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September 28th, 2009
Around 18 to 24 months ago our company and its owners became the object of a “whispering campaign.” This campaign took many forms: from complaints raised by ex-employees to rumors spread by other professional peers to concerted action by various state employees. Though our managerial team held up well under the resultant onslaught, coming to terms with the ugliness people perform outside our purview remained quite difficult. Without first hand information from those of you who have been witness to the mean-spirited and slanderous remarks no effective end will come.
Civil Rights Leader Mary McLeod Bethune, see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mary_McLeod_Bethune, once said: “If we accept and acquiesce in the face of discrimination [and slander], we accept the responsibility ourselves. We should, therefore, protest openly everything … that smacks of discrimination or slander.”
We need your courageous assistance in rooting out all forms of malicious talk, rumor-mongering, and gossip. If you have overheard something, received a written communication, or know something about the “whispering campaign” to which we have been subject please send us an email note to “issues@yfn.com.” By working together on this effort I believe we will ensure that no other organization will share our unfortunate assistance.
July 14th, 2009
In email sent today the director of a residential agency located in farther reaches of Southern Indiana mentioned that she had heard I was no longer with Your Friends & Neighbors. Your eyes did not play a trick on you: the message, in fact, relayed the rumor that I was no longer associated with the company founded by mom and co-owned today with Pamela.
How does something like this happen? Our agency is relatively small; we do no business south of Indianapolis; I have never met this director; and I traveled to the city where her agency does business only once as an adult (more than fifteen years ago). As far as I know, we travel in no common circles. I make no claim to be important enough in my own right to be worthy of a gossip vine more than 200 miles long. Obviously, words traveling from person-to-person-to-person-to-person ad nauseam (literally) took on content well beyond their original shape. That being so, why anyone give such wild talk credence?
Granted many folk might have walked away when faced with this summer’s events. Very few people would put up with having their reputation trashed and business damaged through the deliberate acts of current and former employees. Why keep plugging away in such dark circumstances when people are willing to sabotage your efforts, derail the good work of other long-tenured employees, and draw their paycheck with no reciprocating loyalty?
Though that’s good question, it is the wrong one! The right question is: What would it mean for the people we support to go without that which characterizes the YFN Way?
This can be answered by taking measure of a small issue that crossed my desk today. A case manager passed my way a purchase order seeking company funds for clothing for a person we serve in an ICF/MR group home. Under prevailing Medicaid policy, providers cannot use the funds they receive to purchase clothing—they can only spend funds on nursing gowns.
In effect, the purchase order sought a “loan”, albeit one that will never be paid, from Pamela and me to provide the needed clothing. Since 1985, YFN has routinely extended money to people we support for such items as well as for a wide variety of other needs (rent, groceries, utilities, furnishings, etc.). So frequent have been these expenditures that we rarely compute their cost. In fact, I know only that we spent nearly $60,000 on unrecoverable “loans” to the people we serve during the past year.
Though the story of this largesse will never make the papers, find its way into the rumor mill, nor be given credit by our detractors , its truth provides the answer to the only question that matters: the YFN Way relative to the people we serve represents a distinctive style of support valuable in its own right and worthy of remaining a permanent feature of the support system.
In the long run, what we do in this respect will outlive dishonorable behavior, false words, and altered records. We can all look forward to that day. It will come.
June 6th, 2009
From COO Ernie Beal:
‘Twas an unusually tough week. I got slammed by actions neither right or fair. The related sensationalism via modern media savaged my name quite fully. Sadly, you never get to “ unring the bell.” Though I believe firmly the good-hearted folks who serve in our justice system will recognize neither I or the organization I lead did anything illegal, injurious, or otherwise harmful to our special charges, there will be no salacious, prominent, or widespread media coverage at closing of this matter.
This will not mean very much across time, however. In the near and long term, I know God will take care of me. Situations far more troubling beset me throughout my life. Each challenge sharpened me for the work God calls me to do. Given God’s mysterious and sometimes idiosyncratic spirit it seems I must get knocked around occasionally to keep me evolving toward a destination not yet clear to me. That such has been my fate in many ways and at various times ultimately serves as a compass adjustment sorely needed, apparently.
In the grand scheme of things, I am not important enough to be a historical figure of interest. I will never be famous, even if I am momentarily infamous. Years from now no one will remember me (the person). At best, I will live on only through the residue from things I do and lives I touch.
God granted me leave and provided the spirit essential to my work as a civil rights lawyer stewarding the interests of several thousand claimants. When mom tapped me to become involved with Your Friends & Neighbors, God both glorious and impish was there. Enlivened by this spirit, good folk with whom I have worked made a significant differences in the lives and souls of the people we have been given grace to serve. Their dedication, hard work, and remarkable commitment to work with challenging people helped make me stronger and softer, visionary and practical, and far less self-directed. Together we built (and occasionally rebuilt) one of God’s beloved communities. That this became so in a context where YFN serves people with very challenging behaviors remains a remarkable achievement, the enduring value of which will be there long after I no longer lead these gifted people.
These days I am responsible for the livelihoods and interests of nearly 1000 people, mostly attached to our company as clients and workers. At this point, God’s spirit must move well beyond me. While things will work out for me at some point, anguish, distress, worry, and confusion will be abundant among the people I steward.
Operating a large business imposes a difficult burden for those who lead it. Tough decisions sit on the plate of those who must balance competing claims and interests. Across the years a single guidepost has served me well. At age nineteen my first “real job” put me in a state mental retardation center as a direct care worker. From the moment I arrived the dedicated and hard working folks I saw daily told me there’s one rule matters in the end: do no harm to the clients I serve.
Sometimes this meant I suffer a blow or injury when situations were out of control. My worker friends reminded me regularly personal risk and occasional hurt come with the job if you are doing your job. Because I know that to be true with respect to allegations made by unhappy ex-employees, I remain confident that examination of documents never sought or considered reveals how fully we adhered to our prime directive.
No one likes to be trashed in the press, of course. Having the charges dismissed, as I expect, will not erase the personal effect from charges imprudently and improperly made. Though that’s a burden I must bear, I am able to bracket it away, confident that God’s grace will prevail.“For in him every one of God’s promises is a “Yes.” For this reason it is through him that we say the “Amen,” to the glory of God.” (2 Cor. 1:20)
What will be will be. In the interim, my bruised image must not become my focus. Far more important things remain on my agenda, especially if the organization I lead continues pressing forward, graced by God and guided by a mysterious spirit that call us to protect and serve the beautiful folk who have elected our help on their journey to really enviable life.
June 5th, 2009
 A colleague told me about a sermon series happening at his church on the topic “ Thirty Days To Live.” As part of this series the worship team included movie clips where people who were, in fact, facing their mortality as time limited. What would you do if you only have thirty days left? As applied to me directly, how would I live the last days of my life passing so quickly in front of me?
Those questions got me thinking. I reflected on my own near death experience (late stage cancer). My mental mumblings took me to the question “what will I leave behind” when my body no longer functions? In other words, what will be my legacy?
I care not for the kind of legacy where people talk about me, as a person or figure. So I reject the notion that my legacy will come from what people say or write about my life. Throughout my earthly journey I have care little about how other people characterize me. I have no control over what other people think, say, or do.
My control extends only to what I do. That’s where I hope to find my legacy. It has been my good fortune to have played many work roles (lawyer, social service executive, pastor), each allowing me opportunities to do something special. Interactions with other people where we touch their life in a positive way provides the impetus for what I do and will be the only thing I do with enduring value.
February 14th, 2009
In 1943 Reinhold Niebuhr, one of the Twentieth century’s most prominent religious leaders , put together a short prayer offered at the time in a local church service:
God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change;
courage to change the things I can; and wisdom to know the difference.
Living one day at a time;
Enjoying one moment at a time;
Accepting hardships as the pathway to peace;
Taking, as He did, this sinful world as it is, not as I would have it;
Trusting that He will make all things right if I surrender to His Will;
That I may be reasonably happy in this life and supremely happy with Him
Forever in the next. Amen.
Niebuhr’s prayer, long ago entitled “The Serenity Prayer”, became one of the most widely recited prayers, with first few lines being adopted by the folks in Alcoholics Anonymous. It seeks “peace” (individual and social) in times of turmoil, despair, and uncertainty. Said daily, it becomes a petition seeking the promise of Philipians 4:7 (”His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.”)
These days I find myself speaking Niebuhr’s words more and more frequently, both in response to world events as well as things active in my own life. The Serenity Prayer reminds me of two important facts: (1) our experiences and graces are a gift from God for which we are, at best, merely stewards and (2) tending that gift properly necessitates recognizing that we have little control over what other people do or say. As long as I remember this twinfold reality I remain centered, focused, and able to withstand the hostility and indifference of others toward me and my special charge.
October 2nd, 2008
Field testing for recently revised orientation modules begins October 6, 2008. Our new staff orientation format divides material among six days as follows:
Day One The YFN Way
Day Two You and Your Job
Day Three Do No Harm
Day Four Staying Well
Day Five The Unexpected
Day Six Surviving Day One
Each day draws together important subtopics related to a theme. For example, Day Two ( You and Your Job) introduces the core expectations implicit in every job (i.e. Teacher, Helpmate, and Steward), as well as explores in depth the notions supported routines and effective teaching practice. On “Do No Harm” day, participants cover general service safety, first aid, CPR, and handling unusual incidents. Participants learn basic medication administration, universal precaution, and other important health care practices on day four. Because the “unexpected” usually happens, day five provides training in basic behavioral practice and emergency procedures. Day Six draws upon YFN’s staff preparation experience while training staff to open ESN settings by providing detailed orientation directly related to the persons the new staff will serve and the administrative practices important for doing so.
Further information about the new orientation model can be obtained from Betty Kunard, YFN’s Workforce Development Manager, bkunard@yfn.com
October 2nd, 2008
Dr. Casey Nelson, YFN’s clinical manager, made available a training module for staff directly supporting folks we serve entitled “Peer-to-Peer Aggression” on our YFN University training site, http://elearning.yfn.com. That module, along with others already developed, will remain available indefinitely. Staff needing login credentials should contact John Sheehan (Indiana staff trainer) or Faith Moody (Georgia staff trainer) for assistance.
Two new professional training modules will be available later this month: an advanced course in Behavioral Analysis conducted by our clinical team for persons responsible for therapeutically intense settings and a focused reading group dealing with Organizational Behavioral Engineering. Personnel working at other agencies can participate in these courses for free, provided only that they purchase the required texts. For further information, please contact Ernie Beal, ebeal@yfn.com.
October 2nd, 2008
Major changes will be upcoming in our Community Life program. Chief Operating Officer Ernie Beal outlined those changes on September 23 rd in a joint briefing involving corporate, Indiana, and Georgia administrative personnel. Open house sessions for persons supported, families, and other interested people will take place in locations throughout 2008’s final quarter. Among the changes anticipated are:
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New curriculum and therapy options available at the Rosewater sites
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New supervisory structure for community-based services
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Major changes in planning and scheduling format
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Adjustments in job assignments and duties of staff working directly with the people supported
These changes, Beal stressed, “will take our community life service into territory rarely explored by typical day programs.” For further information about the upcoming public sessions and contents of the new model please contact Ernie Beal by phone [260-452-7707] or email, ebeal@yfn.com.
September 11th, 2008
Our residential services teams completed work realigning Fort Wayne area services so that they were better focused. Kudos to Lydia Vetter and the folks working with her for labors of love into which heart and soul were poured. Characteristically, our YFN crew accomplished the nearly impossible as they moved both mountains and molehills on this project. Along the way we beefed up our clinical team, adding Dr. Casey Nelson as our new Clinical Services Manager and bringing aboard a squad of talented behavioral therapists. Look to hear more about our Clinical team in the near future.
February 11th, 2008
We have decided to restructure the administrative operations of our Fort Wayne residential programs. Currently, our operations are completely separated by “funding streams.” That is, our ICF/MR (Intermediate Care Facility for the Mentally Retarded) and Medicaid Waiver are managed separately. To ensure quality of service, we have consolidated and focused our administrative efforts across these different funding streams. So, now our programs will be separated by the services and supports needed. These different categories include Health, Therapeutic (for those with intense behavioral needs), and Developmental (for those who need services and supports that may include custodial care.)Though we are changing the administration of the Fort Wayne area, we are retaining all of our employees. We work with extremely talented individuals who recognize the need to ensure quality and consistency. There are a few areas where in some supervision of homes may change. We are hoping that this will be for the better. (more…)
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To Our Professional Colleagues:
