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Call 425-347-3149
1-800-808-9940

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This Code of Ethics outlines expected standards of conduct for employees of Sunrise Services, Inc. This Code of Ethics governs all employees’ professional relationships with participants, parents and guardians of participants, co-workers, related agencies and the community.  In abiding by these ethics, we as employees choose to act in a way that is consistent with the spirit and intent of this Code. 

As employees of Sunrise Services, Inc. we:

• Provide supports and services with integrity, compassion, and respect for individual differences, with emphasis on choice and personal growth;
• Respect our participants’ privacy, and actively protect the confidentiality of their personal information, written or verbal, at all times;
• Place our professional responsibility above any personal interests and our participants’ needs above our own;
• Advocate for those we serve, supporting their right to inclusion, equitable treatment, independence and quality of life;
• Treat with dignity and respect all our participants, co-workers, and employer, in our words, our actions, and our attitudes;
• Place a premium on the health and safety of our participants, and assist them to develop skills of judgment and personal empowerment in safeguarding themselves;
• Contribute the best that is in us – our ideas, understanding, knowledge and abilities – to our profession, and constantly strive to improve our knowledge, education, and skills;
• Neither discriminate nor tolerate discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, age, sex, sexual preference, handicap, national origin, creed, marital status, disabled and Vietnam era veterans status, or HIV/AIDS;
• Accept no substantive gifts or additional compensation from clients or family, avoid conflicts of interest, and act with integrity, honesty, and good judgment in handling our participants’ funds;
• Are prompt, objective, and truthful in all statements regarding services provided, hours worked, and actions taken, and comply with all reporting policies and regulations; and
• Act with professionalism at all times, providing only those services for which we are qualified, and complying with the laws and policies that govern our profession

Sunrise Services believes in empowering people to grow, and to direct and achieve their highest potential in the least restrictive setting possible. Each Sunrise program tailors services to the individual through a person-centered plan based on the participant’s and family’s expressed choices and desires. We welcome and encourage the participation of family and friends, and assist in building friendships and links to community supports. We welcome the opportunity to work with culturally diverse participants and staff, and seek to enrich participants’ lives through connection to cultural activities and traditions.

Sunrise has long held a commitment to Positive Behavior Support . Because we believe that when people no longer have to use difficult behaviors to meet their needs, these behaviors gradually diminish, we seek ways to empower people who evidence behavior problems, rather than attempting to suppress behavior.

We believe caring and well-trained staff members are the key to quality supports for participants and their families, and we actively work to nurture our staff and increase job satisfaction and longevity. A team approach and creative problem solving are encouraged, using principle-centered leadership methods to devise strategies around individual participant needs, choices and desires.

Our in-house continuing professional training is an important part of putting our philosophy and our mission into practice. In addition to state-mandated First Aid/CPR/Bloodborne Pathogens and Caregiver training, we also provide classes on the needs and challenges of mental and physical disabilities, developmental disabilities, The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen R. Covey, Normalization, Empowerment, and Positive Behavior Support. Our emphasis in both formal training and the interactive, ongoing teaching passed to employees from supervisors and fellow staff, is the goal of creating an environment where participants’ individual needs, rights, and goals are valued and respected.

Our active involvement with the Washington state legislature and other public and private organizations advocating for individual rights, inclusion, personal choice and self-determination, and access to quality support for citizens with special needs, and our ongoing leadership in the development of support systems for the elderly and people with developmental disabilities demonstrates our commitment to those we serve. We support People First of Washington, and require all employees to be familiar with the People First document, What We Want From Residential Programs.

Improved independence and quality of life for all participants is our goal. Constant attention to quality is our commitment to excellence, and participants and their families can expect to receive services and supports that reflect that commitment.

All Sunrise programs and services are fully certified and licensed, and meet or exceed all state, county, and local requirements.

It is the policy of Sunrise Services to treat participants, family members, and employees fairly at all times without regard to race, color, sex, creed, religion, age, marital status, sexual orientation, national origin, Vietnam era or disabled veteran status, disability or any other basis prohibited by local, state, or federal law. Equal Opportunity Employer.

THE PRINCIPLES we live by:

Normalization for all:
People with disabilities have the right to live as much like everyone else as possible.

THE OUTCOMES our participants enjoy:

Health and Safety:
Knowing how, and being able, to keep themselves healthy and safe, either through their own actions or by obtaining help from others.

Competence and Self Reliance:
Knowing how, and being able, to do things for themselves or being able to obtain and direct help from others. We respect that individuals are the experts on their lives and what they need or don’t need.

Integration:
Knowing how, and being able, to use community services like churches, grocery stores, sports facilities, and transportation, or being able to obtain assistance in using them from others.

Relationships:
Knowing how, and being able, to maintain relationships, meet new people, and develop friendships.

Status:
Knowing how, and being able, to hold roles in the community that enhance the way they are seen by themselves and by others.

Power and Choice:
Knowing how, and being able, to make choices based on personal desires and preferences, and being able to have those choices fulfilled.

Our participants’ needs come before our own.
 

Sunrise Services, Inc., headquartered in Everett, Washington, is locally owned and operated. Sue A. Closser serves as president and chairman of the board and is sole owner of the company. Management includes:

Sharon Bowers, Director, Sunrise Home Care Agency/Sunrise Home Health Agency
Lisa Hanks, Director, Community Trades and Careers
Janet Michaelsen, Program Coordinator Supervisor, DD Residential
Veronica Rebeiro, Program Coordinator, DD Residential
Michelle Barnes, Program Coordinator, DD Residential
Pauline Harris, Program Coordinator, Long Term Care
John Cross, Controller

COMPANY HISTORY

Sunrise Services, Inc. is a major provider of residential services for participants in the State of Washington Department of Social and Health Services, Division of Developmental Disabilities (DDD) program in Snohomish County.  Sunrise began serving persons with developmental disabilities in small Congregate Care Facilities in 1977.  In 1980, the Division of Developmental Disabilities began a new residential service program called Tenant Support, where people with developmental disabilities would live in their own rented housing and receive support and training for a few hours each day from qualified Community Support Specialists.  Capable participants of the Congregate Care Facilities chose to move into the Tenant Support program, and Sunrise Community Living evolved.  Soon other referrals were accepted from DDD.

 As some tenants became adept at community life and competent in managing the majority of their own affairs, less assistance was needed from Sunrise staff.  The Supportive Living program serves these individuals with reduced staff time.  In 1985 the parents of a daughter with more severe handicaps requested that she, along with 3 others, be assisted to live on the parents’ ranch with program supervision and training.  Pilchuck Intensive Tenant Support began at the site with 24-hour staff supervision.

 In 1989, with the help of parents of participants of the Congregate Care Facilities, Sunrise successfully obtained legislative approval to move all residents of the Congregate Care Facilities into programs under the auspices of the Division of Developmental Disabilities.  As a result of this support, Silver Lake Group Home and Port Gardner Intensive Tenant Support were initiated.  Pilchuck Intensive Tenant Support was expanded to include some Everett sites.  The major distinction between these programs is the intensity of the level of staffing.  Occasionally there may be live-in staff present.

 In 1990, Homeport Intensive Tenant Support began operation, serving people who were moving into the community from institutions and nursing homes.  Twenty-four hour on-site staffing was provided by Homeport ITS.  In 1991, a nursing component was added to this program.  Today, Silver Lake Group Home and Homeport Intensive Tenant Support have evolved into the Glenhaven and Kayak Adult Family Homes. Nurse delegation services were also started in 1997 with a Registered Nurse providing nurse delegation exclusively to participants of Sunrise residential programs.  In 1998 we developed a specialty residential service for community protection serving those who need treatment with professional guidance. In 2000, the Colby Adult Family Home for women with mental health issues began operation and a first-of-its-kind intensive tenant support program for persons with traumatic brain injuries was established.  In 2002 we opened Kla Ha Ya AFH for those whose medical conditions keep them awake at night and started a new ECS program for men with mental health issues.

 In 1989, Sunrise Home Care Agency (SHCA) became licensed through the Washington State Department of Health to augment programs for persons with developmental disabilities living in their own homes to provide them with a wider range of personal care services.  Sunrise Home Care Agency expanded services to the elderly, disabled children, and persons with other disabilities through the provision of Medicaid Personal Care Services, COPES, In-Home Respite Services and Private Care Services.  In 2001, SHCA partnered with Elite International to bring quality in-home care to Russian and Ukranian speaking individuals in their native languages. In 2005, SHCA opened a second office in Mount Vernon to provide home care services in the north Puget Sound area.

 In 1997, Sunrise Home Care Agency became a major trainer of community caregivers for home care agencies, adult family homes, and boarding homes, in Snohomish County, issuing certificates of completion for Revised Fundamentals of Caregiving Training, Revised Modified Fundamentals of Caregiving Training, nurse delegation, and continuing education. SHCA developed Washington’s first Enhanced Home Services (EHS) program in 1998 and was recognized by the Governor for its innovation in improving services to elders and the disabled.  Enhanced Home Services expanded to several additional sites in Snohomish County and also serves developmentally disabled individuals.

 The Education Center for Care Professionals opened June, 2002, due to the overwhelming success of Sunrise Home Care Agency's Training Program. The Education Center is a three classroom facility with a complete caregiving laboratory for hands-on instruction. It accommodates an expanded schedule of classes, including courses presented in the Russian language, to meet the ever growing training requirements of our employees, as well as the needs of our community. The Education Center is located at 7016 Evergreen Way, Everett.

 Sunrise Services was awarded a grant in 2002 for Personal Assistant Recruitment and Retention (PARR), located at the Educational Center. The goal of PARR was to enhance caregiving as a profession and to aid the recipients of home care in finding and managing their personal assistants. In 2005, PARR was phased out in favor of a new grant, Recruitment and Workforce Retention Centers (RWRC). In early 2006, a second RWRC office opened in Mount Vernon to serve Skagit, Island,  and Whatcom counties.

 In 1983, several individuals in Sunrise tenant support programs did not have a day activity or employment in a community setting.  To meet this need, Sunrise began receiving Division of Developmental Disabilities funds via Snohomish County to implement an individualized job placement and training program.

 Community Trades and Careers (CTC) was initiated in early 1983.  Since 1987, CTC has provided a variety of employment experiences including a mobile crew for group supported community jobs, competitive employment, and individually supported employment services for persons with severe disabilities.  In addition to operating vocational services for Snohomish County and the Division of Developmental Disabilities, CTC began services for the Division of Vocational Rehabilitation in 1983.  In 1984, CTC began contracting with the Private Industry Council for services to adults, several kinds of services to disabled youth, and services to non-disabled low-income eligible persons.

 CTC continues to provide occupational skills training and job placement services for individuals with disabilities and for participants in other programs.  In addition to job training and supported employment, CTC has also provided specialty programs for mature workers, high school dropouts, individuals recovering from alcohol and drug addiction, and homeless persons.  In 1988, services for the Department of the Blind were added.  In 1991, CTC began providing Supported Employment and Community Access programs for individuals with severe developmental disabilities in King County.  In 1998 we began serving our community by helping dislocated workers find retraining and new employment after suffering through massive layoffs.

 In 2000, CTC began new services with WorkSource Everett and Lynnwood, under the Workforce Investment Act.  CTC is part of a joint venture of organizations providing one-stop shopping for job seekers and employers.

 An experienced trust manager, Sunrise began in 1988 to provide Protective Payee services to people suffering from chemical dependencies as a complement to CTC’s vocational services for persons with these barriers to employment.

 Sunrise Services continues today to seek excellence in services that provide community inclusion for persons with disabilities and their families.  Extensive, collaborative efforts to form lasting community and neighborhood partnerships are ongoing.  These initiatives include foundational networks with businesses and employers, creative and affordable housing solutions with community partners (including home ownership for persons with disabilities), linkages to meet the need for individual family supports that will enable persons with severe disabilities to continue to live with relatives, assisted living alternatives and home care supports to persons who are at risk and elderly, and partnerships serving community members of culturally diverse backgrounds.  In 2000, Sunrise spun off its highly successful home ownership training and assistance program for persons with developmental disabilities into the not-for-profit Washington Home of Your Own organization.

 Our employees are integral to our success, as ambassadors building community and forming links in the communities where they live and work.  Sunrise Services, Inc. looks forward to a bright future, serving people with disabilities and addressing the unmet needs of our community.

"This project receives funding from the Snohomish County Department of Human Services."