www.bost.org �1

On  May  5,  the  American  Network  of  Community  Options  and  Resources  (ANCOR)  recognized  Diane  Ragsdale  of  Bost,  Inc.  in  Russellville  as  the  2015  Direct  Support  Professional  of  the  Year  for  Arkansas.    “We  at  Bost,  Inc.  are  proud  of  Diane  Ragsdale.    The  award  shows  the  dedication  Diane  has  to  support  people  with  disabilities  and  rePlects  the  quality  of  services  provided  by  Bost,  Inc.,”  said  Kent  Jones,  Executive  Director.  “The  award  was  presented  at  the  2015  ANCOR  Annual  Conference:  Ignite!  in  Arlington,  VA.”  Diane  was  nominated  by  her  supervisor,  Waiver  Senior  Coordinator,  Matthew  Perry  of  Bost,  Inc.’s  Russellville  Waiver  ofPice.    She  has  worked  with  LaVonna  Wellborn  for  six  years.  Her  attention  to  detail  and  structure  has  positively  transformed  LaVonna’s  behavior  and  psychological  stability.    

Recently,  Diane  and  LaVonna  spent  many  hours  locating  land,  helping  with  construction,  and  Pinishing  a  self-­‐help  home.  Since  LaVonna  moved  in,  Diane  has  personalized  a  maintenance  schedule  to  keep  the  home  in  top  shape.    She  has  helped  LaVonna  create  and  implement  a  shopping  and  inventory  system  so  they  can  inventory  toiletries,  canned  foods,  perishable  items,  and  household  items  on  a  weekly  basis.  This  inventory  is  documented  and  used  in  creating  a  weekly  shopping  list.  Though  this  sounds  very  simple,  due  to  LaVonna’s  unique  behaviors,  this  is  a  great  task  that  has  had  an  enormous  effect  on  her  behavioral  health.  Diane  also  has  helped  create  a  system  of  storage  and  organization  with  plastic  bins  to  facilitate  the  task  of  reducing  clutter  within  LaVonna’s  living  area.              In  the  six  years  that  Diane  has  served  LaVonna,  they  have  developed  a  “sister-­‐like”  relationship.    Diane  helps  guide  LaVonna  in  the  right  direction  while  also  encouraging  her  to  make  choices  on  her  own.  Diane  has  earned  an  amazing  amount  of  trust  from  LaVonna.  This  trust  has  had  a  positive  inPluence  on  LaVonna’s  behavior  and  mentality  leading  to  a  more  stable  and  healthy  lifestyle  both  physically  and  psychologically.    Since  the  very  Pirst  time  they  met,  Diane's  positive  values,  morals,  ethics,  and  willingness  to  help  at  all  costs  have  molded  and  solidiPied  their  relationship.  This  has  inPluenced  a  positive  transformation  toward  LaVonna’s  future  and  independence.  

Diane  has  volunteered  for  Special  Olympics  coaching  LaVonna  into  a  top  Pinish  in  Bocce  Ball.  Diane  also  advocates  for  individuals  with  developmental  disabilities  to  maintain  a  healthy  lifestyle  through  diet  and  exercise.  Diane  has  helped  develop  a  speciPic  diet  plan  and  from  that  assistance  and  encouragement,  LaVonna  lost  over  eighty  pounds  and  has  kept  it  off.  Diane  also  goes  to  the  gym  with  LaVonna  several  days  per  week  after  working  with  LaVonna  in  a  supportive  employment  program.      

Diane  encourages  LaVonna  to  make  choices  based  on  her  own  morality  and  values.  Diane  maintains  constant  communication  with  the  treatment  team  and  the  supervisor.  Diane  maintains  integrity  and  professionalism  at  all  times  and  has  demonstrated  this  throughout  all  the  changes  that  have  taken  place.  She  has  the  ability  to  assert  her  thought  and  opinions  in  a  professional  manner  and  is  always  considerate  of  what  is  in  LaVonna’s  best  interest.  Diane  is  always  on  time,  is  meticulous  in  documentation,  and  maintains  all  of  her  training  and  certiPications.  She  is  certiPied  in  CPR,  First  aid,  and  Infant  CPR,  as  well  as  Personal  Care.  Diane  received  the  honor  of  Bost  South  Central  Employee  of  the  month  in  2013.  In  2014  she  received  an  All-­‐Star  award  for  her  top-­‐notch  job  performance.  Diane  exceeds  expectations  in  all  areas  of  her  job.

BOST, INC. PROGRESS REPORT

June 2015

www.bost.org �2

Grape Escapes, A Vine AffairBost’s  13th  Annual  Grape  Escapes  Fundraiser  was  held  at  6:00  pm,  Friday,  March  6  at  the  Holiday  Inn  City  Center.    Our  cocktail  style,  signature  fundraiser  was  truly  an  evening  full  of  Pine  wine,  delicious  food  and  incredible  escapes!    Guests  had  the  opportunity  to  sample  over  350  wines  from  around  the  world  and  enjoy  hors  d’oeuvres  from  local  restaurants  and  caterers.    This  year’s  entertainment  included  The  Don  Bailey  Jazz  Combo  and  Fort  Smith  Native  Jonathan  Karrant.  

All  proceeds  went  to  Bost  to  help  fund  classroom  supplies,  our  Pleet  of  vans,  and  facilities  maintenance  -­‐  all  of  which  is  non-­‐government  subsidized.  Bost  serves  over  1,000  individuals  with  mental,   physical,  and  developmental  disabilities  in  28  counties  in  Arkansas,  with  the  majority  of  individuals  located  in  Sebastian  and  Crawford  Counties.  

This  event  would  not  have  been  possible  without  the  help  of  our  sponsors,  vendors,  guests,  chairman,  volunteers,  emcee,  auctioneer,  and  committee  members.    From  event  preparations,  to  the  live  auction,  to  the  clean  up,  everyone  involved  made  this  event  a  success.    Bost  is  thankful  to  have  such  a  large  group  of  people  who,  not  only  support  what  the  organization  does  today,  but  also  supports  what  the  organization  can  do  in  the  future.    We  are  thankful  for  the  support  and  generosity  and  cannot  wait  to  see  what  next  year’s  14th  Annual  Grape  Escapes  has  in  store.      

Thank  you  to  our  following  sponsors  and  vendors  for  their  commitment  to  and  support  of  Bost:  Premiere  Partners:  BKD  Foundation,  Alpha  Packaging,  Inc.,  Regions  Bank,  Sparks  Health  System,  Business  Insurance  Consultants  

Corporate  Partners:  BHC,  Gallagher  &  Co.,  Mercy,  New  Prospect  Company,  Junior  Civic  League

Community  Partners:  ACEC,  AT&T,  First  National  Bank  

Family  Partners:  ACCOUNT  Management,  Bank  of  The  Ozarks,  Little,  Shaneyfelt,  Marshall  &  Co.  The  Swaim  Family,  Valley  Behavioral  Health  System,  Yaffee  Iron  &  Metal  Corporation

www.bost.org �3

Friends  of  Bost:  AOG,  Architecture  Plus,  Arvest,  Bob  &  Jan  Cooper,  The  Donaubauer  Group  of  Raymond  James,  Forsgren,  Inc.,  Johnson  Dermatology,  Myra  &  Jim  Dennis,  Preferred  OfPice  Products,  Inc.,  Tankersley  Food  Services,  Walther  Arms,  Inc.,  Williams  -­‐  Crawford  &  Associates  

In-­‐Kind  Partners:  Allyn  &  Janice  Donaubauer,  Ashley  &  John  Rausch,  Baldor  Electric  Co.,  Brenda  &  Anthony  Altman,  Caroline  &  Bob  Cooper,    Chuck  Fawcett  Realty,  Caroline  &  Bob  Cooper,  Clearchannel  Outdoor,  Collections  Floral,  Davis  Iron  &  Metal,  FFO  Home,  Funky  Memories  Photobooth,    John  Mays  Jewelers,    Sandy  &  Ken  Pyle,  KFSM  Channel  5,  Matlock  Media  Group,  Marvin  Altman  Fitness  Center,  Mercy  Fitness  Center,  Tim  Dunn,  WACO  Title  Co.,  Bedford  Camera  and  Video,  Mr.  &  Mrs.  Greg  Nichols,  WORKSOURCE,  C  &  J  Forms  &  Label,  Bost  Board  of  Trustees,  Cheers  Liquor,  Fort  Smith  Athletic  Club,  River  City  Realty,  LLC,  Holiday  Inn  City  Center,  Jerry  Simmons,  Lady  Jane  Cohen,  

Liquor  Mart,  Superior  Linen  Services,  LLC  

Participating  Wine  Vendors:  Central  Distributors,  Moon  Distributors,  Custom  Beverage,  Wiederkerh  Wine  Cellars,  Glidewell  Distributing,  Diamond  Beverage,  Dionysus  Wine  &  Brew,  Keels  Creek  Winery,  Glazer’s  Distrtibutors  of  Arkansas,  Post  Familie  Vineyards  &  Winery,  Shamrock  Liquor  Warehouse      Participating  Food  Vendors:  Beland  Manor,  Bricktown  Brewery,  Chili's,  Confectionately  Yours,  Golden  Corral,  Harps,  Hooters,  Kopper  Kettle  Candies,  movielounge/Starlight  Celebrations  and  Events,  Panera  Bread,  Papa's  Pub  &  Pizzaria,  Red  Lobster,  Shorty's  Tamales,  Sweet  Bay  Coffee  Co.    

We  at  Bost  truly  appreciate  all  of  the  businesses  and  individuals  who  helped  us  raise  over  $100,000  at  Grape  Escapes.  If  we  have  inadvertently  left  anybody  off  of  our  thank  you  list,  please  call  it  to  our  attention  by  calling  479-­‐478-­‐5556.  This  event  would  not  be  possible  without  our  tremendously  generous  community.  Thank  you!

www.bost.org �4

Have the Grace to Keep TryingWe  are  all  familiar  with  the  old  proverb,  “If  at  Pirst  you  don’t  succeed,  try,  try  again.”    We  can  all  picture  The  Little  Engine  That  Could  repeating,  “I  think  I  can,  I  think  I  can…”  or  even  imagine  the  moral  of  Aesop’s  fable  from  The  Tortoise  and  the  Hare  that  “slow  and  steady  wins  the  race.”    In  some  way,  each  of  these  is  appropriate  to  describe  Bost,  Inc.  Children’s  Services  employee,  Grace  Ahne.      

Grace  began  working  as  a  certiPied  teacher  for  Bost,  Inc.  in  2004.    Part  of  the  requirement  for  working  as  a  certiPied  teacher  in  Children’s  Services  is  obtaining  a  teaching  endorsement  in  Early  Childhood  Special  Education,  which  involves  completing  a  speciPic  set  of  college  classes,  then  taking  and  passing  the  Praxis  Assessment,  a  national  standardized  test  all  teachers  must  take.    By  2010,  Grace  completed  the  college  course  work  required  to  obtain  her  teaching  credential  in  Early  Childhood  Special  Education.    She  made  all  A’s  in  her  courses  and  took  the  test  but  had  difPiculty  making  the  required  passing  score.    

According  to  the  Arkansas  Department  of  Education,  by  2010  Grace’s  time  had  expired  for  passing  the  test,  and  the  Department  of  Education  did  not  allow  her  to  continue  working  as  a  certiPied  teacher  for  Bost.    However,  this  did  not  stop  Grace.    She  continued  working  in  Children’s  Services  as  a  Classroom  Development  Aide  (CDA).    She  asked  Ferba  O’Kelley,  Bost  Inc’s  Early  Childhood  Education  Coordinator,  to  tutor  her  and  help  prepare  her  for  the  test.    She  studied  any  time  she  had  an  opportunity  and  kept  taking  the  Praxis  Assessment,  over  and  over  again.  

Every  time  she  took  the  test,  her  score  improved.    She  continued  to  get  closer  and  closer  to  passing:  11  points  away,  then  seven  points  away,  then  four  points  away.    She  continued  with  her  tutoring.    She  continued  taking  practice  exams.    She  continued  studying.    On  Friday  19  December  2014,  Grace  took  the  Praxis  Assessment  again.    She  took  the  test,  which  by  now  had  gone  from  being  a  pencil-­‐and-­‐paper  test  to  a  test  taken  on  the  computer.    At  the  end  of  the  computer  test,  she  was  given  a  preliminary  score  stating  she  had  earned  enough  points,  that  she  had  a  passing  score  for  the  state  of  Arkansas.      

Grace  completed  all  requirements  to  have  the  Early  Childhood  Special  Education  endorsement  added  to  her  Arkansas  State  Teaching  CertiPication.    By  the  end  of  January  2015,  she  received  her  updated  teaching  certiPicate,  showing  she  is  now  fully  certiPied  to  teach  Early  Childhood  Special  Education.      

A  posting  went  up  for  a  certiPied  teacher  in  Fort  Smith.    Grace  applied  for  the  job.    When  the  job  posting  was  completed,  she  was  offered  and  accepted  the  position  as  a  certiPied  teacher  in  Fort  Smith.    On  Monday  30  March  2015,  Grace  started  her  Pirst  day  as  an  Early  Childhood  Special  Educator,  a  certiPied  teacher,  in  Children’s  Services  at  Bost.    After  being  hired  11  years  ago  as  a  certiPied  teacher  and  four  and  half  years  after  the  Arkansas  Department  of  Education  stated  that  Grace  was  ineligible  to  continue  working  as  a  certiPied  teacher  at  Bost,  she  is  now  once  again  in  the  position  of  being  a  certiPied  teacher  at  Bost,  Inc,  fully  licensed  and  certiPied  to  teach  Early  Childhood  Special  Education.    No  one  has  worked  harder  for  an  opportunity  to  be  a  teacher;  Grace  has  earned  it.  

If  you  want  to  know  what  it  feels  like  to  “try,  try  again,”  talk  to  Grace.    She  never  gave  up,  never  gave  in,  and  never  let  go.    She  will  tell  you  that  this  is  probably  the  hardest  thing  she  has  ever  done.    She  will  also  tell  you  that  she  will  never  have  to  take  that  test  again.    

www.bost.org �5

Ronald  Carson  began  at  the  Bost,  Inc.  Adult  Development  Center  in  Dardanelle  right  after  it  opened.    He  expressed  an  interested  in  bettering  his  counting  skills,  but  was  often  frustrated  because  he  couldn’t  retain  what  he  learned.    Lesa  Pitts  worked  with  him  in  the  classroom  on  counting  and  helped  to  motivate  him  and  she  has  seen  so  much  improvement  in  his  skills!    It  was  a  huge  help  when  the  Dardanelle  location  began  participating  in  the  sub-­‐assembly  work,  previously  only  available  in  Fort  Smith.    He  builds  the  boxes  and  counts  items  out,  rarely  making  mistakes.    The  work  program  helps  him  use  the  skills  daily  that  he  was  so  eager  to  learn.      

Ronald  has  also  been  selected  as  a  torch-­‐runner  for  this  year’s  Special  Olympic  Games!

Addison  was  not  a  happy  girl  when  she  began  coming  to  Bost  and  she  would  let  her  teachers  know  by  crying  most  of  the  day.    It  took  her  less  than  two  weeks  to  become  accustomed  to  her  class  and  being  around  her  classmates.    Addison  now  speaks  very  clearly  as  she  counts  to  10,  sings  the  days  of  the  week,  and  names  everyone  in  her  class.    Addison  also  knows  all  the  songs  they  sing  in  class  and  knows  what  sounds  all  the  animals  make.    Ms.  Michelle  couldn’t  be  more  pleased  with  Addison’s  progress!

When  Nora  Pirst  came  to  Bost,  Inc.  Dardanelle  Hand  in  Hand,  she  was  very  quiet,  withdrawn,  and  didn’t  want  to  be  around  her  classmates.    After  spending  time  with  her  teachers  and  other  children  her  age,  Nora  has  really  come  out  of  her  shell!    She  is  far  more  social  with  her  peers  now  and  she  likes  to  help  her  teachers  by  doing  “chores”  around  the  class.    Her  Pine-­‐motor  skills  have  improved  as  evidenced  by  improved  self  feeding  and  eating.    Ms.  Kandy  and  Ms.  Candy  are  so  proud  of  how  far  Nora  has  come.    We  can‘t  wait  to  see  what  the  future  has  in  store  for  her!

Success In Dardanelle!

www.bost.org �6

Cheryl  Guillory  was  nominated  as  ANCOR  2015  DSP  of  the  Year  by  Coordination  Supervisor,  Renee  Self.    Cheryl  was  not  selected  this  year,  but  still  deserves  recognition  for  her  outstanding  service.      

Cheryl  has  constantly  worked  at  improving  the  daily  lives  of  those  she  serves,  whether  it  is  organizing  trips  to  local  events,  helping  to  Pind  housing  or  helping  with  adjusting  to  new  environments.  She  has  often  gone  above  and  beyond,  recently  during  poor  weather  conditions,  to  ensure  safety  and  well  being  of  individuals  served.    Cheryl  has  developed  strong  relationships  with  those  she  serves  by  not  only  providing  care  but  also  by  teaching  how  to  interact  appropriately  others.    

Cheryl  has  exempliPied  the  principles  of  person-­‐centered  support.  She  has  worked  diligently;  helping  each  of  those  served  physical  and  mental  well  being.  She  has  spent  time  learning  each  individual's  wants,  needs,  desires,  and  also  their  personal  struggles,  and  works  with  each  one  to  help  provide  an  individualized  service.

Also Nominated

Northwest  Arkansas  Waiver  Director,  James  Maginot,  nominated  Christopher  Costes  for  ANCOR  2015  DSP  of  the  Year.    While  Chris  was  not  selected,  his  exemplary  work  should  be  commended.  

Christopher  Costes  entered  the  Pield  of  developmental  disabilities  without  any  experience.  He  has  grasped  his  responsibilities  and  Bost’s  expectations  of  him  and  Plourished  by  studying  the  person  he  works  with  and  utilizing  his  training  to  its  fullest  potential.  He  has  proven  numerous  times  that  he  is  willing  to  go  above  and  beyond  the  job  asked  to  improve  a  consumer’s  life.    

Chris  has  accomplished  many  things  with  those  he  serves.    He  has  helped  become  as  independent  as  possible.  Chris  shows  dedication  to  the  agency  and  those  he  serves.    The  people  he  supports  and  the  families  he  works  side  by  side  with  said  he  couldn’t  be  replaced.  Those  he  serves,  and  their  families,  have  used  the  words  honest,  caring,  Plexible,  reliable,  kind,  and  loving  when  describing  Chris.    Chris  is  there  as  a  mentor  and  a  guide,  but  most  importantly,  as  a  friend.  He  is  able  to  work  with  those  he  serves  in  a  way  that  encourages  the  person  to  improve  their  own  life;  not  because  Chris  wants  them  to,  but  because  the  person  wants  to  better  him  or  herself.      

Chris  said  he  is  humbled  by  our  gratitude.    He  feels  he  is  just  doing  his  job.    As  you  can  see  he  is  doing  more  than  “just”  a  job,  he  is  changing  a  person’s  life  for  the  better  and  he  has  been  selPless  every  inch  of  the  way.

Cheryl Guillory

Christopher Costes

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