Options Counseling

Because of a new federal mandate, outreach services through the Williston Council for the Aging, Inc. (service which had been provided by Karen Froysland and Coreen Nehring, Williams County; Judy Jacobson, McKenzie County; and Lisa Fredrickson, Divide County) ended Dec. 31, 2011. The Council and other entities were not interested in contracting for the new service Aging & Disability Resource Link (ADRL) Options Counseling.

NW Human Service Center’s Aging Services Unit is offering ADRL Options Counseling as of Feb. 1, 2012. Eligible consumers are individuals 60 years of age and older living in Divide, McKenzie and Williams counties. If you are age 60 or older and are looking for services so you can remain in your own home, please contact Karen Quick, contact information is below. You may just have some questions to ask over the phone or you may want a face-to-face session to explore your options more closely; either way the service is available to you. Clients are provided the opportunity to contribute towards the cost of the services received.

ADRL Options Counseling is a person-centered, interactive, decision-support process whereby consumers, family members and/or significant others are supported in determining appropriate long-term care choices based on the consumer’s needs, preferences, values, and individual circumstances. Options counselors ensure that consumers have considered a range of possibilities when making a decision about long-term services and supports, and they encourage planning for the future.

Options counseling is not a long-term service. For the most part, ADRL intensive options counseling relationships are short term, usually no more than 90 days. However, services can be initiated again by the consumer or by a referral.

Six core competencies of options counseling have been identified by the Aging and Disability Resource Center Technical Assistance Exchange (ADRC-TAE):

Determining the need for options counseling;

Assessing needs, values and preferences;

Understanding and educating about public and private sector resources;

Facilitating self-direction/self-determination;

Encouraging future orientation; and Following-up.

Examples of when ADRL Options Counseling is not appropriate: when the person already has a case manager or discharge planner involved with them (we don’t want to duplicate services or have too many people involved with the elderly person so they get overwhelmed or confused). Karen Quick can provide technical assistance or information and assistance to a case manager or discharge planner if they are having difficulties identifying the different options for a certain service in the area; since we want to better coordinate and strengthen our partnerships with the existing systems of information, assistance and access.

Referrals are welcome, you can use the attached ADRL Options Counseling Intake/Referral Form and fax or email it to me or call me or email me with your referrals. If you have them on the phone and you can conference/transfer the call to me, that will make it much easier for the consumer. Karen Quick, Aging Services Unit, NW Human Service Center, 316 2nd Ave. W., Box 1266, Williston, ND 58802-1266; [email protected]; 701-774-4685; 701-774-4620 fax.