Changing Lives - February 2002
LSS staff assist people where they live and work.
Bringing Services to Our Clients
By Mark Stutrud
De-institutionalization represents a major shift in our society, and it can be seen just about everywhere. More and more surgery is conducted on an outpatient basis. Home schooling continues to grow, as does the concept of charter and alternative schools. Many people are working in their homes, using technology to provide flexibility in their work and careers. And all of this is happening while people continue to think that "house calls" are a thing of the past.
Social services are following in this trend, too. Last year, this publication showed you how persons with disabilities were living in non-institutional settings and often employed within the marketplace. Other services provided by LSS are also shifting toward delivery in a non-institutional setting. We lift up some of these services in this issue of Changing Lives: services such as guardianship, in-home counseling, special needs adoptions, and financial counseling.
At LSS, our vision is that people will live and work in community with dignity, safety and hope. We believe that breaking down institutional barriers allows us greater effectiveness in fulfilling this vision.
We find that helping people where they live, where they work and where they attend school is usually more successful than serving them where we work, where we have offices. The most obvious advantage of this approach is that clients are on their own turf and feel more comfortable; they are more at ease in confronting their problems. Our staff can see where and how those they serve live; they more fully understand the situations our clients face and how they can make positive changes in their lives. Meeting clients where they live, work, and learn, breaks down barriers quickly so that help can be provided faster and more efficiently. County social service organizations, employers, and schools tell us that this method of helping others is working well. Because of this, we believe that services will continue to expand in community settings. They will be more effective and cost less.
Thanks for your interest and support in our work as Minnesota's largest statewide provider of social services.
"We were more than a case number," said Monica Leitch of her family's experience with LSS. She and Carlton, her husband, recently adopted two girls with the assistance of LSS' Special Needs Adoption Services in Mankato.
The Leitches first learned about Maya, 10, and Marlette, 9, in October of 2000, when they received a blurry photograph along with a brief description of each sister. "The kids still seemed to have a spark in their eyes," recalled Monica. Maya and Marlette had been wards of the state, stuck in the foster care system for several years. By the time they first came to live with Carlton and Monica, the girls had become very aggressive. "Maya was especially prone to outbursts," said Carlton. They specifically remembered one tantrum that lasted 18 hours. "People don't have crises on an 8:00 a.m.-to-5:00 p.m. schedule," explained Rebecca Moore, the program manager of Special Needs Adoptions. Rebecca worked closely with the Leitches over the year-long adoption process. "When they really need you, you need to meet them where they're at."
The support Carlton and Monica received reached well outside the walls of the LSS Mankato office. "It took a considerable commitment of time on everyone's part," said Carlton. "Being available, wherever, whenever, was important. We knew that we could call at 2:30 in the morning if we needed to."
"Without Rebecca and the others serving as a sounding board, this adoption would never have worked," Monica believes. "We needed that nonjudgmental support."
Rebecca remembered one day in particular. She had been sanding wallboard during her maternity leave when she got a call from the Leitches. They met and discussed matters with Rebecca, still covered with white dust. "The service is about supporting the families," she said. Rebecca believes that helping placements "stick" for people reflects LSS' mission. "Christ loves children, and He wants the best for them."
The girls have made great strides over the course of the last year, according to Monica. "It took them a while to understand that their opinion mattered. They hadn't experienced that before. When they first came to live with us, the girls' behaviors were closer to that of 3- and 4-year-olds. Today, most of their behaviors are typical of 9- or 10-year-olds; they can become themselves, finally."
When asked about their experience with LSS, Carlton remarked, "The people there really are working from that higher calling."
250,000 Meals (and Love) Delivered to Seniors in 2001
Senior Dining and meals-on-wheels are two Senior Nutrition programs that are joint partnerships between communities and Lutheran Social Service of Minnesota (LSS) to provide nutritious meals and much-needed social contact for individuals 60 years of age and older. The focus is to help seniors remain healthy and active, and to enable them to live independently in their homes and communities.
In addition to meals, the Senior Nutrition program provides vital information about senior services and programs throughout the community, social opportunities, health and nutritional information, grocery shopping assistance, and volunteer opportunities. It also provides a connection with friendly, trustworthy people who care about these homebound individuals.
The Senior Nutrition Program is a valuable resource to many older adults. It is the largest program of the Older American Act. The Senior Nutrition program is both a preventative and restorative service. Senior dining helps keep older adults adequately nourished so they can lead active and independent lives. Well-nourished persons are less likely to become ill, and those who are ill or injured are likely to spend less time in a hospital or other institutional setting. Meals-on-wheels help restore health to people who have undergone recent surgery or hospitalization. These programs help people maintain health so that they can remain independent in their home for as long as possible.
In 2001, Lutheran Social Service provided more than 250,000 meals-on-wheels to homebound seniors in Regions 1, 2 and 5.
A new partnership in meal delivery has been formed joining LSS with some local high schools. The service is called "Seniors Helping Seniors". In this very vital service to the isolated, elderly homebound, senior high school students from local schools reach out and lend a hand in taking care of the older adults by delivering meals to them. "Seniors Helping Seniors" is a program where students use their study hall period and deliver meals-on-wheels to homebound seniors.
LSS relies heavily on volunteers to perform numerous vital duties in providing this service.
Details, Deadlines and Decisions Typify an LSS Guardian's Day
The only things typical about an LSS guardian's day are the endless details, deadlines and decisions that relate to 40 to 50 different people, or "wards" for whom guardians care. The best way to stay on top of these demands, LSS guardians say, is to visit the wards as often as possible, so that decisions are based on the ward's situation, values, preferences and family involvement. If it is impossible to determine what a ward's values or preferences are, then the rule for making decisions is "in the best interest" of the ward.
Guardians are expected to make lots of decisions each day, especially about supportive services and medical needs. They make life-and-death decisions daily whether or not to resuscitate, intubate, medicate or amputate.
But, there are other decisions to make and arrangements to handle relative to personal belongings and estates, however large or modest. This includes paying bills, collecting income, advocating for benefits and managing real estate and financial assets.
There are "security" versus "least restrictive" decisions, too. Should Cliff be allowed to drive again, given that he has completed a treatment program and has remained sober for 12 months? Is it the right time to move Louise from her apartment to an Customized Living Services facility?
Property decisions are different, but equally complex. Do we have the sheep at Orville's farm sheered this month or next? Now that Emily is in a home, recovering from surgery, what is to be done with her cats and the dog? Should the furnace be replaced in Mary's house before winter? Does John have enough cash for the next six months without cashing in the CD that matures next week?
Each decision requires paperwork for Medical Assistance, Veteran's Assistance, Social Security, County and SSI. Plus, there are court papers, as well as the IRS.
Meeting with a ward where he or she lives is important for delivering a quality service.
And while the details, deadlines and decisions vary from individual to individual, the nature of the work substitute decision-making of the highest ethical standard is always at the heart of what a guardian does.Financial Counseling … At Home
"Overwhelmed by credit card debt? Considering bankruptcy? No, this isn't the start of a commercial for a financial consultant; these are the first words you'll read when you visit the LSS Consumer Credit Counseling Service web site. Getting financial advice from professional counselors just got a whole lot easier.
People from throughout Minnesota have learned that free financial counseling is only a phone call or, if you prefer, a click of the mouse away. The program, funded in part by United Way in some communities, allows people to work with qualified consultants when it's most convenient for them, whether by phone appointment or through a step-by-step process on the Internet.
"People enjoy being able to access from the comfort of their homes," says Cherrish Holland, LSS program director of Financial Counseling. "We can even see people over their lunch break at work." Last year, alone, over 1100 households engaged in phone appointments with LSS financial counselors. Cherrish says the phone appointments are very similar to office consultations, except for one interesting detail: "Some people have negative connotations associated with social services. We can break down those barriers, wherever they are, and provide a high quality of service. It's a great way to reach people."
Marjorie Klimek agrees that convenience and anonymity are crucial to the success of the program. Marjorie is an LSS Certified Credit Counselor in Duluth who has counseled many people over the phone. "We're out there to help anybody in the community, without selling financial products, and they don't have to be low-income to access our wide variety of services."
In 2001, there were 71 households that received online counseling via LSS' web site. Karen Morrissey, an LSS Financial Counselor out of St. Paul, believes that phone and online counseling "gives us a chance to help people whom we might not otherwise be able to help. We can get to them, even if they can't get to us."
The LSS web site can lead people to take action in a variety of ways, from developing a budget, to establishing a debt repayment plan or finding ways to prevent foreclosure. The site has great resources, including a listing of community education workshops related to money management, credit and consumer issues. Also, churches will find printable inserts for bulletins containing worthwhile financial advice.
To learn how you or someone you know can access free, professional financial help, call 1-800-777-7419, or visit the LSS web site (www.lssmn.org) and click on "Financial / Debt Counseling."
Brainerd: At LSS Camp Knutson, construction is under way to remodel the boathouse and build a new, adjoining bathhouse. The bathhouse will provide a handicapped-accessible bathroom, outdoor showers, and a sauna and whirlpool room for campers, especially for use during the fall and winter months. The project is a gift from Dan and Sandi Thorson, and part of the master plan to rebuild Camp Knutson for service to children with special needs and their families for the next 50 years. Gifts to the camp have provided the means to renovate nearly all camp facilities. New construction has also been added, including the Husby Family Lodge and Bazinet Recreation Center. Funding is still being sought for several projects, including an infirmary/welcome center, a new cabin for medically-fragile campers, and remodeling of the Camp Knutson staff quarters. The Rebuilding for Good campaign for Camp Knutson will culminate in a special celebration on August 23, 2003, the 50-year anniversary of the camp.
Duluth: The LSS AIDS Information Duluth project received a $10,000 grant from the Miller-Dwan Foundation for prevention and awareness efforts.
Moorhead: National statistics indicate that older caregivers often end up in institutional care settings more often than those they care for because the caregivers tend to neglect their own well-being while providing their full attention to the care receiver. To reverse that trend, more funding under the National Caring Network is being allocated for caregiver support programs. As a result, LSS was awarded a major contract through the federal Older Americans Act, administered by the West Central Area Agency on Aging, to provide Caregiver Respite Support and Education in nine counties in west-central Minnesota. Like a similar program that LSS operates in northwest Minnesota, the new program will offer educational workshops for family caregivers and provide trained volunteers for respite.
Statewide: 2002 tax law changes will mean good news for families who want to adopt a child. Effective January 1, 2002, the new tax law increases the maximum tax credit for adoption from $5,000 to $10,000 in the year the expense occurred. This credit is per adoption, and applies to international, domestic and special needs adoptions. Moreover, the eligibility cap has been raised so that families who earn up to $150,000, up from $75,000 previously, can receive the full tax credit. "This is terrific news for families who want to adopt a child, as well as for the many children here and around the world who need loving homes," said Richard Smith, director of LSS Adoption Services. "We anticipate that the new tax law will give many families the boost they need to adopt a child, or consider the adoption of a second child."
Statewide: Lutheran Social Service of Minnesota is Minnesota's 92nd largest employer, according to CityBusiness, a Twin Cities-based weekly newspaper. LSS employs 2,182 individuals statewide in a wide variety of services including community-based homes for persons with disabilities, crisis shelters and group homes for children and teens, debt counseling, senior nutrition, adoption, refugee services, counseling services, housing programs for families in transition, and ElderShare Homes.Therapy Finds Answers Right Where the Family Lives
It may start with a child's missing school too often. Or there may be a report of abuse or neglect in a home. Or there may be other, very visible signs that a family is in trouble.
Regardless of origin, social service directors in many Minnesota counties will call on LSS' In-Home Therapy services to find out what the real problems are. Part of that process is to determine what is or what is not happening within the family's household environment, so that corrective actions can be taken. The goal is always to assist the family in functioning appropriately as a family unit. Bringing the therapist into the family's home is more efficient and more effective than having the family visit the therapist's office.
"Our in-home therapists are highly skilled and experienced," said Charles Aasand, LSS' operations director for Counseling and Family Resources in northwestern Minnesota. "They have to be able to quickly assess a situation and determine how the family can be helped. Their skills and abilities are especially important because the counties that contract with LSS allow for only a few months of therapy with each family."
Aasand points out that it is the in-home therapist who often becomes the voice of reason or authority in a family setting. It's not unusual for a family member to call the in-home therapist at 11:00 p.m., asking for help with a problem the family is facing.
Here's what in-home therapists say in describing their work to help families to become stronger:
Julie Theismann, clinical director from the St. Cloud area, has provided in-home therapy, herself, and, for over 20 years, has supervised other therapists doing this work. She says that the first appointment can often be a challenge. "We try to establish that the problems have to be "owned" by everyone in the family, and that each person has a role in helping the family function positively," Theismann explained. "After the first meeting, we focus on progress in targeted areas."
Theismann shared that the work can be very difficult, because there can be multiple problems that a family is dealing with. "When we are called in, we often find that parents have stopped parenting their kids. We show them the repercussions of continuing on this course and give them tools to resume parenting," she said.
Lisa Meyer, also from the St. Cloud area, says that in-home therapy equalizes the power balance between the family and the counselor. "When we are in the family's home, they are in control, and they are in their comfort zone. This lets them feel more comfortable and more willing to work on family problems," she said. "It couldn't happen as easily in a counselor's office."
An adopted child herself, Meyers tells a story about an in-home foster care situation involving two children: a girl, age 10, who had already been in 19 foster homes; and her brother, age 7, who had previously lived in 10 foster homes. These children were African-Americans, and their Native American foster parents wanted to adopt them. It took a lot of work, but these kids finally were able to attach to the foster parents and return the love the parents extended. The adoption was completed in 1999, and things are working out well. In-home counseling was a large part of their success story, she believes.
Greater Independence Changes Everything
Life is good for Nancy Nordick.
Nancy rises each morning, greeted by a beautiful view from her apartment window that overlooks the winding Otter Tail River in Fergus Falls. Sometimes, she can see the mist rising from the river in the early morning hours, when she is getting ready for work at the Pioneer Nursing Home, where she is one of the housekeeping staff.
Because her apartment is located right downtown, she can walk down the street to the local drugstore to pick up her medications, or join friends for a walk around nearby Lake Alice.
Nancy, who has a mild developmental disability, lives in a far different world today than she did five years ago. Then, at age 27, she worked in a sheltered workshop and lived in a group home environment with round-the-clock supervision. But LSS staff soon discovered that she was far more capable and ready for life, mostly on her own.
On May 21, 1997, she shed her old life at the group home and stepped into a brand new one, moving into an apartment and, soon after, starting a new job in the community.
"She is a much happier person and relishes life," said Barb Conklin, LSS program manager. "Her newfound independence changed everything. Her work performance shot up, and her attitude about life was completely transformed. She is an absolute joy to be around."
LSS staff provide four hours of assistance each day to Nancy, "mostly to provide moral support, but we help with a few tasks, too," Conklin added. That might include setting up medical appointments, paying bills or helping Nancy reconcile her checking account. Some employees, who have become much like an extended family, also take Nancy to church on Sunday mornings.
But mostly, Nancy goes about her daily routine on her own initiative. She especially takes pride in her apartment, having recently furnished it herself with a new sofa and love seat. If you visited her, she would give you the complete tour, showing you the new furnishings, pictures on the wall of her family, and her cherished fish.
It's home. "I really like it!" Nancy said.
The LSS In-Home Support program provides individualized support to help children and adults with developmental disabilities to lead full, rewarding lives. Throughout Minnesota, LSS staff support 129 people who need assistance with communication skills, mobility, personal needs including grooming, money management, well-being, household maintenance, coping skills and involvement in the community.
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