Welcome to Issue #2!- Monthly Newsletter

Quote-"There is something that is much rarer than ability; the ability to recognize ability."

-Robert Half

Struggling with Personal Assistants

Last month I shared a story with you about a friend of mine who passed away shortly after she had started to realize her dreams. I would like to share another story today about another friend who happens to live with cerebral palsy and developmental disabilities. He has endured many situations including, institutional living, a nursing home, several adult foster care homes and, finally, five years ago he moved into an apartment. He’s over sixty years old!

He’s in heaven, right? Wrong, this poor man has had to fight for everything he has. When he moved into the apartment the fight just kept on. You see he is forced to use a staffing agency to support him, it has been a continuing nightmare! He has had to struggle to get the things that he wants even down to the time he gets up and goes to bed and when he has his meals. The staff just don’t seem to get it. This is his home and he should be making the rules. They know that they have rules from their employer and that those rules come first. The mentality is still one of control and protection. There have been some who were more progressive in their thinking but sooner or later there always seems to be an issue and it seems that my friend is always at fault. He gets upset when he can’t do things that he wants to or is forced to do things that he doesn’t. From where I view things he is usually fairly reasonable in his requests but his staff just don’t understand why he gets upset when he is forced to do things that he doesn't want to do. The staffing agency has even threatened to quit working with him because of the high rate of turn over of people working in his home. Imagine how he must feel knowing that a stranger or person he doesn't like will be coming to help him on any given day.

You Self-Determination savvy folks out there are probably saying, “Why the heck doesn’t he try something different, hire his own assistants?” Believe me, he has tried but the agency that funds his support has not been able to remove the administrative obstacles to creating such arrangements. He has been trying for over 2 years and has had the support of people who would help him with the employer responsibilities. His efforts have been met with resistance every step of the way, and now things seem to be moving in the opposite direction, he is losing ground rather than moving ahead.

My friend is currently considering moving to a different county in order to get what he wants.

I know that there are a lot of people out there who have endured the same sort of struggles, we would LOVE to hear your stories! Please feel free to contact me with stories or suggestions.

(see next article for related statistical data about consumer directed community supports)

 

To contact Kristin

CONSUMER DIRECTED COMMUNITY SUPPORTS (CDCS)

HIGHLIGHTS OF SURVEY RESULTS In April 2002, MarketResponse International conducted a survey of the Consumer Directed Community Supports (CDCS) program offered by the Minnesota Department of Human Services (DHS). Surveys were sent to 2,444 individuals living in 21 counties and receiving supports from 17 counties participating in the CDCS program; 650 surveys were returned for an overall response rate of 27%.

Significant survey findings include the following:

Survey results indicate the program has been successful.

A total of 93% of the survey respondents gave CDCS a satisfaction rating of 5, 6, or 7 on a seven point scale. A total of 410 survey respondents provided written comments in response to a question about what aspect of CDCS most affected their satisfaction with the program.

88% of the survey respondents are more than likely to recommend CDCS to a friend in a similar situation (rating of 6 or 7 on a seven point scale).

73% of the survey respondents say the CDCS program has more than met their expectations (rating of 5, 6, or 7 on a seven point scale). One of the greatest benefits reported by participants was the ability of CDCS to give people the power to make decisions according to their specific needs.

The most important factor in determining overall satisfaction with the CDCS program is the participant's overall satisfaction with his/her county social services department. Flexibility, better allocation of money, and stress reduction are the benefits that participants have realized through the CDCS program – "We are now able to get 12 hours per week of direct care staff (compared with 6 hours per week prior to CDCS), 48 days of respite (compared with none prior to CDCS), and $10,000 in equipment and environmental modifications (compared with $3,000 to $5,000 prior to CDCS)."

"CDCS gives you time to be a parent and not just a staff person."

"I can live in my own home."

"I have a job with benefits."

Keys to maintaining CDCS as a successful program are maintaining flexibility, and keeping the program simple and understandable for participants of all abilities, cultures, and languages.

HOW CAN MY HOBBIES HELP ME TO EARN INCOME?

There’s nothing better than getting paid for doing something you enjoy. But how often does that really happen?

It can happen more often that you think, with some planning, brainstorming, and research. For instance there are a lot of people who are crafty out there but most of them don’t try to sell their crafts. In the past it has been a big pain to try to sell crafts. Spots at craft shows are expensive and it is a lot of work to haul goods around to different shows. Most die-hard craft show participants go to shows on weekends and work during the week at another job. That seems like a life full of a lot of work with not much downtime to me

There is also the option of selling things on consignment where you pay someone else to display your goods and they take a commission for sales. This option takes up less time but it’s been my experience that not a lot of sales result.

Recently I came across a new opportunity which combines the convenience of consignment sales with the high traffic potential for the internet. That’s right it’s an on-line crafts booth through a site devoted to crafters. You pay a low annual fee (less than spots at a weekend craft show) and send pictures and descriptions of your crafts to the site manager. They install your products into their E-store and contact you when your goods sell. Of course they do keep a consignment fee but it is small. AND they have a new option soon where you can manage your own on-line booth so that you can enter your goods in and manage your own booth. Check it out!

Visit my crafts booth

Visit AOK Corral Crafts Site

All right enough about crafts what if you enjoy collecting baseball cards or restoring antique cars, beer can collecting or just about any hobby you can think of. You probably know a lot about your hobby/passion, right? Do you think that there are others who have the same interest? How about building a website and offering information to people who have same interest and you can publish a newsletter to keep people informed about baseball cards, restoring cars, beer can collecting, or anything you have a passion for.

The opportunities are endless when you’re willing to get creative and put some time and energy into developing your plan. Take a look at how to Make Your Knowledge Sell to get an idea for how to get started. They make it simple in a step by step process that really works!
Build Your Own Website

Inspirational Stuff

The other day my husband brought home a book a friend had given him that his wife thought might help me develop my business. You know the type, it has a crazy guy on the front cover offering free money. Well, I rolled my eyes and tossed it on the coffee table.

One Sunday morning I was up before the rest of the family, I thought maybe I should at least look at it since our friend had been thoughtful enough to think of me.

Two hours and six pages of notes later I hadn’t even finished the introduction and had yet to look at to the 1,000+ pages of resources listed. The book was Free Money to Change your Life by Mathew Lesko. Most of the things I took notes on were insights into chasing your dreams and living the life you want. I’d like to share a few with you now.

Quotes

“Many of us use money as an excuse for not chasing our dream, success takes a lot more than ready cash. It takes a strong will, perseverance, and above all, a commitment to the chase.”

“You can’t buy someone elses’s magic, you have to find your own.”

“I think quantifiable goals are a big trap. You reach them and then what do you do? The real goal is to be doing what you want to be doing every single day of your life.”

Higher education can knock the creativity out of you. It’s true. The more you jump through the bureaucratic hoops of higher learning, the more you get programmed into being just like everyone else.”

“The good decisions in life are made from the gut, not the brain. It’s far too easy to talk yourself out of doing anything worthwhile if you think it over for too long. Learn to follow your gut and go with your feelings. You’ll rarely be disappointed.”

“People who love you can be the biggest obstacle from pursuing your dream. They want to protect you from failure, and not incidentally, protect themselves.”

“The greatest satisfaction has never been found in retiring from a useful life, but from continuing to make a difference in the lives of others by contributing our talents and skills where they matter, are recognized, and appreciated.”

”Control your life or someone else will!”

“Remember the fallibility of experts when you are trying to do what you want in life. Most of us, when we have an idea, instinctively ask an expert or worse yet, friends and relatives. We need the feedback, and that’s fine. But remember that they are very likely to be wrong, not only the friends and relatives, but the experts too. They don’t know you well enough to know you can make your idea succeed. Experts are best at telling you what worked in the past, and they’ll steer you toward the more traditional concepts that have worked before.”

“Thoughts about being self-employed: You are not so much losing benefits as you are trading certain financial benefits for emotional benefits, greater freedom, increased contact with the results of your work, more chance to express your ideas, and the opportunity to do new and challenging things”

To see more and subscribe to a free newsletter.

Doing What Your Heart Desires -- Every Day by Donna Watkins

Are you thinking about beginning a home business to get away from the rat race in the corporate world -- or to provide for your own job security? What's the first question that comes to mind? "What kind of business would I run from home?" Our pastor preached a message over a year ago entitled, "What is Your Destiny?" In that message, he provided a list of questions to ponder when trying to find your "walk" through life.

1 - What is the deepest desire of my heart?

2 - What stirs my passions?

3 - What flows naturally out of me?

4 - Where do I bring forth fruit or produce good results?

5 - What do other mature people see in me?

6 - What thoughts, visions, and dreams are impossible to put out of my mind?

7 - To what can I give 100% of myself for my whole life?

8 - What do people want to gather around me and help me to do?

If you will sit down and honestly consider these questions with somebody that knows you well, you'll come up with some surprising answers. You can find a purpose in l ife that will allow you to provide an income for yourself and your family while you are doing what your heart desires -- everyday!

Donna L. Watkins writes articles and newsletters for The Herbs Place.com ontopics of health, spiritual, nature, and frugal living. Visit now:
The Herb Place
 

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