Revised 11/3/11
THE PARTICIPANT’S
HANDBOOK FOR
CHOICE, INC.
7654 EXECUTIVE DRIVE
EDEN PRAIRIE, MN 55344
(952) 474-9510
OR
8801 WILDWOOD AVENUE
ST. BONIFACIUS, MN 55375
(952) 446-1475
OR
9850 51st AVENUE NORTH, SUITE 100
PLYMOUTH, MN 55442
(763) 417-9030
Looking for a service provider can be a very complicated job. During a tour or telephone conversation,
it can be easy to forget an important question or concern that you may have. Because of this, we’ve
put together some answers to the questions that are most common as people consider working at
CHOICE, Inc.
We’ve also included questions that often come up once people start working at CHOICE, Inc. We
encourage you to keep this handbook, so that when you have questions, you can refer to it.
(However, we didn’t answer all of your potential questions. So if you think of something that we
missed, be sure to ask!)
DO I QUALIFY FOR SERVICES AT CHOICE, INC.?
Before you can be admitted into CHOICE, Inc.’s program, there are certain criteria that are considered.
In order to qualify for services you must:
* be at least18 years of age
* have a diagnosis of an intellectual disability or a related condition
* be finished with high school
* have a Hennepin County Social Worker or a Social Worker for another County with Hennepin
County’s approval for you to receive services at CHOICE, Inc.
CHOICE, Inc. does not deny anyone from entering the program based on severity of disability, race,
gender, religion or age. We are an equal opportunity employer.
WHAT SERVICES ARE AVAILABLE AT CHOICE, INC.?
CHOICE, Inc. is a Day Training and Habilitation program with work-related services offered to all
participants. Some of these include: in-house paid work, work training, and community employment.
Community Employment Services include working independently and competitively at a job site, yet still
receiving the support services your IDT (Interdisciplinary Team) has determined would be beneficial to
you. This can be done through our Supported Employment Waiver or through our Day Training and
Habilitation Services. Another option CHOICE, Inc. offers is working with a group of people in a
community enclave while receiving support services from CHOICE, Inc. staff. Your community
employment will be based on your own personal needs.
CHOICE, Inc. staff also work to help participants increase their independence with functional skills
training. This could include training in: community skills, daily living tasks, social skills, leisure
activities, computer skills, safety practices and other areas that you may be interested in.
The services listed above are available to all CHOICE, Inc. participants and are funded under CHOICE,
Inc.’s daily per diem.
If you are interested in receiving services that aren’t available directly through CHOICE, Inc., you can
request these at one of your interdisciplinary team meetings. You and your team can then decide on
the best way to coordinate these services.
WHAT SHOULD I DO IF I THINK I MIGHT BE INTERESTED IN WORKING AT CHOICE, INC.?
If you think you might be interested in working at CHOICE, Inc., you can call CHOICE, Inc. to arrange
for a tour of the program (or you can ask your County Social Worker to call for you). When you tour
CHOICE, Inc., you are encouraged to bring your Social Worker, parents, guardians, and any other
people who may be interested.
If you don’t have a County Social Worker, someone from CHOICE, Inc. may ask you to contact the
County to arrange this with them. In order to be eligible for the services at CHOICE, Inc., a person
should have a county case manager.
DOES CHOICE, INC. PROVIDE TRANSPORTATION?
Yes, CHOICE, Inc. does have its own transportation system. However, CHOICE, Inc. will occasionally
use the public transportation system to transport some of its consumers based on location and time of
the transportation needs.
If CHOICE, Inc. is providing transportation to bring you to and from work a CHOICE, Inc. van will pick
you up in the morning between 7:30 and 9:00 (depending on where you live). A CHOICE, Inc. van will
also bring you home in the afternoon when you’ve finished your day at CHOICE, Inc. CHOICE, Inc. will
provide you transportation to and from your community job site.
Responsibilities of Participants using CHOICE, Inc. Transportation:
1. Transportation is arranged to be cost effective. Routes are structured according to where people
live or work and therefore cannot be arranged to meet an individual’s preference for a specific time
of pick-up or drop-off nor a preference for who may or may not ride on a particular route.
2. Seat belts must be worn at all times.
3. Transport only items necessary for their work day (i.e. lunch).
4. Maintain appropriate behavior while riding in the vehicle. Posing a threat of danger or harm to
themselves, other passengers, or the driver, may result in the revocation of their privilege to utilize
CHOICE, Inc. transportation.
5. Participants are to be ready at their scheduled pick-up time. Drivers will wait the standard “5 minute
wait period” after the scheduled pick-up time. At that point van drivers will then continue on with
their route.
6. Eating and drinking in CHOICE, Inc. vehicles is not permitted.
7. Head phones are permitted in low volumes, although CHOICE, Inc. is not responsible for the loss of
personal property.
8. Pick up and drop off times on van routes are subject to change at any time.
WHAT DO I HAVE TO DO TO BEGIN WORKING AT CHOICE, INC.?
Your Social Worker will be asked to submit a referral packet including:
* A record of a psychological evaluation done within the last three years
* A copy of your Individual Service Plan (ISP)
* Reports from therapists or specialists that you’ve worked with (such as speech or occupational
therapy)
* Documents (such as a picture I.D. and birth certificate) which prove your eligibility for employment.
(CHOICE, Inc. will give you a list of the needed documents)
After CHOICE, Inc. receives this packet your information will be presented to the Intake Committee
and a decision will be made if CHOICE, Inc. can meet your needs at our program. You will then
receive a letter in the mail within 30 days stating if you have been accepted into our program.
If CHOICE, Inc. is an appropriate service for you, but there is not an immediate opening available, your
name will be put on a waiting list. The waiting list is reviewed each time an opening becomes available
at CHOICE, Inc. Names are kept on the waiting list in order according to the date that their application
was received.
WHAT HAPPENS ONCE I AM ACCEPTED INTO CHOICE, INC.’S PROGRAM?
The first thing that will usually happen once you are accepted into the program is that someone from
CHOICE, Inc. will call you to schedule an Intake Meeting. Other people who could be invited to the
Intake Meeting are your Social Worker, interested family members, your guardian (if you are not your
own guardian), people who work at your residence, people from your school or current job, therapists
that you work with, and any others who you would like to invite.
The purpose of the Intake Meeting is to plan a smooth transition into CHOICE, Inc.’s program, and you
are encouraged to take an active role in this process.
During the Intake Meeting, CHOICE, Inc. will provide you and your guardians with orientation on a
variety of CHOICE, Inc. policies and procedures. You will also have the opportunity to exchange
information and ideas as to the specific things you would be interested in participating in at CHOICE,
Inc. You decide what day you would like your start date to be, which may occur any time after your
Intake Meeting. Other items that will be discussed at the Intake meeting are:
- Final agreement by all parties of the services to be delivered and time lines
- Development of the Risk Management Plan
- Arrangement to assist the participant in the transition to new services
- Program Supervisor will review Consumer Rights
- Appropriate “Consent for Release of Information” signed
- Transportation
After you have been working at CHOICE, Inc. for about 45 days, another meeting will be held to review
your specific program plan and make sure that it is right for you.
HOW WILL RECEIVING SERVICES THROUGH CHOICE, INC. IMPACT OTHER BENEFITS I MAY
BE RECEIVING?
CHOICE, Inc. is an agency that provides a service to you. We do not have access to your personal
financial records. Depending on how many hours you work and your hourly rate of pay, this could
impact other benefits you may be receiving. CHOICE Inc. will work with you and your County Social
Worker in determining if your income from CHOICE, Inc. services will impact your current benefits. It is
the responsibility of you and your guardian to determine if your current benefits will be affected by
receiving services from CHOICE, Inc.
WHAT ARE THE WORK RULES AT CHOICE, INC.?
Many of CHOICE, Inc.’s work rules are outlined in detail in this handbook. Some examples are:
Instructions on what you should do if you are sick or want to take some time off and the types of clothes
you should wear to work.
Other general rules at CHOICE, Inc. are:
* Food and drinks should be kept out of the production area where they could spill on work products and
damage them
* Displaying personal affection, such as kissing and hugging your friends should not take place during
work time
* Respect other people and their belongings
Other work rules are decided by specific program areas. Your Designated Coordinator can tell you
about any work rules that pertain to your work group.
WILL I BE PAID FOR THE WORK THAT I DO?
Yes. You will be paid by check every other Friday for the work that you do at CHOICE, Inc. There are
two ways your pay is calculated:
1. Piece rate
2. Hourly rate
Most jobs on-site at CHOICE, Inc. are paid by piece rate. This means you are paid for each piece you
produce. Community jobs such as janitorial work and material handling are paid on an hourly rate.
If you are employed at a job in the community, the company that you work at may pay you directly.
CHOICE, Inc. does not provide employment related fringe benefits to those receiving services.
WHAT ARE THE HOURS THAT I WILL I WORK EACH DAY?
In general, most CHOICE, Inc. participants start work (at CHOICE, Inc. or a job in the community)
between 9:00 and 10:00 in the morning and finish the day between 2:00 and 3:00 in the afternoon.
This depends on where you work, where you live, and which van you are assigned to (if you use
CHOICE, Inc. transportation).
WHO DECIDES WHERE I WILL WORK?
You do, along with CHOICE, Inc. staff, your guardian, County Social Worker, and others from your
interdisciplinary team. Some things that influence where you work are: whether you want to work in a
community job or at CHOICE, Inc., the types of jobs you like to do, availability of community jobs, how
many hours per day you want to work, and other services that you want to access at CHOICE, Inc.
WHAT IF I WANT TO CHANGE JOBS WHILE AT CHOICE, INC.?
If you are working at one job and decide you would like a change, you should tell your Designated
Coordinator, or you can bring up this idea at your next interdisciplinary team meeting. Your Designated
Coordinator, or another staff person will work with a job developer so that your current work assignment
at CHOICE, Inc. can be changed.
Changing jobs while at CHOICE, Inc. might mean moving from one community job site to another. Or,
it could mean moving from the CHOICE, Inc. production area to a community site. Changing jobs could
also mean increasing or decreasing the amount of time that you work each day.
WHAT SHOULD I WEAR?
It’s best to wear casual clothing that you will be comfortable working in. Your clothes should be clean
and odor free. Please avoid excessive jewelry, open-toed shoes, short shorts, or other garments that
could hinder your safety at CHOICE, Inc. Some community employers may have additional uniform
requirements.
DOES CHOICE, INC. SERVE LUNCH?
No. Participants are expected to bring their own cold bag lunches to CHOICE, Inc. If you will be eating
lunch at CHOICE, Inc., a refrigerator is available to keep your lunch cold. Vending machines which sell
pop/lemonade are available for use during lunch and breaks. When selecting menu items for bag
lunches, please consider that microwaves are not always available, and participants may have limited
opportunities for usage. If you will be working in the community and eating your lunch there, each
individual job site has its own accommodations for lunch. You can check with your Designated
Coordinator to find out what these are.
WHAT IF I NEED TO BRING PERSONAL BELONGINGS TO CHOICE, INC.?
If you need to bring a change of clothing or other personal belongings on a regular basis, you or your
home can work out special arrangements for this with your Designated Coordinator. Please be sure
the items you bring are labeled with your name. CHOICE, Inc. is not responsible for the loss of
personal property.
CAN I GO ON VACATION OR TAKE TIME OFF?
You are free to take vacation time throughout the year. Vacation time is not paid, so you will not get paid for the
days you are off. Planning your vacations around holidays, and CHOICE, Inc. breaks is encouraged.
WHAT HAPPENS IF THERE IS A SNOW STORM OR OTHER SEVERE WEATHER?
In the event of inclement weather, listen to WCCO 830 AM radio in the morning to find out if CHOICE,
Inc. will be closing that day. CHOICE, Inc. in Eden Prairie and St. Bonifacius follow the Eastern Carver
County District #112 and CHOICE, Inc. in Plymouth follows the Robbinsdale School District #281 in
these situations. But, if Eastern Carver County District #112 schools or Robbinsdale School District
#281 is running late, CHOICE, Inc. will run on time. Sometimes inclement weather may cause
CHOICE, Inc. to close early. If this would happen, someone would call your home to let them know that
you would be arriving home early that day.
WHAT SHOULD I DO IF I AM SICK AND CANNOT COME TO WORK?
If you are ill or absent for any reason, you should call CHOICE, Inc. and let them know. If you call after
4:00 in the afternoon or before 7:45 in the morning, you can leave a message regarding your illness on
the voice mail at 952-474-9510 for the Eden Prairie site, 952-446-1475 for the St. Bonifacius site, and
763-417-9030 for the Plymouth site. You will not be paid for days that you take off from work at
CHOICE, Inc. due to illness. If riding via CHOICE vans you will be supplied with the cellular phone
number to call your driver as well. If you take public transportation you will need to report your absence
to that company for that day.
CAN CHOICE, INC. STAFF GIVE ME MY MEDICATION?
CHOICE, Inc. staff can give you your medication if they get a copy of the Doctor’s order for the
medicine and a consent form signed by you and/or your legal guardian. CHOICE, Inc. does supply
Tylenol as a comfort medication.
WHAT ARE THE GUIDELINES REGARDING ATTENDANCE?
Issues that arise regarding participant attendance will be discussed on an individual basis with IDT
members.
Participants are expected to follow the program day calendar to the best of their ability, attending at
least 80% of the program days.
The above attendance guidelines have been designed to insure quality job programming and security
for our participant employees as well as stability for community employers.
It is strongly encouraged to schedule vacations, medical and dental appointments, and other time off to
coincide with the vacation time offered throughout the calendar year. (Please refer to CHOICE, Inc.
calendar).
Any deviation from the above mentioned schedule will jeopardize the employability and placement of the
participant.
CAN I SMOKE CIGARETTES AT CHOICE, INC.?
Yes and no. Smoking is not allowed inside of CHOICE, Inc. because, like all Hennepin County Buildings,
CHOICE, Inc. is smoke-free. This means that all designated smoking areas are outside. If you want to go
outside during your breaks to smoke, talk with the Designated Coordinator to see if this can be arranged.
CAN I LEAVE CHOICE, INC. DURING THE MIDDLE OF THE DAY?
You can leave CHOICE, Inc. by yourself if you are your own guardian, or if your guardian and
interdisciplinary team decide that it is okay for. If your IDT decides this, it will be documented in your
Risk Management Plan. If you do plan to leave CHOICE, Inc. on your own, please let your Designated
Coordinator know about this before you go.
In most cases if people leave CHOICE, Inc. during the middle of the day it is to go to an appointment,
or to return home because they are ill. If you find yourself in this situation, someone will probably pick
you up at CHOICE, Inc. People who are authorized to pick participants up at CHOICE, Inc. are: Their
guardians, residential staff, family members, County Social Workers, and other people who have been
authorized through a release of information. If you are picked up at CHOICE, Inc., the person picking
you up should sign the chart located at the front of the building upon departure.
If there are people that you or your guardian do not want to have authorization to pick you up at
CHOICE, Inc., this should be brought up at your Intake (or any interdisciplinary team) Meeting. This
can then be included in your Risk Management Plan.
CAN MY FAMILY OR FRIENDS VISIT ME AT WORK?
Your family or friends are welcome to call or visit CHOICE, Inc. at any time. If your family or friend
wishes to speak with a CHOICE, Inc. staff person during their visit, please have them call at least a day
in advance so arrangements can be made for this.
Community job sites have individual rules for visitors and guests. Please have your family and friends
check with your Designated Coordinator to arrange a visit to a community job site.
WILL CHOICE, INC. KEEP ME UPDATED ON MY PROGRESS AT WORK?
CHOICE, Inc. will keep you and your family informed with progress reports. At least once a year your
interdisciplinary team meets to discuss progress and to plan for the future, and determine the frequency
of meetings and progress reports.
Communication between meetings with e-mails, phone calls and written notes are welcomed. Please
let your Designated Coordinator know if you would like more frequent communication using e-mails,
phone calls or a written notebook.
WHAT KIND OF WRITTEN RECORDS DOES CHOICE, INC. KEEP ON ME? CAN I SEE THEM?
CHOICE, Inc. keeps an individual file on each program participant. This file contains copies of your
individual plan at CHOICE, Inc. This includes assessments, programs and progress summaries.
CHOICE, Inc. also keeps copies of your Individual Service Plan (which is written by our County Social
Worker), reports from therapies such as O.T. and Speech, and reports from your residence and other
services that you may receive.
You have many rights regarding this information. You have the right to know if CHOICE, Inc. is keeping
written information about you, the right to see the information (as long as it is not classified as
confidential), and the right to get copies of the information.
WHAT ARE MY RIGHTS AT CHOICE, INC.?
CHOICE, Inc.’s philosophy is that all people should enjoy certain rights. Some of these include the
right to:
* courteous and respectful treatment
* appropriate medical and personal care
* participate in creating your individual plan
* know who is providing services
* have information about treatment
* refuse to participate in experimental research
* refuse to perform services
* be free from abuse, neglect, isolation and restraints
* privacy
* have access to protection and advocacy services
* not be arbitrarily transferred or discharged
* have problems and concerns heard and addressed
* know the rules
* terminate (stop) or refuse services
* know service limits
* know initiation (start) and discharge (stop) terms
* know service charges- which are for 2012:
St. Bonifacius Site
Eden Prairie & Plymouth Sites
Full day
$82.07
$61.03
Partial day
$61.56
$45.77
Transportation
$11.09
$11.09
* know funding sources (County Funds/Medical Assistance)
* be treated with respect
* trained and competent staff
* have private records
* see my private records
* use the telephone
* have friends
* private mail
* personal privacy
* plan activities
If you have any questions about these rights, please bring them up at your admission meeting, at
interdisciplinary team meetings or with your Designated Coordinator.
Any topics or ideas can be addressed at these meetings. Some of these topics can include:
accessibility, safety, work, transportation, and participant rights.
WHAT POLICIES ARE AVAILABLE UPON REQUEST?
CHOICE, Inc. has the following policies and procedures available upon request. For copies please
contact the Designated Coordinator you are working with.
 Data Privacy
 Emergency Plan
 Psychotropic medication usage and monitoring
 Accessing Participant records
 Health and Safety
 Participant rights
 Promoting continuity and quality of Participant supports
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Admission
Exclusion
Coordination of services
Temporary suspension
Service termination
Reporting events
Transportation
Quality services
Emergency use of controlled procedures
Internal reporting and investigation of suspected maltreatment
Grievance procedures
Drug and alcohol policy
Staff orientation
WHO SHOULD I GO TO IF I HAVE A PROBLEM?
If you or your family wishes to discuss concern areas, follow the steps below:
Step One:
Talk to your Designated Coordinator about your complaint or problem. Do this right away after
something happens that is of concern. Let this staff person know you would like help with your
problem. The staff person should help you with the problem within two (2) days.
Step Two:
If you don’t think this staff person was able to help you, then you should talk to the Program
Supervisor. You should also write down your complaint or tape record your complaint. Ask if
you need support in this. The Program Supervisor will talk to you about your problem and will
give an answer in writing within two (2) days.
Step Three:
If you don’t think this person was able to help you, then you can ask that the Executive Director
help you with your complaint. The Executive Director will talk to you within five (5) days to try to
help resolve your problem and will give an answer in writing within two (2) days after the
problem is discussed.
If you have a problem and would like to have someone help you, contact other members of the
IDT. CHOICE, Inc. staff will provide you assistance in accessing the help that you need.
CAN I QUIT WORKING AT CHOICE, INC.?
Yes. If you find another job or are unhappy with CHOICE, Inc., you always have the option to stop
receiving services from CHOICE, Inc. If you are your own guardian, you can make this decision
yourself. If you have a guardian, then you would need your guardian’s approval before quitting work at
CHOICE, Inc. As with any job, CHOICE, Inc. asks that you give at least two (2) weeks notice before
leaving.
IF I LEAVE CHOICE, INC. AND DECIDE I WANT TO COME BACK, WHAT SHOULD I DO?
If you quit working at CHOICE, Inc. and later decide that you want to return, you should talk with your
County Social Worker about this. Your Social Worker will help you to complete the application process
again. This will mean filling out an application for admission and sending certain reports and plans to
CHOICE, Inc. (such as a psychological evaluation, I.S.P. and reports from your current program).
CHOICE, Inc. has 30 days after receiving this information to respond to your request for services. You
will receive one of three responses, depending on the circumstances. These are:
1. CHOICE, Inc. is an appropriate service and there is an opening for you to begin work.
2. CHOICE, Inc. is an appropriate service, but there are no current openings for you. In this
case you would be put on CHOICE, Inc.’s waiting list.
3. CHOICE, Inc. is not an appropriate service for you. If this were the case, CHOICE, Inc.
would give you suggestions of possible other services that would better fit your particular
skills and needs.
CAN CHOICE, INC. SUSPEND OR FIRE ME?
Yes. There are circumstances when you may be asked to leave CHOICE, Inc. “Suspension” means
being asked to leave CHOICE, Inc. temporarily. If a person is asked to leave CHOICE, Inc.
permanently, it is called a “discharge”.
CHOICE, Inc. views suspension and discharge as last resort measures and uses them only when a
person’s behavior presents an immediate danger to themselves or others, and other methods of
working with the person have been unsuccessful in preventing the dangerous behavior. Discharge may
be necessary if you reside outside CHOICE, Inc.’s service area.
If CHOICE, Inc. plans to suspend you, your county case manager, guardian and residence will be
notified. Also, a written summary of why the suspension took place will be distributed to these same
people. According to the rules and regulations that CHOICE, Inc. must follow, a person cannot be
suspended for more than three days in a row or for more than six days total during a year.
Suspension from a community job site works a little differently. If you do not follow the work rules at the
community job site, you may be suspended from the site, but not from CHOICE, Inc. In this case, you
would return to CHOICE, Inc.’s center-based program and complete work onsite during the time you
were suspended.
Some reasons for being suspended from a community jobsite are: treating other employees in an
inappropriate way, refusing to follow directions from a supervisor, abusing, destroying or stealing
property and being habitually late or absent from work without good cause.
If there are plans to discharge you, CHOICE, Inc. will do the following:
* participate in an interdisciplinary team meeting to try to find ways to meet your service needs.
* cooperate with your transition into another program by providing them with information that is
requested.
* complete a written discharge summary which will include recommendations for resources and
services to meet your needs. This summary will be sent to your interdisciplinary team at
discharge from CHOICE, Inc. You have the right to appeal discharge and to have an attorney
represent you. Services at CHOICE, Inc. will continue if the appeal is filed before the intended
discharge date.
IS CHOICE, INC. THE ONLY DAY TRAINING PROGRAM AVAILABLE TO ME?
No. There are other facilities that provide services similar to CHOICE, Inc. in Hennepin and Carver
Counties. We encourage you to visit as many programs as you can before making a decision as to where
you want to work.
Your Social Worker can help you call other programs to set up tours or gather information. Or, if you’d
prefer to do this yourself, the phone numbers of the programs are listed in the business and professional
section of the yellow pages.
You may still have questions about working at CHOICE, Inc. Please use the space below to write the
questions that you may want to ask CHOICE, Inc. staff or your County Social Worker.
The mission of CHOICE, Inc. is to provide adults with intellectual disabilities the opportunities and support
they desire to reach their full potential in employment and personal pursuits.
For more information about CHOICE, Inc. or developmental disabilities, please contact:
CHOICE, Inc.
7654 Executive Drive
Eden Prairie, MN 55344
Phone: (952) 474-9510
Fax: (952) 474-9467
[email protected]
CHOICE, Inc.
8801 Wildwood Avenue
St. Bonifacius, MN 55375
Phone: (952) 446-1475
Fax: (952) 446-9518
[email protected]
CHOICE, Inc.
9850 51st Avenue North, Suite 100
Plymouth, MN 55442
Phone: (763) 417-9030
Fax: (763) 417-9032
[email protected]