V is 1.5 years into her New Directions Waiver services and I have finally been successful in adding an occupational therapist to the support team who has experience with the population of clients with developmental disabilities. Nyle MacFarlane of Blue Nyle Therapy Services is beginning one hour a week with V at our home, for now. She hopes that V can eventually access the clinic where the sensory equipment is available. Transitions, being what they are for V, will make this a future goal, after a positive relationship between V and therapist has been established.
This week we also have a veteran special education teacher joining the support team,who will also visit one hour a week to help V increase her knowledge and skills.
The only piece of our plan lacking is a replacement for the adapted aquatics instructor that we lost in July. I am still working on that, but remain hopeful.
The new staff additions have meant that this has been a busy week for me, with meetings and paperwork, faxes, phone calls and emails. This is standard when there is any change in the team.
I am excited and also anxious. I see possibility for growth for V, but know that it will be an adjustment to have 2 additional days a week to work with 2 new people and I wonder how she will respond. I hope she will like it. She is so lucky to have such qualified supports. She is getting more services now than when she was in school!
As I posted before, it has been really difficult to fill these positions. I first met with Nyle more than a year ago. Her schedule was too packed to fit V in at the time, but every couple of months I shot her an email, touching base, asking if her schedule had any new slots or if she knew anyone who might be qualified and interested in the position. Finally, the answer was yes. For the teacher, I emailed someone who works as an assistant in a nearby special education center and asked if they knew anyone who might be interested in working with V. The response came the same day and that arrangement was confirmed within 2 days.
So, as difficult as it can be to fill positions with good people, over all I have had more success by asking people I know for references than by advertising.
If you need staff, look up your local special education centers, fax or email what you need to the main office, human resources or directly to staff emails that are often listed on the website of the organization. Ask them to post your need on a staff lounge bulletin board or to share it with anyone who might be good in the position. Secretaries and human resource people are often sympathetic and happy to share your request with staff. I found two of my personal support staff in this manner, and they brought on the other staff from people that they knew who have similar qualifications.
