A Message From Our Director

Good Morning Everyone, 
 

I wanted to take just a minute to thank you all for attending the Annual Charge meeting a couple of weeks ago.  I hope you all learned a lot and enjoyed the day being with your co-workers and friends in a relaxed environment. 
 

One of the things we discussed that day was the need for all of our employees to show a sign of support for our building project.  I have been absolutely blown away by the positive response we have received so far.  For those of you who signed a pledge form, you will receive a note with your paycheck on Friday confirming your wishes.  Please review this closely and let Stacy know if you see any discrepancy.  However, we still need to increase the percentage of employees involved before we travel to Oklahoma next week to meet with representatives of the Mabee Foundation to make our request.  In an attempt to make things easier for you, Stacy is going to make herself available in her office for anyone who would like to make a donation on Friday when everyone is in the Admin hallway to pick up paychecks.  This will allow you to make your gift in a more private way while ensuring that you will receive appropriate credit for your support.   Please remember that EVERY gift counts.  The dollar amount is not nearly as important as your participation at any level.  I will also have extra pledge forms available in case yours has been misplaced.  
 

Thanks again for all you do each and every day.  Your commitment to the men, women and children of Civitan Services is top notch.   
 

Leah

Parking Challenges

Just a reminder that until the new Adult Building is completed in Bryant we will continue to face parking challenges.  PLEASE be careful in our parking lot.  Do not create new parking spaces that close off the drive paths.  Remember we have large buses that must fit between your vehicles!  We need to keep client safety in mind as well as remember that families need to be able to park and come in to check their family members in and out of our programs.  We have had more than one fender-bender from folks parking behind other vehicles so consider the risk before you park behind someone--it might not be worth it.

 

We all have to work together!   Remember that there is additional parking available at the Boys and Girls Club next door as well as on the street in front of the building. 

Extra Hours Available At The Group Home

If you are interested in working some extra part time hours or working as fill-in help at the Civitan Group Home, we have openings available.  Contact Darrell by phone or email if you would like to take advantage of these extra hours.

Darrell@civitanservices.com

Personal Errands

Please be reminded that staff members may not run personal errands while caring for Waiver clients.  There are no exceptions to this rule.  Waiver time is client time and may not be used for the errands of staff, including making a stop to pay bills, do personal shopping, picking up or dropping off family members, etc. 

It is also never appropriate to leave a client in a car unattended or waiting outside for any reason.  Please do not risk it, even if the client asks or agrees to wait in the car or wait outside.  You must be with your client AT ALL TIMES while on Waiver time.  It is never appropriate to leave the client alone and still claim that time on a Waiver timesheet.  There are no exceptions to this rule.

Thanks in advance for your cooperation.  Protect yourself and your clients by never letting there be any doubt that every hour on your timesheet is strictly client time.

Cell Phone Etiquette

Having your cell phone at work can be useful but it can also be very disruptive. Your friends and family can reach you anytime, anywhere, which can be annoying.

When you're on your own time, the choice to turn off your cell phone is entirely yours. When it comes to using your cell phone at work, however, you have to be mindful of your client and the client's family, not to mention your own ability to get your job done. Here are some rules you should follow if you have your cell phone at work.

1. Turn Your Cell Phone Ringer Off

If you have your cell phone at work, it shouldn't ring. If you don't want to turn off your cell phone completely, at least set it to vibrate. The sounds of different ring tones going off all the time can be very annoying to others. In addition, you don't want to draw attention to how often you get personal calls. 

2. Use Your Cell Phone Only for Important Calls

If you have your cell phone at work, you should only use it for important calls. What should you classify as an important call? The school nurse calling to say your child is ill, your child calling to say he's arrived home from school safely, and family emergencies that you must deal with immediately are important. Your friend calling to chat, your child calling to say the dog had an accident, or your mom calling to tell you your cousin is engaged should not be considered important.

3. Let Your Cell Phone Calls Go to Voice Mail

While you are at work if you are in doubt about whether an incoming call is important, let voice mail pick it up. It will take much less time to check your messages than it will to answer the call and then tell the caller you can't talk.

4. Find a Private Place to Make Cell Phone Calls

While it's okay to use your cell phone at work for private calls during breaks, don't make personal calls in front of clients or your client's family members. Find somewhere else to talk, where your conversation can't be overheard, even if what you're discussing isn't personal.  

5. Don't Bring Your Cell Phone to Meetings

In this day and age cell phones have become an essential work tool and therefore this rule should read "Don't Bring Your Cell Phone to Meetings If You Are Going to Use It for Anything Not Related to the Meeting." It's likely you have your calendar on your phone and you probably use it to take notes. If you need to have it with you for those reasons, then you don't have much of a choice. Do not use it to text, read or post status updates, or play games. Don't bury your nose in your phone. Keep your eyes on whomever is speaking and stay engaged in the meeting. Doing anything else will be a clear signal to your boss that your mind isn't 100 percent on the business at hand.

 

 

Source:  http://careerplanning.about.com/od/workplacesurvival/tp/cell_phone.htm

 

Resources In Arkansas

Resources available to persons with disabilities and their caregivers:

Arkansas Foundation for Medical Care

Arkansas Occupational Therapy Association

Arkansas Speech Language Hearing Association

Tardive Dyskinesia Center

Developmental Disabilities Provider Association

Working Disabled Program

Adaptive Equipment

Developmental Day Treatment Clinic Services (DDTCS)

Developmental Disability Respite Care

Alternatives for Adults with Physical Disabilities Program

Specialized Programs for Adults with Serious Mental Illness

Weatherization Assistance Program (WAP)

AR-GetCare Search


Education is not preparation for life; education is life itself. --John Dewey

Mission Statement & Core Values

Mission Statement

Civitan Services provides quality educational and life skills training for people with developmental disabilities. We strive to make a positive impact in the lives of our clients and their families through specialized services and support offered in a safe, compassionate environment. We are committed to providing a facility and staff that will always meet the needs of people with disabilities in our community. Our ultimate objective is to help each person we serve maximize their potential for independence and become productive members of society. 

Core Values

Commitment
Resources
Growing
Innovative
Compassionate
Safe
Serving
Progressive
Caring
Adaptable