Wellness University

Building Better Lives Together

Photo By David Charnack

“The Wellness University” was born out of Margaret Flores’ dream to create a series where Lifehouse Residents can share resources in order to lead healthy lives. The series will share practical easy wellness tips, simple delicious and nutritious recipes, fun exercise tips, latest health discoveries, and any tips that inspire creativity and increase the quality of our lives.

Along with the Lifehouse Technology Program and the residents at San Anselmo House, Margaret has facilitated the creation of “The Wellness University’s” first recipe tutorial video. We hope that you will follow along and enjoy as we discover the wealth of resources that exist in the Lifehouse community.

 
 

First up is the wonderfully delicious recipe for Butterfly Pea Flower Tea!

 

sharpening Our Edge

Meet Our New Quality Assurance (QA) Team

Lisa Ann Carbone, QA Specialist

Lisa Ann Carbone, QA Specialist

With a robust staff development program in place, Lifehouse is now establishing an internal Quality Assurance (QA) Program this fiscal year to guarantee consistency, quality, and assurance that services are in accordance with program designs, contracts and Title 17 regulations. The program is to be headed by two QA Specialists, Lisa Ann Carbone and Claudia Silva, to accommodate our growing programs.

Claudia Silva, QA Specialist

Claudia Silva, QA Specialist

The mission of the QA Team is to teach, assist, and support both our individuals that we support as well as our direct support staff.

In addition to QA Training, Lifehouse continues to provide comprehensive training for staff and weekly training on a variety of topics as part of employee orientation and enrichment. The Lifehouse Training Room in the new Lifehouse building, with flexible seating structures, will provide ample space for classes that will benefit our Lifehouse staff and established colleagues in the special needs community. We look forward to sharing Lifehouse’s expertise and experience to assist other organizations serving similar populations.

 
The new Lifehouse Training Room will be versatile and adaptive to a range of different applications to accommodate different training situations, from classroom to breakout style.

The new Lifehouse Training Room will be versatile and adaptive to a range of different applications to accommodate different training situations, from classroom to breakout style.

 

This feature and other happenings around Lifehouse can be found in our Annual Report and bi-annual Newsletters. To receive your copy in the mail subscribe here.

Lifehouse Residents at Work

Lifehouse Residents at Work is an ongoing series exploring the people we support at their places of work and how they got to where they are today.

Jeanna Eriksen, Lifehouse Resident

Jeanna Eriksen, Lifehouse Resident

Q: WHERE DO YOU WORK?

A: I have been working for the California State Council on Developmental Disabilities for the past three years.

Q: WHAT IS YOUR CURRENT POSITION?

A: I currently work on the SAC Committee (Sacramento Advisory Committee), which is a regional committee of the California State Council on Developmental Disabilities. I do advocacy work for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

Q: WHAT WOULD YOU SAY IS YOUR STRONGEST SKILL THAT YOU BRING TO THE WORK PLACE?

A: I am motivated, tenacious, and I get things done.

Q: WHAT MOTIVATES YOU?

A: Tackling challenges and making change happen.

Q: WHAT WAS ONE OF THE BIGGEST CHALLENGES IN FINDING A JOB?

A: People not believing in me.

Q: HOW DID YOU FIND YOUR CURRENT POSITION?

A: I started with Area Board 4, the Sonoma regional office of the California State Council on Developmental Disabilities, back in 2009. I was asked to be on a local committee and I did that for five years. Then in 2017, the opportunity came up for me to be on the SAC committee. I applied and got the job!

Q: WHAT IS YOUR GREATEST ACCOMPLISHMENT?

A: I recently became the Chairman of the SAC committee.

Q: HAS LIFEHOUSE BEEN HELPFUL IN REACHING YOUR CAREER GOALS?

A: Lifehouse empowers me in my role as an advocate. They provide me with the staffing needed for personal care, transportation, and assistance with resources.

Q: WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE TO SAY TO OTHERS ABOUT HIRING INDIVIDUALS WITH DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES?

A: We have had conversations about this in the council. I would encourage them to hire us because we are very dependable and reliable. We show up on time and we do the job well. People with developmental disabilities are just as equal and beautiful as those without disabilities and work just as hard.

This feature and other happenings around Lifehouse can be found in our bi-annual Newsletters. To receive your copy in the mail subscribe here.

Shining Lights in the Dark

a letter from the president & ceo

Nancy Dow Moody President & CEO

Nancy Dow Moody
President & CEO

Hello Everyone,

In appreciation to our Lifehouse staff during the Public Safety Power Shutoff (PSPS) here are a few highlights of staff contributions that demonstrate how many people went above and beyond their basic job duties. We know the list is not comprehensive, and want to share our appreciation to all Lifehouse staff and send our wishes for everyone’s safety.

North Bay Evacuations

Tran Van and Jonathon Hurst have teamed up to support Michele Selzer. Michele needed to evacuate late Saturday night and Tran, who was on shift, never wavered in her commitment accompanying Michele to Wilson House in Novato, not knowing when she would return to her home, also in Santa Rosa. She remained by Michele’s side until Tuesday to ensure safe transfers and care for Michele. Jonathon responded to the need for a second staff to assist with transfers and has come 2 times a day since to assist Tran and has offered his skill, strength and gentle nature to make what is a scary situation for Michele a bit more tolerable.  Thank you also to Carmen Kinney and the Wilson House team for welcoming Michele.

Mary Gerber and Gillie Irwin are a dynamic duo supporting people receiving ILS in the North Bay. When evacuations were ordered for more people we support in Santa Rosa they crawled through stop and go traffic to knock on the doors and evacuate those requiring assistance. In the stressful times, they were a picture of self-control and courage.

Ben Winer, versatile in his ability to respond to the needs of a multitude of people, traveled between counties to provide support to whoever had immediate need. This is a trait Ben exhibits throughout the year, much to the advantage of the people receiving Lifehouse supports. Uwe Harck with Anna Johnson and Chris Snyder with Jeana Eriksen have evacuated and have remained with the people they support throughout. Each have a rich history with Anna and Jeana respectively, supporting them prior to Lifehouse initiated services within the past year.  Meanwhile Barry Taylor has remained by Dillon Scheer’s side, while Rosania Salinas and Inanna LaFevre have been supporting Lisa Barron and Green House in Novato respectively around the clock.

Many members of North Bay management were up around the clock over the weekend fielding texts and calls to coordinate evacuations and staffing support. Many thanks to Sabrina Wilson, Makeylia McCorley, Shelby Gray, Megan Daos, Irish Krings, Essence Cook, Bill Toupal, Jacob Portlock, Anja Hansen, Olivia Vain and Lisa Carbone. Some members of the team continued to coordinate services while undergoing their own evacuation orders. We feel extremely fortunate for the commitment of our team members.

Johanna Schleret was instrumental in monitoring the ever-changing evacuation map and matching it to the map of where all people Lifehouse supports in the North Bay. Thanks to her ingenuity, we were able to move quickly and accurately.

Marin Power Outages

ICF and ILS teams did non-stop follow up to ensure the residents in our group homes were safe and care met regulatory requirements.

Crys Rohmer was relentless going to various homes to check on the well-being of the residents and to deliver supplies after completing her overnight shifts at UCSF ER. She even took the time to put on her nursing cap at Lifehouse and stop by to evaluate someone with a bit of a cough. With all her spare time she arrived at day program to heat up lunches for the people she supports. Crys’ generosity did not stop there, she also donated a mattress to an ICF resident because theirs has deflated.

 

Kayla Hotchkiss, Sara Holiday and Christine Leider were teaming up early this week to make sure all 3 ICFs had the supplies and staffing supports needed to minimize the effects of the power outage.

 

In the ILS, Mike Sus coordinated services throughout the power outage. Makayla Moore was busy transporting residents to areas with power to lessen the impact and gather supplies.

Michael Miller, our maintenance tech, went above and beyond by setting up generators, schlepping gas and ice, and fielding questions.

Finally, thank you to the Marin SLS Team, including Mario Newton, Ciara Turner, Holly Skidmore, Felicia Romero, Danita Mazzoleni and Gary Malfatti. Claudia Silva repeatedly made herself available to meet the needs of others. Your diligence made all the difference.

Finally, thank you Kate O’Connor and Michelle Condit. They were at the heart of coordinating all the evacuation efforts, logistics for staffing, delivery of ice, batteries, communications supporting staff and the people we serve. We certainly could not have done this without their outstanding efforts.

Again, we want to express how grateful we are to work with such a dedicated staffing team at Lifehouse. We send our thoughts to everyone for a return to a feeling of safety for each of you and your family.

 

Thank you to our Lifehouse Team,

 
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Nancy Dow Moody, President & CEO

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It's a Suite Life

This year marks the 25th year that Lifehouse will be hosting our annual Awards Banquet at the Embassy Suites in San Rafael. As we celebrate yet another year of our incredible community members, Embassy Suites has a celebration of their own coming in 2020— the completion of a full hotel renovation.

This exciting relaunch of the hotel aims to bring an artsy, cool, and intellectual west coast vibe to life. It will boast thoughtful, clean and modern design elements throughout, including an enhanced pool, fire pits, a culinary garden, and an exciting new food and beverage program lead by Chef Brian Whitmer.

Stay: 101 McInnis Pkwy, San Rafael, CA 94903. Rates range from $200-$329 and includes complimentary hot breakfast and 2 hour managers happy hour.

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Gather: There will be 15,000 square feet of meeting and event space, including, two new outdoor options and flexible floor plan choices, all equipped with new Audio Visual and Wi-Fi. Seasonal food and beverage tastings will also be made available to create a high-end experience for any event.

Catering and Conference Services, including Lifehouse’s Awards Banquet, is lead by Heather Liencres. Heather brings expertise in both non-profit values and high-end hospitality. She has provided guidance and flexibility to plan for the Awards Banquet, continuing this legendary San Rafael partnership.

Eat & Drink: Chef Whitmer’s vision for the new food and beverage program is a beautiful blend of his expertise in creating first class culinary experiences by bringing together communities and sustainable food practices. “Named after the trees native to the area, the Red Oak Pacific Rotisserie & Bar will include a locally sourced menu complimented by our very own culinary garden, Red Oak honey bees, and handcrafted beverages for any age,” says Chef Whitmer. The innovative new menu will also be available in the Private Dining Room, Outdoor Terrace or the Red Oak Farm - Culinary Garden event space.

In the spirit of practicing sustainability, the culinary garden will support a fresh produce stand each Sunday across the foot bridge at the Marin County Farmers market. Donations of produce will also be made to the Marin Food Bank.

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Through this highly anticipated transformation, Embassy Suites aims to be on the cutting edge to bring our community together. It will be the perfect place to host family from out of town, commune friends after work, or hold your next big event.

Congratulations to Embassy Suites on a wonderful new chapter!

Looking for the perfect space to host your next event?

Email Heather Liencres, Director of Catering & Conference Services

 

Let’s Celebrate

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Each year at our Annual Awards Banquet we celebrate the dedicated staff and community members that support our mission of ensuring that individuals with developmental disabilities have the opportunity to live a full life. PLEASE follow along this month as we honor the big-hearts that make it all possible.

When: October 25, 2019

Where: Embassy Suites, San Rafael

Tickets: $60

To purchase tickets please call 415.526.5300 or email: mail@lifehouseagency.org

Outstanding Community Members

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OUTSTANDING STAFF RECOGNITION

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A Full Life

Meet Sallie

Sallie has called Lifehouse home for eight years and is in the Supported Living Program (SLP). This program is perfect for her since it gives her the tools and life skills she needs to be as independent as possible.  

Sallie is full of life and loves goofing around and making people laugh. Her favorite person to get a smile out of is her boyfriend Mark. They have been together for eight years. Some of her hobbies include hiking, going to the beach, and playing table tennis. She is a total shark on the court, and she was in the winner’s circle at her most recent tournament!

When Sallie isn’t palling around with friends, she is hard at work. With the support of the local non-profit, People with Disabilities Succeeding (PDS), Sallie works two jobs. The PDS Integrated Work and Community Inclusion Program helps her maintain her job at Woodlands Market for the past 11 years, as well as a position as a crossing guard during the school year for the past seven years. She takes great pride in her work, and loves the opportunity to be out and about in her community.

Sallie has lots of goals for her life, including to live more independently and be less reliant on others by practicing the life skills she has learned from Lifehouse. She also wants people to see that she has a warm heart and a good mind. Her message to the community is that people should accept individuals with developmental disabilities and welcome them into their lives.

In Memoriam

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We are shocked and saddened by the tragic passing of our beloved Board Chair, Jacquie Gribens. The Board of Directors, staff, volunteers, the 350 people who receive services from Lifehouse, and the whole community mourn her loss. We extend our deepest sympathies to her husband Bruce, sons Josh & Nick, daughter Allie, and all of her family.

Jacquie was a beloved figure in the community and a great friend and colleague to so many of us. Jacquie began volunteering at Lifehouse 10 years ago opening wine in the kitchen for Great Chefs & Wineries and remained involved ever since. She served on the Great Chefs & Wineries Steering Committee and was an honorary member of the Wine Committee. Jacquie stepped up to serve on the Lifehouse Board of Directors in 2014 and was invited to take a leadership role as Board Chair in 2018 which she enthusiastically accepted.

Jacquie was an effervescent and generous person. She had tremendous energy and commitment to public service. We will forever be grateful for her contributions to Lifehouse and the people we serve.