Staff News - October '25
- Laura Bohnke
- Oct 6
- 7 min read
📌To Do - Due by Oct 24th
Thank you to all staff who completed the required Formal Complaint Policy and Procedure Annual Review. We truly appreciate your help in keeping us compliant with our requirements!
Complete this Employee Handbook Update Acknowledgement. You are responsible for familiarizing yourself with the updated versions of these policies and procedures. Physical copies are posted on the communication board in the workrooms. Digital versions can be viewed on the Staff Hub page. Supporting documents are linked in their corresponding policy section. Updated and new policies for this month are:
Treatment Authorization Form
Refusal of Medical Treatment
Employee Injury/Illness Reporting Form
Work Restriction Agreement
Work Restrictions Procedure
Employee On-the-Job Injury/Illness Reporting Procedure
Agreement to Unpaid Suspension For Drug or Alcohol Testing
Unpaid Suspension for Drug Testing
Complete the Personal Appearance - Annual Review
This should take you less than 10 minutes to complete. Information covered in this quiz is drawn from the Personal Appearance Policy # 210 available in the Staff Hub.
News - Jump to:
Supported Pathways
Company-Wide
Upcoming Events
We’re thrilled for our annual Trunk-or-Treat coming up on October 26th from 1–3 p.m. This is one of our favorite company traditions — a time to celebrate creativity, connection, and community fun! The event is open to absolutely everyone, so invite families you know, bring your best costumes, and get ready for a fantastic day with our families and friends. Plus, there's still time to sign up to host a trunk or donate candy!
Shoutout of Appreciation
We’re also feeling extra thankful this month for the entire Partners in Autism team. Everyone has worked so hard to adapt to ongoing industry changes while building strong internal systems that keep our services running smoothly. The teamwork, flexibility, and shared purpose you’ve all shown truly reflect the heart of who we are.
October Birthdays
Let’s wish a happy birthday to our amazing teammates:
Alexus Briones – 10/19 (ABA)
Kashina Gates – 10/26 (ABA)
Britany Smith – 10/28 (ABA)
We hope you all have the happiest of birthdays!
Welcome New Staff
Programs and Courses
Life Skills
We wrapped up our Food and Nutrition class on Monday, September 22! Participants closed the session by preparing delicious meals such as scrambled eggs with toast, chicken and cheese sandwiches, mini pizzas, and tacos.
We’re excited to share that our next sessions will focus on Health & Safety, with plans to offer them in the coming year.
As always, we welcome sponsorships to help support our courses. If you’re interested, please connect with Amanda to learn how you can get involved.
Autism Pre-Screening Assessments
We’re expanding our assessment options!
Our Pre-Screening Assessments now include two new assessment areas: Giftedness and ADHD. These additions allow us to serve an even wider range on inquiries and a larger portion of our community. They also allow individuals with multiple potential diagnoses to more deeply understand and appreciate the different parts of their story.
Admin
Our Admin team continues to be the heart of our behind-the-scenes success! We love seeing how the team supports one another by checking in, sharing laughs, and offering encouragement when things get busy. That sense of camaraderie and good humor makes all the difference! Thank you for your adaptability, problem-solving, and positivity — you keep us steady, connected, and strong.
ABA Services
Special Days
Our Goodies with Grandparents event was a total blast — it was such a joy welcoming both new and familiar faces into the clinic. Families loved getting a firsthand look at what their children do each day, and we loved sharing those proud moments.
A huge thank you as well to everyone who joined us for the Autism Acceptance Walk! Seeing so many of our staff out in the community (and even bringing freebies back to share with kids!) truly embodied the spirit of giving and inclusion.
Clothing Swap: Oct 9-10 in Suite 110
Come check out what your colleagues no longer have room for in their closets! Bring clothes to donate by Oct 8th. Take as many items as you like no matter how much you bring!
Friday, October 17th – Cowboy/Cowgirl Day – Howdy, Partners, it’s time to bring out all your country style!
Friday, October 31st – Costume Day – Wear your most awesomely fun costume all day as we enjoy office Trick-or-Treating and other fun activities.
We also completed a staff training on HIPAA and privacy compliance, led by Amanda Herald, Director of Operations — thank you for keeping our team informed and compliant!
We’re excited to begin our new ABA Staff Recognition Program! Each month, we’ll celebrate four ABA staff as ABA Culture Champions who each exemplify four core standards:
Giving of Self
Adaptability
Growth
Positivity
Winners will enjoy a special parking spot and the honor of choosing the next group of champions. The first trophy handoff was filled with great stories and heartfelt appreciation — we're working on ways to share these stories with the whole ABA staff as we build this tradition of celebrating one another.
Congratulations to our September and October Champions:
Growth: Dani and Tacoy
Giving of Self: Will and Kat
Adaptability: Rachel and Gel
Positivity: Amanda B and Lydia
Referral Bonus Alert
Know someone who would make an awesome Behavior Technician? We have a referral bonus for you!
ABA Staff Spotlight: Lydia Mack
Lydia came to us with incredible ABA experience, and it shows! She meets every challenge with determination and heart, spreading positivity and passion wherever she goes. Her energy, skill, and bright outlook make her a joy to work alongside. We’re so excited to continue watching her grow and shine!
Supported Pathways Learning Center
Exciting news — we’ve officially opened our second classroom! We now have nine total students and two dedicated instructors collaborating to create a unified, supportive learning environment.
We've been learning about a famous glass sculpture artist and fashioning our our (non-glass) sculptures based off his techniques and shapes. We enjoyed an alphabet scavenger hunt around the building, taste-testing and smell-testing apples, measuring with Legos, and using real hand-tools in practical ways.
We also had Picture Day recently! If you’d like to see the adorable results, stop by and check out the kiddos’ lockers outside of the Learning Center. Their smiles say it all!
Waiver Services
Recognizing Our Team
This month, we want to extend a huge thank you to our DSPs for their continued dedication and compassion. Your flexibility, creativity, and commitment to person-centered care have made a visible difference in the lives of our clients. From supporting daily living skills to celebrating small wins, each of you has gone above and beyond, and we are proud to recognize your efforts.
One of the highlights this month has been watching staff collaborate to strengthen the care we provide. From sharing creative “PAC Hacks” to stepping in to support one another with scheduling needs, your teamwork ensures that every client receives consistent and high-quality support. It is inspiring to see staff members brainstorming together, offering encouragement, and modeling the collaborative spirit we hope to instill in our clients as well.
We also want to welcome Kira Koorsen and Eila Pattee to our DSP team!
Looking Back & Looking Ahead
Last month, our team focused on helping clients transition into fall routines and new schedules. We saw many successes in adjusting to school, work, and community activities.
Looking ahead, this month we are preparing for seasonal events, training opportunities, and continued growth in our waiver services. As a reminder, all DSPs are required to complete the Syra Health state-required training to obtain an HCSP (Home and Community Support Professional) Certification. Information for this training has been emailed to you. If you have any questions or concerns, please get in touch with your Director.
What Clients Are Enjoying
Clients have been enjoying a variety of activities that promote independence and self-advocacy. Many have been working on budgeting skills during grocery trips, cooking simple meals, and practicing communication strategies in social groups. These hands-on experiences not only build confidence but also foster stronger connections within their communities.
Staff Spotlight: Amy Acree
A special shoutout to Amy Acree for the incredible care and dedication she shows every day. Not only does she provide outstanding support to her son, but she also brings such a positive outlook to every situation. No matter the challenge, she finds a way to turn it into a teaching moment, helping to build skills, confidence, and independence along the way. Her patience, creativity, and unwavering positivity remind us all of the difference one person can make. Thank you, Amy, for leading with your heart and showing what true dedication looks like. We are grateful for your compassion and the example you set for our team and the families we support.
Social Groups
Navigators
Our Navigators received their badge sashes and all the badges they've earned this summer.
We celebrated with a reprise of our favorite project so far: the science of bubbles. Earlier we learned all about how bubbles form and what keeps them bubbly - to celebrate, we just enjoyed the fun!
Up next, we'll be working on learning how to attach those badges as well as planning our trunk decor for the Partners in Autism Trunk-or-Treat (Oct 26th, 1-3)!
Since the start of the school year, we've been meeting biweekly instead of weekly, on the first and third Thursday of each month.
Employment Services
Client Successes
Let’s celebrate our clients' amazing wins this month:
Did an OUTSTANDING job with interview skills.
Had a blast building a bird house and using tools for the first time.
Won an award from Page Turner for a story that they wrote.
Learned new job skills at BigKidBrix. The supervisor is very happy with their job performance.
Working at Build-a-Bear and is improving job skills with stuffing the bears and sewing them. They will be training on the cash register next.
Working at Magic Wand in Churubusco. They have started working independently on Mondays, and will be moving to busier shifts to get more comfortable with working the weekends.
Way to go, team!
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