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 2 Spring 2006
We can finally breathe a sigh of relief from Winter’s icy wrath because Spring has arrived! With each passing season, the PAS department continues to adapt to the ever changing needs of consumers and attendants alike.
In response to this, the department has changed its internal structure so that more emphasis can be placed on recruiting and hiring quality attendants to serve our consumers in Allegheny and Westmoreland Counties. The department hopes to continue its expansion to cover nearly all of the Western PA Region.
As of March 1, 2006, the Attendant Care Waiver Program, which was under the direction of PAS has merged with the CSPPPD Waiver program. This move has allowed the PAS department to devote more time and energy to our attendants, which allows TRCIL to serve its consumers more effectively.
ACW program services were conducted by Kathy Irey and Patty Murphy, who will now be under the management of the CSPPPD department.
Current PAS staff members include:
Sandy
Haddle, Assistant
Barb Taylor, Specialist
Faith Klugh, Specialist
Celiwe Jones, Supervisor
Kelly Zerrlaut, Manager
PAS will keep you posted on any new developments to the department or changes in personnel.
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 Spring Quarter Training sessions have been scheduled.
Check out our attendant of the month awards! Could it be you?
Thank you to the following staff members who have committed their time to train:
Terri Adams, Donna Daum, Rick McWilliams, Celiwe Jones, Barb Taylor, Sandi
Weber, and Kelly Zerrlaut.
The Spring quarter training sessions will begin April 1 through June 30, 2006. Please mark your calendars and be sure to sign up early to reserve your space.
All agency model attendants are required to have each training!!!
TRCIL/PAS Orientation, Ethical Conduct, and HIPAA Regulations.
April 4, 18, & 25
May 9 & 23
June 6 & 20
9:00am-1:00pm
Attendant Essentials
April 6, 13, 20, &
27
May 11 & 25
June 8 & 22
9:00am-5:00pm
First Aid/CPR
April 7, 14, 21, &
29
May 12 & 27
June 9 & 24
9:00am-5:00pm
Disability Awareness and OSHA Regulations.
April 5, 12, 19, &
26
May 10 & 24
June 7 & 21
2:00pm-5:00pm
CORE Training
April 5 & 19
May 10 & 24
June 7 & 21
9:00am-1:00pm
All trainings will be held at TRCIL, 900 Rebecca Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15221 in the Main Dining Room unless otherwise specified.
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.
“When two
people understand each other in their inmost hearts, their words are sweet and
strong, like the fragrance of orchids.”
-I Ching
For the next few months, this section will be dedicated to introducing you to the PAS staff. You will get to know the duties of each staff member, who to call when a question arises, and where to mail any type of correspondence.
Sandy Haddle is the PAS department Program Assistant. Sandy is responsible for all of the clerical duties of the department, including personnel file maintenance. Any outstanding paperwork required for attendants should be mailed to her attention.
Sandy is also responsible for scheduling and tracking the attendant trainings. Any attendant who wishes to sign up for a training must contact Sandy directly at extension 130 in order to sign up. All other training questions, general program questions, and issues regarding paperwork can be directed to Sandy as well.
Next month, the department will introduce Barb Taylor and Faith Klugh, Program Specialists.
PAS has been fully focused on the new training program for the past several months for very good reason. Certain programs that are monitored by the state mandate that attendants receive certain trainings.
TRCIL also requires all of its Agency attendants to attend certain trainings to meet the state requirements as well as internal standards.
With this in mind, all Agency model attendants are required to attend each training listed in the quarterly schedule, once per year. There are ONLY two exceptions to this:
PAS Orientation, which attendants are required to have just once during their employment with TRCIL, not every year;
First Aid Training and Certification, which is valid for three (3) years.
According to state mandates, attendants are required to attend at least 12 hours of training per year. TRCIL attendants will be notified throughout the year of what trainings they are required to take to reach those 12 hours as well as any additional courses.
All agency model attendants MUST complete 12 hours of training within 90 days of their hire date. Due to the fact that no trainings were offered prior to February, all Agency attendants hired prior to 2/1/06 MUST complete their training by May 1, 2006.
Those who do not are subject to pay being withheld. Only one additional month will be given to any attendant to complete the required coursework before being subject to termination from employment.
Please be sure to attend all of the required trainings by May 1, 2006 if you were employed prior to February 1, 2006 and within 90 days of your hire date if you were employed after February 1, 2006 to meet these standards.
Any questions regarding these standards may be directed to Sandy Haddle.
“ If you expect great things of yourself and demand little of others, you’ll keep resentment far away.” -Analects 15.15
HB 247 is legislative action that will require licensure of home care agencies, including those that provide sub-contracted in-home services to consumers. Personal Care Assistants, or Attendants, are considered subcontractors of in-home services and would be subject to licensing and certification to practice.
HB 247 has already passed through the House of Representatives and is currently being considered by the Senate. Disability advocates are concerned about the passing of this bill for three main reasons:
1. Duplicate licensure
The bill may cause costly duplication that comes out of funds used for consumers.
The bill reduces consumer control.
2. Bill inconsistencies
The language is ambiguous and unclear.
The bill had very little, if any, stakeholder (consumer or attendant) input.
3. Consumer protection measures are inadequate
Providers would be able to terminate services with only 2 days notice, down from the current 10 day notice.
The bill fails to ensure that independent subcontractors will be notified of or granted protection under labor laws.
There are no provisions for back-up care for call offs to protect consumers.
The passing of HB 247 will serve to significantly increase costs to serve consumers and will reduce their ability to direct their own care. It may also greatly affect how attendants are hired, may increase the level of qualifications needed to be an attendant, and may affect their rights under fair labor laws.
To learn more about HB 247, contact PA Protection & Advocacy, Inc. at 1-800-692-7443. You may also view a copy of the bill at www.legis.state.pa.us.
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 importantly, 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 up to $50 to various stores such as Best Buy or Giant Eagle.
January’s Attendant of the Month was Beth Bryant, who has been a terrific asset to the organization.
February’s Attendant of the Month is Patrick Murphy, who has worked tirelessly for multiple consumers whenever he was needed to fill in.
Patrick also worked every weekend as a fill-in at AIH, and as of March, is now permanently employed through TRCIL as the night attendant for the weekends.
March’s Attendant of the Month is Billye Glenn who has done a fantastic job as a “floater,” filling in wherever she is needed whenever asked.
Congratulations to Patrick and Billye for a job well done!