1. AT REUSE STRAND Joy Kniskern Successful AT Reutilization Practices: Donations, AT Matching and Sustainability Pass It On Center - AT Reuse Strand 1

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6. 1. Donations: Acquiring AT for Reuse 2. Matching Reused AT To User Needs 3. How to Sustain Your Program Successful Practices: Donations, AT Matching, and Sustainability Roadmap for the Session

7. Acquiring AT for Reuse First, what kinds of equipment do your customers need? What are your current resources of staff, time, storage space, resources for all phases of program operations? What are the “best ways” to get specific equipment for an individual, versus the kinds of equipment you will handle for majority of equipment requests? Successful Practices: Donations, AT Matching, and Sustainability

8. Plan Partnerships Evaluate Successful Practices: Donations, AT Matching, and Sustainability Acquiring AT for Reuse Identify types of AT you will and will not accept and numbers, consistent with program resources Build partnerships to achieve the goals Use budget and ROI scenarios to determine success of AT acquisition strategies

9. Successful Practices: Donations, AT Matching, and Sustainability Successful Strategies to Acquire AT Donations Targeted Marketing to For Profit Organizations Vendor and Manufacturer Partnerships Well-Planned Donation Drives Agency Partnerships

10. Vendor and Manufacturer Partnerships Successful Practices: Donations, AT Matching, and Sustainability  Identify manufacturers and vendors of specific equipment you will refurbish  Assistance with parts, determining whether certain equipment is worth refurbishing,  Donation of equipment or usable parts they no longer need  Referral of customers they cannot serve  Distribute Reuse Program Information and/or sticker on equipment they distribute to customers who will call you when they no longer need it

11. Vendor & Manufacturer Partnerships to Acquire AT Successful Practices: Donations, AT Matching, and Sustainability Kansas Equipment Exchange Program – vendors receive payment to refurbish gently used high cost DME Virginia Assistive Technology System Network and FREE Foundation - Four Roanoke suppliers sticker specified AT for VATS for future donations. Med-Trade, Abilities Expo, other events – take home displayed or used AT.

12. Well- Planned Donation Drive to Acquire At Successful Practices: Donations, AT Matching, and Sustainability  Start planning 6 months before event  Determine specific equipment you will accept for gifting  Identify partners – Church, vendors, non-disability organizations, volunteer organizations like Hands On Atlanta  Work through logistics: who will be there, storage and transportation of items, donation receipts, etc.  Develop a marketing plan: who, what, where, how

13. Two Examples of Well-Planned Donation Drives Successful Practices: Donations, AT Matching, and Sustainability Kansas Equipment Exchange Program – 14 sites across Kansas, same day, multiple partner organizations, radio PSAs Georgia’s STAR Network – Pilot Church Drive, one hour prior to Sunday Services, large congregation (5,000 members) and multiple services (school, assisted living) where everyone received email blitzes twice before the event.

14. Targeted Marketing to For Profit Organizations Successful Practices: Donations, AT Matching, and Sustainability Project Mend – Hospitals, and Carex Pharma - ceuticals ( 15 – 20 pallets twice a year of walkers; rollators; shower chairs; bedside commodes; tub transfer benches; canes; crutches; raised toilet seats; adult diapers; etc.) Many Programs – Hospitals for hospital beds Funeral Homes, Hospice, and Assisted Living Organizations

15. Partnerships with Agencies to Acquire AT Successful Practices: Donations, AT Matching, and Sustainability First, what does the agency need that you can supply? An inventory system to track what the agency procures? A means of offering consumers choice over new or gently used refurbished equipment to stretch state or insurance funds? A way to provide stop gap, temporary or back- up AT that the agency is unable to provide or provide quickly?

16. Partnerships with Agencies to Acquire AT Successful Practices: Donations, AT Matching, and Sustainability Examples from VATs and the Free Foundation 40K of VR Stimulus Funds over 2 years to refurbish VR- procured AT – solved storage issues with returned VR AT Goodwill Industries donates all DME received to Free Foundation Commissioners of Dept. of Medical Assistance Services and Division of Rehabilitation Services partnered on letter to Roanoke vendors to sticker specified AT procured for Medicaid beneficiaries for VATS – extended to all equipment supplied.

17. Successful Practices: Donations, AT Matching, and Sustainability 17 Matching Reused AT To User Needs Paraquad – Excellent partnership with Washington University, School of Occupational Therapy OTs provide assessments for equipment matching services. Recommend requiring doctor’s prescription for AT When in doubt, seek professional guidance.

18. Successful Practices: Donations, AT Matching, and Sustainability 18 4.2 Matching Device to Customer (Indicators of Quality for AT Reuse) Appropriately trained professionals follow documented procedures to match customers to devices. Key Factors for Consideration The program has documented procedures based on standard professional practices and uses professionals that have training appropriate to the situation, the technology solution and the individual to match customers to devices. (The professional may vary, depending on the situation and type of technology, and may be a physical therapist, occupational therapist, assistive technology professional, speech language pathologist, assistive technology supplier, rehabilitation engineer, or ergonomic specialist.) Matching Reused AT To User Needs

19. Successful Practices: Donations, AT Matching, and Sustainability 19 Choice The customer and direct support provider(s) are informed of all appropriate device options and are allowed to participate in the choice of device. Key Factors for Consideration The device selection process includes:  Showing the customer all available options in appropriate devices  Allowing the customer to participate in the choice of device  Allowing the direct support provider(s) to participate in the choice of device Matching Reused AT To User Needs

20.  Reviewed operating budgets and reports from all sizes (except XXL) of exchange and reassignment programs  Small = 50 items or less (reassigned)  Medium = more than 50 but less than 200  Large = more than 200 but less than 500  X-Large = more than 500 but less than 1000  XXX-Large = more than 2000  Sara S. Sack, ATIA Orlando, 2010 Successful Practices: Donations, AT Matching, and Sustainability Matching Reused AT To User Needs and Budget Considerations

21. Projected Expenses by Program Size TEXT TET TEXT SmallMediumLargeSuper Sized Personnel40,00070,00080,000140,000 Travel – in-state 500 1,000-2,0003,000 Project supplies 2005001,0001,500 Web site hosting 900500-5,000500--------------- Phone500 1,000-1,5001,500 Printing500 500-750** *Public Rel./ Marketing 200-----4,6502,500 Successful Practices: Donations, AT Matching, and Sustainability

22. Step 1Step 2Step 3Step 4 Successful Practices: Donations, AT Matching, and Sustainability From Indicators of Quality for AT Reuse The program has a sustainability plan that is a written, well- developed document. Program Outcome Data: Program uses outcome measure and collects data from participants Sustainability Steps to Success Program Statistics: Program collects output served). Program Evaluation Plan: Program uses the output and outcome data to modify the program.

23.  2.0 Sustainability (and Program Outcomes)  Rationale: The program should pursue strategies to sustain itself for the long term, and to continue to improve and expand its services. “Consumer, family and/or advocate satisfaction is a measure of service effectiveness. Successful organizations are consumer oriented and incorporate consumers in the process of evaluating quality of services and future directions. Information obtained from consumer input should be used to modify service delivery practices on an on-going basis.” – SMART Pass It On Center - AT Reuse Strand 23 Sustainability Steps to Success

24. Successful Practices: Donations, AT Matching, and Sustainability 24 2.1 Sustainability Planning The program has a sustainability plan that is a written, well-developed document. Key Factors for Consideration The program has a written, well-developed plan for long-term sustainability that addresses:  Diversification of sources of income  Strategies for enhancing community support  Retention of employees and volunteers  Succession planning for program leadership Sustainability Steps to Success

25. Successful Practices: Donations, AT Matching, and Sustainability 2.2 Program Statistics The program collects output data (e.g., number of devices distributed, number of devices donated, number of customers served). Key Factors for Consideration The program uses a computer database to collect data, follows the data and looks for trends in:  Number of customers  Devices donated  Devices distributed  Needs not met Sustainability Steps to Success

26. Successful Practices: Donations, AT Matching, and Sustainability 26 Sustainability Steps to Success 2.3 Program Outcome Data The program uses an outcome measure and collects data from participants about if and how they use the device they received from the program (participation of person, quality of life, how they use the device, if they are satisfied with the device and services received).

27. Successful Practices: Donations, AT Matching, and Sustainability 27 2.4 Program Evaluation Plan The program uses the output and outcome data to modify the program. Key Factors for Consideration The program collects data and shares it within the organization to drive a continuous improvement process and it also uses the data to support requests for new or additional funding. Sustainability Steps to Success

28. Successful Practices: Donations, AT Matching, and Sustainability 28 Examples of Sustainable AT Reuse Programs VATS Network – Business Case for AT Reuse Executive Summary Summit in December, 2009 of Key Stakeholders Substantially Diversified Funding Base: 40 K of VR Funds to Open New Reuse Services 419K for use over 3 yrs. From Commonwealth Brain/Spinal Injury Trust Fund Board Private Non-Profit Affiliate (Free Foundation) – Hospital and Other Donors

29. Successful Practices: Donations, AT Matching, and Sustainability 29 Examples of Sustainable AT Reuse Programs Friends of Disabled Adults and Children Church contributions Donations at Point of Service Golf Tournament and Fun Run Events Appeals through newsletter and mailers to customers Fees for Refurbishing Services Waiver Program fees State AT Act Program – Tools for Life Earned Income from Thrift Store Foundation Grants County Grants Grants for Ramps for Champs program County Stimulus Funds - $350K for major facility renovations

30. DISCLAIMER This work is supported under five-year cooperative agreement #H235V060016 awarded by the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services, and is administered by the Pass It On Center of the Georgia Department of Labor – Tools for Life. However, the contents of this publication do not necessarily represent the policy or opinions of the Department of Education, or the Georgia Department of Labor, and the reader should not assume endorsements of this document by the Federal government or the Georgia Department of Labor. Speaker e-mail contact Pass It On Center - AT Reuse Strand 30 joy.kniskern@dol.state.ga.us Principal Investigator, Pass It On Center