Changing Healthcare in Delaware
Real life. Real possibilities.
Changing Healthcare in Delaware
By Shavonne Brathwaite
Executive Director, Delaware
Mosaic’s vision statement begins: “We are the changing face of healthcare…”
Until recently, Mosaic never identified itself as a healthcare organization. But in truth, we are. We provide services and supports that are focused on people having the best possible health. We’ve never looked at health as simply numbers on a chart.
Traditional healthcare is now starting to realize what we’ve known for decades – if you want someone to be happy and healthy, you have to support the whole person.
That’s happening in new ways here in Delaware. Because of the tremendous growth we experienced in 2019, we’re putting a renewed focus on strengthening the quality of our services.
Through increased training opportunities, we are expanding our knowledge to ensure that we are experts in our field. One way we are doing this is by obtaining certifications.
To date, seven employees have become Certified Autism Specialists. We plan to continue this in 2020 so every home will have at least one person who is a Certified Autism Specialist. To better lead, I’m working toward my certification, as well.
Whole-person healthcare also means our advocacy work will continue to be important at Mosaic. Our ongoing partnership with families of the people we support and individuals in service through our Family Focus group and Ray of Hope Self-Advocacy group brings invaluable feedback to help Mosaic personalize services for individuals. We’ll also continue to work with the Abilities Network of Delaware to advocate for positive changes in our state and federal ID/DD systems.
I’m glad you’re a partner with Mosaic in our mission. Using the whole person model, we know that Mosaic cannot fill all of a person’s social, psychological, economic, environmental, spiritual and financial needs.
It takes a community of people to build a fulfilling life. It takes connection. And it’s often little connections that make a big difference in the lives of the people we support – which is why we champion collaboration and partnership at Mosaic.
We cannot do what we say we’re going to do without you: our partners, our caring community.
Some of you are receiving this bi-annual newsletter for the first time. You’ll find it is a great source of information to know what’s happening both at Mosaic in Delaware and across the Mosaic network. Please make sure to read about our behavioral supports program and the upcoming Mosaic celebration of National Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month.
About the Author
Shavonne began with Mosaic in 2015. She brings more than 15 years of experience in the IDD and human services field. She holds a bachelor’s degree from Temple University, an MBA from Strayer University and a doctorate of philosophy in education from Wilmington University.
Behavior Supports See Quick Growth
Mosaic’s Behavior Support services in Delaware have grown dramatically in the last two years. In the spring of 2018, we served 47 people through the service. Now we are serving 105.
Through observation, sometimes over months, the behavior support staff members work to understand the “why” behind a person’s negative or harmful behaviors. Once they determine why a behavior is happening, they work to find other ways to meet the person’s need, which then removes the negative behavior.
Rebecca Kohl, Behavior Support Supervisor, noted as example a person who would become angry, sometimes becoming aggressive or destructive. What Kohl learned watching him over the course of several months was that he was trying to communicate complex thoughts and became frustrated when people could not understand him.
“He is a very social person, constantly trying to engage with people,” she said. “Because he doesn’t have the words, people don’t reciprocate with him.”
She helped staff understand what’s happening at those times and gave them new ways to learn what he is trying to communicate.
“I explain to staff, ‘He is trying to communicate with you. You might have to go through trial and error.’”
Mosaic even acquired a communications device to help him form sentences. The difference, she said, is dramatic. He now uses the communications device to tell jokes, engaging those around him.
In addition to Kohl, Mosaic in Delaware has two additional Behavior Support Coordinators, Aaron Matthews and Jerry Gibson. Mosaic’s Associate Director, Katherine Thomas, also maintains a caseload.
In his six months at Mosaic, Matthews said he has helped develop behavior support plans for more than 20 people. For one individual alone, he has done at least six staff trainings. Each time, he said, the person’s negative behaviors (which included physical and verbal aggression, running away and hurting himself) have diminished.
The staff members’ success has been noticed by the state, he said.
“The BA department is regularly called on by the state to take on challenging cases that other providers have struggled with due to lack of resources or knowledge of support.”
Further Reading
Mosaic is Called to be Bold
In its pursuit of ever-higher quality, Mosaic conducts fundraising across the organization to support high standards of service that ensure people have the supports and items they need for a meaningful life.
Last year, the organization publicly announced a $63 million Called to be Bold comprehensive campaign. It is a five-year campaign that began in 2016, which during the first three years quietly built momentum through major and planned gifts.
Called to be Bold seeks bold leaders, partners and friends to help Mosaic expand its offerings of personalized services to people with diverse needs; create additional partnerships with churches and others to create new opportunities for people; and gain the resources necessary to meet people’s immediate, everyday needs.
Being A Part Of, Not Apart From
March is National Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Awareness (NIDDA) Month. Mosaic’s 2020 theme is: “Belonging: Being a Part Of, Not Apart From.”
Belonging is important to people’s overall health. By some estimates, medical care accounts for only 10-20% of what contributes to a person’s health. The other 80-90%, often called the social determinants of health, are things like friendships, a safe home and resources for everyday needs.
Mosaic is a whole-person healthcare provider, meaning we look at all of those other things in a person’s life. We work to help people build satisfying relationships through social activities, church and work. Follow us on social media to learn more throughout the month of March.