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CSI and Medical Marijuana

By on April 12, 2013 in Company News, CSI News

Answer from Sheila:

Medical Marijuana is not legal per the Federal government. I would not feel comfortable advising them on any other from to use it. We can look into these other forms through the HUD.gov website.

The subsidy comes from HUD, so they would be aware of the illegal use of the drug. I would say yes to the resident no being able to get subsidy elsewhere if they did move. I will ask for more information on this from either Anne or Karen.

Question:

First-When we talk about medical marijuana, we normally talk about smoking marijuana. What is CSI’s position on other forms of THC such as drops? Would it be okay for us to advocate that members use those alternatives in the building rather than smoking? Would it get them in the same trouble as smoking medical marijuana since they would not be possessing the drug rather a compound of the drug?

Second-When they get in trouble for using medical marijuana and lose their subsidy, is that reported to HUD? How is that handled? Would they be able to apply for subsidized housing at other locations or have they lost that privilege all together?

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CSI Volunteer Request

By on April 12, 2013 in Company News, CSI News

CSI and each Co-op have a process for inviting in external volunteers, due to them wanting to build volunteership from within the Co-op as much as possible. They don’t want potentially less able-bodied, but otherwise capable, member volunteers to feel replaced by external volunteers. Hence, SCs are not permitted to seek or host volunteers. The seeking and hosting of volunteers would need to be done by the Co-op members.

A slightly more nuanced answer does include the following consideration for individual clients:

1. If you are specifically working with a member as a client, you are welcome (with their involvement and consent) to help line up volunteers to assist from everything from phone reassurance to heavy lifting. Concerning a member with a tendency to hoard, I would stick with skilled and trained volunteers from organizations like RSVP or CSS or student interns with specialized training like Social Work students.

 

2. If it is for a co-op wide event, that is the domain of the co-op members/committees. In order to encourage as much “in-co-op” volunteerism as possible, I would err on not getting involved with any volunteer recruitment unless asked if you can perform a specific component of an overall volunteer event strategy that you co-plan with your leadership team.

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CSI Procedures for Flyers and Handouts

By on April 12, 2013 in Company News, CSI News

Hi All,

Sheila and the Liaisons discussed SC flyers and educational workshop handouts at their last meeting. Here are some good suggestions/procedures they have come up with to address some of their concerns:

– Flyers should be proofed by your Liaison, Sheila and Rachel prior to posting in the co-op. You can do this by sharing them via email. This needs to happen in advance of every posting.

– Educational Workshop handouts should be proofread (by your fellow SC, Rachel or trusted co-presenter), source material cited, and printed in 14-point or greater font. Materials should be shared with your co-op leadership team in advance of your monthly meeting so that you can then discuss their congruence with co-op policies (house rules in particular).  Please request workshop materials from your presenter in advance.

Thanks so much,

Rachel

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Incident Reports and Master Key Challenges

By on April 10, 2013 in Company News, CSI News

Answer:

Incident Reports. My thought is that it would be just fine to help xerox copies like you would do for another important document. If you help actually fill out the report, I recommend that you also have the member sign a written consent to release that indicates that it is OK for you to assist with writing the document that is going to be shared with the President and/or Liaison. This would be similar to gaining written consent for assisting with certification paperwork.

Master key. This is a valid concern that should continue to be raised in your monthly meetings with your liaison and co-op leadership. Making decisions on this is beyond the scope of your role, but drawing attention to the concern is appropriate. I think you can just report the concern members have voiced about how master keys are kept and at what point does fear of a lost/stolen/misused key (whether real or perceived) constitute rekeying the co-op. Ultimately this may be something that the president or liaison advises the members to discuss at a general meeting. In the meantime, you can refer individual concerned members to their president or liaison.

Question:

We are hearing from multiple people that the co-op leadership has routinely ignored and thrown out incident reports. Are SCs allowed to Xerox incident reports for members before they are filed in the office so that they have proof they filed the report? Also, specific to one client I have who has a closed-head injury and requested assistance filling out incident reports, are SCs allowed to help with that, or is that crossing a CSI line in the sand?

We also have heard many people that someone is entering member’s apartments, most likely with a stolen master key copy. (reports on the apartment entries vary. Some people say they have had things stolen, others say they have had things rearranged in their apartments, one member says she has had prescription drugs stolen from her apartment).  Three people so far have told us that the co-op vice president is one of the people who is allegedly entering the apartments without permission. One of the ideas we had about security issues was to suggest re-keying apartments to a new master, but if there is concern about who has access to that master key, it might be a waste of money. We do not want to accuse, but we’re concerned. Any advice on how to deal with this?

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Assisting Co-op – Referred Member with Limited English Proficiency

By on April 3, 2013 in Company News, CSI News

Answer (but would love more input from other SCs):

1. Yes, the President can recommend the member’s family contact the SC to arrange for assistance, but the SC will only be able to talk specifically about the member/client if the family provides a written Consent to Release from the member for the SC to talk with the family. The President is welcome to give this form to the family and explain it. I’ve attached the form and the SC brochure for the Co-op . If the family is unable to obtain a Consent to Release from the member, the SC can only discuss the role of the SC and options available to members in general.
2. CSI and the SC cannot work together on any specific member case unless there is specific written consent from the member to discuss his/her situation. The president  can make a written referral to the FCRC to assist with the case and begin the FCRC/SC written referral process. Otherwise, CSI would need to work with the member in ways that they traditionally do when members have limited English proficiency (paid translator, family translator, etc.) When the SC works with a translator, we request that there be two documents signed. The member must sign a written Consent to Release to share information with the translator. And the translator signs a Confidentiality Agreement, which is a good way of the SC educating the translator on the importance of confidentiality and full translation to the best of the translator’s ability. This form is also attached.
3. CSI is never allowed to share the emergency contact information with the SC (unless there is specific written consent to release from the member). The SC is never permitted to call emergency contacts without the member’s written consent to release.
4. Some ideas for translation services includes: AAA1B – quite a lot of languages available by appointment, 211 – quite a lot of language available by appointment, UM Dearborn, AT&T, English Language Institute at WSU, body language, index cards for common questions and answers, ACCESS, Piast Institute in Hamtramck, some ethnic churches (one of the SCs was successful with this for a less familiar language), Consulate, Google translator for crude translation if the member is literate in native language. It is highly dependent on the language and the literacy level of the member in her/his native language.

Question:

I want to be proactive and ask about a hypothetical situation that I might be faced with soon at the co-op.
There is a member (not a client of the SC) who does not speak English, whom other members have expressed concerns to me about (the member’s apartment smells and the member has been seen wearing soiled clothing). When the President gets the “request for member support” form, she can refer to the FCRC and they can visit the member and try to involve the family. If that does not work and she refers the member to me, I will be unable to communicate with the member because of the language barrier. What is the best way for us to deal with this? It seems like all the options have ethical implications and we would like clarity.

1. Is the President allowed to recommend that the member’s family contact the SC to arrange for help, at least in translation assistance at an appointment?
2. If the member has not given an OK for CSI to call their emergency contact, how do CSI and the SC work with that member when there is no common language?
3. Is CSI ever allowed to share emergency contact information with SCs, and are SCs ever allowed to call emergency contacts without a member’s permission?
4. If the SC gets a referral from the president for a member with whom the SC cannot communicate, and there is no family help with that member, how is the SC supposed to handle the referral and work with the member to get help?

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Reoffering SC Services

By on April 2, 2013 in Company News, Hannan News

Hi All,

I’m posting this now, because we are approaching the “first year” anniversary of a large number of SCs. Congrats all!

This also means that a number of you have reached the point (365 days – or one year) when you need to re-explain and re-offer your SC services to members/residents who declined SC services at this time last year.

So, what does this entail?

Case management procedures explain that you do need to personally offer your services to members/residents once a year. A personal offer means that you specifically explained your services and offered them to an individual member/resident. This can be in the form of a direct, face-to-face conversation in your office, their apartment, or in a discrete location in the common areas; or this can be a personalized letter (clipped to door – if approved in your Co-op/Village), “snail-mailed” via USPS, or otherwise delivered; a voicemail message if you have access to a telephone number; or a comparable direct offer. If the member tells you in person, over the phone, on your voice mail, or in writing that they are either accepting or declining your services, you are done! The “ask” is complete and you either proceed with an intake, assessement, and Initial Service Plan for the member/resident, or you note in your Progress Notes the method of offering your services, the method in which they declined, and the the next step is that you will reoffer services again in another year (unless they come to you first).

If there is no answer to your initial inquiry, you need to reoffer your services up to 3 discreet times. Each must be recorded in your Progress Notes. If a member/resident does not answer your inquiry after 3 offers, you can consider it to be a “no” and that they are declining your services. Please note this in your Progress Notes and your next step will be reoffering your services in another year.

Possible tips:

– Let your Co-op Leadership Team (or Village Administrator) know that it is a time of year that you are re-offering your services to members/residents. Explain the process. Also explain that if members/residents report feeling badgered or pressured by multiple inquiries, they simply need to respond yes or no to the SC and the process will be finalized without additional inquiries for another year.

– Announce during your scheduled educational workshop that this effort is in progress.

– Hold another “meet and greet”.

This is a great topic for a SC Conference Call to share what is working (and isn’t) at your site.

Enjoy this opportunity to reintroduce yourself to members/residents you don’t see as often, may have been initially uneasy about the SC program, or have experienced life changes in the past year that have made them ready to consider working with you.

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CSI Recertification – Role of SC

By on April 2, 2013 in Company News, CSI News

Answer:

Recertification. You can help members fill out the forms if you have (a) a
consent to release to certification dept at CSI (they may ask you to fax it to
them), and (b) you have a representative from the CSI certification dept on
conference phone while you are with the member. It will be the CSI
representative who walks the member through the steps of recertification. You
are just there as another set of eyes and, if needed, a writer (especially for
members with low vision or with low literacy skills). If you are the one
assisting with physically filling out the application, make a blank copy for the
member to follow along with the CSI rep and you.
Yes, you can look up
addresses in the computer, but you can not collect documents.

Question:

They’ve begun recertification here. How involved do I
get with folks with questions about their paperwork? As I understand, I can
maybe help folks read the forms and look up addresses on the computer, but
nothing beyond that. Is that correct?

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CSI Member Tax Information

By on April 1, 2013 in Company News, CSI News

Hi All,

Below is the wording on a flyer that members received regarding their eligibility for tax credits. Many are eligible for the Home Heating Credit based on income (although far fewer are eligible this year due to changes the State made regarding deductables). None of the members are eligible for the Homestead Property Tax. The wording on a memo received by the members is as follows:

WHEN PREPARING YOUR 2012 INCOME TAX RETURNS, PLEASE KEEP IN MIND THAT NOTHING IS PAID FROM YOUR MONTHLY RENT FOR PROPERTY TAXES.  THEREFORE, YOU SHOULD NOT FILE FOR THE GENERAL PROPERTY TAX CREDIT ON THE MICHIGAN INCOME TAX FORM 1040CR FOR A REAL ESTATE CREDIT BASED ON THE RENT YOU PAY FOR YOUR APARTMENT.

 

WE DO NOT WANT TO JEOPARDIZE THE TAX STATUS OF YOUR CO-OP AND WOULD APPRECIATE YOUR COOPERATION IN THIS IMPORTANT MATTER.

 

DEPENDING ON YOUR INCOME, YOU MAY QUALIFY FOR THE HOME HEATING CREDIT CALIM ON THE MICHIGAN INCOME TAX FORM.  YOU MUST FOLLOW THE INSTRUCTIONS ON THE STATE TAX FORM.

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2013 Southeast Michigan Student Social Worker of the Year

By on March 26, 2013 in Company News

I am very happy to announce that Robert “Bobby” Siporin has been voted as the 2013 Southeast Michigan University of Michigan Student Social Worker of the Year.  Bobby is currently one of the UM Interns working on the Village Neighborhood Initiative project and will be with us until December, 2013.  If you see him, please take the opportunity to congratulate him on his achievement.  Follow this link to see the program for the event being held at University of Michigan on Monday, April 1st:  Southeast Student Awards Program 2013

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CSI and Federal Policy on Medical Marijuana

By on March 22, 2013 in Company News, CSI News

Answer:

At this point the SC would not be required to disclose the member’s name. I just
want to be clear on this policy. HUD has stated if a resident receives subsidy
from the federal government that it is a violation for them to posses an illegal
substance (the federal government still states it is illegal even if the state
has authorized differently, Federal trumps State). The penalty for this
infraction is to forfeit the HUD subsidy.

CSI is unable to evict for this
violation, but many of the members would be unable to afford the rent if they
did not receive this subsidy. This also means they would be unable to receive
subsidy elsewhere, out of the CSI system.

Sheila

PS Note that if the SC witnesses a member using marijuana on co-op property, they do need to report (please let the member know you are doing this).

Question:

I talked with a SC yesterday regarding a situation with a member who did
disclose the the SC that she has been prescribed medical marijuana for a rapidly
advancing chronic disease. The SC has not seen the marijuana or seen the member
smoking. She did discuss with the member that it is illegal to smoke marijuana
in the co-op or on co-op property and that she (the SC) is required to report
lease infractions that deal with drugs.

Question for you. Since the SC
has not actually seen or smelled the drug or the member smoking it, is she
required to report the member at this point? The SC is prepared to act either
way, but we’d like clarification first since this will rock the members boat a
bit.

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