Breaking Barriers

Creating Organizational Buy-In Part 2
Monday, October 8, 2018 - 10:25

You believe in the power of technology and the benefits it creates for everyday living—for everyone. Now how do you share and spread your enthusiasm with others in your organization? How do you get co-workers, family members, and self-advocates on board with adding technology supports into existing care plans to increase independence and privacy? In part two of our three-part post series on creating organizational buy-in, three experts walk you through what they did within their own organizations to break down common barriers and gain buy-in from all members of the care team.

Miss the first series post? Read more about ‘The Basics’ of creating organizational buy-in here.

The experts:

Sean Henderson, Information Systems Analytics Manager Hammer Residences
Kathy Larson, Director of Brain Injury and Specialty Support Services REM Minnesota
Kit Piltingsrud, Program Manager and Assistive Technology Professional Living Well Disability Services

Help Combat Fears

Knowing what common fears exist for all members of the care team is essential to gaining buy-in. Being prepared with educational resources and responses for uncertainty may aid in moving the implementation forward.

  • Find out what concerns individuals have regarding technology usage. If you don’t know what their fears/concerns are, you won’t be able to properly navigate them.
  • Share resources you collected during your research phase to help get them up to speed with offerings and possibilities.Hear from the experts and utilize the resources below:

Bring in the Tech

  • Share examples of technology supports you think will benefit the individual with members of the care team. Live demos allow for increased excitement and questions.
  • Start small. Beginning introductions with low-cost or low-tech options may help ease the transition and offer limited risk to get individuals used to the idea of technology.
  • Create a shared learning experience by getting as many people involved with the setup of the technology as possible. Shared learning often leads to better questions, understanding, and increased buy-in support.

Maintain Open Communication

When assessing and offering person-centered technology solutions, open communication lines are a must. Not only will it help keep everyone on the same page, but will also help prepare individuals for any changes that may occur.

  • Offer choices to include all members of the care team in the planning.
  • Discuss the cyclical nature of person-centered solutions. Being prepared for change and expressing that reality to members of the care team is paramount to lessen frustrations and maintain buy-in.
  • Check in often with the individual and other support team members to ensure technology solutions are meeting current needs. Taking stock through scheduled assessments is a great way to ensure the individual’s current needs are met.

In part three of the series, experts discuss how they became the champions for technology use within their organizations and offer ideas on how you too can lead the way in your organization.

Don’t miss the next article!

Visit the ARRM Technology Resource Center to learn about more success stories and case studies showing how technology is changing the lives of those living with disabilities or learn more about how to start the conversation.

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More Informational Guides

How to Fund Technology Supports

After having the initial conversation about technology supports and then making a plan to implement that technology, individuals, families, providers, and case managers often find themselves at odds with forms and paperwork. This at best slows down the whole process and at worst can halt it completely. Never fear, we’ll take you through the process and help you get your projects back on track.

Alternate Overnight Supervision

A proven way to increase both independence and privacy of the person served, this newer monitoring practice is called Alternate Overnight Supervision and can be utilized following a formal assessment of the individual and once informed consent has been given by the person served. Along with obtaining an AOST (Alternate Overnight Supervision Technology) License, defined policies and procedures must be in place.

Measuring for Success

With newly implemented technology support strategies, it is important to measure the success, not only for persons-served and staff, but the financial success as well. To get a full look at the impact technology supports have had on an organization, providers should consider several key factors when assessing the financial output and associated benefits of the plan in place to determine cost effectiveness.

Getting to Know Assistive Technology

Assistive technology devices can either be created at home, purchased and used off the shelf, modified, and/or customized to meet individual goals and needs. From low-tech options such as toy or game modification to high-tech devices that include voice recognition or elopement monitors, assistive technology is empowering those with disabilities to live, work, and play in the most independent way possible.

The Basics

Gaining organizational buy-in for change can be difficult, but it doesn’t need to be.

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Assistive technologies like voice-generated searches, hover recognition, and refreshable braille displays have made notable strides in recent years, and significantly contributed to promoting independence for those living with physical or cognitive disabilities—all the more reason, then, to make sure your home network is adequately protected. Keeping assistive technology secure is a positive step towards reinforcing independence and privacy.

Becoming a Champion for Technology

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One of the greatest features on Facebook that allows like-minded people to connect outside of their inner circle is groups. A Facebook group is a page that can be created for an organization or business to promote activities or for a specific topic that enthusiasts can learn more about and contribute to the conversation.