News Archive

The 15th Annual Bob Brown Memorial Golf Scramble was a success!

We’d like to thank all of the players and those who donated for our day out on the course.

Check out the winning teams and skills contest winners here!

We’re proud of our Executive Director, Bill Brewer, who is in action at the Enabling Technology Summit!

 

The first day of our Enabling Technology Summit ended on a great note – with this panel of providers and Gerald who participated in our Enabling Tech program! Excited to continue the summit this morning #DIDDEnablingTech Check out Gerald’s story here: https://t.co/qTfqEk0OBd pic.twitter.com/GL3Jt9bgyZ

— TN DIDD (@DIDD_TN) September 26, 2019

We love celebrating the successes of our persons served! This month we’re celebrating Jasmine, who demonstrated her ability to shine as an employee even before she got the job.

Check her story out in our Supported Employment Spotlight!

Rance Thetford, Supported Employment Manager, was recently recognized as the Outstanding Manager for the West Tennessee region among his TNCO nominated peers.  TNCO is a state association of service providers to persons with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

Rance has been a loyal employee of MHDS, Inc since 2000.  He has facilitated and embraced many changes over the years in multiple roles with the agency.  As Manager of Workshop Operations, he served a critical function in the transitioning of the agency’s sheltered workshop to integrated employment within the community.  He is an encourager who helped staff and persons supported be assured that the coming changes would be of benefit.

When we implemented the ECF Choices Program in 2017, Rance advanced to his current role of Supported Employment Manager.  He assisted staff with learning the methods and practices associated with the new program.  He helped staff develop their own job skills and become familiar with their community so they could help those we support do the same.  Rance has always been fair and professional towards his team.  Rance exudes enthusiasm towards day to day challenges by demonstrating calm and competency in the face of a setback.

Rance has developed a close bond with Union University’s Edge program which is a post high school college experience for special needs adults.  He has been helpful to many students while transitioning from home life to school life in a dormitory setting.  Since he has two daughters in college himself, he draws upon their experiences to understand how the new students are feeling and put aside fears.  He also enjoys seeing the success the Edge is having because his youngest daughter will one day be eligible for the program.

Rance has worked closely with Vocational Rehabilitation to encourage persons supported to pursue their employment goals.  Rance has spent numerous hours training, studying and learning about the new systems in order to help others achieve their dreams of work and independence in the community.  Rance has grown our VR caseload in the time he started managing it.  He also manages our ECF Supported Employment caseload of 29 individuals and DIDD Supported Employment caseload of 12 individuals.  Persons receiving Supported Employment services are working an average of 17 hours per week earning minimum wage or higher.

Rance takes to heart MHDS’s mission statement of “advancing the quality of life” for those we serve.  A great example of that mindset is Rance’s effort to secure employment for BP.  BP has many health issues, is sometimes difficult to understand and has a hard time communicating.  BP’s desire to work was stronger than his disabilities.  Rance assisted with finding the perfect match for BP to work in the community and still take care of himself.  BP has now worked at Outback Steakhouse for 3 years.  BP’s job coach is trained on his dietary needs, understands he prefers minimal job assistance, and has the personality to match BP to promote success.

Rance has a strong commitment and determination to see others succeed and fulfill their dreams.  He never strives for accolades but would rather offer them to someone else.  His abilities to pull his team together to support the needs of the people we serve and his overall positive energetic attitude every single day are greatly admired and appreciated by everyone at MHDS.  We are proud to have Rance on our staff striving to see every person we support achieve their own goals.  He is a valued member of the MHDS team.  We congratulate him on his recognition from TNCO.

On Friday, 9/20 at Woodland Hills Golf & Country Club, 17 teams of 4 golfers teed off to raise operating funds for Madison Haywood Developmental Services. MHDS provides skills advancement, employment opportunities and residential services to 220+ adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities in West Tennessee.

This year the tournament awarded three flights. The winners were:

1st Flight Top 3 Teams

1st Place	Photo unavailable	Simmons Bank 1	Team Members: Jon Sain John Slayton Andy Rushing Ryan Chandler	Score: 51
2nd Place		NuMotion	Team Members: Patrick Monticello Denzel Boongaling Babu Rao Mel Patel	Score: 52
3rd Place		Firefighters	Team Members: Scott Foust R.C. Tim Greer Weston Barrix	Score: 57

 

2nd Flight Top 3 Teams

1st Place		Jerry Martin	Team Members: Bobby Kuykendall Bill Brewer Mike Fincher Johnny Davis	Score: 59
2nd Place		Madison County	Team Members: Marty Clements Jason Moore Jeremy Kail Seth Walls	Score: 59
3rd Place		City of Jackson	Team Members: Bill Klein Tosh Newman David Trent Dustin Twyman	Score: 62

 

3rd Flight Top 3 Teams

1st Place	Photo unavailable	Sultans of Swing	Team Members: Jeff Coley Joe Melaro David Ross David Stutzman	Score: 66
2nd Place		Pin High	Team Members: Richard Beach Rance Thetford Denny Dix	Score: 66
3rd Place		Brown Family	Team Members: Gary Jack James Parker Steve Brown David Weissenfluh	Score: 66

 

Last Place and Skills Contests

Last Place		Horne	Team Members: Heather Stewart Tony Jones Blake Taylor Dale Cavaness	Score: 74
	Closest to the Pin (#14)	Tony Jones
	Closest to the Pin (#8)	Rick Webb
	Longest Drive (#11)	Ryan Chandler

 

Congratulations to all winners and thank you to all teams who came out to enjoy the day and help MHDS raise the funds we need to provide the life-changing services we provide every day! To learn more about MHDS or to find out how you can help enrich the lives of persons supported, please call 731-664-0855.

We’re gearing up for the Bob Brown Memorial Golf Tournament on September 20, 2019!

Click here to get more details and see how to register your team of four for the tournament this year!

 

MHDS Incorporates Technology to Make Persons Supported Feel At Home

As technology has become more affordable and the benefits of using it to safeguard homes and their occupants become more apparent, natural use of electronics in residential homes for persons with disabilities has emerged. “When you consider giving a person more independence and extending the usefulness of their living environment, it becomes easier to turn to technology for solutions,” stated MHDS Chief Operations Officer, Nora Buckley, who has directed this project.

We started with an electronic doorbell at our office to see if it had a practical application in our residential program. There was some initial concern about our person’s willingness to use it. Those concerns were quickly put aside as they not only embraced the technology but enjoyed it. At first, we thought it was just the novelty of being able to see who was at the door on a tablet that was appealing. Then we added smart plugs to turn on lamps with a voice command and installed a device that could play music on request in the room. As they continued to ask to use the technology without being prompted, we knew they were feeling an improvement in the quality of their lives because of it.

Once we knew they were embracing the digital advances, it became easier to start anticipating how we could use them in their homes. We converted one home through a program with the Tennessee Department of Intellectual & Developmental Disabilities (DIDD) which was our learning curve. Now we’ve just completed our first home using our own resources. As we’ve shown the persons we support the two homes upgraded with technology, they’re asking when they can have it in their own homes.

“It was a real eye-opener to watch how readily they accepted that a camera and tablet could offer them security and independence at the same time,” reflected Nora. “It made us start thinking on an individual to individual basis which elements of the technology would benefit which person supported the most.” Automatic on/off lights that create a clear path to the restroom in the middle of the night, ceiling fans that come on when motion is detected, a device that will play games with you, being able to find your favorite TV station with a voice command, a stove that will turn off if it doesn’t detect motion after a pre-defined number of minutes, a refrigerator that will recognize the contents and offer you meal recipes with them and the ability of staff to monitor activity in a home they are not present in are just a few of the tech innovations we’re using so far. The possibilities are truly endless.

“Staff continues to see the practical ways having the technology in the homes is helping the persons supported and them,” shared Amy Curtis, Director of Residential Services. Staff can monitor persons supported as they sleep to ensure they are resting well or hear them easier if they become distressed and need assistance. As everyone becomes more comfortable with operating the devices, we’re seeing some really creative ways it’s being used to improve processes and communications. “We never anticipate that technology can replace human oversight but the combination is giving us flexibility and opportunities to improve our system of care every day,” Amy continued.

“We’re definitely of the mindset that employing technology is the latest advancement in service delivery,” commented Chief Executive Officer, Bill Brewer. “I’ve been in this program for over 40 years and this may be the most defining change I’ve witnessed. Our mission has always been “Advancing the Quality of Life.” The use of technology in the everyday lives of those we support is the next step in keeping true to our mission.”

“The biggest barrier we have from transforming homes now is cost,” emphasized Bill. “The majority of the persons we support do not have available funds for these purchases. So anyone wishing to make a donation to help us provide more technology would be greatly appreciated.”

You may make a donation through PayPal using the Donate Here button on the left of our home page or by clicking here. “Utilizing technology in our residential program is providing freedoms and independence for the persons we support unlike we could have imagined 10 years ago,” shared Bill. “An investment in providing those resources to allow our individuals to keep pace with others who use technology in their everyday lives is truly money well spent.”

By now you know that we love sharing the good news of our Supported Employment program and the success stories we have. This month we’d love to share Mario’s story with you.

Mario has been having wonderful success at Kroger and his supervisor has nothing but good things to say about him and his work. Check out his story in the Supported Employment Spotlight!

 

Join us once again this year for the Bob Brown Memorial Golf Tournament on Friday, September 20, 2019, to have fun and help support MHDS!

It’s a 4-person scramble that will tee off at noon. Registration is at 10:30 am and lunch will be provided at 11:00 am.

This year our tournament will be held at Woodland Hills Golf & Country Club in Pinson, TN.

Click here to download the brochure and registration form so you can see all the details of the tournament this year.

To register your team for the tournament and pay your fee via PayPal, click the Donate button below!

We’re looking forward to a day of fun and can’t wait to see you on September 20th.