Empower Cherokee of GA Inc

What it reported doing in 2024

Our services provided: CRA services are provided in a licensed community living arrangement, 24hours/7days per week and target individuals who require intense levels of support. Services are provided in daily and weekly routines that directly relate to each individuals interests, choices and preferences; and will accommodate fluctuations in his/her needs for various supports. Assistance with and/or training activities of daily living skills such as bathing, grooming, other personal hygiene, feeding, toileting and similar tasks; household care such as meal preparation and supervision of nutrition, clothes laundering, bed-making, housecleaning and other similar tasks.Services also include medically related activities such as arranging medical appointments, basic first aid, supervising self-administration of medication, and assisting with therapeutic exercises.These services also consist of implementing behavioral support plans designed for individuals to reduce inappropriate and/or maladaptive behaviors; the ability to intervene if a crisis arises.Transportation is provided to medical appointments, other waiver services and as needed to facilitate the individuals participation in community activities and personal shopping.EC ensures the capacity to support individuals through client/staff ratios (1:4 or as designated in the ISP) that reflect the needs of the individuals; professionals with experience in developmental disabilities that can address the needs of the individuals served; program flexibility to accommodate individual and family needs; and provides on-going training of both staff and individuals served.Individual Service Planning is the development of a plan that identifies personal outcomes, life goals, and needed supports for health, safety, and welfare. Through the use of person-centered practices, we promote self-determination, and exploration of personal outcomes and goals. On an ongoing basis we use person centered tools that help people discover things that are important to and for them, and how people can be best be supported. The plan is always focused on the person and builds on their strengths, gifts and interests. We try to build a One Page Profiles that highlight peoples gifts, talents, and what people appreciate about the person, highlight what is important to them, and how they would like to be supported. This also helps us to match people with the staff that share their interest and would support them best.Community Access Group services are provided in the community or at Empower Cherokee Day Center. Services are individually determined and planned using person-centered tools and approaches to discover the individuals interests, gifts, choices, and what is important to and for the individual. We learn about and listen to the individual, their support needs, health and safety, and their dreams and desires. Their individual plan is created around this foundation. Community Access services are provided outside the individuals place of residence. These services can occur during the day, the evenings, and weekends. Services include design of activities and environments for the participant to learn and/or use adaptive skills required for active community participation and independent functioning. These activities include training in socialization skills as well as personal assistance as indicated in the Individual Service Plan (ISP). Community Access services cannot be provided in the participants home or family home, personal care home, community living arrangement, or group home.Community Access Individual (CAI) services are provided to an individual participant, with a one-to-one staff to participant ratio. CAI services are directly linked to goals and expectations of improvement in skills. The intended outcome of CAI services is to improve the participants access to the community through increased skills, increased natural supports, and/or less paid supports. CAI services are designed to be teaching and

Financial Efficiency

• Mission deployment rate: 82.6%; rating input score 83
• Program expense ratio: 89.6%; rating input score 90
• Fundraising efficiency: $11.64 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 42; 42nd percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

• Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
• Pay-setting controls: Limited
• Foreign activity oversight: Limited
• Grant itemization coverage: Limited
• Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100
• Related-party transparency: Limited

Accountability

• Independent voting board: 93.3%; rating input score 93; 24th percentile among comparable filings
• Governance controls: 7 of 8 controls in place; rating input score 88
  • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
  • Whistleblower policy: Pass
  • Document-retention policy: Pass
  • CEO compensation review process: NotApplicable
  • Other executive compensation review process: Fail
  • Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
  • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
  • Audit committee oversight: Pass
  • Independent financial-statement audit: Pass

Sustainability

• Operating margin: 7.5%; rating input score 57; 57th percentile among comparable filings
• Total-asset coverage ratio: 1.15; rating input score 42; 42nd percentile among comparable filings
• Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.05; rating input score 69; 69th percentile among comparable filings
• Officer compensation ratio: 3.8%; rating input score 62; 62nd percentile among comparable filings

Growth

• Program expense growth: 4.4% per year; rating input score 100; 36th percentile among comparable filings
• Revenue growth: 6.2% per year; rating input score 100; 49th percentile among comparable filings
• Asset growth: 4.3% per year; rating input score 100; 31st percentile among comparable filings