Elise Scala: founder of Maine PASA

Maine PASA would like to recognize the employers participating in the Employer of Choice and Northern New England LEADS Institute grants. These employers are implementing programs that recognize their direct care staff while involving workers and building quality jobs to support quality care.

Anytime Services for Seniors, West Buxton, 800.782.1474:
Anytime promotes and supports “Independence at Home” for Seniors and adults with disabilities through providing personal care, CNA, nursing, homemaker, transportation and other services. Anytime has chosen to participate in the Federally-funded “Employer of Choice” program, encouraging its workers to bring their voice and ideas to the table to say what matters in finding and keeping quality direct care workers at the agency. Anytime’s “Employee Advisory Committee” includes three frontline workers and one administrator. This planning team conducted a brief survey (“What makes me say, ‘I want to stay here?’”), and has carried out programs that included in-services for staff development, staff-led job-related discussions, networking and recognition.

Home Care of Maine, multiple counties served, 800.639.3084
www.homeresources.org
Maine’s largest provider of homemaker services covers most of the state and employs nearly 400 staff. Their dedication to quality staff and quality services is demonstrated through their investments like their work in the LEADS grant. A Leadership Team of direct care and office staff is implementing three priorities: Improving the communication of critical information to all staff, a peer mentoring program and coaching supervision. Check out their Hot Button, toll free weekly tip line for employees; 800.742.0485

Home Companions Association of New England, Saco, 207.286.0505
www.homecompanions.org
The Employee Advisory Committee has set goals for members of Home Companions to experience and have access to professional and personal growth activities and to strengthen the agency in its current time of growth. Additionally, they strive to help create a model of “best practices” around workforce issues. Programs being implemented include peer teams and staff training and development.

Hummingbird Home Care, Warren, 273.0111
www.hummingbirdhomecare.com
The Employee Advisory Committee has been focusing on themes of wellness including: the challenge of maintaining professional boundaries in private duty home health care, and promoting life balance. Staff meetings and professional development opportunities to foster wellness of employees are being offered. In addition, the committee is designing a “boundary brainstorm think tank” that encourages opportunities to dialogue in both individual and group formats to keep self-care and wellness as an ongoing priority and empowering employees to take a lead role in curriculum and training development with a focus on employee wellness.

Mid-Coast Senior Health, Brunswick, 729.8033
www.midcoastseniorhealthcenter.com
A comprehensive provider of services for seniors Mid-Coast prides itself on quality living, caring and employment. The administration welcomed the LEADS grant and immediately formed an employee workgroup to implement changes that are impacting the quality of the dining experience for residents on the MerePoint and Bodwell floors. Programs are also in progress for increasing communication across the organization and starting the peer mentor and coaching style supervision programs. Mid Coast has a very active training calendar that invites all staff to learn the Best Friend’s Approach to Alzheimer’s Care.

Sandy River Home Resources, Portland, 774.9643
www.sandyriverhealth.com/HomeResources.asp
The LEADS Leadership Team includes members from the home care and property services units. The Team is looking at recruitment and retention initiatives that and are implementing a peer mentoring program and the coaching style supervision curriculum.

Springbrook Nursing and Rehabilitation, Westbrook, 856.1230
www.springbrooknursing.com
The LEADS Leadership Team is an involved and active group of employees from all nursing and support service departments. The enthusiasm of the Team is matched by the Administrator’s support. They are implementing communications programs that involve direct care staff will be starting a peer mentoring program and training supervisors in the coaching model this Spring.

The Cedars, Portland, 772.5456
www.thecedarsportland.org
The Cedars celebrated a kick-off event with the Super Bowl and officially introduced their LEADS initiatives. Programs are being implemented to build their core staff to 100% and reduce their need for agency staff, to start peer mentoring training, to implement the coaching supervision model and to ensure quality communications about their Leadership Team activities.