Case Study
You were introduced to Carol Ann in Module A. Carol Ann lives in the same home she shared with her mother prior to her mother's death two years ago. Her sister, Jan, is concerned for Carol Ann because Carol Ann does not seem to care about her health. Carol Ann has always tended to be on the obese side, but as she has gotten older, related health problems have appeared that could be diminished, as her sister Jan says, "If Carol Ann would take better care of herself." Since Jan lives in the Midwest, you only speak to her over the phone and she tends to become angry or tearful when she discusses Carol Ann's concerns.

Having worked with Carol Ann for a few months, it is clear to you that she intends to stay in her home. Carol Ann, who lived in a group home when she was younger and hated it, gets frustrated by her sister's belief that she should be in a group home. You know that Carol Ann loves her family, but this conflict causes stress on her relationships with her sisters and brothers. Everyone seems to be taking sides: Can Carol Ann live how she chooses or is she placing herself at too much risk living alone? See Activity below


Using the eight principles from the earlier reading, how can you, as Carol Ann's Support Broker, assist Carol Ann and her family to address this situation? Click here to download and print a worksheet to help you outline negotiation strategies. Think carefully about each question and answer them as if you were working with Carol Ann and her particular situation.

ESTABLISHING CONTRACTS
Establishing contracts will be one of your responsibilities. Although Support Brokers will follow contracting guidelines that are established by the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare, there are important concepts that should govern how you work with providers to develop reliable contracts. Writing-Smart.com outlines a few key contracting ideas:

Be Clear, Concise, and Straightforward. You do not need to

   use confusing legal wording when writing contracts. Use

   clear language to accurately express details in an efficient

   manner.
Clearly State the Parties Involved. Establish, by name, the

   parties involved in the contract. Then assign generic names to

   the parties, such as "Company" and "Client," and refer to the

   parties in that manner from that point forward.
Define the Reason for the Contract. What is the purpose?

   What do you hope to accomplish? Why does a contract need to

   be written in this situation?
Address Every Possible Aspect. Break down every aspect of

   the particular contractual agreement into its separate 

   components, and then define what the acceptable services or

   supports will be and what results are expected regarding each

   component.
End with Signatures. Make sure you get each contractual party

   to sign and date the contract.

For more information see:

   www.writing-smart.com/how-to-write-a-contract.html

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