Monthly Archives: December 2018

Our individuals love going to summer camp every year. It is by far, the highlight to their year and all they talk about through fall, winter, and spring. They get to participate in fun activities, make new friends, and build their self-confidence. What makes camp such an amazing experience is that effort is celebrated. Camp counselors know that it may be the first time people have tried a task and really encourage those they see trying their hardest no matter their skill level. The environment creates an atmosphere of broad horizons with fun new tasks and challenges each day.

Michael Brandwein, noted speaker and consultant to the camp profession says, “Campers are urged to include, not exclude, others. They are praised for choosing new partners and not always the same ones. They are encouraged to respect the differences between people.” Summer camp is essentially a haven where what we teach our individuals is the reality for two weeks. It allows our individuals to explore their interests and learn a lot about themselves. 

Three big tenants of self-esteem are belonging, learning and contributing. This is a big aspect of our group homes, where we help our individuals live in community with one another. This means showing them how to do household chores, working together to complete tasks and setting expectations based on their individual capabilities. Camp really drives these types of ideals home and in a really fun way! Through team games, shared sleeping and dining areas, and wonderful conversations with each other as well as their camp counselors they become more well-rounded individuals.

Every year, Cabaniss Consultants tries to send as many individuals to camp as possible. This year, we would like to send 15 of our individuals to camp, but this will cost a lot of money to make happen. But because we believe that the cause is very important for our individuals, we want to make it happen. To send these individuals to camp for two weeks, it will cost a total of $30,000. The cost per individual is roughly $2,000 because of the $200 application fee and $800 per week of camp.

You can play a huge part in our individuals’ lives by helping them go to summer camp, the highlight of their year. This is only possible because of your generosity! You can help give our individuals some of the best memories of their life by donating to our non-profit Cabaniss Caring.

In the medical industry, security is a crucial part of what we do. It is an important part of what we do, just like being careful, clean, and thorough. There are lots of rules and guidelines that we follow to make sure that our individuals can thrive in a comfortable and safe environment. We are proud to be licensed by the Virginia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services since 2001. Cabaniss is also approved to be a provider of the Medicaid Community Living Waiver Services. To be approved for these licenses, there are certain guidelines we need to abide by.

In 1996, The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) was enacted by President Bill Clinton and the United States Congress. HIPAA combats waste in the healthcare system as well as helps prevent fraud and abuse in healthcare and health insurance. This law sets the standard for sensitive patient data protection by holding companies that deal with protected health information (PHI) accountable. To keep compliance, Cabaniss must have physical, network, and process security measures in place to make sure that the information on our individuals is secure.

Cabaniss accomplishes HIPAA compliance through many different systems. One system that we use for this is a security system with encrypted cameras. When companies install cameras, they often don’t think about them being encrypted, but this is something that we have to do to keep our individuals’ information private. These cameras not only help keep us compliant and accountable, but they also allow our staff to be able to check on our individuals in any common area such as the kitchen, living room, or dining room. Another example is that with the glance of a screen, our staff can see if an individual is putting themselves in a situation that could cause them harm and get to the individual to prevent it.

Another system that Cabaniss uses is a barcode scanning system for medications. The last thing we would ever want to do is give the wrong dosage or prescription to our individuals. With our barcode system, we are able to scan the prescription, see who the medication is for and how much to give. This keeps us accountable with technology so that we have electronic records on their prescriptions. This is also done under the watch of our cameras to add another layer of accountability.

At Cabaniss, safety and security are an important part of what we do. We not only meet HIPAA standards, but we aim to go above and beyond to provide the best environment for our individuals. Cabaniss embraces current and cutting-edge technology to give our individuals the best care in Lynchburg and surrounding areas.