Community Options Delivering Supportive Employment Services in Utah
In March 2017, Community Options expanded its services to its 11th state, Utah. In a matter of just a few months, Community Options has already made noticeable progress in providing housing and employment supports to individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
With over 20 years’ experience working with people with disabilities and employment services, Shannon Wilkins was hired in May as the Director of Employment Services. Utilizing her knowledge of programs and established relationships with funding sources, Wilkins cultivated a relationship with the State of Utah’s Vocational Rehabilitation Department and Division of Services for People with Disabilities to provide employment supports. Sharing the same progressive, inclusive philosophy as the state, Community Options obtained funded support for 23 individuals in the Salt Lake and Weber counties of Utah. One of those individuals has already found employment.
Keanu Unufe was about to turn 22 in May, resulting in a loss of state-provided support and a lack of formal programs. Upon his graduation from an extended education transition school, his teachers and Community Options searched for potential employment. After an assessment of Keanu’s skills and abilities, assistance in creating a resume and practicing his interviewing skills and self-advocacy, he was offered an interview with Walmart as an Associate on May 15. With an impressive interview, Keanu was offered the job immediately and is currently making $11 per hour. The minimum wage in Utah is $7.25.
After learning the essential functions of his job, the Orem, UT native needs minimal support from his Community Options’ job coach as he works 20 hour per week, five days a week. Well-liked by his supervisors and co-workers, Keanu has been a welcomed addition to the Walmart team.
With offices already in West Valley City and Ogden, Community Options is working to expand funding sources and work to be known as the premier provider for individuals with disabilities in Utah. To learn more about Community Options programs and services, visit www.comop.org.
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About Community Options, Inc.:
For 28 years, Community Options has developed housing and employment programs for people with disabilities – serving thousands of people through over 40 offices across 11 states. Community Options provides advocacy assistance to empower people with disabilities because all people – regardless of ability level – should live and work in the community with dignity, choice and self-determination. For more information please visit our website: www.comop.org and to follow along with the ComOpCares campaign, search #ComOpCares on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
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You’re gonna need a bigger envelope.
Hi,
I’m with the Postal Service and wanted to give you a heads up about these cool sharks stamps we’ll issue tomorrow. Here’s the link to the news release:
http://about.usps.com/news/national-releases/2017/pr17_039.htm
The Sharks Forever stamps feature five species that inhabit American waters — the mako, thresher, great white, hammerhead and whale shark. Please share the news on social media using the hashtag #SharksStamps.
Artist Sam Weber of Brooklyn, NY (917.374.3373 or sam@sampaints.com, www.sampaints.com), based his five illustrations on images captured by undersea photographers. Four of the five photographs he referenced were stock photos, so we don’t have the names of those photographers.
The Great White Shark photographer is Norb Wu of Pacific Grove, CA (office@norbertwu.com www.norbertwu.com). He’s hard of hearing and prefers to conduct interviews via email. Please feel free to reach out to both of them.
Following are links to high-res images of the stamps for media use only. Please download them ASAP as the links expire shortly for security reasons.
0-0_USPS17STA016b.jpg - Sharks – Stamp Sheet
1-0_USPS17STA016c.jpg - Sharks - Mako Shark
2-0_USPS17STA016d.jpg - Sharks - Hammerhead Shark
3-0_USPS17STA016e.jpg - Sharks - Whale Shark
4-0_USPS17STA016f.jpg - Sharks - Great White Shark
5-0_USPS17STA016g.jpg - Sharks - Thresher Shark
INSTRUCTIONS FOR REPRODUCING STAMP IMAGES: The stamp design must be reproduced in its entirety, including denomination and perforations. If the stamp design is reproduced within 75-150% of stamp size, a line must be placed through the denomination to 'cancel' the reproduction and prevent its use as actual postage. The appropriate USPS trademark and copyright notices must be included: ©2017 USPS.
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Mom or Dad Need Your Help. You Need a Plan. Premier Geriatric Care Management specialists launch business in Northern Utah.
Ogden, Utah – July, 2017
Aging Solutions LLC Geriatric Care Management, the premier and only provider of Geriatric Care Management services announces it will be providing private Geriatric Care Management in the Northern Utah areas: Box Elder, Weber and Davis Counties at this time before expanding into other counties.
The company, Aging Solutions, prides itself on providing specialized professional private services to families of aging loved ones; the aging family and the aging individual or couple.
“We are thrilled to offer and provide these unique new services to Northern Utah's aging families as adult children and family caregivers now have a place to turn and ask for help in the day to day struggles of aging”, says the owner and founder of Aging Solutions, Valerie Rios. “Our passion and dedication to providing quality professional services is paramount for these families, aging individuals or couples. It's an honor to be able to build long lasting relationships with our clients and their families, have a huge impact on quality of life and provide this much needed service.”
Aging Solutions was formed to offer services in the Northern Utah area due to the identified need to manage the care of aging loved ones, help families and individuals understand care needs of their aging loved ones. Often families who are attempting to manage care of aging loved ones have no where to turn and find themselves overwhelmed and stressed, which often times results in premature placement, numerous hospital/ER visits, mental health issue, isolation and much more.
Aging Solutions is especially useful to adult children who live several hours or states away, families in dispute over the “right” care for mom and/or dad, the overwhelmed family caregiver, the aging individual or couple living alone needing help. Families of aging loved ones can tap into Aging Solutions geriatric expertise and knowledge of community resources to create a personalized care plan which will help preserve quality and precious time with loved ones while providing the quality care they deserve. The goal is to reduce stress, frustration, hospital ER visits or re-visits, well-being, safety, appropriate placement if identified and improve quality of life.
Helen, previous client said, “I contacted Aging Solutions to help our family to best care for our 93 year old mother. We all had different ideas, could not agree and found out we really did not understand her needs and the reality of aging after meeting with Aging Solutions. Aging Solutions provided us with a consultation and family mediation services that helped our family come together and agree on the care and safety needs of our mother. We could not have done this without their help”.
Lynn another previous client said, “I was the primary caregiver for my elderly parents, mother of three children ages 5 to 12, a spouse, dealing with my own medical issues and totally overwhelmed. I had little to no help from my siblings that lived out of state and my parents never agreed to my pleas for help. I felt I could barely keep my head above water. I was referred to Aging Solutions by the medical home healthcare company. They (Aging Solutions) were a life saver, literally for my parents and myself. My parents are safe and well cared for in an assisted living, I have my life back and I am a daughter now, not a primary caregiver. I have quality time with my parents and my own family, Thank you Aging Solutions”.
To learn more about Aging Solutions Geriatric Care Management visit the website at www.agingsolutionsutah.com. To receive a complimentary consultation regarding your unique situation and to see if Aging Solutions can help you, please visit the website or call 801-615-9360. About Aging Solutions
Aging Solutions is a private pay geriatric care management. Care managers hold Master Degrees in Social Work or Bachelor in Nursing, are licensed, certified or registered, professional, experienced & are focused on providing personal Geriatric Care Management services that preserve quality time with loved ones. Aging Solutions Geriatric Care Managers have over 20 years of experience working with the aging population. Geriatric Care Managers are passionate in their work with and helping the aging by providing answers to questions & solutions to problems. Geriatric Care Managers are dedicated to providing the aging with outstanding Geriatric Care Management Services.
Aging Solutions works with clients in the privacy of their living environment, conducts comprehensive assessments, develops care plans, implements solutions and can provide short or long term care management; provides level of care assessments and relocation; provides family caregiver assessments, management and counseling; provides medication management; Veteran benefits assessment & referral; verbal or written referrals and recommendations; and more. Geriatric Care Management Geriatric Care Management emerged to provide specialized services to the aging family who were struggling to understand the continuum of care. Middle and upper income aging families, individuals and/or couples need both healthcare and community resources/services to remain at home, where they want to stay. In most cases, their care is not met. Adult children are not able to help for many reasons and resorted to calling county and state for services only to be denied due to income. Adult children of the aging family struggle to care for their own families, thrive in their careers and having to try to care for aging loved ones, feeling defeated in may cases. Some adult children live hours away or live in another state, trying to provide long-distance care.
Geriatric care managers are like the hub for aging families who get tangled up in the incomprehensible tangle of aging. Geriatric care managers are experts in maneuvering through the convoluted system of aging services. Geriatric care managers are fixers who find the right services and develop a unique plan for each aging client and family. By leading the client to safety, they give comfort to frustrated and overwhelmed caregivers, aging clients and their families. Geriatric care managers put the care of the client as priority, that it is right for the individual client and their family and it is promptly delivered at the most appropriate time with the proper resource.
