Congratulations, Sofia Hoimes!

August 2014
A Monthly Newsletter for
the Melmark Community
Congratulations, Sofia Hoimes!
Our Employee of the Month
Sofia’s interactions with the individuals in the Vocational
department is admirable and a model for others. She
consistently demonstrates the Standards of Professionalism
with her positive attitude and commitment to the individuals
she serves. She frequently expresses how proud she is to be part
of the vocational staff and is quick to give credit to her fellow
co-workers.
Sofia has, on several occasions, commented that she works in the
best room and program at Melmark and that she “loves her guys”.
In addition, she helps with the Melmark Players on a regular basis and has brought a
great deal of support to the program outside of her regular working hours.
She is always encouraging and remains positive to help Melmark clients reach their
potential. Sofia focuses on our individuals’ strengths to help them succeed on a daily
basis. She remains cool, calm and positive under pressure, even when working with
challenging individuals and always has a smile on her face.
Sofia is often asked to work in other program rooms and always make sure she
is appropriately trained. She will ask appropriate questions to make sure she is
providing the best care possible. Sofia meets each task assigned to her with a
positive attitude.
$500 Referral Bonus
If you know someone who would
make an exceptional member of
the Melmark team, please tell them
to check out Career Opportunities
posted on our website and apply
online at: www.melmark.org/careers.
We’re looking for motivated and
caring individuals who want to make
a difference in the lives of children
and adults with intellectual and
developmental disabilities.
An existing Melmark employee will
receive $250 when the new hire is
here for three months and another
$250 when the new hire is here for
one year. You can refer new hires all
year long!
Remember to fill out the employee referral
form, found in Human Resources,
before the new hire begins at Melmark.
Adult Services
Job Fair
Wednesday, September 24, 2014
3:30 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Multi-Purpose Center
Help us reach 1,500 Likes!
Sofia and colleagues with Maggie and Patrick
Please join us in congratulating Sofia on being
named our August Employee of the Month!
Join staff, parents and friends by
‘liking’ our page at:
www.facebook.com/MelmarkPA
A Message from Our President
Joanne Gillis-Donovan, Ph.D.
Someone once said, “Diversity is the one true thing we all have in common. Celebrate it every
day.” While the author is unknown, we each should take these words to heart, in reference to
our colleagues and especially when it comes to the people entrusted to our care.
On Friday, September 26, we will celebrate the diversity of Melmark with our annual Heritage
Day Celebration. Flags from each country represented by Melmark staff will be on display in
Center Circle. Native dishes will be served, and international artwork will be on display.
I hope all staff and clients will attend the planned activities, which are listed in this newsletter,
as this event gives us the opportunity to highlight the rich culture at Melmark.
While we will be celebrating our differences on this day, it is important to remember that what makes us unique is
not limited to our nationality, skin color or native language. We each have different preferences, individual needs and
unique ways of dealing with challenges. In this way, like so many others, we share common bonds with those we serve.
Only when you look past a person’s differences, can you see the similarities we all share.
This month, and all year long, I look forward to celebrating the diversity of Melmark.
Melmark Heritage Festival
Friday, September 26th
Join us and celebrate the diversity that makes Melmark such an
amazing place to work and live. Melmark’s Annual International
Heritage Day Festival features a parade, in which staff and clients
carry flags from their native countries. The festival also includes a
complimentary buffet lunch of ethnic foods served by members of
Melmark’s Leadership Team, as well as games and activities.
Melmark’s Annual Heritage Festival celebrates
our staff and clients
Annual School Talent Show
Students practiced their routines in the weeks leading up to the August 14 Melmark Talent Show.
Congratulations to all participants for a wonderful performance!
Joey with his staff on stage
Dante rides his bike through the audience
Ella and Jonah are all smiles
The ladies from Classroom 8 rock the stage
Riley performs as Mario
Classroom 3’s performance has everyone dancing
Corey leads Classroom 11 in the production
ADVOCACY CORNER
With budget season completed, August is when legislators return to their districts or take vacation time.
The Pennsylvania Senate and House of Representatives will reconvene on Monday, September 15 at 1 p.m.
Our government relations efforts are heavily focused on analyzing several pieces of federal legislation
affecting Melmark’s (and other providers’) adult programs, and tracking how they will be implemented by the
Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. The most important of these is the “CMS (Center for Medicare and Medicaid
Services) Final Rule” on HCBS (Home and Community Based Settings).
Although complex, the rule defines what constitutes a “community” home and day program setting. The spirit
of the law is community inclusion and greater freedom of choice for individuals with intellectual disabilities;
however, there is some debate about how well it actually provides those things. Providers, parents, and
consumers are invited to attend “Public Input meetings” to be held around the state, in which persons can
speak for up to five minutes addressing Department of Public Welfare Secretary, Beverly Mackereth and others.
Melmark plans to have representation at the Philadelphia meeting, slated for 1 p.m. on Thursday, September 4,
at Visions for Equality.
Michael Donovan
Manager of Operations
and Strategic Initiatives
In the Garden with Gary
Many of you have seen Gary whizzing through the Melmark community
on his scooter. A longtime member of the Meadows Country Garden
Guild, Gary loves to use his scooter to help transport items to and from
the garden. This lightens the load on his co-workers in the guild and gives
Gary a meaningful way to help his friends and colleagues. Recently, Gary
brought several bunches of freshly cut flowers from the garden back to the
workshop. Once there, he worked alongside his peers to strip and bunch
the flowers for drying.
Shop The Meadows’ Online Store!
Gary and Colleen transport flowers
from the garden to the workshop
Purchase gifts for all occasions at:
www.melmark.org/meadows-store
Free Melmark Shirts Provided to all Staff
Melmark is providing all employees with three free Melmark shirts:
1 – Short sleeved t-shirt
1 – Long sleeved t-shirt
1 – Short sleeved polo shirt
Shirts were distributed in the gym in August.
Staff who have not picked up their shirts may do so at the School Store
Monday through Friday between the hours of 10 a.m. and 11:30 a.m.
and 1 p.m. and 2:30 p.m. The School Store is located on the lower level
of the school and can be accessed by using the stairwell between the Gym and the Eatery.
Anna Krips receives her shirts from Juan Araujo
Staff will typically not be required to wear the Melmark shirts but can do so if they
would like. We will require all staff to keep their polo shirts in good condition as there
may be special events during which we will ask staff to wear the polos. All staff will
continue to follow the dress code within their work areas.
Additional shirts are available to staff, clients and families at the following prices:
Short sleeved t-shirts: $6.00
Long sleeved t-shirts: $10.00
Polo shirts: $15.00
Branden modeling his new shirt
Tee’s Southern Secrets
Recipe of the Month: Peanut Butter Chocolate Tandy Cake
You can’t go wrong with Peanut Butter and Chocolate. In my
experience, it’s a combination that satisfies a sweet tooth every
time. So this month, I want to share with you my recipe for
Peanut Butter Chocolate Tandy Cakes. I made a batch of them
last week and was completely sold out the next day. Simple
and delicious, and it doesn’t get any better than that.
Peanut Butter
Chocolate Tandy Cake
Directions:
Ingredients:
4 Eggs
1 c. Milk
2 c. Flour
¼ tsp. Salt
2 c. Sugar
1 tsp. Vanilla
2 tsp. Baking Powder
2 (7 oz.) Hershey Bars
1 c. Creamy Peanut Butter
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Beat eggs until think.
• Gradually add sugar; keep beating.
• Add milk and vanilla.
• Mix dry ingredients in separate bowl and fold into egg mixture by hand only.
• Pour onto greased cookie tray and bake at 350 for 15-20 minutes.
(The cake does not brown.)
• Spread peanut butter on hot cake. Allow to cool.
• Melt chocolate bars and spread over peanut butter.
• Cut cake into squares immediately and allow chocolate to cool.
Look for Tee’s Bakery Cart in your program area
on Wednesdays and Thursdays!
Melmark Wellness Program
We are excited to launch our new Employee Wellness Program. The program is designed
to encourage all of our employees to achieve maximum health and wellness. The program
will involve multiple components, including educational sessions on a variety of health
and wellness topics, weight loss programs and exercise challenges.
All Melmark employees are eligible to participate in these programs. Additionally,
employees who are enrolled in Melmark’s health insurance and who achieve healthy
lifestyle goals as outlined on the Healthy Lifestyle Tracker (available in HR) will receive
incentives towards lowering their medical insurance premiums in 2015.
All of the wellness goals for the balance of this benefit plan year are outlined in our Healthy Life Style Tracker.
Employees who complete these goals will earn “healthy lifestyle points.” At the end of the plan year, employees
who are enrolled in our medical plans may be eligible for premium discounts based on the number of healthy
lifestyle points they earn. These discounts are in addition to the discount already in place for non-tobacco users.
Point Total
250 - 349 points
350 - 449 points
450 points or greater
Discount Per Pay
$5.00
$7.00
$10.00
Please visit HR for a copy of the Healthy Lifestyle Tracker.
Employees who wish to earn healthy lifestyle points will need to provide documentation of achievement for each
goal. Details of what documentation is needed, as well as the due date for various documentation, are outlined in
the Healthy Lifestyle Tracker. In addition, the completed Healthy Lifestyle Tracker must be submitted to Human
Resources on or before 3/30/2015.
We are also excited to kick off our first two Employee Wellness Initiatives, both of which are designed to help you
achieve your wellness goals:
The WalkingWorks® Challenge is a friendly 10 week walking competition that will begin on 9/1/2014
and will conclude on 11/7/2014. To register, go to http://www.walkingworks.com and click on
“Registration Now!”
The Losers R Winners Health Improvement Challenge is an 8 week program
that encourages employees who are above the CDC’s recommended body weight
to lose weight by dropping unhealthy habits and adopting healthy ones. Three
weigh-in sessions will occur during the program that begins on 9/22/14 and
concludes on 11/14/14. Participants will be eligible for the incentive if they lose
5% of their body weight by the end of the program. Employees who are already
within the CDC’s recommended body weight range only need to weigh in any time
between 9/22/14 and 11/14/14 to qualify for the incentive.
Basic Rules/Recommendations:
 As with any nutrition and/or exercise program, participants should consult
their doctor before beginning, especially for individuals who have a sedentary
lifestyle or have a health condition that requires special consideration.
 The program will run for 8 weeks.
 Participants should attend an informational/kickoff session during the dates &
times below. Employees will need to register by Wednesday, 9/17/14.
Date
Time
8/25/2014 2:00pm
8/27/2014 2:00pm
8/28/2014 9:30am
8/28/2014 3:30pm
 Weigh-in sessions will be held on three occasions during the below dates and
times, privately in the HR office. (Your weight will remain confidential and will
not be shared with team members).
Date
Time
10/20/14
7:30-4:00pm
9/22/2014
7:30-4:00pm
11/14/2014 7:30-4:00pm
 Participants must complete the initial, mid-way and final weigh-ins to be
eligible for the incentive.
 Weigh-ins will be conducted using a quality electronic scale in a private area in
Human Resources.
 Participants will receive weekly challenges by e-mail to encourage their weight
loss and healthy eating.
 Participants will receive a certificate upon completion and will be eligible for
the incentive if you lose 5% of your body weight and are currently enrolled in
Melmark’s medical insurance through IBC. All employees are encouraged to
participate.
 The male & female employee that loses the most weight in this 8 week period
will receive a fit-bit!
SAFETY ZONE:
C. diff Information and Prevention
What is Clostridium difficile infection?
Clostridium difficile, also known as “C. diff”, is a germ that can cause diarrhea. Most cases of C. diff infection
occur in patients taking antibiotics. The most common symptoms of a C. diff infection include:
• Watery diarrhea
• Fever
• Loss of appetite
• Nausea, belly pain and tenderness
Who is most likely to get C. diff infection?
The elderly and people with certain medical problems have the greatest chance of getting C. diff. C. diff spores
can live outside the human body for a very long time and may be found on things in the environment such as
bed linens, bed rails, bathroom fixtures, and medical equipment. C. diff infection can spread from person-toperson on contaminated equipment and on the hands of care providers and visitors.
Can C. diff infection be treated?
Yes, there are antibiotics that can be used to treat C. diff. In some severe cases, a person might have to have
surgery to remove the infected part of the intestines. This surgery is needed in only 1 or 2 out of every 100
persons with C. diff.
What are some of the things that we can do to prevent C. diff infections?
To prevent C. diff. infections, direct care providers should:
• Clean their hands with soap and water before and after caring for every individual. This can prevent C. diff and other germs from being passed from one individual to
another on their hands.
Alcohol-based sanitizers have not been proven as effective as soap and water at
killing C. diff.
• Carefully clean rooms and equipment with an EPA-approved cleaner for C. diff.
(i.e. Sani Wipes with bleach) that have been used for patients with C. diff.
• Use Contact Precautions to prevent C. diff from spreading to other individuals.
Contact Precautions mean:
• Whenever possible, individuals with C. diff will have a single room or share a room only with someone else
who also has C. diff.
• Direct care providers will put on gloves and wear a gown over their clothing while taking care of patients with
C. diff.
• Visitors may also be asked to wear a gown and gloves.
• When leaving the room, direct care providers and visitors should remove their gown and gloves and clean
their hands.
• Only give individuals antibiotics when it is necessary.
• Make sure individuals clean their hands often, especially after using the bathroom and before eating.
Can my friends and family get C. diff when they visit a home with an infected individual?
C. diff infection usually does not occur in persons who are not taking antibiotics. Visitors are not
likely to get C. diff. Still, to make it safer for visitors, they should clean their hands before they enter
the home and as they leave the home.
7th Annual 2014 Melmark Annual Conference:
Experts in Behavior Analysis
This conference is designed for psychologists, behavior analysts and other professionals working with children
and adults with developmental disabilities. Content is at the intermediate level. The 7th Annual Melmark
Conference is hosted by Melmark and does not have commercial support that may pose any conflict of interest
to participants. To register for this conference, visit: https://ecomm.melmark.org/pa-conferences
Keynote Speakers
William H. Ahearn, Ph.D., BCBA-D
Director of Research at The New England Center for Children
Adjunct Faculty at Western New England University
Response Blocking for Stereotypy:
A Comprehensive Review of Procedural Variations
James Coplan, M.D.
Neurodevelopmental Pediatrician, Author and Speaker
ASD and Mental Illness:
Not Co-Morbidity, but Continuum & Metamorphosis
Friday, October 3 2014
9:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Melmark Multi-Purpose Center
2600 Wayland Road
Berwyn, PA 19312
Cost
Professionals: $65
Students and Parents: $50
Continuing Education Available
APA - 5 CEU
ACT 48 - 6 CEU
BCBA - 7 CEU
NASW - 5 CEU
For more information, contact: Jennifer Croner at 610-325-2910 or JenniferCroner@Melmark.org
Staff Reaching 90 Days of employment
Employee Name
Position
PROGRAM AREA
Terrie Alexander-Bredell
Residential Aide
Adult Campus, Residential
Rebecca Bennett
Residential Aide
Adult Campus, Residential
Princess Kabakole
ABA Counselor
Education
Karla McLaren
Residential Aide
Adult Community, Residential
Tiarra McLaughlin
Residential Aide
Adult Community, Residential
Mark Mitchell
Staff Development Associate
Human Resources
Sammeria Page
ABA Counselor
Children’s Residential
Carmita Ponce
ABA Counselor
Education
Corie Salter
ABA Counselor
Education
Egertina Taylor
Residential Aide
Adult Community, Residential
Angelica Taylor
General Services
Facilities
Karriemah Williams
Residential Aide
Adult Campus, Residential
Melmark’s Mission and Vision
Our Mission
The mission of Melmark is to serve children, adults and their families affected by a broad range of intellectual
disabilities. We provide evidence-based, educational, vocational, clinical, residential, healthcare and rehabilitative
services, personally designed for each individual in a safe environment of warmth, care and respect.
Our Vision
Melmark’s vision is to continue to advance our clinical systems, becoming a national and international resource
center. Melmark’s services will always be high quality, evidence-based best practices, designed and validated
by recognized leaders in the field. We will continue to generate and disseminate knowledge through research,
publications, presentations and training. We will always be “The Home that Love Built” in all aspects of what we do.
nEW hIRES
Employee Name
Position
PROGRAM AREA
Sarah Beaston
ABA Counselor, Education
The Melmark School
Mamaka Bility
Residential Aide, Adult
Engle
Destiny Cain
ABA Counselor, Education Intern
The Melmark School
Kelly Cassidy
Teacher
The Melmark School
Mica Church
Residential Aide, Adult
Widener
Henry Davis
Residential Aide, Adult
Devon
Kieona Fairley
ABA Counselor, Education
The Melmark School
Ellen Foster
ABA Counselor, Residential
Carriage
Tiffany Foster
ABA Counselor, Education Intern
The Melmark School
Kaitlynne Gibbs
Speech Pathologist
Speech Therapy
Rebecca Giles-Magee
ABA Counselor, Residential
Schoemaker
Johanna Gordon-Reid
Residential Aide, Adult
Aston A
Gifty Harris
Residential Aide, Adult
Gallagher
Nicole Heckenswiler
ABA Counselor, Education
The Melmark School
Shelby Hennigan
Residential Aide, Children
Schoemaker
Salieu Jalloh
Residential Aide, Adult
Aston B
Tipoh Jardiah
Residential Aide, Adult
Aston A
Melissa Johnson
Admin. Assistant, Education
The Melmark School
Sulaiman Kamara
Residential Aide, Adult
Widener
Tarik Khan
Nurse Practitioner
Healthcare
Jayson Kwon
ABA Counselor, Education
The Melmark School
John Mursay
Residential Aide, Children
Carriage
Rasheedah Noel
Residential Aide, Adult
Spruce B
Kaela Norman
ABA Counselor, Education
The Melmark School
Funnanya Nwani
Residential Aide, Adult
Thomas
Desmond Pessima
ABA Counselor, Education
The Melmark School
Eleni Quinones
Licensed Practical Nurse
Healthcare
Lakieza Richardson
Vocational Workshop Assistant
Marcus
Daria Scarlett
ABA Counselor, Residential
Schoemaker
Tonique Schuler
ABA Counselor, Education
The Melmark School
Banka Sesay
ABA Counselor, Residential
Sacca
Ciapha Sherman
Residential Aide, Adult
Spruce A
Hannah Smith
ABA Counselor, Education
The Melmark School
Rose Tertulien
Residential Aide, Children
Schoemaker
Tara Toscano
ABA Counselor, Education
The Melmark School
Tayursor Zinnah
Vocational Workshop Assistant
Marcus
Save the Date
Melmark Traveling Art Show
All-Staff Meetings
All employees are required to attend one of these important meetings!
Meetings will be in the Gym.
Tuesday
September 30th
Wednesday
October 1st
9:15 AM
11:00 AM
2:00 PM
3:30 PM
9:30 PM
Display locations and dates:
Now through December 31, 2014
Kimmel Center
300 S Broad St, Philadelphia, PA
September 2nd – September 26th
Artisans Gallery and Café
234 Bridge St, Phoenixville, PA
Stop by to check out the beautiful
artwork by Melmark students!
Joybells to Perform with
The Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia
In their first ever performance with The Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia, The Joybells of
Melmark will perform two free holiday concerts, featuring music specially arranged by Music
Director Dirk Brosse. The concert will launch the worldwide release of the joint ensemble’s
holiday CD, featuring the music that will be performed live in the Kimmel Center.
Free, Live Holiday Concerts
Commonwealth Plaza in the Kimmel Center
300 South Broad Street, Philadelphia
Sunday, December 7th, 10 a.m. and 2 p.m.
For more information about this first of its kind performance, please email:
CyndieMartin@Melmark.org or call 610-325-4976.