UCP of the North Bay
Adult Day Program Update
April 17th, 2020
Helping Participants through Personal Connection
“UCP of the North Bay would like to reassure our participants, family members, and the community that we are doing everything possible to stay socially connected by providing online training and education programs that support the continued health and well-being of the children and adults that we serve.”
UCP of the North Bay is now using our agency version of Zoom Video Conferencing, password protected, which provides detailed program information from each class including activity, participants, staff members, and date and time. This information allows us to follow-up with participants who may need additional support in order to fully participate in our Outreach Program. We have also developed our own Google Docs Participant Contact Form that provides a confidential daily record of discussions between individual participants and staff members. Those discussions focus on upcoming class participation, health/well-being, and participant need.
We are into our second week of classes with increased engagement from our participants. We are emphasizing the importance of social distancing in all our classes, while demonstrating and involving everyone in classroom activities. Our Zoom Class Schedule for the past week included Cooking, Art, Sign Language, History, and Current Events, among others. We are in the process of modifying our Employment Training Classes for distance learning.
Our staff members are continuing to support many participants that are having problems with accessing and using smartphones and laptops to join Zoom Classes and Meetings. We are encouraging peer support to help friends teach friends about technology. Through our Class Participation Incentive Program, the participant that took part in the most classes from April 9-15 will receive a $25 Walmart Gift Card.
WineBev Services has also been very busy with supervisor only on-site production work for business partners engaged in providing essential services and products. Our warehouse is packed with boxes and pulp inserts. With appropriate social distancing, six feet apart and wearing gloves and masks, up to six supervisors are working daily to produce several pallets of assembled 12-pack boxes. This also requires that our Project Manager make ongoing deliveries to sustain packaging contracts for our participants to return to as soon as possible.
Our participants are attending classes presented by OADS staff members on Zoom, as well as classes presented by other UCP of the North Bay programs. As an agency, we realized that providing the greatest choice of classes possible, with the largest reach of participants, would significantly enhance the quality of our new Outreach Program. Although our participants are separated by program and county, many of them go to our summer camps and adventure trips together – and are now enjoying seeing each other while participating in classes and meetings. Our weekly Social Hour has become very popular, as have our regular Facebook Meetings.
Our participants continue to be mainly positive, engaged, and connected. Our classes always contain an element of health awareness, blended with creative activities and opportunities for discussion. Classes offered this past week have included Healthy Habits, Workplace Safety and Preparedness, and Relaxation and Stress Management. As with all our programs, we continue to make daily contact calls to all our participants. The calls serve multiple purposes, but they now offer the opportunity to help participants schedule classes and remind them of their classes daily. We are committed to ongoing connectivity with all our participants.
Gone for Good has offered classes this past week including NAID Training (Mandatory Workplace Training for IRS Secure Document Destruction), Exercise, Cooking, and Spanish, among others. Every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday we have our Lunch Bunch Meeting that is open to all UCP of the North Bay programs. Participation in the meetings has been steadily increasing, as we all have lunch and share stories and current events together. We are especially pleased to offer Spanish as a second language presented by two of our bi-lingual staff members.
The NAID Training certifies our participants and staff members to continue their work in secure document destruction and eWaste deconstruction for the IRS and businesses that contract with Gone for Good. A second NAID training is scheduled for April 21 for those participants that were unable to attend this week. Some of our staff supervisors are continuing to work on-site doing production to sustain our recycling and thrift center businesses. This includes secure document shredding, eWaste deconstruction, and the sorting and baling of donated clothing.
Highlight: Our Production Manager, Jay, and his family went on an Easter Bunny Run, delivering Easter gifts of candy and activities to 15 participants who live in their neighborhood while maintaining safe, social distancing.
The Senior Adult Program participants joined an Art Class on Zoom last Friday. As part of the class, the participants talked about art projects they would like to do and what supplies they will need. We are coming up with art projects that can be made with materials readily available at their homes. On Monday, some of our Seniors joined a Cooking class on Zoom where they prepared Swedish Meatballs over noodles together. We appreciate the support of the residential homes that are helping to make these online activities possible. In turn, the residential homes appreciate the opportunity for their residents to follow their pre shelter-in-place Senior Adult Program schedule as closely as possible.
Highlight: Our Gardening class was well attended by our participants, as well as participants from other UCP of the North Bay programs. The class focused on spring planting and starting gardens, an activity compatible with staying safe at home.
Individual Supported Employment Job Coaches are continuing to assist employees at their worksites and homes. Group Supported Employment staff members are staying in touch with their work crews daily and are introducing them to the online classes offered by our Adult Day Programs. Staff meetings are held weekly on Zoom, with participants invited bi-weekly.
