“Wolfman Jack Walking You Through the Decades” will be presented at 7 p.m. tonight in UCA’s Reynolds Performance Hall. The performance is free to the public.

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]]> http://indliving.org/blog/events/tonight-acting-creates-therapeutic-success/feed http://indliving.org/blog/we-need-your-unused-boxes http://indliving.org/blog/we-need-your-unused-boxes#comments Fri, 14 Oct 2011 19:38:48 +0000 ils http://indliving.org/?p=8566

Please drop off your unused boxes at our Development and Human Resources Office on Deer Street (map) in Conway between 8:00am and 5:00pm Monday through Friday.

Hey! Bring us ten good boxes and we’ll give you this ILS t-shirt.

Drop off location

Visit www.uams.edu/arkansasdisability for more information.

Cherry, a consumer at Independent Living Services, recently went on a 4-day cruise on the Carnival Ecstasy that set sail out of Galveston on August 11.

According to her adult companion, Cherry enjoyed eating shrimp and a variety of other foods.  She also watched a country music show and attended a deck party.  Cherry is pictured above shopping with her adult companion Rene Rains in Cozumel, Mexico.

“We are pleased Charles has devoted his volunteer time to Independent Living Services. Through his support and work on the board, ILS has grown tremendously during his tenure. Charles volunteers for a number of community organizations. At each he devotes himself and his resources,” said Executive Director Jackie Fliss. “Conway is lucky to have such a devoted philanthropist. Congratulations, Charles Nabholz.”

Liberty Parks, Operations Manager at Profiles Productions, has received two awards by the Arkansas Press Association.

Parks received a single news photograph and single sports action photograph award.

“We are so happy to have Liberty working for us,” said Executive Director Jackie Fliss. Although she’s not employed as a photographer, Independent Living Services benefits from her unique skill set.”

Parks’ photos will be included in our new brochures and our upcoming 2011 annual report.

“She makes my job so much easier,” said Development Director Bobby M. Kelly III. “I’m better equipped to tell our story through the photos she takes. All marketing and communication folks know that great photos are hard to come by.”

Visit www.libertysphotos.com for more information.

Flowers was painted by Kirk in David Antonio’s art class at Profiles Enrichment Center, the adult day program at Independent Living Services.

Independent Living Services has been accredited by CARF (Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities) for a period of three years for the following services:

• Community Services: Community Housing
• Community Services: Community Integration
• Community Services: Supported Living
• Employment Services: Organizational Employment Services

This achievement is an indication of Independent Living Services’ dedication and commitment to improving the quality of the lives of over 200 people with developmental disabilities in central Arkansas. Services, personnel, and documentation clearly indicate an established pattern of practice excellence.

Survey Summary

The following strengths were listed in the Survey Outcome packet.

• Staff gives the distinct impression of being very caring and client centered, using humor to normalize a variety of client behaviors, reactions, and statements. A family atmosphere is emphasized within all services.
• The use of foster grandparents and volunteers is a very supportive initiative to increase the ability of Independent Living Services to meet the varied needs of its persons served.
• Independent Living Services has put a great deal of time and energy into its plans for a new, large facility, where all client services will be under one roof, which will increase efficiency, interaction, and collaboration between staff and persons served. In addition, these plans have been done in a manner that will not create a financial pressure on the organization.
• The organization has made recent positive moves to increase the social media presence of the organization, which serves to provide new and different venues of information sharing about Independent Living Services, particularly to younger age groups. This is particularly important within the current environment where there is great competition for funding and contribution dollars. (Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, or YouTube.)
• Independent Living Services has a very strong, involved board that is personally committed to the success of the organization.
• Independent Living Services is fortunate in having a stable and long-term management team that includes people who have been involved with the organization for over twenty years. The staff members, both management and direct support personnel, obviously care about the persons served with whom they work. All the interviewed persons served expressed satisfaction with their services.
• The persons served at Profiles Productions expressed pride in their jobs, their work skills, and their paychecks. Individuals at the residences clearly choose their own decorations and are proud of their rooms and their houses. They have good relationships with the house managers and the other direct support staff members. The persons served at Profiles Enrichment Center like the classes they attend; they proudly show off the things they have made at the craft or art classes and are happy to connect with family and friends during the computer class. They freely access Facebook and Twitter and send emails.
• Independent Living Services has a good reputation in the community and partners with other organizations. It serves as a training site for the University of Central Arkansas Department of Occupational Therapy. Specifically, the occupational therapy students put on a play with the individuals at Independent Living Services. They help the individuals develop and write the play. The students learn to make modifications and adaptations so that the individuals can perform the play. It takes  a year or so to develop the play, which is then performed for the community at Reynolds Performance Hall. Occupational therapy students who have graduated from this program are using this methodology to treat other people with developmental disabilities, so these types of plays are now performed in several places in Arkansas. The person in charge of this program indicated that Independent Living Services is willing to entertain and implement new ideas. The persons served at Independent Living Services enjoy the process of the play so much that they  have convinced the Profiles Enrichment Center instructors to do an additional play (The Wizard of OZ Profiles Style).
• Independent Living Services has partnered with Conway Human Development Center, the City of Conway, and Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to fund and build a fourteen-unit apartment house. The apartments are accessible and functional and will assist individuals with community placement.
• The funding models that are used in Arkansas are very complex, but Independent Living Services is able to access them in ways that allow the persons served to live in the community with adequate staffing and resources. Although Profiles Enrichment Center is a site-based day service, which means that when the person served is out of the building, Independent Living Services cannot bill for the time, the organization is committed to community integration and works on the individuals to be in the community as part of their day program.
• Independent Living Services has excellent relationships with the guardians and families of the persons served. All the people interviewed felt that this was an excellent organization that fulfilled the needs of their family member. One mother expressed that her son’s placement at Profiles Enrichment Center has changed his life. The consistent structure of learning and the variety of subjects have engaged him so that he cannot wait to attend the day program.
• Independent Living Services has several different types of service plans depending on the type of funding an individual receives. The organization has been able to develop an interdisciplinary team that includes an occupational therapist, a speech therapist, and a physical therapist. It also has the services of a psychiatrist who follows psychotropic medications. Funding agencies indicated that the interdisciplinary team assisted Independent Living Services in providing excellent individualized services.
• Independent Living Services supports an active chapter of People First in the local area. Persons served are assisted to go to these meetings as needed. One person is a national representative, and another is the president of the local chapter. Individuals also attend the yearly state conference of People First in Hot Springs.

In the following area Independent Living Services demonstrates exemplary conformance to the standards.

• Independent Living Services is complimented for imitating the first Sunshine Optimist Club in the world for persons with developmental disabilities. This concept began as a way for person with developmental disabilities to get involved in a local community service group. Since that time, there have been other special interest groups that have followed suit and also developed Optimist Clubs.

Visit www.carf.org for more information.

Burgess Auditorium in the Cooper Complex

Central Baptist College | Conway, Arkansas

Saturday, May 21 | 6:00pm

$2 donation

The Profiles Enrichment Center music class, led by Instructor Cassie Lackey, will present The Wizard of Oz in the Burgess Auditorium tomorrow evening.

Saturday night’s performance will be a culmination of several months of rehearsals and preparation.

Central Baptist College is located at 1501 College Avenue in Conway. For more information contact Cassie Lackey at 501-317-5254.

Cast

Acting Dorothy – Lois S.

Singing Dorothy – Sara S.

Cowardly Lion – Wesley E.

Scare Crow - Lewis H.

Auntie Em – Eleanor F.

Bad Witch – Amy W.

Apple Trees – Carole S, Rita P., and Christina B.

Wizard of Oz – Brad S.

Tin Man – John L.

Toto - Pam Stinson

Uncle Henry – Jeremy B.

Good Witch - Susan Gordon

Cast - Joseph Smith and Jason H.

Flying Monkeys – Dale G. and Tony F.

Guards - Jimmy G. and Dean B.

Munchkin Dancers – Sandly P. and Mari P.

Munchkin Singers – Tom B. and Brad S.

Munchkins/Oz Land People – Trevion S., Sharon C., Lea Ann N., Denise S., and Tara W.