting them with their concerns, and feel like she has made a difference in their lives. She also loves the team that she works with, the teamwork makes the job so much more enjoyable. The most challenging parts are the sometimes overwhelming workload and not being able to handle situations for her participants that are out of her control. If she were not a Service Coordinator, Da-Trice says she would like to be a clinical psychiatrist with her own practice.

Participants have stated that Da-Trice is a wonderful person! She works diligently to help them, is in-tune with their needs, and always follows-up when she says she is going to. Her supervisor says she is a great addition to the UPMC team and we agree! We’re glad she is part of the AUCP family!

AUCP RE-USE IT INVENTORY By scanning the link below you will be able to see a list of the current medical equipment that we have available through our ReUse It program. Donations are approved and accepted by appointment only.

If you, or someone you know, are in need of any of the items on the list or if have any questions, please contact Jessica Backus at (814) 915-4540 or Jocelyn Hartman at (814) 915-4055. We will gladly assist you as best as we can. If we do not have the item(s) you are looking for, we are also able to provide referrals to other reused equipment programs.

REUSE IT

You can also visit our website for more information: http://bit.ly/aucp-reuse-it

COMMUNITY PROGRAMS AUCP’s RE-USE IT PROGRAM accepts donations and redistributes medical equipment and assistive technology to the public for free.

The UCP ELSIE S. BELLOW’S FUND is a national program providing funds to individuals with disabilities for assistive technology.

AUCP’s SCHOLARSHIP FUND grants scholarhsips to two high school seniors pursuing a degree in the human services field each Spring.

PLEASE CONTACT US FOR MORE INFORMATION ON THE PROGRAMS ABOVE!

CONTACT US TODAY!

TOLL FREE: 844.819.4455 LOCAL: 814.619.3398 FAX: 814.262.7174

OFFICE LOCATIONS: Johnstown, Altoona, & Pittsburgh

@AllegheniesUCP @AllegheniesUnitedCerebralPalsy @AllegheniesUCP