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BE PREPARED |
| June 28th, 2006 under Support Staff. [ Comments: none ]
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Boy Scouts know this motto well! I just interviewed a lady who lived in group homes and now is a successful artist, valued staff at a group home, a college graduate, an art school graduate, and an inspiring woman. She doesn’t allow being hearing impaired effect anything about her or does she use her past as an excuse to avoid using her talents.
Something that stood out when she talked about staff in some of those group homes, was they weren’t properly trained, so they didn’t have the tools to work effectively with the children they were caring for. Your company may not have the resources available to train each staff thoroughly on the specifics of each residents individual challenges. It’s to your atvantage to get the information you need.
This is what you can do;
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Talk with staff that works with the residents.
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Read the information on the residents.
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Make the most of any training that is offered in house where you are employed.
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Educate yourself. Get on the internet, go to the library, take a class, etc.
Do what you need to. You may not be the only staff this person has, but you may be the only staff that can make a differance. The lady I interviewed turned her life around because of one woman’s consistancy, stability, unconditional love, and belief that she was worth the effort. Be the one who creates an environment that residents can thrive in and reach their potential. Be the one who inspires your co-workers. There’s no telling what a resident can accomplish in a home where every staff makes a positive impact on the resident’s life.
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UNCOMMON COURTESY |
| June 17th, 2006 under Support Staff. [ Comments: none ]
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Courtesy goes a long way.Not too long ago a fellow staff from another group home called to see if I could cover a shift. I told him that I was already scheduled for those hours. I let him know that if it was an emergency, the program coordinator could approve me going to that house instead, since the house I usually work at has several staff during shifts. I suggested he contact his house manager regarding the possibility.
I was impressed-he called me back to let me know that his manager was coming in anyways and she’d cover the shift! He thanked me. The simple courtesy of saying thank you and his prompt call back with an update was very much appreciated.
Take a few minutes to be courteous. Though common courtesies have become uncommon, you can make courtesy common when you are interacting with others. It will be more than worth those few minutes it takes.
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KNOW THE DIAGNOSIS |
| June 14th, 2006 under Residents, Support Staff. [ Comments: none ]
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Be educated about who lives in the group home.
Know the diagnosis of the residents in the home. One place of information will be the senior staff and the house manager. Read the main file to learn how it has effected the resident in the past and present. To get a easy to understand medical description check out The National Institute of Mental Health and The National Institutes of Health.
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