THERAP is the software program that we do all of our client documenting on. It used to be that Nursing had software, billing had a different software, staff notes were just done on Microsoft Word forms that we created in house, etc... Now, we are implementing THERAP and everything is electronic and in One place and can be accessed no matter where you are. It really is an awesome program. I have been using it since I worked in Artesia. Tobosa - the company I work for now - has had it for about 4 years but has only REALLY started using it about 2 years ago. Well, 2 years ago, they only used one aspect of it; in the past year WE (meaning myself and a few select others) have started implementing every aspect of it. I do take a lot of credit for the leaps and bounds that we have taken with this software. But everyone has really seemed to take to it well.
Back in May/June when I took the position I am in now, I was faxing 200-300 pages a week to up to 2 or 3 different State Offices. (if you have spent ANY time at a fax machine you can appreciate that it really SUCKS!!!) Anyway, I kinda had a hand in training the state offices how to use the program and so now they can go in and look at about 70% of what they are needing. The other 30% I can send to them through the program. (Guess what that did for the fax machine!) So, now I only fax about 40 pages once or twice a week. (My background choir is singing, "Hallelujah! Hallelujah! If you listen real hard, you might be able to hear them.)
Back to our company. We have about 200 employees (or something like that - maybe a little more). Anyway, as we implemented this software, we took it in steps because they were very resistant. Of course, after having been using for a little over a year, they are really liking it. It is an easy, user friendly, software. (I think with that - I should totally get a salary from Therap!)
Ok, so back to the conference. I went to a regional conference in May of last year in Albuquerque. Pretty cool, but all of the classes were pretty much under my level. People through out the state were just starting to use it and so most of their stuff was very beginner level. Don't get me wrong. I learned some stuff and I learned a few easier ways of doing stuff. One of the things I learned was about their Training Program Module. (mind you, with all of these fancy software words, I might sound like I know what I am talking about but really, I just know to point and click and trial and error stuff). But with this Training Program Module we can track all of our employee trainings and it will alert us when their trainings expire and they need to refresh them. It is pretty amazing. One of the things we needed it to do was to track employee trainings on specific individuals. (for example, Jaxen gets a speech therapist and they do an Individual Service Plan for him. In that Individual Service Plan, the therapist talks all about Jaxen and how he learns best and what his strengths are as well as what he is struggling with. Then they lay out that plan that everyone working with him should follow so that everyone working with him is being consistent in teaching him new things. - So, we needed our program to track everyone that had been trained on Jaxen's plan specifically. Make sense?) Well, no one at Therap really knew how to make it do that. They said that the data base would get to full. They said that it would be way to expansive. They weren't really sure how to make it work for what we were needing. So, Bill and I came back from the conference in Albuquerque and we began fiddling with it. We came up with a way that it works. So, in July or August, I started putting all of these "Individual Specific" Trainings in Therap. (Not like I had nothing else to do - this was one of my side projects and got worked on when I MADE time to do it).
While I was working on this, Bill was working on creating some other forms and what nots in there and training the staff and implementing them. You can honestly say we are THERAP Nerds or Gurus. Anyway, that very long background stuff brings us back to August.
So, we found out that the National Conference was going to be in Atlanta, Georgia. (you know we had to go!). So, Bill got all of the info and started to sign us up. But then the people from Therap called and said they wanted us to give some of the presentations at the Conference! WHAT?!?!? They like what we have come up with and wanted us to train at their conference Nation wide. So, Bill sent in our proposals and they accepted. We were the only Provider Agency Presenters that got to present 3 different classes! Well, not only is that a very very cool opportunity but it got Bill and I into the Conference for free. That opened up some spots for us to take some more people. We ended up registering a group of 5 people. I didn't really think much about it until about December. Between August and December, Bill made all of our arraignments. I was way to busy with my actual day to day job that I didn't even have time to think about the trip or the presentations. But let me tell you, by the time December came I kinda freaked out for a minute. (It was a short minute because then I got distracted, well more like busy, and forgot all about it again).
Then January came. We were set to leave January 25, 2015. Guess when I started working on my presentation that I was going to present NATIONALLY! (if you know me you are probably going to guess on the 25th - but you are wrong - surprised?) I started working on my presentation on the 22nd and didn't get very far at all. So, on the 23rd of January I found myself ferociously working on it. It is a really good thing that I work best under pressure. When I am under pressure, things are just very clear to me. So, it came out ok. I felt pretty comfortable. I do a lot of public speaking. I do presentations regularly. But one thing about it is that I am always so nervous. I hate it. I hate it until I get started. Then it is like the subject that I am presenting on just flows from me with this excitement that wants to reach everyone in my audience. So, I am pretty confident AFTER I have presented. BEFORE I present I am always a crazy wreck. It doesn't matter if it is 2 people or 200. (Truth be known, I prefer 200 to 2 any day; and I always prefer people I don't know to people I do).
So, I spent the 23rd preparing my presentation and the 24th packing. I did not go into the office on the 25th because our plane was supposed to leave at 11:15am. So, we had to be at the airport (in Roswell) around 10:30am. Since I live by the airport I didn't see any need in going to the office and getting wrapped up in something that would constrict my time and cause me to be late. About 10:00 I started getting text messages from the Airline that our flight had been delayed. So, I waited. About 11:00am I started getting really nervous and so I went to the airport. The rest of my group showed up about the same time. I think we didn't end up leaving from until about 12:30.
This is our plane in Roswell. Anyone knows that flying out of Roswell can be pretty rough. But we actually had a pretty good flight with no real hangups. I was pretty nervous but it went fine.
This is our group. Melinda is next to me. She is our billing specialist. Emilia is behind her. Emilia is our In House Trainer. Carlos is behind me. He is our Residential Coordinator. He used to be my Supervisor before I took my current position. He actually is the guy that picks on me constantly. Bill is behind Emilia and he is our Quality Assurance guy (and also my fellow THERAP Guru!).
So, we flew to Dallas. We were supposed to have about an hour and a half layover in Dallas. But when our plane was delayed in Roswell, our layover was cancelled out (and then some). We were almost late catching our flight to Atlanta. I was still pretty nervous about the airport. Well, when we landed we had like 7 minutes till our Atlanta plane was to take off. We had to go down past like 10 gates and then upstairs to the train thing. Then we had to go to the other side of the airport, down stairs and then down about 14 or so gates. (ARE YOU SERIOUS!?!!?) We were hustling. (By hustling, I mean walking very fast, like that hop skip walk). Well, about the time we hit the first of 14 gates, we hear over the intercom "Final boarding for flight 232 to Atlanta. Final boarding for flight 232 to Atlanta. Gate will be closing" So, guess what we did - Yup! Took off running! We made it just as they were putting up the rope things. We go through the door and down the bridge thing only to find a line. There was a dang line as people were SLOWLY getting on the plane. Would we have made it if we didn't run? I think so. Would I have chanced it? I don't think so.
Anyway, on this flight, I sat next to Bill and the rest of the group were in the row right across from us. As soon as we took off, the guy in front of me laid his seat back as far as it would go and look where it landed!
Yes, this is my stomach against the back of the seat. UGH! Some people are very rude. I know it says you can lay your seat back - but honestly like one or two clicks is polite. Even maybe 3 clicks is ok. But all the way? Really? That reminds me of a story. On the flight back from Atlanta to Dallas, the guy across from me laid his seat all the way back and the guy behind him had ordered a coffee. The seat was pretty close to the guy behind him but not touching like mine. He had just enough room to put his tray down and it was touching his stomach (and he was a slim built man). Anyway, the reclined guy kept coughing as he slept reclined. Every time he would cough, the coffee would spill all over the guy drinking it. That coffee guy was more annoyed as I was in the picture above. Anyway, here is another picture of us on the plane from Dallas to Atlanta. I do have to say that the plane
wasn't half as bad as I had imagined it. There was not alot of room but as I explained to my mom after returning, my hips were ok. It was the leg room that bothered me. My knees were all the way against the seat in front of me. UGLY!
Well, we arrived in Atlanta. There was no shuttle for our hotel. We were too far away. (We found out that the hotel shuttle only goes in a 5 mile radius of the hotel - Nice right?!) So, once we arrived about 7:00pm we had to catch the "MARTA". The MARTA is a train that runs the length of the city. It is just like a subway but above ground. You have to go to various stations and get on. Then get off at your designated station and then walk to where ever it is that you are going. Pretty nifty.
So, anyway, we caught the train to Dunwood station and then called the hotel and the shuttle came for us.
I did discover that we are not smart travelers. None of us had eaten breakfast. And we had all planned to eat lunch during out layover in Dallas. (That we didn't have). So, by the time we got to the hotel it was about 9pm. We were starving! Luckily the hotel restaurant was open until 10pm. We put our luggage in our room and headed down. We really ate that night. we ordered soup, salad, an entree, and even some extra sides. Funny thing is that we all ordered the hamburger. It was so stinkin' good. Here is a picture of the gumbo (with rice garnish) I had for the soup. I thought that I have never really tried "down south gumbo" and so I gave it a shot. It was really good.
We listened to music and had a HEATED discussion about some things going on at work. Carlos introduced us to a new beer I had never tried before. It was pretty good. We, then made peace, listened to some more music and went to bed about 2:00am. (Of course, we never do anything reasonable - like eat dinner and go to bed by 10:30).
So, we flew to Dallas. We were supposed to have about an hour and a half layover in Dallas. But when our plane was delayed in Roswell, our layover was cancelled out (and then some). We were almost late catching our flight to Atlanta. I was still pretty nervous about the airport. Well, when we landed we had like 7 minutes till our Atlanta plane was to take off. We had to go down past like 10 gates and then upstairs to the train thing. Then we had to go to the other side of the airport, down stairs and then down about 14 or so gates. (ARE YOU SERIOUS!?!!?) We were hustling. (By hustling, I mean walking very fast, like that hop skip walk). Well, about the time we hit the first of 14 gates, we hear over the intercom "Final boarding for flight 232 to Atlanta. Final boarding for flight 232 to Atlanta. Gate will be closing" So, guess what we did - Yup! Took off running! We made it just as they were putting up the rope things. We go through the door and down the bridge thing only to find a line. There was a dang line as people were SLOWLY getting on the plane. Would we have made it if we didn't run? I think so. Would I have chanced it? I don't think so.
Anyway, on this flight, I sat next to Bill and the rest of the group were in the row right across from us. As soon as we took off, the guy in front of me laid his seat back as far as it would go and look where it landed!
wasn't half as bad as I had imagined it. There was not alot of room but as I explained to my mom after returning, my hips were ok. It was the leg room that bothered me. My knees were all the way against the seat in front of me. UGLY!Well, we arrived in Atlanta. There was no shuttle for our hotel. We were too far away. (We found out that the hotel shuttle only goes in a 5 mile radius of the hotel - Nice right?!) So, once we arrived about 7:00pm we had to catch the "MARTA". The MARTA is a train that runs the length of the city. It is just like a subway but above ground. You have to go to various stations and get on. Then get off at your designated station and then walk to where ever it is that you are going. Pretty nifty.
So, anyway, we caught the train to Dunwood station and then called the hotel and the shuttle came for us. I did discover that we are not smart travelers. None of us had eaten breakfast. And we had all planned to eat lunch during out layover in Dallas. (That we didn't have). So, by the time we got to the hotel it was about 9pm. We were starving! Luckily the hotel restaurant was open until 10pm. We put our luggage in our room and headed down. We really ate that night. we ordered soup, salad, an entree, and even some extra sides. Funny thing is that we all ordered the hamburger. It was so stinkin' good. Here is a picture of the gumbo (with rice garnish) I had for the soup. I thought that I have never really tried "down south gumbo" and so I gave it a shot. It was really good.
After dinner, We talked about going out on the town but we were all exhausted. Our presentation was first thing Tuesday morning and so the group made a trip down to the Chevron across the street. Much to our liking, we grabbed a few beers and hung out in our room as we went over the schedule of classes for Tuesday and laid out who was going to what.
We listened to music and had a HEATED discussion about some things going on at work. Carlos introduced us to a new beer I had never tried before. It was pretty good. We, then made peace, listened to some more music and went to bed about 2:00am. (Of course, we never do anything reasonable - like eat dinner and go to bed by 10:30).
I have been typing on this post now for 2 hours and 18 minutes. I think I will end it here and continue on a little later.
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