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What Once Was Will Be Again

June 19, 2020 By Melinda Olivas 2 Comments

What Once Was Will Be Again

By: Melinda Olivas

Another blog about COVID-19 and its effects, you ask? Well, it does play a significant role in the lives of people around the world. Here we go; I’m going to take you back to the time of Tobosa’s final gatherings before the quarantine, and social restrictions were put into place.

Let’s start in February, the month of love. Our CEO, Rosy, had recently watched the film “The Peanut Butter Falcon.”

Without giving too much away, the movie is a modern Mark Twain adventure, where a young man, Zak, with Down syndrome runs away from an assisted living facility. He meets a wayward fisherman (also on the run), and the two share a memorable journey to achieve Zak’s dream of becoming a professional wrestler. If you haven’t watched it, I recommend you add it to your list! This movie will have you laughing while pulling at your heartstrings.

Inspired by the storyline and how it went hand-in-hand with our mission, Rosy wanted to invigorate the workforce of our organization; we decided to have a movie screening! We set up our Training Center as a theater, and people brought snacks to munch on, it was a success even with the few stragglers that came in after the show started (haha). The screening took place on the morning of Valentine’s Day; of course, we couldn’t let the day end without a party. That’s not how we roll! Everyone was to meet at the Roswell Adult Center for a Valentine Celebration with food and dancing. It had been a minute since we got our boogie on, but all who attended had a blast! People were socializing, filling their bellies, taking photos, and grooving to the beats by DJ GC (aka Andrew Garza). Thinking about it now gives me chills, who knew those moments would be some of the last that our Tobosa family would be able to get together.


Rounding out the month of February, we had two more events; I’ll begin with our 3rd Leap Year Time Capsule. It all started (hold on, let me do some mental calculation) oh yeah, eight years ago with Tobosa’s first burial of a leap year time capsule in 2012. We asked the employees and individuals of Tobosa to bring in items that were personal, sentimental, or just something they thought might be obsolete in the next four years. We’ve been digging up memories and burying the soon-to-be past every leap year that followed. This year’s dig up, however, was quite an experience.

First of all, for some reason, we had a hard time figuring out if we had even buried one during the last leap year. We would go back and forth amongst each other, saying, “yes, I think we did” or “no, no, I’m sure we didn’t.” Once it was determined we did bury one, we had to remember exactly where we hid the little sucker. Luckily we came across some photos (those factored in the conclusion we had buried one) that showed us where we hid the capsule. Finding the hidden treasure was an adventure because our “X” did not mark the spot; after four years, it had disappeared (go figure).

On the day of the unveiling, a few of us went out early to see if we could find the exact place. I don’t want to toot our own horn, but I will, with some Tobosa ingenuity, we found it on our first try. No surprise, we’re awesome like that! We covered it back up enough so no one would notice, but not too much so that it wouldn’t cause another struggle. It’s always amazing to see what comes out of that capsule, but this time there were notable items from some outstanding people we had lost over the past four years. There were tears of joy remembering those sweet souls.

Now we wait, 2024 we’ll see you soon!


During a month, people rejoice love and kindness; there is no better time to host our 2nd Annual Providers Appreciation Luncheon.

Some might be thrown off by the word “providers,” this event is to honor and thank people and businesses in our community who have shown their support to our organization. The event was held again at The Fraternal Order of Eagles, and with more time to plan, the decorations were superb thanks to Veronica! Portofino catered a delectable lunch, and the speakers did an excellent job expressing their appreciation to our guests.

Whether it’s Tobosa’s adult services or our children’s services through Little Steps Learning Center & Los Pasitos Early Intervention, people show up and step up! As a non-profit organization, we don’t always have the leisure to thank our supporters year-round; nonetheless, we will continually make an effort to show our gratitude whenever possible. Overall, it was a lovely event, and we look forward to thanking, entertaining, and recognizing more of our supporters in the future.

2020 Honorees

Zoo Day was the last event put on by Los Pasitos and Little Steps in March. Now, this happened to fall on Friday the 13th; I’ll let you decide if the superstition that this day is unlucky holds any truth. An invitation was open to families, children, and adults who are supported and receive services throughout Tobosa. Plans were set, and everyone was to enjoy personal tours, animal presentations, and pizza! Nobody was sure how many people would be in attendance because this was the Friday before Spring Break and the outset of COVID-19 in our state. There was still a lot of confusion about the virus, and we were in the early stage where people were advised about social distancing.

Not to mention, the few days prior, the weather had been in the upper 70s, but this day we woke up to 60 something degrees, clouds, wind, and rain. This was not the business for an outside event, but we all know how unpredictable NM weather can be.

We stayed optimistic and did not cancel, and as you may have guessed, the turnout was not what we had hoped. Unbeknownst to all the end had come, that would be our final gathering.


Here we are, three months later. We’ve had to cancel our annual events like the EI Easter party, Adopt-A-Highway clean-up, Stepping Out for Children, Summer Bash, and possibly our Tobosa Classic golf tournament. Sure, we were able to Zoom our Overall Staff Meeting and the Friendship Visit with Journey of Hope (The Ability Experience), but it’s not the same. You can see, but you can’t feel the joy and excitement of others that are sharing that specific moment with you. You can’t capture the memories with photos with the people who mean the most to you. Yes, one day, all the orders will be lifted entirely, and people will be allowed to congregate again, but will it be like old times? Will people be hesitant to slap you a congratulatory high-five for air mailing all four bags in a cornhole game? (By the way that is some of the entertainment we have at our Summer Bash) Only time will tell, but I do hope we can all return to normal, whatever that normal was to you pre COVID-19. I know I’m counting down the days not only to get back to the office but also to be able to catch up on some quality time with my Tobosa family & friends!

Until then, be safe, be healthy, be kind!

Filed Under: Events Tagged With: community, COVID-19, little steps, Los Pasitos, memories, social distancing, tobosa, together

Tobosa’s Busy Season

July 1, 2019 By Melinda Olivas 1 Comment

Tobosa’s Busy Season

By: Rosy Rubio

Busy as a Bee!

Wow…. I can’t believe it’s already July 1, 2019!  Where did the time go?  We are entering the second half of 2019 and always the busiest time of the year for Tobosa.  It seems we take time to regroup and reenergize during the early part of the year to hit the road running during the second part of the year.  What do I mean about the busiest part of the year for Tobosa? Let me share with you what significant events are coming for the remainder of 2019 for Tobosa

It’s the time of the year for Tobosa to welcome the Journey of Hope team.   Tobosa has been welcoming and sponsoring the Journey of Hope group for over 30 years.  This group of young gentlemen bikes across the USA, educating on disabilities ending in Washington DC at summer’s end.  The Journey of Hope will arrive during Tobosa’s annual Summer Bash held on July 3, 2019, at the Eagles Lodge with a cookout, music, entertainment, games, and other activities.  The Summer Bash is an event held to show appreciation to all involved with the successes of Tobosa.  It’s a big family event for individuals supported, their families, Tobosa’s workforce and their families.  It’s bound to be a great time.  Please join us.

2018 Summer Bash and Journey of Hope

Tobosa’s annual Strategic Planning Retreat is scheduled for August 1-3, 2019.  The timing is perfect for the retreat to help with the rejuvenation of the group participating.  Board of Director members, management team members, and Staff Committee members will convene at Riverstone Ranch, our home away from home, to focus on the ambitious goals set at the 2018 retreat.  This year we are looking at a very new evaluation method to measure our successes.  We will also welcome Mr. Eleazar Cano to facilitate the team building session.  In addition, Mr. Cano will focus on a story sharing activity the impact of Emotional Intelligence training from the past seven years has had on the participants.  The retreat is a great way to get to know your co-workers in a relaxing environment and to establish lasting relationships.  Our annual retreat is always an event we look forward to as we are this year.  

2018 Strategic Planning Retreat

As we immediately come back from the retreat, Tobosa has a tremendous endeavor to complete.  After 23 years of residing at the Summit address, Tobosa Administration will be relinquishing the facility to the Los Pasitos Early Intervention Program to accommodate their expanding program.  With this move, a great idea has materialized for a Tobosa Children’s Campus:  Los Pasitos Early Intervention and Little Steps Learning Center will be located within the campus.  We are so excited about the move, so stay tuned for further developments of this great vision!!!

“Making Dreams Reality” Future Children’s Campus

August 24, 2019, is the scheduled date for the14th Annual Tobosa Classic golf tournament.  New Mexico Military Institute will be hosting the event this year.  It will be a fun-filled event with door prizes, trophies, great food, great drinks, and great company.  If you get an opportunity, please join us with the 8 a.m. shotgun start.

Your participation will help with Tobosa’s Children Campus!

Register Here!!!

September 21, 2019, is tentatively scheduled for the annual Tobosa Awards Celebration.  Tobosa will be celebrating 41 years of providing services to children, families, and adults in Chaves County.  As usual, the celebration will recognize years of services for adults and years of employment for members of the workforce.  We will celebrate an Employee of the Year and an Achievement Award for an individual that has seen great successes this year.  

  • 2018 Employee of the Year – Children Services
  • 2018 Individual Achievement
  • 2018 Employee of the Year – Adult Services

The remainder of the year will consist of our annual Thanksgiving Celebration on November 26, 2019, Christmas events, and birthday celebrations. Please stay tuned for upcoming dates for these final events.  

Filed Under: Events

Stepping Out for Children 2019

June 4, 2019 By Melinda Olivas Leave a Comment

Stepping Out for Children 2019

By: Felicia Juarez

Join us for our 2nd Annual “Stepping Out for Children” event on Saturday, June 8, 2019.

We are so excited to be able to host this event for the 2nd year! The reason for the event is to raise awareness of Early Intervention Services. Many people do not know that Early Intervention exists much less the benefits it can have for a child that has or is at risk of having a Developmental Delay. New Mexico has over 90,000 children ages birth to three, and the New Mexico FIT C Program serves approximately 14,000 of these New Mexico children…AWARENESS is the key!

We hope to reach as many families as possible and let them know about the true benefits of Early Intervention services.  We are always out in the community, but this event is ours. Our goal is to bring Early Intervention to the forefront for as many people to know!  STEPPING OUT FOR CHILDREN event brings family fun and education together in one afternoon. We will provide food, live entertainment, giveaways, raffle drawings, chances to win prizes, community agencies sharing what they can do for you, and Developmental Screenings…ALL FOR FREE!!!!

Our kids are the fastest growing population in New Mexico but have some tremendous obstacles in front of them.  Los Pasitos Early Intervention wants to do our part to make New Mexico a better place to live for our kids and their future. Join us for this family event, Saturday, June 8, from 10a to 1p, on the Courthouse lawn!



CRITICAL FACTS ABOUT NEW MEXICO: Scary, Hardcore Truths & The Silver Lining

  • In 2013, NM had the 4th highest rate of babies exposed to drugs and alcohol in the NATION. By 2017, that rate increased by 324%
    • FIT enrollment increased by 23% between FY 2015 and FY 2018
  • New Mexicans suffer from the highest level of household food insecurity in the NATION (5.6% above).
    • NM is 1 of 6 states in the US that serve more than 4% of children ages birth to three in their FIT Program (we serve roughly 16%)
  • Health Outcomes: Infant Mortality: NM 6.2% vs. US 5.9%, Low Birth Weight: NM 9% vs. US 8.2%, Immunization Rate: NM 68.5% vs. US 73%, Early Access to Prenatal Care: NM 63% vs. US 77%
    • Growth in NM FIT Program was so dramatic that the department received $2.6M in additional state funding.

Program Evaluation: The Department of Health’s Role in the Early Education System.  Report #19-02. May 8, 2019.


Filed Under: Events Tagged With: children services, Los Pasitos Early Intervention, new mexico

Celebrate Giving Tuesday With Tobosa

November 10, 2018 By Melinda Olivas

Giving Tuesday

“Celebrated on the Tuesday following Thanksgiving (in the U.S.) and the widely recognized shopping events Black Friday and Cyber Monday, #GivingTuesday kicks off the charitable season, when many focus on their holiday and end-of-year giving. Since its inaugural year in 2012, Giving Tuesday has become a movement that celebrates and supports giving and philanthropy with events throughout the year and a growing catalog of resources.”

This year on November 27, 2018, Tobosa is joining the Giving Tuesday movement to encourage giving both worldwide and locally.

Gary and Terri Finch graciously donated the old Primm Drug building to Los Pasitos Early Intervention, and we are truly grateful! With the gift of this new facility, Los Pasitos will be able to increase our exceptional quality of service to the children of our wonderful community. However, before we can begin, we need to do some much-needed restoration and furnishing. That’s where you come in!

All fundraising proceeds and donations from this past year and many coming up in the future are going towards this exciting project. We want to give our amazing Los Pasitos team the best opportunity to continue their mission to help children reach their full potential, one tiny step at a time!

Please show your support by contributing this year on #GivingTuesday to help us reach our goal. No amount is too small, especially when it comes from the heart!

#GivingTuesday

To find out more about #GivingTuesday, please visit www.givingtuesday.org

Los Pasitos Early Intervention Program – Bizzell Family Success Story

My name is Kim Bizzell. The Los Pasitos Early Intervention program has changed my family for the better. When we first started working with the Los Pasitos program over three years ago, we were all strangers. Now we are like family. We have worked with the same team ever since we started with Los Pasitos. I consider us very blessed to have had this talented team help my kids over the years. 

Tuf, Tye, and Tryp Bizzell
Tuf, Tye, and Tryp Bizzell

Tuf

The Los Pasitos team started seeing my son Tuf when he was 18 months old. At first, he would not speak or communicate and showed severe delays. This team never gave up on him, never got frustrated with him, and always kept trying to help him. At two years old, Tuf was diagnosed with Autism. The team wasn’t just there for Tuf. They were there for me. They helped me help my son open up and start learning, and they were there for me for support.

The Los Pasitos team and I worked together to help Tuf start learning in the ways that work for him. He started speaking, and now my son and I can communicate. Tuf is now enrolled at a local school and he is doing very well. If Los Pasitos hadn’t paved the path for Tuf, the road to success would have been much more difficult, and he probably wouldn’t be where he is now.

Tye

My son Tye started in the Los Pasitos program when he was ten months old. He worked with the team there until he turned three. At first, Tye had problems crawling and with his balance. Within a few months of our team working with him though, not only was he crawling but he was walking. The improvements he made over a short period with the help of Los Pasitos were just incredible. 

Tuf and Tye Bizzell
Tuf and Tye Bizzell

Tryp

My youngest son Tryp, also started with Los Pasitos around ten months and is still in the program. Tryp had a very rough start when he was born. He was severely ill and almost didn’t survive his first year. He had already been in the hospital four times before he was eight months old. When our team started working with him, he had severe delays. He refused to sit up, do tummy time, or anything physically active. All he would do was lay on his back. Over the past few months, not only has Tryp learned to sit up on his own with no assistance, but he can now scoot himself across the floor to get what he wants. We’re excited to see him make progress towards walking.

Tryp Bizzell
Tryp

My family and I are grateful for all the hard work and dedication we have received from our Los Pasitos Early Intervention team.

Filed Under: Events, Success Story Tagged With: donation, family, giving tuesday, givingtuesday, kindness, Los Pasitos, Los Pasitos Early Intervention, program, success, success story

A Little Kindness Goes a Long Way

February 20, 2018 By Melinda Olivas Leave a Comment

February 11th through 17th was Random Acts of Kindness Week, and it paved the way for National Random Acts of Kindness Day. It all started with one simple phrase written on a placemat by Anne Herbert back in 1982: “practice random acts of kindness and senseless acts of beauty.” A quiet storm was evolving, and in 1993, Anne published a book called “Random Kindness and Senseless Acts of Beauty” that opened the floodgate of newspaper articles, radio station air time, and class assignments devoted to stories about this cause. The momentum has not slowed, and people continue working towards building a kinder world.

Image of us chalking positive messages
Chalking positive messages

Support Tobosa!

Support us as we continue to deliver goodwill towards others.

Donate Here

 

Can you imagine one full week dedicated to committing random acts of kindness? It’s just magnificent, and you can bet Tobosa was more than willing to do our part in spreading kindness. This year Tobosa held its second annual RAK Week Scavenger Hunt to bring a little joy to our wonderful Roswell community. The rules are simple; be kind!

Image of Kathy leaving complimentary popcorn at a redbox
Complimentary popcorn with your movie thanks to Kathy

Teams receive a list filled with kind acts to complete throughout the week and capture the moments with photos because as we all know, a picture is worth a thousand words. The list has an assortment of acts, just to name a few, from chalking positive messages, returning stray shopping carts, taping popcorn to Redbox locations, holding a door open for someone, and dropping off special treats to first responders.  Teams are also encouraged to come up with kind acts that are not listed. There were several who delivered food to the homeless and blankets to Chaves County Disaster Relief Services. One never knows the impact of a smile and five-minute conversation could have on a total stranger.

“No act of kindness, however small, is ever wasted.” -Aesop

At the end of the hunt, Tobosa rewards the thoughtful scavengers with a personal kind gesture, but that doesn’t take away from the joy and excitement they benefit from their mission of RAK Week. Although this week has come and gone, kindness will forever live in every one of us. Our organization prides itself on giving back throughout the year from both our children and adult services, and we hope to inspire you in doing the same.

“I alone cannot change the world, but I can cast a stone across the waters to create many ripples” –Mother Teresa

Image of Dawn, Dede, and Lynnett handing out flowers
Dawn, Dede & Lynnett handing out flowers

 

Image of Brian, Cecil and Joey delivering coloring books
Brian, Cecil and Joey delivering coloring books to Familia Dental

 

Image of harry throwing away litter.
Harry keeping Roswell beautiful

 

Image of Melissa and Felicia feeding the homeless
Melissa & Felicia feeding the homeless, handing out flowers & donating money

 

Image of us delivering donuts to Chaves County CASA
Delivering donuts to Chaves County CASA

 

Image of David & Sammy delivering donuts
David & Sammy delivering donuts to RFD Station 1

Filed Under: Events, Recognizing great work Tagged With: 2018, acts, kindness, random

From the Ground Up

February 1, 2018 By Melinda Olivas Leave a Comment

We at Tobosa send out a huge thanks to all those who attended the grand opening of our new Day Programming facility, the Joe H. Madrid Educational Center. Joe Madrid is the former CEO of Tobosa who served in that capacity for 37 years and retired in December of 2015. The naming of the building was in his honor.

Joe H. Madrid and Cecil Rhodes cutting the red ribbon
Joe H. Madrid and Cecil Rhodes had the honor of cutting the Red Ribbon

 

Support Tobosa!

Your help can lead us to great opportunities.

Donate Here

 

This event was co-hosted by the Roswell Chamber of Commerce, Roswell Chamber of Commerce Redcoats, Little Steps Learning Center, and Los Pasitos Early Intervention. The new center is located on a southeast lot of Tobosa’s administrative office. With this new addition, we now have a trifecta on the block of our Administration building (110 E. Summit) and Little Steps Learning Center (111 E. Reed).


In attendance were Tobosa staff, individuals, Rosy Rubio (CEO), our Board of Directors Joe Lovato (Chair), Terri Douglas (Vice-Chair), Lori Ordonez (Treasurer), Dennis Pabst, Joe Vargas, Daniel Lopez, and Louie Mestas. Chaves County Commissioners, Mr. Robert Corn, and Mr. Will Cavin; Chavez County Manager, Mr. Stan Riggs; Chaves County employees Sandra Rodriguez, Bill Williams, Annabell Molina and Georgianna Hunt. Also in attendance were Dora Batista and Christine Cisneros with SENM Economic Development, Council of Government and Mr. Hal Barnet, ASA Architects.

The purpose of our Day Hab facility is to have a common place where staff and the individuals supported by Tobosa can meet during the week and participate in daily activities coordinated by the Day Hab Team Lead, Alfred Velasquez. These activities include various arts & crafts, karaoke, BINGO, exercise & cooking classes. We also host presentations from people within community organizations.

We are looking forward to using the new building and being able to bring in more educational classes for our individuals to teach life skills. The new center is not just for our organization; everyone is invited to join in all the fun. The center’s hours are from 9:00 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., Monday thru Friday. There is a posting on our Facebook page of weekly happenings.

From start

Everyone here at Tobosa is very excited about what is in store for the new center! Again, we are so grateful to everyone involved for making this happen from start to end. We could not do this without our fantastic supporters. Thank you!

To End

Filed Under: Events

Celebrating Tobosa’s 39 years of service

October 11, 2017 By Melinda Olivas Leave a Comment

On Friday, September 29th, Tobosa commemorated our 39 years at the Annual Awards Celebration! We have exciting get-togethers throughout the year, but this is that special occasion for everyone to glam, spruce up, and reflect on the special moments from the year. Most importantly, we use this occasion to honor our incredible employees and individuals.
Mayor Dennis Kintigh got things rolling by acknowledging Direct Support Professionals (DSP) and proclaiming that September 25th through the 29th as “Direct Support Professionals Recognition Week at Tobosa Developmental Services.” Direct Support Professionals work with our individuals on a day-to day-basis and they are back-bone of the organization.

Support Tobosa!

Help us maintain this distinguishable atmosphere for our amazing direct support professionals.

Donate Here

Amongst our *attending guests were members of the Board of Directors:

*Joe Lovato, Board Chair
*Terri Douglass, Board Vice – Chair
*Freddy Washington, Board Secretary
*Lori Ordonez, Board Treasurer
Joe Vargas, Board Member
Dennis Pabst, Board Member
Daniel Lopez, Board Member
*Louis Mestas, Board Member
Travis Daniels, Board Member

Other dignitaries included former CEO Joe H. Madrid and his wonderful wife, Linda. We are overcome with a wondrous feeling when these community leaders come out and give support to this organization’s driving force. It’s a tell-tale sign that the passion still remains within former staffers. We take great pride in this and our aspiration is to convey this pride to the community and everyone who is a part of Tobosa. We want to see people come in for a job and stay for a family. For this exact reason, we put on this celebration every year devoted to the people that make this transformation with us. Without them, we would not have been able to sustain the success we’ve achieved for 39 years.

Individual Success Awards:

5 years:
Dustin Gilbert
Amanda Mote

10 years:
Esmera Gomez

15 Years:
Toby Appel
David East
Monica Patterson

25 Years:
Jackie Males
Melissa Ybarra

35 Years:
Tory Arthur
Martin Eudy
Lawrence Moncada
Cecil Rhodes

Employee Service Awards:

5 Years:
Gwyn Burd, Los Pasitos
Jessica Dunn, Program Services Supports
Guadalupe Garcia, Little Steps Learning Center
Crysten Gass Pope, Los Pasitos
Margie Hernandez, Tobosa Nursing
Jacqueline Jones, Tobosa Adult Services
Terry Lucero, Tobosa Adult Services
Bridgette Ross-Ornelas, Tobosa Adult Services

10 Years:
Amanda McClure, Tobosa Adult Services

15 Years:
Robert Clement, Tobosa Nursing
Linette Washington, Tobosa Adult Services

35 Years:
Joan Blodgett, Tobosa Office Personnel

Of course, the main event everyone anticipates is the revealing of Individual Achiever of the Year, Employee of the Year, and Outstanding Service Employee. These are the ones who go above and beyond without hesitation. What makes this so special is that every single person is nominated, not by upper management, but by fellow co-workers; their peers who have become friends and family and recognize their effort. They take the time to write the nominee’s name down along with all the wonderful qualities that make them stand out. The same is done for the individuals of Tobosa and their achievements. From becoming more self-sufficient to owning their own business; individuals know they have the support and encouragement from their direct care staff and this organization.

Employee of the Year Nominees:

Mary Crist, Judy MacDougal, Tanisha Paiz, Scott Lasiter, Mario Silvas, Mary Trujillo, Kathy Sigala, Andrew Garza, Beatriz Bustamante, Gracie Raigoza, Lorenzo Valencia, D’ana Mendoza, Jennifer Herbain

picture of andrew garza
Winner: Andrew Garza

Individual Achiever of the Year Nominees:

Virginia Markwell, Jessica Richardson, Daniel Madrid, Martin Eudy, Dustin Gilbert, Monica Patterson, Denise Lopez, Ronnie Hamilton

picture of Dustin Gilbert
Winner: Dustin Gilbert

We also have astounding employees that work in the children’s services at Little Steps Learning Center and Early Intervention Program. The Learning Center cares for and teaches children from the ages of one to twelve from all walks of life & developmental stages. The Early Intervention Program helps families with children who are at risk for developmental delays by providing services from birth to age three. Again, nominees are chosen by their peers based on their exceptional work ethic and dedication.

Children Services Outstanding Service Award Nominees:

Little Steps Learning Center:

Tina Medina, Nicole Landers, Mayra Davila, Margarita Rincon, Yvonne Reyes

Picture of winner, Mayra Davila
Winner: Mayra Davila

Los Pasitos Early Intervention:

Sara Rodriguez, Danielle Clements, Gwyn Burd, Pat Jones, Kaci Rodriguez

picture of winner pat jones
Winner: Pat Jones

Here’s to you all, from child to adult services, outstanding employees with your years of service, and to the continued success of our individuals; Thank you & Congratulations!

picture of sharp dressed men
Sharp dressed men Joey, Brian, and Cecil.

picture of Joe Madrid and his wife Linda
The most interesting man in the world, Joe Madrid, and his lovely wife Linda.

Picture of Tobosa staff.
DSP Josie Chavez, SLP from Direct Therapy Services Vivienne Matlack, DSP Mary Trujillo, Team Lead Chrissy Singleton, DSP Jacob Barrera.

picture of CEO Rosy Rubio and Pat Jones.
Tobosa CEO Rosy Rubio with Outstanding Service Award recipient Pat Jones.

Picture of ladies from Los Pasitos Early Intervention
Wonderful ladies from Los Pasitos Early Intervention: Mayra Lopez, Ana Meza, Pat Jones, Kelsey Kelly, Lacy Kastler.

Support Tobosa!

Help us maintain this distinguishable atmosphere for our amazing direct support professionals.

Donate Here

Filed Under: Events, Recognizing great work

Tobosa now providing Behavior Support Services

December 22, 2016 By Jessica Dunn Leave a Comment

The Tobosa family is on fire with a burning passion that is leading to innovative changes throughout the organization. We are working to act on this passion and implement a way for this devotion for the individuals under our services to shine through. Anyone working in the industry knows that the Southeast Region (where we are located) is in dire need of Behavioral Support Services. The regional leaders have recognized this as a regional problem and not just a Roswell problem. One way that Tobosa has chosen to use our passion is to start providing Behavior Support/Management Services. In August 2016, Tobosa was named on the Secondary Freedom of Choice as a Service Provider for Behavior Support Services.

guyla-with-troy-2016
Guyla and Troy getting ready for Reins for Life.

Behavior involves everything voluntary and involuntarily that we do. Behavior is the way we act and react to stimuli and/or our environments. Behavior involves our communication, mannerisms, actions, responses, and perceptions. Particularly for the people in our service, behavior can really affect their relationships, social status as a community member, and the way that people perceive them. Considering everything that behavior involves makes it easy to see why having Behavior Support Services is so important to the people we serve. Another reason why behavior management is so important to our clientele is because it affects the way people solve their problems. The people we work with are no exception to this.

A person’s ability to problem solve is often related to their level of cognitive ability. When presented with problem situations, or conflicts, people with intellectual disabilities can have difficulty solving the problem or getting through the conflict. Many times, we do not stop to think about what it takes to solve a problem. One reason for this is because we have learned problem solving skills along our journey. Those skills just come naturally in our day to day processes. They are not skills we have to think about in order to carry them out. They just naturally occur, once they have been learned. When we don’t have to mentally process before acting on this skill set, the steps are taken for granted or forgotten. To fully understand what is needed to solve problems let’s look at the steps included:

  • Define the problem
  • Identify several potential solutions
  • Evaluate each alternative
  • Choose a solution
  • Implement the solution
  • Evaluate results
  • Choose a different solution or seek help if results are not satisfactory

The people served by Tobosa have different cognitive abilities, as well as functioning levels, but they too can learn some or all of the mentioned skills/steps on different levels. Learning these skills comes from instruction. Providing that instruction is one primary focus of a Behavior Support Consultant (BSC). The BSC is able to assess the person’s ability and pre-existing knowledge of these skills and then break down strategies on a level that the individual can comprehend and learn. The BSC also helps to teach these skills and to educate the support staff on how to teach the individuals these skills in everyday practice and natural environments.

jody-jones-reins-for-life
Jody rides the hippotherapy horse.

Other things that the Behavior Support Services are set up to do, according to the current Developmental Disabilities Service Division (DDSD) and the state of NM’s set of standards and regulations, are to support individuals:

  1. In gaining skills related to forming and sustaining a full range of relationships;
  2. To engage in meaningful community integration and inclusion;
  3. To acquire and/or maintain appropriate social skills and engage in routines of daily life;
  4. To manage and reduce behaviors which interfere with engagement in routines of daily life or that pose a health and safety risk to the individual or others

Once Tobosa was approved to provide the Behavior Support Services, they had to find a Behavior Support Consultant. Tobosa hired Guyla Maples, BSC. Tobosa has a long standing relationship with Guyla. She has worked in this field and with the people in our service since 2007. Guyla now has an office within the Tobosa Administrative building, however, she still works on the go like she has always done. This enables her to be just as available as always. The Tobosa building is just an anchor for her to hold on to when she needs. If you haven’t seen her office, stop by and experience it’s beautiful, inspirational, and calming vibe.

Now that Tobosa has the service, and the consultant to carry out the service, we need people to serve. Many of the people we work with were already receiving Behavior Support Services from Guyla through MECA Therapies. MECA no longer provides services to adults so all adults who were receiving their services must now pick a different provider agency. We want to encourage you to get with your Case Manager and sign a Freedom of Choice for Tobosa. The Freedom of Choice is also open for people who are not satisfied with their current Behavior Support Services or for people who just want all of their services under one organization. If you have questions about this please contact us or your Case Manager. We can’t wait to serve you through the behavioral aspect of your life.

Filed Under: Events, Uncategorized

A letter to staff: new changes

October 21, 2016 By Jessica Dunn Leave a Comment

In the last article that we spent together, I got to briefly mention that some changes were taking place. Since then, Rosy has talked to you, current Tobosa employees, at the Overall Staff Meeting about some of the changes that have been taking place here at Tobosa. I want to take this opportunity to explain a little more to you about one change that has occurred in particular.

We have had the great opportunity to develop the Program Support Services Department (PSSD) to help support you, the direct care staff. Over the last two years, we have talked about developing this department to incorporate the Quality Assurance, Training, and Incident Management staff and responsibilities. The reorganization that has happened since July 1, 2016 has made the creation of this department possible. Our main vision behind developing the Program Support Services Department is to bring Tobosa back to the basics and to support you in providing quality care. There are several ways that this department can help support you:

  • Identifying and solving problems by looking for trends and patterns in the documentation. I am very grateful to report to you that since July, the Quality Assurance staff has heard the frustrations of several teams already. Two of the teams expressed difficulties in identifying what could be causing an increase in behavioral challenges. Another team showed concern over an increase in injuries. The QA staff has worked tirelessly to look for patterns and trends in each team’s documentation to try and identify the possible triggers or causes. In better identifying the cause to an issue, we can troubleshoot how to resolve the situation or how to provide you with more support through the issue. By bringing the issue’s source to the surface, we can prevent similar instances from reoccurring.
  • Amplifying the training department to better support you as staff. Starting in October we will be implementing an initial Assisting With Medication Delivery (AWMD) training class as well as a refresher course each month. These trainings are being set up to assist you and your team members to provide a higher quality of care. We all know that coming in early or staying late to help assist with medications can look good on your paycheck. On the other hand, it can also be very taxing on you personally. Although the overtime is nice, that extra responsibility prevents us from training in a timely manner. That’s where our quality of care is being compromised. By having the two AWMD classes each month, people on your team can refresh their certifications and the New Hires can get trained in less time. We strongly believe this will lead to an elevated quality of care.

    In addition to adding these AWMD trainings, we are going to be introducing new training for documentation, how to be an effective direct support, and some safety training on transferring and lifting, etc. We’ll be training the new hires in the Therap system through the use of the Training Academy before they ever go on shift. This will allow them to be familiar with the system so that while they are shadowing, you can spend that time working with them on quality care and less on documentation. We understand that training new team members is hard and we want to share in that responsibility with you.

    Lastly, our efforts with the Training Department come in the way of getting you your evaluations and raises in a more timely manner. We have put in a tickler system to remind you as well as your supervisors when it is time for your evaluations. It reminds us just like a training class. We are hoping that this system will keep employee evaluations being done so that you can get your raises faster.

  • Ensuring proper programming and services to individuals. The PSSD is not only set up to assist you as staff, it has also been carefully developed to assist the individuals we serve as well. We will be out conducting interviews with the individuals, you, and members of your team. These interviews will be our attempt at gathering your input, learning the successful strategies you use, and documenting the individual’s needs for everything that you do to support them on a daily basis. The information gathered will be written up in a nice and neet profile for that individual called a Person Centered Assessment. These will be regulated by the State of New Mexico. The purpose of these assessments is to justify the need for services for each individual.

It is for these reasons that the Program Support Services Department was developed. I hope that by knowing a little more about why this department was built, you will begin to see us as a helpful resource. I am very delighted with the people we have chosen to be in the Program Supports Department. We are a department of creative thinkers and problem solvers. I am eager to introduce each one of them to you and to give you a chance to get to know us a little better. Thank you for allowing us to be an extended part of your team and for letting us help you provide a higher standard of care.

Filed Under: Events

A letter to current staff: how you can be involved

October 13, 2016 By Jessica Dunn 2 Comments

July 1, 2016 marked the new fiscal year for Tobosa. Tobosa is embracing this new year by making some changes in its infrastructure. Since taking the on the role of CEO, Rosy Rubio has been bringing about changes that are taking the agency back to the fundamentals. Some of these changes have been small in nature, like the atmosphere of the Overall Staff Meetings. The majority of you really enjoyed the last two staff meetings and felt they were refreshing. Along with the small changes, there have been larger changes as well. At the suggestion from the Staff Advisory Committee, the Board of Directors were proposed to increase the company’s paid holidays. We got to enjoy that benefit on the 4th of July. Tobosa has seen success from the changes that have been made thus far. This leads us to continue in our efforts to better support you as staff and in turn to support the individuals we serve.

The time is coming for new members to join the Staff Advisory Committee. I have had several people come up to me over the last few weeks. There were several that came forward after the Overall Staff Meeting. Don’t let someone else be the voice for you, step up and take your seat so that you can speak for yourself and your co-workers. We will be revamping the Staff Advisory Committee and you can be a part of that effort. As mentioned above, this committee has a great influence and power in the changes of Tobosa. The Staff Advisory Committee is made up of Direct Support Professionals throughout the organization. I want to encourage you to think about your place on this committee.

For those of you that feel this committee is not the way you want to contribute to bringing Tobosa to greatness, there are many other ways to get involved. Getting involved in this exciting movement that we are in can be as simple as writing your suggestions or ideas down and putting them in the Staff Advisory Box in the workroom for the committee to explore. Better yet, connect with a member of the committee and talk to them. Tobosa has many events throughout the year. While you are there, why not volunteer an hour of your time?

The agency is moving. We are in forward motion towards greatness.Think about it. How great will Tobosa be when everyone gives just a little. With over 200 employees, that is a lot of effort and greatness to come. We look forward to see how you will move with us.

 

Filed Under: Events, Recognizing great work

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