Human Services Podcast | Sharing in Our Caring

Sharing in Our Caring is hosted by Elliot Massuda, Strategic Partnerships Manager at Foothold Technology, where he applies more than twenty years of strategic sales and partnership experience to connecting with and supporting our provider community. His co-host is Foothold Technology’s Senior Advisor, David Bucciferro, who brings more than 30 years of experience in the human services field working with providers, local governments, and healthcare agencies.

We’ll be posting new episodes at least monthly.

Episode 9 – Health Homes

Producer Update – subsequent to our conversation with today’s guest,  Health Home direct care workers have been included in the NYS workforce bonus structure. As of the date of our interview, that had not yet occurred. 

Health homes are an important model of care management that links individuals with services with the goal of helping them live  a life of dignity and autonomy.  Our guest today, Hillel Hirshbein, CEO of Community Care Management Partners Health Home (CCMP) in New York state, advocates for the importance of this model of care management as an established model that demonstrates positive outcomes.  Click here to learn about CCMP’s impact on their members .  We are fortunate to have Hillel join us today!

Tune in to hear more about Health Homes and why this should be such an important topic for us all. 

Episode 8 – The Value of the Care Economy – Who’s Caring for the Carers?

Key findings from the most recent Case for Inclusion report show that, “nationally, the average DSP (Direct Support Professional) turnover rate in 2020 increased by about one percentage point to 43.6 percent. Meanwhile, vacancy rates for full time direct support professionals increased from 8.5% in 2019 to 12.3% in 2020, a roughly 45% increase.”  While DSPs represent only a small portion of the overall care economy, a nearly 44% turnover rate coupled with rising vacancy rates, they exemplify the current crisis we are facing. For over 30 years, our guest today, Greg Miller, CEO of Penn-Mar Human Services, has been advocating for a shift in our overall perspective on how this segment of the workforce is valued and supported.  

Tune in to hear more about the Care Economy and why this should be such an important topic for us all.

Episode 7 – Our Neighbors – Humanizing Homelessness

According to HUD’s 2021 Annual Homeless Assessment Report, “More than 326,000 people experienced sheltered homelessness in the United States on a single night in 2021.” Whether we live in urban or rural environments, there are individuals in our community experiencing homelessness.  Even so, there is still quite a bit of stigma attached to homelessness. Our guest today, Adina Lichtman, CEO of Knock Knock Give A Sock, is looking to change the conversation about homelessness. 

Tune in to hear how Adina is humanizing homelessness – one sock at a time – by turning transactions into interactions. 

Episode 6 | Pledge 1% – Turning Profit Into Impact

Many of us are looking for ways to give back and support the causes we care about. That same spirit of charitable giving is alive at Foothold Technology. For the second year in a row, Foothold Technology has taken part in Pledge 1%, a national movement encouraging companies to leverage a portion of their future success to support nonprofits in their community.

It’s a small commitment today that can make a huge impact tomorrow. We wanted to take this opportunity to highlight two organizations that Foothold Technology supported in 2022 – Project Night Night and Knock Knock Give A Sock. Both organizations are so driven by the desire to impact communities. It was a pleasure to speak with Kendra Robbins, CEO of Project Night Night, and Adina Lichtman, CEO of Knock Knock Give A Sock.

Tune in to hear both organizations’ origin stories, their piece of the puzzle within communities, and how every little bit of help makes a difference.

Episode 5 | It’s All Connected – Food Security in an Uncertain Time

Many of us take food for granted. But according to the USDA, more than 38 million people are food insecure. In this episode, we speak to Regi Young, Executive Director of The Alameda County Community Food Bank, on how food security is inherently tied to so many social determinants of health – including nutrition, housing, and employment. 

Tune in to hear how food insecurity, like many issues, cannot be solved in a silo. Also, how everyone is looking for the perfect carrot.

Episode 4 | An Ongoing Journey in Committing to Do Better

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) are so relevant in our world right now that we would be remiss not to discuss it.  In this episode of “Sharing in Our Caring,” a platform for human services professionals, policy-makers, and thought leaders to shed light on the topics and trends impacting their industry, hosts Elliot Massuda and Natalie Wright-Umoh discuss the importance of DEI and how that work has become more prominent..  They are joined by Cindy Joseph, the Founder and CEO of The Cee Suite, who shares her experience as a talent management consultant, with a specialized focus in DEI. Tune in to hear the insights Cindy shares with organizations that are making a commitment to this work.  

Episode 3 | Exploring and Attaining Life’s Desires: Supported Employment in the Field

As social determinants of health are more widely acknowledged and discussed, employment becomes an important aspect of that discourse. In this episode of “Sharing In Our Caring,” a platform for human services professionals, policy-makers, and thought leaders to shed light on the topics and trends impacting their industry; hosts Elliot Massuda and David Bucciferro discuss supported employment programs as an important, community-based service in the I/DD and human services space.

They are joined by Aaron Shmueli, the assistant vice-president of Goodwill industries of greater New York and Northern New Jersey, who shares his experiences as a provider, shedding light on the importance of their work, their resources, and what he’d like to see for the future of supported employment programs.

Episode 2 | Making Things Possible: The Role of Assistive Technology

Assistive technology has been a facet of supporting individuals with disabilities for quite some time, and the scope it covers is broad. So what does the future of assistive technology look like, and how can we support it?

In this episode of “Sharing In Our Caring,” a platform for human services professionals, policy-makers, and thought leaders to shed light on the topics and trends impacting their industry; hosts Elliot Massuda and David Bucciferro discuss various forms of assistive technology and how they affect individuals with disabilities as well as the providers who support them.

They are joined by Connie Harrington, of the TEC (Technology Enhancing Capabilities) Lab in Illinois, who provides insight into the impact of their work and where she sees the future of assistive technology heading.

Episode 1 | Helping the Helpers: Addressing the DSP Workforce Crisis

The DSP workforce crisis has been a hot topic in the I/DD community for a while, and providers are constantly thinking of ways to address the situation. Legislation is being developed to address the workforce crisis, but will it be enough?

Welcome to the first episode of “Sharing In Our Caring,” a platform for human services professionals, policy-makers, and thought leaders to shed light on the topics and trends impacting their industry. In this episode, you will get to know your hosts, Foothold Technology’s Strategic Partnerships Manager, Elliot Massuda, and Senior Advisor, David Bucciferro, as they explore the role of the DSP, the development and impact of the workforce crisis on providers and care recipients alike, and look toward solutions as we move forward.

They are joined by guests, William Pate, a DSP with Dungarvin Indianapolis, and Denise Bird, Staff Development Coordinator for Gateways Community Services in New Hampshire, who shed light on their experiences and discuss the needs they see in their communities.