Three Rivers Center for
Independent Living
900 Rebecca Avenue
Pittsburgh, PA 15221-2938
Phone: 412-371-7700
Fax: 412-371-9430
TTY: 412-371-6230
Toll Free: 1-800-633-4588
www.trcil.org
Heart 2 Heart
Ensuring equality... Expanding opportunities...
Increasing independence...
for People with Disabilities
Volume 1, Issue 1 Winter
2005-2006
The new year brings forth a spirit of change, renewal, and excitement for what is to come like no other time. This year, the Personal Assistance Services Department (PAS) at TRCIL is starting off the new year full of promise which we would like to extend to all of you.
As a Personal Assistant, you are responsible for providing the utmost care and kindness to our consumers. While this can be some of the most challenging work, it is also very rewarding. The PAS Department would like to thank each and every one of you for your patience, kindness, and generosity to service those with disabilities.
In 2006, a new training program will be implemented to provide each Personal Assistant with the highest level of education in personal care. We are working hard to provide you with more incentives that will make your work a more rewarding experience and to prepare you for increased responsibilities on the job and in life.
The PAS Department also has many new faces who will assist you in providing the best care to our consumers. The entire PAS staff is introduced to you in this newsletter.
This is the first of four newsletters to be distributed this year. Each newsletter will be filled with important updates, changes, department news, and other relevant articles you may need to know about as an employee. The newsletter will be sent on a quarterly basis.
We look forward to a prosperous year with each of you!
Special points of interest:
As of January 2006, all attendants received a raise: from $8.20 to $8.40 and from $8.70 to $8.90 after 6 months!
The new training program starts in February 2006-sign up early!
What does it mean to be an attendant? Look for the answers in this newsletter!
Check our attendant of the month awards! Could it be you?
Over the past several months, the PAS department has been diligently working to develop a comprehensive training program for all attendants. Training is not only required to remain employed by TRCIL, but is an important way to develop your skills, knowledge, and to grow in your career.
Training will focus on developing the main competencies needed to perform the duties of an attendant and those needed to provide excellent services to people with disabilities in a consumer-controlled environment.
All attendants are required to attend at least 12 hours of training per year, and are required to attend a total of 20 hours of training by the PAS Department initially. The TRCIL/PAS Orientation training is only required once for all employees.
The PAS Department will maintain records of trainings attended and needed throughout the year. Attendants will be notified in writing of the dates and times of each course.
Because the PAS Department has not conducted training since the Fall of ‘05, there is sure to be an overwhelming demand to attend, but we can only accommodate a limited number of spaces per course. Courses will be repeated regularly each month, so everyone will have the opportunity to join in.
The training dates for February –April 2006 are:
TRCIL/PAS Orientation, Ethical Conduct, and HIPAA Regulations
February 21, & 28
March 7, 14, 21, & 28
April 4, 11, 18, & 25
9:00am-1:00pm
Attendant Essentials
February 23
March 2, 9, 16, 23, & 30
April 6, 13, 20, & 27
9:00am-5:00pm
First Aid/CPR
February 26
March 3, 10, 18, 24 & 31
April 7, 14, 21, & 29
9:00am-5:00pm
Disability Awareness and OSHA Regulations
February 22
March 1, 8, 15, 22, & 29
April 5, 12, 19, & 26
2:00pm-5:00pm
CORE Training
February 24 & 27
March 8 & 29
April 5 & 19
9:00am-1:00pm
All trainings will be held at TRCIL, 900 Rebecca Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15221 in the Salon.
Please call Sandy Haddle, Program Assistant, at 412-371-7700, ext. 130 to sign up. All courses are limited to 20 people with the exception of First Aid/CPR, which is limited to 10 people. Call early to reserve your space- seating is first come, first serve.
“ Good people put forth industry and produce wealth, not for themselves but for the use of society.” -Tirukkural 212
Three Rivers Center for Independent Living (TRCIL) was established in 1983.
Its MISSION is: To empower people with disabilities to enjoy self-directed, personally meaningful lives by providing outstanding consumer controlled services and by advocating for effective community change.
Its VISION is: A world in which all physical, attitudinal, communication and systems barriers are eliminated and people with disabilities have equal opportunities and the right to full participation in society.
As an agency TRCIL serves thousands of people in Allegheny, Armstrong, Beaver, Butler, Lawrence, Washington, and Westmoreland counties with offices in Erie, New Castle, Pittsburgh, and Washington.
Visit www.trcil.org for additional information on the organization and its services.
An attendant is an individual who receives training to provide personal care to people who are mentally alert with physical disabilities. With your assistance, a person with a disability can live independently in the community.
As an attendant, the person with the disability directs you to help with the tasks of daily living or to meet some of his or her medical needs. Daily living tasks might include the following:
Bathing, grooming, dressing, personal hygiene activities
Transferring (moving the individual from one place to another)
Preparing meal and assistance with eating
Doing laundry, light housekeeping, maintaining a wheelchair
You may also need to help with any of the following medical needs:
Catheterization
Ostomy care
Gastro-tube feeding
Bladder and bowel care
Taking vital signs
Giving medications
Providing skin care
When working with people with disabilities:
Be yourself!
Ask if the person needs assistance and follow their direction
Talk directly to the person, not to a friend or interpreter, and include them in conversation
Be sensitive about your surrounding environment and how it may affect the individual
Do not pet guide dogs or touch the person unless there is a good reason to do so
Be aware of hidden disabilities
Treat the person as an individual
Learn more! If you don’t know-just ask!
Remember: treat everyone else how you would like to be treated and you can’t go wrong!
The PAS Department has undergone many changes in the past few months and we are now proud to introduce you to the staff that makes it all work behind the scenes.
•Sandy Haddle, Program Assistant, is our newest staff member, having started in December 2005. Sandi performs all of the clerical functions of the department and keeps us organized.
•Barb Taylor, Program Specialist, has come to us from the Specialized Services Department and has extensive experience in attendant care. Barb has worked for TRCIL in various capacities for eleven years. Barb is responsible for providing all consumers with attendant care, for staffing call-offs, and other related duties.
•Patty Murphy, Service Coordinator, has been with TRCIL for ten years. Originally employed as a CSPPPD Service Coordinator, she has been in the PAS Department for nearly two years. She is responsible for assisting consumers on the Attendant Care Waiver Program with their needs.
•Kathy Irey, Service Coordinator, has been with TRCIL for five years. She is also responsible for ensuring that consumers on the Attendant Care Waiver have their needs met. She also serves a co-chair of the Safety Committee for TRCIL.
•Celiwe Jones, Program Supervisor has been with TRCIL since November, 2005. Celiwe is the direct supervisor for all agency attendants and is responsible for all HR functions and attendant issues in the department.
•Kelly Zerrlaut, Program Manager, has been with TRCIL since August, 2005. Kelly is responsible for all program and training oversight, policies, procedures, and attendant /consumer issues and concerns.
•Faith Klugh will be joining the PAS Department staff as a Program Specialist in February 2006. She will work alongside Barb Taylor to provide attendant care to TRCIL consumers.
Thank you PAS staff for your hard work and perseverance!
“ Let yourself be led by your heart, and you will never lose your way” -Egyptian proverb
Because you work so hard, it is important for the PAS Department to recognize everything that you do for us as an attendant. We depend on you to be reliable, honest, and hardworking, but more important, our consumers do!
Each month, PAS staff will pick one attendant who has done exceptional work for the agency and its consumers, and recognize them here. What is exceptional work? It may mean that you volunteered to work four Fridays in a row, or earned a great compliment from a consumer.
What ever the reason, each attendant chosen will be honored with a gift card of $50 to various stores such as Best Buy or Giant Eagle.
January’s Attendant of the Month is Beth Bryant, who has filled in when ever and where ever we have needed her, with a positive, go-getter attitude.
Beth also applied for and accepted our offer for her to work as the new Allegheny Independence House Personal Assistant. Beth agreed to work additional hours at AIH every Thursday morning after her regular shift in order to help one consumer get ready for classes.
Beth’s commitment to TRCIL and to our consumers has earned her our appreciation as well as the chance to advance and grow within the organization.
Congratulations, Beth!