CVL Announces Participation in the Workforce Investment Grant

To all CVL Direct Support Workers;

First, let us begin by taking a moment to thank you for the incredible work and commitment you have for serving others.  We understand that it is only through you that CVL is able to do the work and make an impact in the lives of the people we support.  We appreciate you!

CVL is always looking for ways that we can creatively support the work that you do.  Sometimes that comes in the form of long-term benefit ideas that we can implement and other times we capture short term resources or even one-time opportunities to provide a boost.  Today, we want to tell you about a short-term grant opportunity that CVL has pursued and been awarded and how that will impact you.

We are happy to let you know that CVL is participating in the FSSA Direct Service Workforce Investment Grant.  This grant provides resources to assist in supporting you and your colleagues by implementing a plan to improve the recruitment, training, support and retention of direct service workers.

There are several aspects to this plan and we will highlight these features below.

Quarterly Service Retention Payments

Four quarterly payments will be given in 2023 based on the work each direct service worker completes in the preceeding quarter. Since it is a retention payment, you must be active at the time of the payment to be eligible.  While this grant is a limited time opportunity, we have obligated the funding to provide Direct Service Worker service retention payments for the remainder of 2023 with the final payment coming prior to the end of December..

Direct Service Worker Support Fund

This fund is available to help with personal emergencies, health and wellness, technology ‘tool’ needs, continuing education and training, and planning.  A DSW can submit a request to this fund and a small committee has been formed to review requests in a timely manner.  More information, as well as a request form, can be found on the CVL website, www.cvl-in.org.  Once at the website, be sure to log in and then follow the your 'Dashboard’ link on the right.  The DSW Support Fund is in the Quick Links List.  

Direct Service Worker Recognition - Kudos! Program

CVL recognizes that to accomplish our mission of helping people have homes in the community that are truly their own, the agency must be able to draw on an engaged and vibrant workforce who feel empowered, valued and well prepared to do their work. Kudos Recognition is focused on recognizing actions and efforts considered to be exemplary and above the normal call of duty in helping the agency attain its mission. 

We want Kudos recognition implemented as broadly as possible across all regions and all categories of direct service workers within the organization. We want Kudos nominations to be actively encouraged. We want people’s great actions and effort to be recognized and rewarded. We want these things because we want great actions and efforts in the lives of the people we serve. 

More information, as well as a request form, can be found on the CVL website, www.cvl-in.org.  Once at the website, be sure to log in and then follow the your 'Dashboard’ link on the right.  The Kudo's link is in the Quick Links List.

Direct Service Worker Training through CONNECT, LEARN, INSPIRE Series

CVL will sponsor 4 days focused on bringing together those involved in making the services at CVL successful where we can connect to share, learn and inspire.   On May 18th we will gather in Indianapolis with a focus on celebrating and learning from success stories shared by people and teams CVL supports. On July 20th we will be in Bloomington to focus on what it really means to be Person Centered. Then on September 28 in Chesterton we will focus on how all of us set and accmplish personal goals. We will wrap up this series in Evansville on November 16th. Be sure to 'save the date' on your calendar.  Each session will accomodate virtual participants and will offer incentives, prizes and folks will share lunch together.  We will provide additional information on each session as well as a link to RSVP to register in the month preceeding the event.  

Situational Supports

CVL has also obligated funds to support situational incentives and rewards to help support teams where there are unique circumstances that impact the team's ability to be successful. 

Again, we so appreciate your committement and support, Thank You!

Your leadership team,

Ric Brown                                            Tom Dukes                                          April Geyer