Good News Friday!

Jul-17-2020

Employees

MITC Software is awarding $5,000 in September and another $5,000 in December to Direct Support Professionals (DSP) who stand out and go above and beyond to provide exemplary service during the current emergency. We nominated several Imagine! employees for this award, and their stories are so impressive we thought we’d share them with you as well! For the next few weeks, we’re going to occasionally be sharing information from our nominations, using the question and answer format from the MITC nomination form. We don’t know if any of our nominees will be selected as winners, but we already know Imagine! is a winner just for having them on our team – and that they are our Health Care Heroes!

Today, we highlight Will Holcombe!

 

How did Will demonstrate outstanding commitment during the emergency?

 

Since the beginning of the emergency, Will has gone out of his way to pick up extra shifts at Imagine! group homes and independent living sites, alleviating strain on coworkers who have had to miss work due to quarantine. He has proven himself highly adaptable to the needs of the moment: a true jack-of-all-trades on the team. Furthermore, he has not missed a single shift since the pandemic began. Will continues to go above & beyond to support both his coworkers and his residents, with special consideration to the impact this emergency has on us all.

 

 

How did Will champion the individual(s) he support and assist them in meeting goals during the emergency?

 

While working with residents in Imagine!’s Manhattan group home, Will showed outstanding support for his clients by facilitating activities to ease the transition to the stay-at-home order. Many residents were used to riding bicycles to local shops, working jobs in the community, and spending many hours out of the house. When the emergency began, those residents sought ways to feel empowered under the new regulations. Will sprang into action by coordinating healthy, safe, independence-fostering activities within the home. Below are just a few examples:

 

• The Manhattan home had a derelict propane fire pit in storage. When the pandemic began, Will dedicated his evening shifts to restoring it, and then facilitated s’more cook-outs with residents in the backyard of the house. Roasting these tasty treats over the fire helped residents meet their goals of spending time outside, independently participating, and positively socializing with one another even under current conditions.

 

• Inspired by the onset of spring and their previous fun in the backyard, Will set out to revitalize the garden at the Manhattan site. Will helped get seeds and supplies for sprouting. He facilitated sowing the seeds as an activity, encouraging residents to tend the seedlings, and assisting them with Activities of Daily Living by setting up a watering schedule which split the responsibility between anyone interested. Once the sprouts were large enough, Will facilitated the transplanting process with the residents and now they get outside regularly to water their backyard garden!

 

• Many residents are accustomed to getting out on bikes, but mustn’t take the risk of going out in the community. They expressed a desire to access safe alternatives for recreation and exercise outdoors. The Manhattan group home had long been requesting a donation of a freestanding basketball hoop. Will located one in Colorado Springs, CO. Will then drove up from Boulder, CO over a weekend, picked up the hoop, and installed it at the home with the residents. Now the residents play basketball with the hoop regularly, meeting their goal of fun & safe outdoor recreation.

 

 

How did Will support the individual in creating and maintaining friendships and relationships during the emergency?

 

Will is quite tech-savvy. A few residents already had their own iPads, but asked for assistance learning to utilize them for socialization. Will helped them set up Zoom on each iPad so that the residents could connect to their families and maintain a connection to services & telehealth appointments. In doing so, Will also inspired another resident to explore technology further by purchasing an iPad for the first time. At the resident’s request, Will helped coordinate the purchase using the resident’s personal funds. During the ordering process, they worked together to personalize the iPad by engraving the resident’s name and selecting a custom color scheme. The iPad is still in shipment, but when it arrives Will plans to assist that resident to learn how to operate the device so that he can better connect with his peers, family, and support network.

 

 

If Will has done something else that does not quite fit into these categories, let us know.

 

Will's dedication is apparent in his actions; he works tirelessly to be a rising tide, raising all the ships adjacent. Upon hearing that some coworkers needed to take time away due to the emergency, Will stepped up to fill gaps in the schedule, taking on many responsibilities beyond his regular employment duties. He now splits his time between working at Imagine!’s Manhattan Group Home and supporting several individuals independently residing in apartments in Boulder, CO and the surrounding area. The individuals in this Independent Living program, and the team which serves them, have benefitted immensely from Will's attention and support.  With each client he serves, Will identifies and undertakes doable projects to improve their lives. This commitment to excellence is so integrated into his work that the examples are difficult to enumerate.

 

 

How does Will stand out from everyone else?

 

Will stands out as a self-starter. These projects he facilitated weren’t suggested by others, he just came up with the ideas and ran with them. He communicates well, and frequently, regarding finding funding for his projects and seeking institutional support. However, he also is consistently conscientious of his peers, shouldering a solid workload and making sure not to impose upon his team or make extra work for others.  This quality has proven very helpful to his team and ensures the success of each endeavor. 

 

 

Include a description of the effect of Will’s activities on the lives of the individual(s) being served.

 

Quarantine would have been an immensely uncomfortable transition for residents and staff alike if not for the activities Will designed, proposed, and facilitated. The residents at Imagine!’s Manhattan Group Home are all very independent, and they’re used to spending relatively little time in the house. The loss of independence associated with the emergency posed a challenge for the home, but by engaging residents in alternative activities, Will bolstered everyone’s mood. Will’s efforts have actually made the quarantine a really positive, reflective time. For those individuals who he supports in independent living, Will has provided an indispensable connection to resources and source of positive social interaction.

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