Hayley Burns

Direct Support Professional

23147 Tyler Rd
Morley, MI 49336
November 18, 2014
Linda Kaufmann, LMSW, ACSW, Executive Director
The George Rouman Center
301 South Crapo Street, Suite 100
Mt. Pleasant, Michigan 48858
lkaufmann@cmhcm.org
Dear Linda Kaufmann:
In Central Michigan there are little too few community outreach programs for the
consumers of Valley Residential Services, Inc. homes. Many of the consumers have little to no
interaction with others who have similar disabilities as they do. There are many services in the
state of Michigan that provide funding for state funded homes such as Valley Residential
Services. I am proposing a partnership with one or multiple of the service providers to develop a
community outreach program for those with disabilities in Central Michigan.
Attached is a report outlining the major service providers in the state of Michigan and a
summary of the types of disabilities that the consumers may have. In addition to this information
I have added research that was conducted for disability inclusion in the community. From my
experience with Valley Residential Services, Inc. as a Direct Support Professional, has provided
me with not only a great opportunity but also more awareness and understanding of the mental
and disabled community. I feel strongly that the consumers need more interaction in the
community aside from the designated outings that Valley Residential Services coordinate for
them.
Any comments or questions you have please do not hesitate to contact me. You can
reach me by phone or e-mail at any time. My personal phone number is (231)660-3929 and my
home phone number is (231)349-3113. My e-mail is burnsh@ferris.edu. Id like to thank you for
your time and I look forward to hearing from you.

Sincerely,

Hayley Burns, DSP

Table of Contents
Executive Summary--------------------------------------------------------------------

Introduction-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Problem------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Background-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Services Offered-------------------------------------------------------------------------

Research-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Solution-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Conclusion---------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Appendix I: Fact Sheet------------------------------------------------------------------

Works Cited---------------------------------------------------------------------------------

11

Community Outreach Program for Central Michigan

Prepared for
Linda Kaufmann, LMSW, ACSW, Executive Director
CMH for Central Michigan

Prepared by
Hayley Burns
Direct Support Professional
Valley Residential Services, Inc.

November 18, 2014

Executive Summary

The objective of the attached report is to bring awareness to the disabled

population in the state of Michigan. I propose doing so by developing a community
outreach program for the disabled population in the Valley Residential Homes in the
Central Michigan area. There are about 1.3 million residents in the state of Michigan
who have some sort of disability. In Central Michigan there are very few community
outreach programs offered in the state of Michigan for those who have disabilities.
Valley Residential Services, Inc. is a non-profit organization that is state funded and
they offer housing for those with disabilities. In Central Michigan there are 18 homes in
the state of Michigan that are ran by Valley Residential Services, Inc.
There are many different types of disabilities such as physical, mental, cognitive
and sensory. These disabilities can be range from being mild to severe. There are many
services that the state of Michigan offered to those who have disabilities. The biggest
services providers in the state of Michigan are Community Mental Health for Central
Michigan, Department of Human Services, Michigan Department of Community Health
and Michigan Community Service Commission Department. Together these services
advocate for better health of Michigan residents and the inclusion of the residents in the
state of Michigan.
Also, there has been research that has been done by community-based
participatory research and the solutions are very similar to those of which I am
suggesting. In addition to those suggestions, there will also be a need for disability
accessibility in the community. Proper funding and budgeting would allow for this all to
become a reality. Collaboration of these services to develop a community outreach
program would provide the proper funding needed to support the program, bring in
volunteers, develop a safe environment for the consumers, and provide the community
with the knowledge and awareness of the disabled community. I highly recommend this
for the community. It would allow for the consumers to feel included and possibly even
improve their health and self-esteem.

Community Outreach Program for those with disabilities in Central Michigan

Introduction:
There are approximately 1.3 million people in the great state of Michigan
according to the Michigan Rehabilitation Services. Many of those people are living in
state funded homes, receiving assistance to live independently or being care for by a
loved one. Out of the 1.3 million there are very few that participate in the community.
Problem:
There are very few community outreach programs offered for Central Michigan
residents who have disabilities. I believe that this should be changed. I propose a
development of a community outreach program for the consumers in the Valley
Residential Services homes in Central Michigan. The community is aware of the
disabled and mentally ill population though there is not much interaction between the
two. Considering there are outings that consumers do participate in it would be
beneficial for the community and consumers to have more interaction. I suggest a
community outreach program because the community needs more knowledge and
awareness of the disabled and mentally ill populations in the surrounding areas. The
consumers deserve to feel more included in the community.
For the community and the consumers, a better community would involve more
interaction and to bring more awareness of disabilities. The purpose of developing a
community outreach program is to get rid of the bias that is place between the two
populations. It is a misconstrued concept that leads to judgment on people that are no
different from you and me. It would be beneficial not only for the community but for the
consumers as well.
The outings that the consumers participate in include trips to the zoo or going out
to eat. I suggest that we hold regular community events in which both populations can
partake in and also coordinate daily or weekly classes such as arts and crafts, speaking
opportunities, a potluck; anything that can bring in the community, family members and
the consumers more involved in the community.

Background:
The reasoning behind this community outreach program stemmed from my
experience with Valley Residential Services Inc. Until I began working at Valley
Residential Services as a Direct Support Professional, I personally had little experience
with the disabled and mentally ill population. My experience here has given me not only
a great opportunity to gain experience but a better understanding of the consumers who
I am working for.
Valley Residential Services, Inc. is a non-profit organization that provides quality
care and living for those who have special needs. Special needs are those who have
mental or physical disabilities. In the Central Michigan area there are 18 homes that
offer housing. After speaking with the home manager of a Valley Residential Home in
Central Michigan area, I learned that there used to be programs that the consumers
would attend such as special Olympics or participate in programs offered by MOARC
(Mecosta Osceola Area Rehabilitation Center) Now the only outings that consumers
participate in are those that are coordinated through Valley Residential Services which
generally include going out to eat, to the zoo, to the movies or to the activities that are
coordinated in the Big Rapids area though Valley Residential Services. With funding
being an issue and Valley Residential Services, Inc. being a non-profit organization,
they rely on the services that are provided through the state.

Services Michigan offers for those with disabilities:

There are many services that are offered in Michigan for those who have
disabilities. Most are in collaboration with one another working together to provide better
health and communities. There are many consumers in the Central Michigan that
receive aid from more than one of these services. I believe it would be best to
implement a community outreach program with one or if possible, a few of these
services that the consumers and Valley Residential Services are familiar. The most
familiar and biggest services offered for those with disabilities are Community Mental
Health for Central Michigan (CMH), Department of Human Services (DHS), The
Michigan Department of Community Health (MDCH), and Michigan Community Service
Commission Department of Human Resources (MSCS)

Community Mental Health for Central Michigan or CMH. CMH is a huge

support for Valley Residential Services is the organization they provide Valley
Residential Services with funding and support services. This organization's
mission is to encourage community inclusion and to assist with Michigan
residents recovery and offer services for those in the mentally ill populations. The
services offered are for children, adults, families and those with substance use
disorders. CMH has helped 9,050 people in 2013 according to their annual

report. Community Mental Health for Central Michigan provides information about
mental health topics and current events that are being held in Central Michigan.
CMH promotes community inclusion that would allow for consumers to
participate more in the community. A community outreach program would be
great for the community and CMH could help in the promotion of one for Central
Michigan (Community Mental Health for Central Michigan, 2014).
Department of Human Services or DHS is another service provider that
collaborates with Valley Residential Services, Inc. The DHS provides many of
their consumers with aid. Services that the Department of Human Services
provide is for food, child care, health, home and burial, adult services for those
who need assistance for independent living, MIWORKS which helps provide
employment, WIC (which stands for women, infant, child), providing assistance
for expecting mothers and some assistance after the child is born. They also
provide services for veterans.
Specifically for those who have disabilities, I have already mentioned
independent living. Some consumers are unable to live on their own without
some sort of assistance. The DHS provides services for those who need assisted
living. This is part of their Adult Services Program which provides help and
encouragement for adults to maintain as much independence as possible ("DHS
- Adult Services", 2014).
Michigan Department of Community Health or MDCH is one of the largest
departments in the state government and was developed in 1996. This
department is a collaboration of many services that are offered in Michigan for
example, the Department of Public Health, the Department of Mental Health and
the states Medicaid agency. The funding that is provided for this department is
$15 billion. The services they provide are Medicaid for those with low income,
mental health services for those with mental illnesses, developmental disabilities
or for those who need help with substance abuse. MCSH advocates for the
protection and promotion of the health and safety of those who are in need of
particular attention, and have special needs. Including those who are considered
under-served populations ("MDCH - About the Michigan Department of
Community Health", 2014).
Michigan Community Service Commission Department of Human Resources or
MSCS advocates for Michigan residents to participate in the services offered in
Michigan. MSCS uses these services as a strategic way to try to help fix the
state's serious issues and advocates for their volunteers to help build our
communities. This particular service is for those who have disabilities in Michigan
and they advocate for residents in Michigan with and without disabilities to come
together in the services they provide. Doing this will provide a better community.
The Michigan Community Service Commission has a specific team called

Statewide Inclusion Team for those in Michigan with disabilities. This team is
designated to advocate community inclusion for those with disabilities. They also
advocate for volunteers. Which would be great to have more volunteers to
potentially help with community outreach programs. If we could collaborate an
outreach program with them, that would be great for Valley Residential Services,
Inc. consumers ("MCSC - Disability/Inclusion", 2014)
Research:
There has been much research done for what is called disability inclusion. The
research is called community-based participatory research. Meaning that the
researchers partner with community members and actively involve those with disabilities
into the research. They do this to address the barriers that are faced when those with
disabilities participate in the community. An article I found outlines this issue and
suggests solutions to help get those with disabilities more involved in the community.
The purpose of the research was to help address and find a solution for the challenges
that are faced with individuals with disabilities participate in the community and/or
employment opportunities.
Community-based participatory research for people with disabilities aims for
those with disabilities to participate fully with the community or have full inclusion. The
research strives to bring awareness about those with disabilities to the community and
to provide information to the community in an attempt to bring more knowledge and
awareness of the population. The authors of this article have been doing this research
to bring communities together and to bring awareness. An effort for over 10 years. This
issue is something they feel strongly about. The major challenges they have
encountered when trying to fully participate in the community is disability
accommodation in the community, proper training to assist them, and funding.
There were multiple research methods used to conduct more than one study in
this research. The directed group of interest was women with physical disabilities and/or
sensory disabilities. The researchers held a group meeting for depression intervention
with a focus group and a waitlist group. A commonality that was found in these studies
was that there were common feelings amongst the women. These feeling included selfesteem issues, loneliness, coping and wanting healthy lifestyles.
The suggested solutions from this community-based research is to help facilitate
full inclusion for those with disabilities and to orient some changes in the community.
These changes include more accommodations for easier accessibility for those with
physical disabilities, better budgeting, and more training to help with community support.
Another change includes to destroy the barriers that are placed within the community
about those with disabilities (Hassouneh, 2011).

Solutions:
The solution to implement the development of a community outreach program
would be to partner with one or multiple of the service providers in Michigan for those
with disabilities. The services I have mentioned before all advocate for better health,
safety and for community inclusion. Which is what the consumers and communities in
Michigan need.
A partnership would result in the proper funding for the development of the
program, bring in volunteers, bring together the community and get the consumers
involved in the community. Providing a safe and secure environment where consumers
can feel at home and interact with people would greatly benefit them. It would give the
some interaction and improve their spirits by getting out and doing things that they
usually do not do. Providing them with more opportunities and a change in their daily
lives. If the development of a community outreach program for Valley Residential
Services, Inc. is successful, broadening the horizons and offering it for anyone with
disabilities in the state of Michigan is a long shot but not impossible.

Conclusion:
The importance of feeling included in one's community can boost our self-esteem
and outlook on the people who surround us. Building friendships and communication
skills is a huge part in the development of who we are. Regardless of ones ability, this
is something every person needs. The development of a community outreach program
for Central Michigan residents with disabilities is important. The evidence and services
provided advocate for community inclusion. The possibility of improving the spirits of
those with disabilities and providing them with the feeling of belonging could not only
boost their self-esteems but could potentially improve their health. Quality care and
health providers should understand what I am advocating for. Valley Residential
Services, Inc. care for the health of our consumers and implementing a community
outreach program would provide great opportunities for not only the consumers but the
community as well.

Appendix I
Fact Sheet
According to the Michigan Rehabilitation Services, there are approximately 1.3 million
individuals with disabilities in Michigan.
In Central Michigan, there are 15 housings that provide care for those with special
needs or disabilities.
The organization that provides these housings is called Valley Residential Services, Inc.
Facts about Special Needs Housing- Valley Residential Services, Inc.
A non-profit housing organization that provides quality housing that is affordable for those with
special needs.
Defining special needs is those who have mental or physical disabilities, low-income levels or the
elderly.

Facts about services offered for those with disabilities in Michigan:

Michigan Community Service Commission Department of Human Resources (MSCS)
This particular service is for those who have disabilities in Michigan and they advocate for
residents in Michigan with and without disabilities to come together in the services they provide.

Community Mental Health for Central Michigan (CMH)

Provides services that care for those with funding, support services and person centered planning
program, which is the development of basically a protocol that a person with disabilities is to
follow to have the best recovery.
This organization's mission is to encourage community inclusion and to assist with recovery and
services for those in the mentally ill populations.
CMH has helped 9,050 people in 2013 according to their annual report.

Department of Human Services (DHS)

Provide services such as food or cash assistance, child care, and home or burial assistance.
Also provide assistance to get employment through MIWORKS in which they assist those with or
without disabilities with employment opportunities.

The Michigan Department of Community Health (MDCH)

One of the largest departments in Michigan state government.
Manages states publicly-funded health service systems and health policies.
Programs provide community-based mental and behavioral health services and help support
those with mental illness, developmental disabilities and addictive disorders.

Works Cited
Community Mental Health for Central Michigan. (n.d.). Retrieved November 7, 2014,
from http://www.cmhcm.org/
MCSC - Disability/Inclusion. (n.d.). Retrieved November 7, 2014, from
http://www.michigan.gov/mcsc/0,4608,7-137-55459---,00.html
MDCH - About the Michigan Department of Community Health. (n.d.). Retrieved
November 9, 2014, from
http://www.michigan.gov/mdch/0,4612,7-132-63157_51216-6391--,00.html
Hassouneh, D., Alcala-Moss, A., & McNeff, E. (2011). Practical strategies for promoting
full inclusion of individuals with disabilities in community-based participatory
intervention research. Research in Nursing and Health, 34(3), 253-265.
Retrieved November 8, 2014, from Wiley Online Library.
New Health Guide. (n.d.). Retrieved November 9, 2014, from
http://www.newhealthguide.org/Types-Of-Disabilities.html
DHS - Welcome to Michigan Rehabilitation Services' (MRS) Website! (n.d.). Retrieved

November 9, 2014, from

http://www.michigan.gov/dhs/0,4562,7-124-5453_25392-272058--,00.html

DHS - Adult Services. (n.d.). Retrieved November 9, 2014, from

http://www.michigan.gov/dhs/0,4562,7-124-5453_7122---,00.html