Transcript:
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Brad Caruso:
Welcome to Civic Warriors, brought to you by Withum. On this podcast, we bring the conversation to you, sharing, engaging stories that motivate and build consensus in the nonprofit community. This podcast is about the innovators, the leaders on the front lines of adversity, guiding lights in the nonprofit industry affecting change. And through their stories, we can all join forces to become civic warriors. Hey, warriors. Welcome to today's episode of Civic Warriors, brought to you by Withum. I'm your host, Brad Caruso, leader of Ham's, not-for-profit practice. Our guest today is Valerie Sellers, Chief Executive Officer of the New Jersey Association of Community Providers. N-J-A-C-P is a not-for-profit organization that provides services to its more than 65 member agencies who provide services to people with developmental disabilities. N-J-A-C-P has been around for over 40 years, brings together a community of providers who help those that need it most.
Brad Caruso:
Our firm has worked with N-J-A-C-P-A member agencies for many years now, and I've had the pleasure of working very closely with, uh, with Valerie. Uh, at N-J-A-C-P recently, we attended a leadership forum, uh, sponsored by N-J-A-C-P, uh, with the keynote speaker, former governor of Ohio, John Kasich, uh, who shared some insights into being intentional on changing established systems to improve care, uh, being provided, and really help industries as a whole, uh, especially those that provide, uh, services to those, uh, who are vulnerable to those with disabilities. Uh, we gleaned a lot of really important and innovative ideas in that discussion, and wanted to bring one of the experts in the industry to the table with us to talk a little further about it. And Valerie was certainly gracious enough to share insight into the trials and tribulations that she experiences on a day-to-day basis in the industry. So, with that being said, Valerie, welcome to our show.
Valerie Sellers:
Thank you, Brad. Thank you for having me.
Brad Caruso:
Love having you here.
Valerie Sellers:
Oh, thank you.
Brad Caruso:
Thank you. So, um, maybe Valerie, start off, can you share a little bit about the work you do at N-J-A-C-P, your background in the industry, which I think is super relevant, uh, to your role, and then we'll go from there.
Valerie Sellers:
Okay, thank you. I started at N-J-A-C-P over 10 years ago, but have been in association work for over 30 years. So that's what drew me to N-J-A-C-P. And then when I learned about the mission of this association and the people that we represent as an association providers serving individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities, that just drew me to this position. And it's been a joy ever since because I know that the work my members do is invaluable. It's, uh, takes special people to do it, and it gives me great pride to represent those agencies. I spent 17 years at the New Jersey Hospital Association where I had oversight of a number of areas, managed care, HIPAA quality research policy, emergency preparedness, managed care. So I had, uh, a lot of diverse areas of responsibility. And here I'm running the association. Uh, we are much smaller, but we are fierce. So <laugh>
Brad Caruso:
Smaller, but the same issues call, I mean, it's the exact same issues, just on a different scale. And you know, certainly a different dynamic with the membership base. But, but at the same token, it's still yes, no different. You're just operating with a smaller budget <laugh>,
Valerie Sellers:
Much smaller budget <laugh>,
Brad Caruso:
But still doing great
Valerie Sellers:
Work. But that's okay. Requires creativity. <laugh>, you learn to be very creative and very resourceful when you have a limited budget, which
Brad Caruso:
We no doubt. No, it makes perfect sense. So obviously, uh, as an association you're certainly serving a, a membership base. Can you go into a little bit further about, you know, what the membership base looks like? Who are some of the providers that you help?
Valerie Sellers:
N-J-A-C-P is unique in that we, our membership is very diverse. It ranges from an agency that has two group homes to, uh, national, uh, agencies that operate in anywhere from five to seven states throughout the country. And so we have to ensure that we are representing the diverse needs of our members. And so that of a small agency may differ greatly from that of a larger agency. But then you also have your core issues. A lot of the people in my field, the executives, um, have been in this field for 30, 40 years. They have made it their life's work. It is their passion. They are not in it to make money. They're in it because they believe in what they do. And I have to say that what strikes you the most about my membership is that they are so personally invested in what they do and who they serve.
Valerie Sellers:
And that personal investment translates into this loving, caring relationship that they have, which is striking to me because you would think at an executive level, you're not, you know, in the weeds, you know, boots on the ground, if you will. But they are very much so they know the names of every person in their care. And I'm talking about even the large ones, it's mind boggling to me how they know the individuals, their families. So that's what I think makes my members, uh, the members of N-J-A-C-P, they're not mine <laugh>, but the members of N-J-A-C-P, I think that's what makes them so incredibly special. Whether they belong to N-J-A-C-P or not, if you're in this field, you have to be committed.
Brad Caruso:
Oh, without a doubt. And these organizations are tax exempt organizations. They operate, uh, I would say it's a very unique field in not-for-profit. 'cause it it has a quasi healthcare feel. It is healthcare in general. Yes. But also there, there's a variety of aspects, behavioral health as well as you said. Yeah. Like that personal connection. Um, you know, people are, in many cases, living in a, in long term, uh, people are transitioning in different points in their life and they're taking care of them sometimes for a very long period of their lives. Um, and and I also noticed too, this industry, a lot of the boards, um, they're very also involved boards with the op with the very, uh, programmatic aspects of the organization. Many of them have family members that are personally affected or living within homes that are served by the agency that they're on the board of.
Brad Caruso:
You know, so I I know there's a huge vested interest, as you mentioned, that a lot of these places aren't necessarily financially motivated. Although today's day and age, you have to have a very strong mindset on finance because of how, you know, inflation and, and, um, you know, the workforce is changing as far as, and the the cost of paying the workforce is changing. So it's mutually relevant. Absolutely. However, we do find, you know, I know in, in, uh, in our experience working with many of these agencies, uh, it is a very family close family knit relationship. Absolutely. And that's what I love about working in this space personally, because the board meetings we go to are different. You know, you, you show up and it's like, you're just, you're part of their family too. Although you're, you're the auditor, but you have the same attitude they do, which is, I'm doing this to help your clientele. You serve. I'm not doing this to make money. We're doing this so that we can provide your assurance so that you can go get money so that you can continue to do what you do. And, uh, that's right. You know, I know myself, Kathy and Devon, a few others that work in our space, we definitely, uh, uh, gravitated closely to it for that exact reason. So it, it is, it is unique in the nonprofit industry.
Valerie Sellers:
It is. And I have, uh, I've served on, um, uh, large nonprofit boards <laugh>. And, um, but this is different. And I think it's because of that personal investment that the families have that just individuals in general, if you get into this space and, uh, you're committed to it, you sh it's just this passion that you have for the people that are being served. And one thing that I think, you know, having worked with hospitals now in this field is, uh, you know, they always say, uh, a job of a veterinarian is harder than that of a medical doctor. 'cause their patients don't talk <laugh> necessarily. Right. So, uh, I don't know if it's true that it's harder, but, but I will say this, that in this field, it is unbelievably challenging because you are working with individuals that may not be verbally communicative. Uh, they'll communicate in their own way, but not as you and I would, you have individuals, as you noted that have behavioral issues, don't understand what they're doing, so they don't intend to harm somebody.
Valerie Sellers:
But you are having to figure out what their needs and wants are on a daily basis. And that's what makes it a very challenging community. It is, it is a very challenging job that I think is so misunderstood or a lack of understanding, not even misunderstood but lack of understanding of the complexity of this work. And, and that I think, you know, if there's one thing I want people to recognize, this is a very, very challenging field. And it's funded solely by Medicaid, Medicare. I mean, we're not talking private pay of very few, um, private pays. But the point being that it's to function in this nonprofit world of, you know, an IDD, you're dealing with government funding. You're dealing with individuals that may not be able to fully communicate. You're also serving the families. You're not just serving the individuals. You have to be responsive to the needs of families and loved ones. So you have multiple layers of people that you're serving in this world while trying to stay afloat
Brad Caruso:
Without question. And, you know, I know from our, our experience here, you know, I, I see more on the financial side of it and less on the operational side in certain cases, but even on the financial side, I mean, when, when it transitioned, many of these organizations had pure cost reimbursement government grants. What does that mean? It means you don't make any money. It means you have zero nest egg That's right. For the future. And you just op you have operations. Then they transition to a Medicaid billing model, which that created host of challenges. 'cause now you're moving from, Hey, we have one grant contract and we know how to do it. And we've had someone here for 20 years that knows how to do it to, oh, we're doing healthcare billing now. Okay, cool. <laugh>. So we need to now transition to healthcare billing and all the compliance requirements that Medicaid throws at you.
Brad Caruso:
You know, I think it, it's been beneficial on a variety of levels, uh, financially for organizations. However, you've had to change your dynamic. So now you have to change that. Then you have a pandemic, which obviously created challenges. Although a lot of money was thrown at organizations on a variety of levels. All those programs out there, state of New Jersey specifically, had a lot of programs that specifically helped these organizations as well as the other general programs everybody knows about. But then you had to manage all of that with limited resources. 'cause a lot of these organizations have always been program, program, program. We don't have a lot of operations. That's right. So, from my perspective, I've always seen it that way, where I think many of the agencies we've always worked with have always been very focused on program. They've done a great job with that.
Brad Caruso:
But then they had all of this financial stuff thrown at them as a result of the last couple years of, you know, mayhem on top of a workforce shortage on top of inflation, and on top of rising costs everywhere. You know, it's created that. So I, that's been the biggest challenge I've seen is, is you have to pivot. You have to create your organization in a way that moves forward and not, Hey, we've always done it this way. And a lot of these, you know, a lot of places we've worked with in the past, we've always done it this way. We're gonna keep, and I'm like, you can't, you have to financially, that's on the financial side. Right. From your perspective, obviously being very closely related to a lot of these, you know, a lot of these member agencies and many of them are directly involved on your board, you know, involved in, in, in many your activities and functions that you do. What are some of the challenges, other challenges that you see outside of kind of the financial challenges? You know, what are some of the more common challenges these organizations face?
Valerie Sellers:
Regulatory. Yep. <laugh>, I have to tell you, again, working with hospitals for 17 years and then coming to this field, this is so highly regulated. Well, let me change that. In the world of IDD, things are not done by regulation. They're done by policy, which is very, very, very different than any other business. And we are a business, most businesses operate under regulations that are promulgated. And, you know, you have an opportunity for input. That's not what providers in this world, how they function. It is, there are licensing regulations, but then they operate under what are called policy manuals issued by the state. So what that means is that new policies can come along all the time. And so the challenge that providers face is one, that it is by policy, and you have to agree to abide by policy. The challenge is trying to run an organization that is person centered and focused on the individuals and run a business as a business, but doing so under highly restrictive policies.
Valerie Sellers:
And that is a challenge because you are not free to run your, your organization as a business per se, because you're so highly, I'll use the term loosely regulated by the state. And so where you might choose to do some things for efficiency purposes and financial reasons, you cannot do that. It's just shocking to me, uh, when I came into this world that it's so driven by policy because things can change in the blink of an eye. If something happens and there's, uh, a bad player out there, then a new policy comes along that applies to every provider, even though 98% or 99% of the providers are doing their jobs and doing them remarkably well. So you have to have guidelines. You have to have policies, you have to have regulations, but you can't, it, it, it can't meet at the expense of the individuals being served.
Valerie Sellers:
And the whole direction for our community is community integration. So the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid services are saying, we want people with IDD to be integrated into the community. They should be no different than you and me. And we all subscribe to that. We believe in that. Um, but sometimes the policies and regulations create barriers to achieving that, to the extent that it should be. So that's, that's a big challenge for providers in this community that it is. So there are so many oversight groups, uh, for, uh, providers. It's just, there must be five oversight entities that will come out and investigate if something happens. And, um, it's just sometimes it creates real operational challenges and, you know, while they're already dealing with the financial challenges. Um, and so I think that that just is, is a, a burden that they have to deal with.
Brad Caruso:
Yeah. Without question. And when, when you, when you say policy here, um, can you give an example of, uh, if you could think of one off the top, uh, of a regulation versus a policy when you say, you know, in general things are regulatory driven versus policy driven. Uh, what would be example of a regulation and an example of a policy put in frame of reference to it?
Valerie Sellers:
Um, okay. A regulation, a licensing regulation would be that you have to have certain signage in the home. Uh, uh, certain emergency response plans. Those are licensing regs. And so inspectors will come out and make sure you have all your policies in your home, is in proper working order, or your apartment, or your day program policy would be, we want you to provide all of your policies, your internal written policies to families. Whereas in a business, you know, you'll have operating policies and procedures. They're written for a business <laugh>,
Brad Caruso:
You don't want you, you don't want me to see your operating policies and procedures.
Valerie Sellers:
No, exactly. So, so now, so now that's a great example. Now we're having to negotiate. I mean, that would, who would wanna, but, but now we're negotiating. Well, let's talk about what that would look like, because what we operate with is gonna look very different than what we would give to families. Uh, and so that's an example. So that's a policy that was going to come out. Now, fortunately, we've had a chance to go back and, and the state has been very good, uh, about listening and saying, okay, let's work together and we'll, we'll come up with something. But those are policies that will just come out. And, you know, it, it's just putting locks on doors, putting locks on doors that seems so benign and so trivial. Of course, you would've locks on bedroom doors. Well, for somebody that's not able to understand how to use a key or a lock or a pad, a keypad, that's just not necessarily practical. Now, that came out from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. That's a policy. You have to put box on the doors. So this just happens often. We'll get policy updates, policy updates, you know, in the regulatory world to pass a regulation can take almost a year. And so it, it, there's a reason for that. There's opportunity for input. There's opportunity to, uh, amend a regulation here. These are policies that come out. Yeah.
Brad Caruso:
And I, I love the, uh, the examples you gave are so spot on, uh, put in frame of context being a, a business that we are, as well as, uh, what you just said. And, and it just speaks volumes about the work you do. And the work N-J-A-C-P does when it comes to a policy will come out. What happens when that policy comes out? You all talk about it and you're like, no, no, no, we need to change this. Then what do you do? You go, you know, I mean, maybe not literally, maybe literally in certain cases, you know, you go walk on the door, you know, the state capitol door, like, what, what are you guys doing? Like, this isn't gonna work for our members. Come on <laugh>. But I think it speaks volume to what you do. That's exactly how it works. And how imp and how important it's to the work you do.
Brad Caruso:
Because at the end of the day, if you just let the government run a business like this, it will fail. And I don't know if I'm being mean saying that, but I I personally think, you know, you, you need to have all parties. You need to have the organizations running it. You need an intermediary that can bring the voices together of all these organizations. And you do need a government. Because if you don't have a government too, then, you know, then you get people getting taken advantage of. So the, the, the all all these parties are necessary working in the ecosystem. But your integral nature of NJACP itself is to be that voice that helps these organizations absolutely. Solve these issues. And, you know, understand, and, and you're, you're, you're listening a lot to saying, oh yeah, you're right. That, that, that is, you know, detrimentally affecting you. Let's, let's figure out how to, how to solve that. But, but when you're reacting to it, as opposed to proactively dealing with it when it comes to legislation, you can proactively deal with it. Or you can propose bills and you can work through that. Exactly. In this case, it's like, oh, this just came out. We gotta go deal with this today. Let's figure it out.
Valerie Sellers:
That's, that's my win.
Brad Caruso:
Yep. <laugh>, which fire are you dealing with today? <laugh>? Yeah. Um,
Valerie Sellers:
Yes.
Brad Caruso:
So, so on that topic, you know, I'm always, I'm always big advocate of how we get better. Um, you know, we hear the word innovation kicked out there. Um, obviously I think, I think in this industry, there's, there's, there's room for innovation. But at the same token, you know, you have to be mindful that not every innovation that exists in the world applies to a group home or applies to a day program, or applies to an individual with, uh, intellectual developmental disabilities. You know, you, uh, had great foresight to hold a conference where, um, you invited former Governor John Kasich from Ohio. He, uh, spoke significantly about some of the policies and things that he put in place, which I thought were, um, you know, interesting and fun to listen to, as well as insightful. And the way he went about it with the audience was, uh, was great.
Brad Caruso:
So we spoke a lot about innovation, or at least I gleaned a lot about Yes. Innovation. How do we innovate as an industry? Uh, what does that innovation mean? Um, you know, from that perspective, can, would you be able to talk a little bit about what some of those innovations might be that help some of your members? Or that, that we heard that, you know, I think it's great to get this information out there so that people start thinking about it. You know, how do we think about this concept of innovation when it comes to individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities?
Valerie Sellers:
Well, I think they're, I, I think of innovation in two different ways. One is technology. And we are now starting to see, uh, much more of a focus on the technologies that are being introduced for our field. So, for example, I just went to what we call a smart home, which is fully equipped, and it will have sensors on the bed. So to wake someone in the morning, the bed will start to slowly shake until the person wakes. They will have pans on the stove that when you remove the pan from the stove, it automatically goes off. So they can't burn themselves. There are medication dispensaries that can be put in an individual's bedroom, and it's solely for that person. So it's not, it's not the staff that's doing the medication administration, it's now a unit, uh, that is stocked by the pharmacy. Um, there are just so many different technologies that are in the home, but I think the assumption is that if we put technology in your home, then we'll need fewer staff.
Valerie Sellers:
But that's not the case. You don't need fewer staff. What it does is it allows the staff to spend more time with the individuals. It's not necessarily gonna save money, but it changes the focus to where it should be, which is on engaging the individuals. And so there's that technology that's going on now. In fact, we formed a, uh, a committee that's just going to focus on new technology in the field. Um, and so there's that piece of technology. But what Governor Kasich talked about, which was intriguing to me, was that as governor, he had somebody that was responsible for this community. And if you remember Brett, he said, we went to the corporations. We found those corporations that were willing to employ people from our community because supported employment, that is always a goal to have people working. And so I think he was very innovative in that he had somebody that took that responsibility and went out and found corporations and, and opportunities for employment.
Valerie Sellers:
Here, it's up to the agency to go out and try to find employment. Well, it starts with leadership at the top. And if leadership says this is a priority. And he also talked about companies that were making some really interesting technology that would love to get into the field, but we don't know who those people are. So it's, where's our starting point? We have to do research and find out who are some of these major corporations and how do we have them bring the technology in. But, uh, I think the innovation was also in making this a priority and and ensuring that leadership, uh, communicated that it was a priority. So I, I saw it as long two lines.
Brad Caruso:
Oh, yeah. No, without a doubt. And, and we, we think about, um, innovation, um, there, there's definitely multiple, multiple verticals. 'cause you can think about innovation when it comes to technology, as you said. I think that's the public. If you had just ask a, a lay person on the street, I think most people would say, when you use the word innovation, they default to Yes. Technology. That's why I greatly appreciate that you drew that delineation. 'cause it's not just technology. Innovation comes in the form of process. You're changing. Yep. Process for the better. I know internally, you know, with him, we have an innovation department and that innovation department, you know, oh, one of those things that pops up. Uh, we went through a strategic plan years ago and they said, you know what, we don't have, we don't have an innovation ideation platform. And so we implemented one, you know, we have 2,400 employees.
Brad Caruso:
And they're like, you know what we're gonna do? We're gonna hire a chief innovation officer. That person's gonna build the platform that intakes the ideas. And those ideas do cross those multiple verticals. Some of them are, uh, technology changes, like, you know, very granular to We need this software to do X. Like, okay, great. Right? But that, that's not, that's not necessarily solving the problem. Some of them are process, Hey, we've always done it this way, and that's, it seems to not work. Maybe we should do it this way. And that's kind of more the innovation you're describing. And then you can get into, you can get into under other innovations of, um, you know, products you offer, right? It's not necessarily a process of technology, but an innovative way that you make money. Um, you know, that's one of the ways, you know, we, as, as a business of ours, we're thinking about what other products can we offer?
Brad Caruso:
And it doesn't directly apply to your space, per se, but it could, and you could think about innovation with people, you know, how do we, how do we engage people a certain way that maybe others aren't engaging people in that way? So, you know, I, I usually think about a person I worked with once said, you know, people, process and technology always. And, um, you know, put them, put them in that order. You need the people first. Then you put in, then you put in the process, then you put in the technology. And so a lot of times we jump to innovation being the technology, but before that, technology can exist. You need, and in your case, before you put the technology in, you need the policy, then you need the technology, right? Because you can put the technology that's, and then all of a sudden some policy somewhere that, you know, someone dusts off a book is like, oh, this contradicts that.
Brad Caruso:
You can't do that. You know, especially like delivering medication. The first thing that comes to mind is, can you do that? You know? And at the end of the day, you probably can, right? But there's probably some Right. Very granular policy that you have to follow. So putting frame of context exactly when I think, you know, I think for the audience listening, it, it's one of those things that you have to be, uh, you can't just jump into things, be very thoughtful and very mindful. And that's why it's so hard to innovate, because it's not just the idea, it's the execution and the correct and the implementation of the idea that becomes the challenge. So as far as smart home, is that a reality now? Like, are, are there certain Yes, that is okay.
Valerie Sellers:
Yes. And there are states that have, uh, North Carolina and a few other states that have really sort of gone full bore. But again, if you approach this as a means to save money on labor costs, that's, that's not what it's saving money on. And, and that's, and so you take that, the cost of technology can be prohibitive for many agencies. Um, unless they can get grants or through fundraising, uh, to purchase the technology, uh, for all the homes, it's, it's extremely costly. And if you're on a, you know, you're on federal dollars, federal and state dollars, you don't always have that, those financial resources to invest,
Brad Caruso:
Oh, this is, that this is outside investment. Oh, and it's either outside investment through a government because they create a program which then funds this initiative, right? Or it's outside investment. You know, there's many foundations and other individuals that may give to, Hey, that's a great idea, had, I'd like to give to that, and let's, let's make that happen. So, but it, that's where it has to come from. It doesn't, you know, your normal operational billings and, and contracts do not cover innovation, generally speaking, they cover historical events, not future events. So.
Valerie Sellers:
That's right. That's right. And remember, I think you made this point early on under contract based reimbursement. They could not have reserves anything. They had went back to the state. And so, you know, they didn't have anything to draw down on other than their fundraising dollars. So, you know, that takes years to build up sufficient reserves. Um, and, uh, you know, I think they're still in that process. And so there are those that have been able to find sources of money. Um, and I think we'll start to see more of this as we move down the road. I really do.
Brad Caruso:
Oh, without question. Yeah. Yeah. We're already starting to see a shift that organizations, um, you know, and it starts with, it starts, it starts at your big corporation level, then goes to your middle management corporation, then generally hits the not-for-profit world just based on resources, constraints and things like that. You know, we're usually towards the tail end of that from, uh, financial pots of money hitting us in general. Um, you know, you mentioned a couple technological innovations. Are there any technological innovations you've heard of or you're starting to hear people talk about that maybe are not available yet, or that are potentially going to hit your industry? Like, as an example? Um, and I hate using this, but most people, you know, hear the, the term AI and are like, oh, artificial intelligence that can help me. But then it's like, okay, but how, like, you know, and in our industry, I've been here, I, we've been trying to solve this equation for a while now of, well, well, what artificial intelligence things are gonna help us or supplement us? You know, I don't want the robots to take over, and I don't think anybody does. However, there are certain ways that can make you more efficient. So when you think about cost being a constraint, the whole purpose of an AI is to alleviate that cost constraint. Have you heard of any, or in your travels recently, have you heard of anybody talking about artificial intelligence and a potential impact on, uh, some of the agencies you serve? Or, or have you heard of any innovations from that aspect? Uh, you know, kind of new horizon type innovations?
Valerie Sellers:
I have not, um, it doesn't mean it doesn't exist, but I've not heard of, uh, I've not heard anybody talking about AI in our field, but I think it's an in interesting question to pose. And actually, now that you raised it, I probably would put this question to the technology. I,
Brad Caruso:
Without a doubt would. Yeah. I think, I think it's a great idea to start getting it. And, and yeah, what I said, you know, previous to that is entirely true. Your high echelon, you know, a, I call 'em like apples your billion dollar s and p 500, you know, top right companies in the world, they've been doing this for five years. I look at than that trickles down now. Like companies like ours, which were a bigger company, but, but not one of these massive A organizations. Um, we're doing it now, then it's gonna hit the nonprofit world <laugh>. So it, yes, it'll, it's a hundred percent going to, and you know, some of the things in, uh, in my field as an example, um, you know, we're seeing a, a big innovation with, um, taking contracts and putting them into a software, and then it, it summarizes it for you.
Brad Caruso:
Um, I just used it where I had a a page of notes and I'm like, you know what? I need to give a presentation on this. I really wish that someone could turn this into a PowerPoint. What would I do yesterday? Hi, person that sit next to me that doesn't have, you know, that might be free. Can you do this for me? Sure. Now I was like, I copy and paste that text into a, we have a, a chat GPT like platform. And what does it do? It translates it into slides. You say, gimme one slide per, you know, section of this, and it does it. And like, that's saved. You know, I still have to, I still have to do something, you know, a AI in itself right? Doesn't necessarily do your job for you, but it probably saved me four hours of preparing a PowerPoint. Now I spent one hour preparing a PowerPoint. Um, I'm hearing a lot of, uh, organizations using it for translation services. You know, historically you'd have to go to a third party translation service. Now these technologies are able to real time, have interactions in different languages and can read and, and interpret and respond in different languages and international NGOs, I could say that that's one of those areas that they're, it tuned to. It actually can save them significant budget dollars that pops up.
Valerie Sellers:
I bet.
Brad Caruso:
Um, and, and on the fundraising end, we've heard people talk about that there are, uh, ways to like aggregate your mailing lists and then target the right mailing list based on whatever keywords or based on whatever things. And I don't know exactly, you know, that's one of those, I haven't really delved into it too much, but I, in hearing some people talk about it, so yeah, I think that's a great question to ask your membership and those listening, if you have any ideas Yeah. That, you know, some of you I know are in this space, share 'em with Valerie and, and, and, and start a conversation about it. Yeah, I know. You know, that intentional next step, uh, it starts with an idea and then you go from there. So that's
Valerie Sellers:
Brilliant. I didn't think of that. And so much of the work that's done in our field, it's all manual. Oh, a
Brad Caruso:
Hundred percent. Yep. So
Valerie Sellers:
If you want a bill for providing, uh, day program services, it's 15 minute increments. You have to document for 15 minute increments. So you're spending most of your day documenting Mm-Hmm. <affirmative>, uh, you're, you know, that's what you're doing. And that's, you know, I wish, unfortunately, I don't think the feds, you know, would be supportive of moving towards some sort of standardization. They hate that, but they don't realize that those unique notes that are person centered, that all takes time. And the amount of time that you're spending doing that versus spending it with the individuals, to me, is something that should be well looked at.
Brad Caruso:
That's a, that's a perfect example.
Valerie Sellers:
What are our priorities? Our priorities need to be for the individuals.
Brad Caruso:
We're taking the inefficiency, or we're taking something that we know bogs down that direct care time, which we all know that the answer is, we're not trying to get rid of direct care time. We want the direct care time is what makes this work, right? However, we have to deal with everything around it. So what innovation can occur that can alleviate the other stuff that's not the direct care. And I think everybody in the industry that I've ever talked to or heard people talk, like, will be supportive of that. However, you know, who's on the bleeding edge of innovation, essentially, who's gonna put, you know, 'cause it's always dollars and r and d that has to, but
Valerie Sellers:
If it doesn't even happen at the state level, there's your problem. Because they are still submitting applications to gain well, which is a fiscal intermediary, uh, to, uh, uh, get licensed paper mailing applications in. And you can't cut and paste. You have to, it's just if the state isn't operating efficiently, then it's not, it's a trickle down. So the providers can't be efficient if they're waiting eight months, or they wait six months only to be told, oh, we don't have it. We lost it. Um, those are inefficiencies to me, should be addressed at a higher level. Fix them there, because it will only serve to benefit the end users. And so that's, there needs to be innovation, uh, to all those different, you know, entities that touch our community. They have to be innovative as well. Yeah. Um, because they're, they're creating inefficiencies,
Brad Caruso:
No doubt. Yeah. So, so last, last question on this topic. So when I think about, um, you know, we're talking about innovation, we're talking about how, you know, we innovate, you innovate. If you, you know, you've set up a committee as mentioned, and you're actively working on this. How do you think your average member agency, whether they're one of the larger national or smaller two group home, as you mentioned, how, how should they think about innovation as a whole? Or how have you necessarily messaged these organizations to think about it? You know, are you actively soliciting them for innovation? Like you said, like, oh, I'll, I'll pull them like that. That's great. That's a, that's a mechanism to which to further, how do you, how do you think member agencies should be thinking about innovation right now? Do you think it's like high priority, low priority, mid priority?
Valerie Sellers:
I think they should be mid, you know, if, and there are those that are further along and, and there, uh, those that have gotten grants. Um, but, uh, you know, and I visited homes where that's just standard. As they're building new homes, they put in these, all these, the door alarms, you know, the door is open. Uh, all those other technologies. I think how we start to bring this to the forefront is by having a committee, which we already have 25 people that have asked to participate. So not all of those 25 use tech smart technology, but they wanna learn about smart technology. So that's, that's a great first step. The next step is at our annual conference, we'll have multiple sessions on technology. And then the third step is where we as an association will start to gather information on the different manufacturers of the technology.
Valerie Sellers:
And then, you know, that's where I'll go out and see if we can reach out to these manufacturers and see if we can be, you know, test sites for them. Can we use it and then provide feedback. That's when we'll get involved. Once we've identified some of these vendors. And also we have the strategic partner program here at N-J-A-C-P. So we will partner with vendors that have a product or service that our members need. And we think they're, you know, they're among the best. And so we will partner with them. And I, I have a feeling that next year we'll partner with a couple of companies that produce some of the more common technology.
Brad Caruso:
Love it. Yeah. And those are all great ideas. And I think, you know, I I, I always learn from smarter people than me. I think my entire life has been that way. And, you know, I've never been on the, uh, on the front end of that curve. But, but most, you know, being around other people, hearing how they think, hearing how they talk, hearing their struggles. Yep. Hearing their achievements. That's how you collectively improve. So your point of having, yep, a 25 person, uh, committee or group that's gonna have an active dialogue, get involved in that group. I think that's, that's the best way. Because if you don't know where to start, I'm sure someone else has started or someone else is already. Absolutely. And, and hear what they'd done, and then get their feedback and then be intentional about going to meet with them and say, I need your help.
Brad Caruso:
How, how, how can I do what you did? Or how should I be thinking about this? And I think that's, that's a great, great way. I think you providing the education. Once again, another significant benefit of having the association be involved with these agencies is that you are out there saying, you know what? This is, these are deliberate sessions. We are holding for you for a reason, <laugh>, and we are bringing that to you. 'cause otherwise, not everybody would be thinking about it. I bet at every board table, if you poll, not everyone has even probably brought up the word innovation for better or worse. I'm not saying it's a bad thing. Right? Or you are bringing it up. You're saying, Hey, we know this is a topic and we know we have to do this. It may not end our world if we don't.
Brad Caruso:
We're not in a technology business where if we don't innovate, we're gonna go away. But at some point we know we can always do better. And this is how. So I think I love that. Um, and, and the various avenues. And then you said, you know, your, your, uh, partner program where, you know, there's gonna be these, you know, these are front and center, two people to, uh, see, use and, and experience. And, and then your work in identifying these things like, okay, we know that this works. Let's find a, let's find a vendor that can help our members with it, and we'll bring them in front of 'em, right. And then they can figure it out. Um, I love that. That's great. So I think that's phenomenal. So just to wrap up here, how can the public help N-J-A-C-P? Where do you think the public in general, can help an organization like yours? Uh, or even, you know, down to the level of helping the members that, that you serve?
Valerie Sellers:
Uh, I think one is open your eyes and see this community and appreciate them. Don't look away. Do not continue to treat this community as if it's invisible. Because we have a place in society and we contribute to society. And you know, I always say there, but for the grace of God, tomorrow you could need someone from my community to support you. One car accident, one traumatic brain injury. That's all it takes. And you now are part of this community. And so see it, appreciate the work that people are doing. Don't be judgmental. This is a very hard field. Very, very hard. You have to have the patience of a saint. I could never do it, let me put it that way. I could not do this work. Uh, which is why I so enjoy representing them, because they do it day in, day out. So if you, if you know nothing else, just know that the people in this community and the people that are serving them, they just wanna live lives like you and I live. That is all you need to know. And treat them with the same level of respect, uh, and kindness that you would anyone else. That's what I want people to know about this community. And if everybody starts to do that, it'll make the lives of my members much, much easier.
Brad Caruso:
Love it. And I love that message. I think that's the, uh, I think that's the right message in the world. And specific to this industry is specific to the individuals they serve. Don't look away. Help be there for people. Treat others the way you wanna be treated. And also treat others go out of your way. Um, you know, others may not be able to go outta their way for you, but that doesn't mean you can't go outta your way for them. And, you know, many of the homes that, that we're referring to, that some of these individuals are living in, are in your communities. And you may know it, you may not know it. Absolutely. Uh, but they're in your neighborhoods. And I'm sure you come across people every day that you may not realize. So that's why it's always important to always have that attitude. So I, I love that. And, uh, really love this conversation today, Valerie. This is a, a great discussion. I think. Me too. Uh, I hope some of the members out there that are in this industry and some of those that serve individuals in this, in this capacity, find some value in the discussion. You know, I loved it. I thought it was a great, uh, discussion. But thank you so much for being here today.
Valerie Sellers:
Thank you for having me, Brad. I really, really appreciate it. Thank you.
Brad Caruso:
And Warriors out there. Thank you for listening. You know, obviously, uh, in today's day and age, we have to help those around us. And as Valerie said, we have to be there for others and we have to go out of our way to do that. So I appreciate your time today. Subscribe and meet us right back here for another episode of Withum's Civic Warriors. Hope everyone has a great day. Bye everybody.
