Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1. Which settings does SupportCare provide services in?

2. Which counties does SupportCare provide supports in?

SupportCare is broken up into three regions in Ohio:
Central; South; and North.

North Region: Cuyahoga, Lake, Summit and Medina
Central Region: Delaware, Franklin and Union Counties
South Region: Hamilton, Brown, Greene, Preble and Clermont

3. Does SupportCare provide transportation to the individuals they serve?

Yes, we provide transportation for the individual based on their needs listed in the ISP. This includes transportation to medical appointments, recreational activities, church, family homes, and any other specified need. Some of our homes have wheelchair accessible vans.

4. What is the difference between the services between Supported Living and community-based licensed homes?

For the individual enrolled in either of these programs, there is little noticeable difference in the services and supports they receive, as both of these programs are driven by the person’s Individual Service Plan (ISP). For more in depth information on each of these services, please click on the “Services” link.

5. What is SupportCare’s organizational structure?

Direct care staff, titled Support Service Specialists (SSS), will work directly with you on a daily basis. They are supervised by the Support Service Coordinator (SSC), who is a front line supervisor. The SSC will work with you directly some of the time. Every SSC has a caseload between 3-6 individuals.
The SSC and the SSS’s are supervised by the Program Director. This individual is responsible for assisting with and monitoring the Indiviudal Service Plan (ISP) and wirks with you and the County Board of Developmental Disabilities to ensure you get the services you need. A Program Director typically has 15-18 indiviudals on his or her caseload.
The Program Director is supervised by the Director, who is responsible for the overall SupportCare operation.

6. How do you hire your staff and what types of background checks are conducted with prospective employees?

Every applicant that applies is interviewed by a qualified and experienced Program Director. You can be as involved as you like in the hiring process for your staff. Some people want to meet with staff before they are hired; others are fine with meeting them after they are hired. No staff will work at your home before you have met them, however, unless in the case of an extreme emergency.
Before hiring a staff person, they are subject to a number of background checks. These include:

FBI Criminal Background Check (there are strict rules governing criminal records).
Driving Record (employees cannot have more than two moving violations on their record or another serious disqualifying offense.)
References (two professional, one personal)
ODMRDD Abuser Registry
Ohio Nurse’s Aide Registry
Medicaid Fraud Registry

7. What type of training are SupportCare staff required to attend?

Training is a huge priority for SupportCare. We have a very intensive initial training program and great opportunities for continuing education. Each staff member will have completed almost 55 hours of training before starting at a site. The initial training consists of the brief description below:

New Hire Orientation- Information on SupportCare and review of policy and procedures handbook.
Individual Services Class- Expectations for services, documentation training, overall services training.
Behavior Support Training- How to de-escalate issues, positive reinforcement and addressing negative target behaviors.
OSHA- Workplace safety.
SupportCare Health Services Training- General health issues.
CPR and First Aid Certification.
Sexual Harassment in the Workplace.
Diversity in the Workplace.
Individual/Client Rights Training.
Major Unusual Incident Training and Reporting Guidelines.
Site Specific Training- This is the training that is specific to the individuals served. This is generally 16-24 hours at the site, depending on the intensity of the individuals’ needs.
Specialized services training, i.e. Prader-Willi Syndrome, diabetes, autism, Down’s Syndrome, etc.
Each staff member is required to be certified in Medication Administration, which is an 18-hour course mandated by ODMRDD.

On-going Training:

Staff are required to attend monthly mandatory staff meetings, specific to their sites. This includes new issues with individuals served and any new plan changes.
Staff are required to have annual updates in medication administration, MUI Training, OSHA and CPR.

SupportCare offers VQU, which is an excellent continuing education program. Some examples of the classes that are offered are:

“Care for the Caregiver”
“Your Role and Responsibility as a Supervisor”
“Communication, Team Building and Professionalism”
“The Power of Play”
“Customer Service”
“Leadership and Teambuilding”

8. What happens if a staff person calls off and needs a replacement?

SupportCare has a very strict policy regarding employee absences. There is a Program Director on-call 24 hours per day in case of emergencies. There are also Home Managers on call at all times to deal with any type of scheduling emergency that may occur. This system is very effective in making sure no services go unmet.
Each individual has a Program Director and Home Manager assigned to him or her. Each PD has their own group of staff that may be cross-trained at different homes. Although each individual will have their “core group” of staff that work with them, there should be a group of other trained staff ready to step in and provide services in case of a staffing emergency.
Staff will be trained on the specific needs of an individual before ever working with them. No individual will have a staff working with them that they have not met, unless in the case of an emergency.

9. What does SupportCare do to retain employees?

We recognize how important consistent staff are to those we serve. Unfortunately, this industry overall has a high employee turnover rate. However, SupportCare has maintained a much lower turnover rate than industry standards for many years. Retaining good employees is a huge daily focus for us. We do this in many ways, such as:

SupportCare focuses on making work fun! Although we make sure all the work is done first, play keeps employees happy and motivated. It rubs off on those we serve, as well.
Our pay rate and benefits are very competitive.
We put a great deal of focus on initial and on-going training. Research shows that employees who are trained well feel more comfortable in their jobs and they stay longer!
We have several employee reward programs.
We have strict rules for site visits and staff contact for management staff. Our staff see their supervisors often and feel supported.
There are many career advancement opportunities for our staff. Many of our management staff were promoted from within.
We receive many referrals through our referral program. Referred staff tend to stay longer.

10. How does SupportCare assist with challenging behavioral issues?

SupportCare serves many individuals with challenging behaviors and specific behavior support plans.
Our behavior support training consists of a 4-hour general behavior support class that all employees take upon hire. This class covers appropriate ways to prevent behavioral issues and what to do if they occur as to protect the individual and the employee.
When an individual has a specific behavior support plan, staff receive intensive training on the plan (before it begins) with the support of the Program Director and the author of the plan. We have very strict rules on behavior documentation and quality assurance reviews to ensure staff are following the plan and the behavioral needs are being met.
Program Directors require meetings with the team at least monthly to review the plan and progress of the plan.

11. How does SupportCare assist with medical issues?

SupportCare staff provide many different medical services, including:

Medication administration based on the individual’s needs. Staff document all medication that is taken by the individual.
Each staff member is certified for medication administration in an 18-hour course taught by a registered nurse.
Staff transport to and attend medical appointments with individuals.
Staff monitor medications, along with the nurse and retrieve prescription refills, as needed.
Staff contact any necessary medical personnel, if needed.

12. What types of financial services does SupportCare provide?

SupportCare is payee for the majority of individuals we serve. This means that SupportCare manages all financial issues for those we are payee for. These services include:

Paying all household bills.
Management of all funds in checking and savings accounts.
Maintenance of all benefits, including Social Security, Medicaid, food stamps and any other benefits.
Financial reporting to all pertinent agencies, guardians and family members, as requested.
Intensive four-step review of all finances by the Home Manager, Program Director, Quality Assurance Specialist and Director.
Strict rules for use and recording of “petty cash” at the individual’s home, in accordance with ODMRDD regulations.
Completion of tax returns annually.

13. How often are management staff at the individuals’ home to review the quality of services?

SupportCare has a very strict Quality Assurance (QA) policy.

Home managers actually provide direct care services at the homes in order to closely manage the day-to-day needs of the individuals. Home managers also complete weekly Quality Assurance reviews.
Program Directors are generally at each person’s home 1 time per week, if not more, depending on the hours of service provided. Program Directors are required to complete two full-scale reviews of all services at each 24-hour site home per month. They are required to complete one monthly for “drop-in” sites. The review includes speaking to individuals and family members about any concerns they may have.
Directors are often at homes. Directors are required to complete a full-scale QA review at each site one time per year.
The Regional Director and other executives complete monthly QA Reviews also, randomly choosing sites.
Monthly, all documentation, finances and medical information is reviewed by the Home Manager, the Program Director and the Quality Assurance Specialist.

14. Does SupportCare assist individuals with recreation?

SupportCare assists almost all individuals with recreation, depending on the needs listed in their ISP. This is just one area of our services that we are very proud of. Many of the people we serve have made lifelong friends and have truly accessed their communities. In order to encourage community connections SupportCare staff are reimbursed for activities they pay for while assisting individuals. Our different regions sponsor a number of wonderful community activities.