Staff Covenant

Our mission at EnAble of Georgia is to empower adults with developmental disabilities by providing individualized support that reflects each person's choices, strengths, interests, and needs as we enable them to find the home, work, community, and meaning in life they desire.

• With this in mind, our goal as EnAble employees is to reflect a high standard of conduct and to be especially watchful at all times in the area of communication regarding the agency, our coworkers, and those we are privileged to serve.

• In signing this Staff Covenant, I am hereby committing myself to giving good reports about my fellow employees and of this agency. When this is not possible, I commit to remain silent or to privately go to the person, confirm my goal, and explain the problem or offense that would hinder me from giving a good report. This Covenant applies to all my relationships within EnAble — with my supervisors, with my peers, and with those subordinate to me.

• I hereby commit to approach an offender in a spirit of cooperation and respect, having first examined and corrected my own attitude and actions. I also commit to refrain from going to another employee if I am angry or upset with him or her. I will wait until I have had time to calm my emotions and think of possible solutions or answers to the situation.

• Only if I am unable to restore my relationship with an offender will I share the problem with someone else (preferably my immediate supervisor) who can help me in the process of resolving the matter.

• When staff members come to me to share about another employee or group of employees who have in some way offended them, I will seek to remind them of this Staff Covenant, as respectfully as I can.

• When I violate this goal, I purpose to apologize and seek to restore the relationship with others immediately.

As you can see, it’s a pretty simple document which provides a way of resolving issues that are bound to come up in the every day work week at EnAble. We, as staff members of EnAble, really need this commitment to one another because of the intensity of the work we do and the potential for conflicts to grow and result in discouragement and burnout. Even though we are not perfect in implementing it, it has resulted in improved methods of resolving communication concerns.

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Support Services Family Covenant

In the past several months another document has been developed, called the Support Services Family Covenant, which provides the family members and guardians of those we serve to have an improved way of expressing and dealing with their concerns. It has gone through several stages of revision, presentation to the Executive Committee of the Board, to the Board of Directors, to selected parents and family members who are involved in the lives of those we serve, and finally was presented at the last two Family Meetings at EnAble to family members present. Our goal is to have every family member receive and sign this document so they join us in the effort to have better ways of resolving concerns and improving communication.

Our mission at EnAble of Georgia is to empower adults with developmental disabilities by providing individualized support that reflects each person's choices, strengths, interests, and needs as we enable them to find the home, work, community, and meaning in life they desire.

With this in mind, our goal is to work together with the consumers and their family members and/or guardians to help accomplish this mission, advocating for the consumers to have personal choices in their living and vocational arrangements.

Residential Concerns

Outcome:          

People experience continuity and security.

People are respected.

People are satisfied with services. 

People have intimate relationships.

People are safe.

First of all, the group home residences where the consumers live are their personal homes, managed by EnAble and its employees.  Because they are group homes, they are not the extended residences of the consumers’ family members or guardians.  Therefore, for family or guardians to gain access to the homes, they should obtain permission from the individuals being served who reside there since it is their home or from the residential staff on duty.

Parents and guardians are always welcome at the home of their loved one, but please keep in mind that the choices in furnishings and amenities (such as televisions, stereos, computers, etc.) are up to the consumers occupying the rooms.  Family members and guardians are welcome to assist them in purchasing such items and in decorating their personal living areas, including for holidays.

All common areas within the homes are shared by all individuals being served living in the homes and by the residential staff managing and serving in the homes.  You are welcome to offer to assist, but please keep in mind that the choices in decorating these common areas are to be given to all the residents and staff living in the homes.  Parents or guardians should not provide holiday decorations or any furnishings without obtaining the consent of the Support Managers who will base their decisions on the choices of the individuals being served who live in the homes for all common areas.

We realize that staff turnovers create new relationships and issues for those individuals living in the homes.  We ask the family members and guardians of those being served to understand that it takes time to resolve matters and assure that all new staff members are fully trained.  We ask for and appreciate your patience.

Behavioral Concerns

Outcomes:           

People are respected.

People interact with other members of the community.

People have friends.

People are safe.

In our commitment to helping consumers achieve happy, fulfilling, and productive lives, we obtain the counsel of a well-trained behavioral specialist to guide us and to train the staff in matters of assisting various consumers in developing better behavior patterns.  We request that the family members cooperate with EnAble and its staff and support actions in place to improve behavioral matters regarding those being served.  This would include following behavioral support plans when the consumers are visiting in your home or possibly even limiting home visits while behavioral concerns are being addressed.

Medical Concerns

Outcomes:           

People have the best possible health.

People are safe.

We ask that family members follow medical protocols put in place for those being served by EnAble put in place by their physicians and pharmacies when they are visiting their homes.  Advice or concerns in this area should be addressed to the Support Manager or Staff Nurse.  ORS requires a prescription/doctor’s order for any medication to be taken.  This includes over-the-counter medications, vitamin supplements, herbs, etc.  Family members and guardians must also comply with this regulation.  Introduction of any new medication needs to be made via a prescription/doctor’s order along with notification to EnAble’s staff nurse.  It is unsafe for medications to be present at the home without a doctor’s knowledge. 

It is natural for family members and guardians to be concerned about the medical well being of their loved one.  However, if EnAble determines that changes in medical protocols being requested by family members are not in the best interests of the individual being served,  we expect the family members and guardians to follow the advice and protocols recommended by EnAble’s nurse after his/her consultation with the individual’s physicians. 

Vocational Concerns

Outcomes:           

People are satisfied with their personal life situations.

People choose personal goals.

People participate in the life of the community.

People exercise rights.

People are treated fairly.

People experience continuity and security.

EnAble will always seek to honor and assist those being served in achieving their own personal outcomes, goals, and desires.  We purposely serve as advocates for the consumers.

When this involves their work choices and opportunities, we will seek to honor the wishes and needs of the individuals being served.

When possible and it is the choice of the individuals served to work in supported employment opportunities, EnAble will assist them in obtaining jobs and providing job coaching to enable them to be successful on their jobs.

For some individuals, it is their choice or in their best interest to utilize Day Support Services.  Once again, EnAble provides sufficient staff to support them in achieving their outcomes and in receiving the training they desire and need for success in their daily work experience.

Day Community Activity Concerns

Outcomes:           

People interact with other members of the community.

People have friends.

People experience continuity and security.

Some individuals served finish their supported employment or return from North Fulton Training Center before their residential support staff is on duty.  When this occurs, Day Community Activities are provided at homes served by EnAble both in North Fulton and South Fulton designed for this purpose.  Special support staff is provided for the Day Community Activities program to provide consumers with various opportunities for outings, activities, crafts, and other similar beneficial programs. 

EnAble’s goal is to provide the individuals we are privileged to serve with very high quality services that help them achieve their personal outcomes and desires.  We want those services to be as seamless as possible between residential support and the vocational support services.  To achieve that goal, we also need the full cooperation and participation of the family members and guardians of those we support.

In signing this Support Services Family Covenant, you are hereby agreeing to give your full cooperation to EnAble in all these matters and in resolving concerns or issues that you face regarding your loved one we support.

Resolution of Concerns

We ask that all family members or guardians follow this chain of command when wanting to resolve matters relating to their family members served by EnAble.

In the past, we understand some family members or guardians have feared retaliation against their loved one.  Our commitment is to keep this from happening at all times.  Should this ever be the case, it will be cause for immediate dismissal of the guilty employee.

- First, we ask that family members or guardians communicate their concerns and desires and to seek to resolve any matters with the support staff on duty in the Group Home, Day Services or Supported Employment or the Support Manager responsible for the service.

- The second step is to take the matter to the appropriate Director of Support Services.

- If a matter or concern is not resolved by the Director of Support Services, please contact the Senior Director of Support Services, who oversees all of Support Services.

- Finally, if the previous steps don’t achieve the result desired, feel free to take the matter to EnAble’s President/Executive Director who will convene a committee of the Board of Directors to review the situation with all parties involved and make a final decision.

 
EnAble's goal is to promote improved communication and to give support staff the opportunities to care for areas of concern to family members and guardians in an affirming way, at the point closest to where the service and/or concern can be remedied.

We believe the above method of resolving concerns will go a long way towards helping parents, family members, and guardians know how best to handle situations when they come up and get the help they need in the quickest possible way.
We hope you will appreciate this effort and support it! Thank you.

-- By Cecelia "Cec" Camp

    Executive Director