SKILLSCON • THE AHCA • TACOS AND ICE CREAM June 2017

Easterseals and WIB | BCW Partner for SkillsCon’17 A comprehensive career expo for adults 18-24 in Butler, Clermont & Warren County

Easterseals is acutely aware of the challenges individuals face finding sustainable employment. We are equally aware of the challenges employers face finding qualified employees, with two-thirds of construction firms reporting a hard time filling hourly craft positions that represent the bulk of the construction workforce. By partnering with the Workforce Investment Board of Butler Clermont Warren Counties, Easterseals is addressing both issues.

Claim your future at SkillsCon

More than 50 employers will be present at SkillsCon, the construction and manufacturing career expo taking place on June 7th, 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. at Forest Fair Village in the former Burlington Coat Factory.

The expo will feature Career Zones, a unique hands-on opportunity, open to a limited number of pre-registered participants who will meet with senior representatives from companies and try demonstrations of the company's processes.

Additional resources include one-on-one coaching, mock interviews, resume advice, workshops, and personnel from Easterseals and OhioMeansJobs and other training organizations ready to connect

participants with further resources to advance their careers.

Job-seekers can register at www.SkillsCon.net. Interested in volunteering? Contact Jesse.

Share the event with friends and family!

“Two-thirds of construction firms report they are having a hard time filling hourly craft positions that represent the bulk of the construction workforce.”

Easterseals and the AHCA When politics enters the workplace

Easterseals did not formally endorse any political candidate or party. Nor do we expect all employees to agree with every statement made by Easterseals as an organization. What we do is advocate for the people we serve.

The American Healthcare Act (AHCA) is a budget reconciliation bill passed by the House of Representatives and part of repealing the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA, informally called Obamacare). It is waiting for a simple majority approval by the Senate.

Official Statement from National

Easterseals is greatly concerned about the AHCA provisions that would restrict the amount of federal Medicaid funding available to states for home and community-based services and would eliminate expanded resources for states who provide care attendants and other supports to help people with disabilities remain independent. In

addition, Easterseals is concerned about the impact the waiver provision will have on the ability for people with disabilities and others with pre-existing conditions to afford health care and to access rehabilitative and habilitative services and devices, which are currently available under the Essential Health Benefits. Many individuals with disabilities are on waiting lists for Medicaid waiver home and community services. Cutting Medicaid resources to states through a restrictive federal cap could further restrict access to or force states to eliminate waiver services all together. The end result will be more isolation, less well-being and more dependence.

Easterseals urges the Senate to reject these policies that will limit services to children and adults with disabilities and their families.

What does this mean for me?

We hope that as Easterseals employees, you will be informed about current events that may impact your work and the people

we serve. We do not ask that you support or oppose any party or agenda in its entirety. But we ask that you call your Senators and make sure they know how cuts to Medicaid might impact YOU and the people you work with every day.

Find your Congressperson.

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Janet has found increased self-sufficiency and confidence as part of our Work and Grow programs, all thanks to Medicaid.

“Cutting Medicaid resources to states through a restrictive federal cap could further restrict access to or force states to eliminate waiver services all together.”

Anniversaries You are a valued part of our team!

Angelique Berry 2 years

Dioncia Black 2 years

Deborah Brown 4 years

Colby Coleman 2 years

Delea Dinsmore 25 years

Clark Earick 2 years

Lisa Grout 1 year

Constance Hill 3 years

Laura Kamesar 13 years

Christine Mason 18 years

Avis Mims 6 years

David Owens 4 years

Christopher Pence 5 years

Brian Ramsey 5 years

Michael Sears 3 years

William Simpson 8 years

Beth Thigpen 10 years

Marsha White 3 years

Whoops!

Somehow, last month’s issue of The Sunburst did not list Lu Smith and her 10 years of service with Easterseals! Congrats, Lu! Can you ever forgive us?

Stanley Warrenhuffman, Colleen Lillis, Mark Rosen and Latasha Makeupson took a group of seven to the Pigabilities walking portion of the Flying Pig Marathon on Saturday, May 6. They had an awesome time!! He are just a few of the many photos.

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Pigabilities Walks Again! Easterseals joined the Flying Pig Marathon

ReUse-apalooza Raised $65,000 for Easterseals Programs Our thanks to everyone who made the evening such a success

A one-of-a-kind fundraiser featuring one-of-a-kind art, this evening celebrated sustainability! All proceeds benefit Easterseals programs like Building Value that break down barriers to employment.

We were thrilled to see so much Easterseals pride at the event! The night would not have happened without the numerous Easterseals volunteers at registration, bartending, answering questions for guests, and more. Thank you so much for your support!

Congratulations, Designers!

A big thank you to all the designers who contributed their time and creativity to our Designer Challenge Auction, making something new out of predominantly salvaged materials. Congratulations to the items that received the highest bids for the evening:

Third Place: Sean Brown and the Easterseals YouthBuild team, for a table from a reclaimed wood and a salvaged

metal gate. It also received the Audience Choice Award!

Second Place: A fully refurbished vintage console cabinet, with iPod compatibility, featured on WCPO.com.

First Place: Six office chairs refurbished from authentic Cincinnati Gardens seats.

While not prize winners, other submissions from Easterseals individuals were amazing:

A paper mache elephant piggy bank named Dede, made by a team from Neighborhood Hub

A bistro table and chairs with a checker board, by InsideOut Studios

A faux-leather chair made by HOME Choice’s Lauran McHaffie and one of the individuals she serves, Lloyd

A candle pedestal and jewelry box made by Mike of Building Ability.

A chair from a bath tub, by Building Value’s Ryan Maloney

A china hutch made from a bed headboard by Building Value’s Mikayla Morgan

Two pieces of wall art made from nails and thread by Work and Grow’s Virginia Aylward

A decorative birdbath by VP of Development and Marketing, Danielle Gentry-Barth

Wall art in the style of artist Louise Nevelson by Director of Quality Improvement, Jonathan Sherwood, and his son Jack.

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“All proceeds benefit Easterseals programs like Building Value that break down barriers to employment.”

Staff Spotlight: Charlie Landis Rural Rehabilitation Coordinator with Easterseals Ohio AgrAbility

Charlie Landis has been with Easterseals for 18 months and serves the entire state of Ohio as part of Ohio AgrAbility. He actually lives three hours from the Rossplain office, and so he works mostly from his home in Howard, Ohio.

He describes his favorite part of the job as “the people I meet and serve.” His most memorable moment on the job so far was when a farmer informed him and his colleague Randy that if it wasn’t for the help of AgrAbility, he would no longer be able to farm.

Before Easterseals, Charlie was a claim representative for State Farm Property Insurance. He found AgrAbility after realizing he wanted

to make a change and get back into the agriculture community of which he had been a part of for most of his life.

Charlie has been married to Beth, “the love of my live,” for over 13 years. They have five children—two girls and three boys, ranging from 12 years old to 22 months. No “traditional” family pets, but his daughters have two Boer goats for their 4-H projects. The goats’ names are Ginger and Sassafras.

When he isn’t working for Easterseals, Charlie also works on his father’s dairy farm. He spends most of his time outside of work with family and serving their church.

As an Army veteran and through

missionary work, Charlie has had the opportunity to travel abroad, but he still would like to visit a couple more places. On the top of his list is Israel, due to its historical significance and its importance in his Christian faith.

Other tidbits to know? His favorite food is grilled steak, and his favorite movie is Steven Spielberg’s War Horse.

Easterseals’ own David Dreith received the Venue Magazine C-Suite Award on May 16. The award honors our region's leading C-level executives based on their invaluable contributions to their organization and our region as well as their personal leadership characteristics. He was quoted in the magazine saying, “You have to be passionate about what you do. In the nonprofit world, that is the mission of your organization. I believe so strongly in creating opportunities for people with disabilities and those seeking to overcome poverty that I can’t imagine doing anything else.”

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Congratulations, David Dreith Chief Operating Officer wins C-Suite Award

Happy Birthday, Everyone! June birthdays are busting out all over

Sylvia Hammond 6/1

Chrissy Perkins 6/1

Barbara Reckers 6/1

Yolanda Banks 6/5

Stephanie Miller 6/5

Paul Schneider 6/6

David Owens 6/8

Lois Drizin 6/12

Gene Bennett 6/17

Carlos Norman 6/19

Angelique Berry 6/20

Greg McGruder 6/20

Kristin Fox 6/22

Ebony Fountain 6/23

Cassandra Griffin 6/23

Jocelyn Williams 6/24

Deborah Scudder 6/25

Kathy Woodall 6/25

Nicole Bennett 6/27

Rosenell Brady 6/28

Jesse Tilley 6/29

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Easterseals Fiesta Fun Cinco de Mayo at Rossplain

Staff at the Rossplain-Blue Ash location enjoyed some festive food in honor of Cinco de Mayo. Callie cooked a delicious taco bar for ALL staff and team members, and Brenda and Chrissy helped to cook and serve it up.

In Chrissy’s words, “It was not only a fun day, but demonstrates compassion for staff and Callie’s amazing leadership in recognizing and rewarding the hard work of her team.”

Rumor has it that Callie is already getting requests for an encore! Thank you, Callie, for brightening everyone’s day!

Compliance Corner Staying out of trouble

Recently I attended a compliance training program for one of our major funding sources. The training was a great review of compliance basics, so I’d like to share highlights.

We are required by federal law to have a compliance plan and to implement a compliance program in order to help us identify how well we are following laws and rules, and to create a culture in which following the laws and rules is a top priority. Some of the elements of our compliance plan include having an agency Code of Ethics, staff compliance training (which we do through Relias), internal audits, a mechanism for staff to report concerns or potential violations (i.e. the compliance hotline and email box), and a non-retaliation policy for staff who report potential violations. Hopefully, you are all familiar with these elements. If you have any questions, please let me know.

The training suggested that three really important maxims for any

good compliance program:

What did you do to stay out of trouble?

What did you do to find out if you were getting in trouble?

What did you do when you found out there was trouble?

What did you do to stay out of trouble?

This is by far the most important, and applies to every single Easterseals staff person. This is another way of asking how well do we do what we are supposed to do. We do this by:

Participating in staff training

Asking your supervisor questions when you don’t understand something

Knowing what’s in the agency Code of Ethics and using it as a central part of your decision making process each day

Completing documentation clearly and honestly

Reporting concerns when you see something that doesn’t appear to be quite right spring to mind

We all have days when we are tired, or things don’t go the way we expected, or we get frustrated with

the individuals that we serve. On those days, it might be easy to take a shortcut: round a billing unit to a higher amount then we are supposed to, complete goal documentation forms even when we don’t actually know how the individual did on the training goal, shorten service notes and leave out critical information, or take a safety short cut because it’s a faster, easier way to get the job done. And yet, any of those shortcuts are violations of some law or rule, and could potentially get us in trouble.

Each of us has a responsibility to do everything we can to take the steps necessary to keep us all out of trouble each day we are at work. Can you think of other ideas that you can do each day to help Easterseals be compliant? Send me an email at compliance@eastersealsgc.org and let me know what they are! I would love to share them in the July Compliance Corner!

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Easterseals

COMPLIANCE HOTLINE

513-347-1587

Robin Totsch,

Compliance Officer

Actions for Excellence: Teamwork Thanks for a great Actions for Excellence Week

May was an exciting month for Easterseals and especially for Actions for Excellence, so we are recognizing TEAMWORK.

With ReUse-apalooza occurring in May, a lot of staff showed their teamwork by joining together to help make the event possible.

We love teamwork within the organization, and some of you participated in many of the individual activities created during Actions for Excellence Week, to

bring awareness to Actions for Excellence and to encourage everyone to LIVE these actions daily in our workplace.

We would like to thank Senior Leadership for the awesome video footage about what Actions for Excellence means to them. If you missed it, it’s not too late to catch them in action, simply click the link and enjoy! https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLsHw8JmeYFf5n14SDarm-aNfdHMr2A_IN

We look forward to finding more ways to maximize participation for future events. We thank everyone who participated in Actions for Excellence Week! Winners of $20.00 gift cards selected from daily activity submissions are Keith Hammond, Stephanie Williams, Jonathon Sherwood, Don Wittrock, Barbara Reckers and finally, Chrissy Perkins won a $25.00 for participating in the most activities during the week. Congratulations!

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“Encourage everyone to LIVE these actions daily in our workplace.”

New Hires Welcome to the Easterseals family

Susan Brenner, Temporary Youth Advocate Coordinator

Sarah Meeds, Community One Source Specialist

Alexandra Reuther, Case Manager—Retention

Jocelyn Williams, Transportation Specialist

Beth Clevenger, Service Coordinator

Rebecca Mullins, Job Coach OOD

Nathan Webb, Job Coach Clermont County

Brandon Holsey, Job Coach Clermont County

Heather Buxton, Direct Support Aide

Robert Sagers, Job Coach Project Search

Michael Stinson, Temporary Project Coordinator

Connecting the Dots Colby is committed to creating opportunities

Colby is a Direct Support Specialist at Symmes-Fairfield, and like many of us, she is always networking and looking for new opportunities for the individuals she serves to get out in the community and experience new things.

Most recently, she engaged the Dairy Queen of St. Bernard before hosting an ice cream social for her individuals. The DQ provided spoons and toppings for a very low cost. She even asked if they’d be open to having our individuals wipe of tables as a “Community Give Back” experience. Unfortunately, they were not interested in such a

partnership at this time, but that doesn’t make Colby’s efforts any less awesome! It’s this same kind of networking and canvassing that led to a strong relationship with the Lamping family and their organization, Lamplight of Hope, which has created several different great opportunities.

We are grateful for Colby’s perseverance, and the way she is always looking for the next positive relationship in the community. Look at how much Easterseals individuals enjoyed their ice cream social, thanks to Colby and the St. Bernard DQ!

Register your Kroger Plus Card for Community Rewards and choose Easterseals Tristate (still our legal name) as your favorite charity. Every time you shop with your Plus Card, a portion of the bill goes to Easterseals. In 2016, we earned more than $300 in just one quarter and only 28 households were registered. Imagine how much could be raised if all our friends and families signed up!

Amazon has a similar program, called Amazon Smile. A portion of all purchases support Easterseals. Follow this unique link to be taken directly to sign-up for Easterseals: http://smile.amazon.com/ch/31-0873433 Then, every time you shop Amazon, make sure you shop through the Amazon Smile portal. Same inventory, same vendors, but a whole new way of supporting your community.

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Don’t Forget to Shop for Easterseals! A hassle-free way to support our programs

Healthy Habits: Strawberry Salad with Warm Goat Cheese Croutons From: Southern Living

HANDS-ON TIME: 20 mins

TOTAL TIME: 50 mins

YIELD: Serves 6

Sweet, acidic strawberries balance the creamy, savory taste of avocado in a springy, mixed greens salad.

Ingredients

2 (4-oz.) goat cheese logs

1/3 cup all-purpose flour

1 large egg

2 tablespoons whole milk

1/2 cup panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1/4 cup vegetable oil

5 ounces mixed baby greens

1 1/2 cups sliced fresh strawberries

1 cucumber, peeled, halved lengthwise, seeds removed, cut crosswise into 1/2-inch slices

1/4 red onion, thinly sliced

Strawberry-Poppy Seed Vinaigrette

Garnish: dill sprigs

How to Make It

1. Cut each goat cheese log into 4 rounds. Gently press each round to 1/2-inch thickness on a baking sheet, and freeze 20 minutes.

2. Place the flour in a small bowl. Whisk together the egg and milk in a second small bowl. Combine the panko, salt, and pepper in a third small bowl. Dredge goat cheese rounds in flour, dip in egg mixture, and dredge in panko mixture until coated. Place on a plate, and chill until all goat cheese rounds are breaded.

3. Heat the vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium until hot. Add goat cheese rounds to skillet, and cook until golden brown on each side, 3 to 4 minutes total. Remove to a paper towel-lined plate.

4. To serve, arrange salad greens on a serving platter; top with strawberries, cucumber, onion, and goat cheese croutons.

5. Drizzle with vinaigrette, and garnish with dill sprigs.

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Strawberry fields forever

All fruits, particularly berries and those with exotic colors, are rich in antioxidants, which means that they are huge boosters to your health and the protection of your organs from toxic attacks. Strawberries are no exception to this rule; in addition to antioxidants, they have folate, potassium, manganese, dietary fiber, and magnesium. It is also extremely high in vitamin C!

Healthy Habits: Tips for Healthy Summer Skin Be ready to face the sun’s rays this summer

1. Exfoliate

Exfoliation removes dead, dulling skin debris to prevent congestion and improve hydration from toners and moisturizers.

When: Perform in the mornings prior to toner, moisturizer, SPF and make-up application.

Don’t forget: After you exfoliate, seal in moisture with a hydrating body cream. Always shield freshly exfoliated skin with an SPF (as recommended by the FDA).

2. Keep skin hydrated

How: Up your regimen’s level of hydration with intensive masques, one to two times a week. Boosters are a great fit, working best when layered underneath a moisturizer. Toners are a refreshing moisturizer prep, and even out skin porosity. Tip: Refresh with a revitalizing toner spritz when on the go!

3. Make friends with H20

Why: Higher temperatures and time outdoors leads to internal dehydration, which can cause headaches and dizzy spells! Eight 8-ounce glasses of plain, filtered water daily help maintain moisture balance of the body and skin, and assist in detoxification. Tip: If you drink caffeinated beverages, triple

the amount of water you drink!

4. Apply, and then reapply

Why: It’s not enough to just apply sunscreen. You must apply enough, and apply frequently.

How much: A teaspoon for the face. For the body, about as much as would fill a shot glass.

How often: Re-apply every two hours. Tip: Stay out of the midday sun from mid-morning to late afternoon whenever you can.

Tip: Today’s sophisticated formulas let you select sun protection that works with your skin. That means you can choose oil-free, mattifying formulas, extra emollient formulas for dry skin, or chemical free formulas for sensitized, reactive skin.

5. Soothe over-exposed skin

What: You forgot the sunscreen, didn’t apply enough, or got caught in a sunny spell. Unfortunately, the damage is done, but you don’t have to suffer in pain! Super-soothing botanicals and cooling gels can help prevent peeling and reduce redness and inflammation.

How: Apply cooling balms generously on over-exposed skin, at the first sight of a pink glow.

Prevent: One blistering sunburn doubles your risk of melanoma. Get a yearly skin exam by a doctor and perform a self-examination once a month to detect early warning signs of carcinomas and malignant melanoma. Look for a new growth or any skin change.

6. Repair and treat sun damage

Why: UV light causes photo-aging in the form of brown spots, coarse skin and wrinkles, whether you burn your skin or not. When sunlight contacts skin, a cascade of damage causes inflammation, production of reactive oxygen molecules that affect healthy cell growth, and stimulation of collagen-destructing enzymes.

What to do: A tan may be a popular summer look, but it indicates damage. Bombard your skin with age-fighting ingredients to help undo any damage that may occur, and to further protect it from the aging effects of UV.

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Connecting the Dots: Easterseals Hero Help us find the next Hero!

An Easterseals Hero is an organization or person whose actions have gone above and beyond to further the purpose of Easterseals: changing the way the world views and defines disability by breaking down barriers to employment for people with disabilities, people facing disadvantages, and veterans.

There are so many who deserve to be recognized for their commitment to the Easterseals mission, whether thanks to donations of time, money, creativity, or passion. Heroes can be individuals we have served, staff members, or outside organizations we have worked with.

Formally selected Heroes will be featured on our website, and recognized in our monthly e-newsletter.

Heroes of 2017 have been:

January: The Port Authority

February: Dave Rickerd

March: YWCA Hamilton and Ben Powers

April: Mark Keillor

May: Messer Construction

This is YOUR chance to show gratitude to those who have made a difference in your work at Easterseals. If you know an organization or person who lives our mission in everything they do, reach out to Kate Elliott for more information about how to nominate them. kelliott@eastersealsgc.org.

We look forward to hearing from YOU about your unique experience with a real Easterseals Hero.