1974:
Nishna Productions, Inc. is founded by a
group of concerned parents. Seven individuals with disabilities began receiving
services. The agency is based out of the Clarinda Mental Health Complex.
Personal and Social Adjustment services are offered.
1978: Construction of a new work center begins at the present 902 Day
Street location in Shenandoah.
1981: Nishna Productions opens and operates “The Nishna Thrifty Shopper”
grocery store in Shenandoah.
1982: The Nishna Thrifty Shopper closes.
A satellite center is opened in Glenwood and later moved to
Malvern.
1983: Three eight-bed group homes are opened in Red Oak, Malvern, and
Shenandoah.
1985: The agency’s Vocational and Day Program Services are accredited by
the Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities, (CARF). The
highest CARF rating was achieved, and has been in every successive CARF survey
since.
Approximately 85 individuals are being served.
1986: In January, the existing eight bed group homes are expanded to
become ten bed group homes through the completion of an expansion project.
Community Supervised Apartment
Living Arrangement, (CSALA), services begin in Shenandoah. Services are then
offered in Red Oak, Sidney, and Clarinda. The purpose of this service is to
offer support to individuals capable of living in less restrictive environments.
1988: The Supported Employment Program is initiated through a grant from
the State Department of Vocational Rehabilitation, to assist individuals with
disabilities in obtaining community employment. Twelve individuals are placed in
community jobs. This service is today referred to as Community Employment and
continues to place individuals with disabilities with employers for the benefit
of both.
A 15 bed facility is opened in Shenandoah.
1989: A 15 bed facility is opened in Red Oak.
1992: An addition/remodeling project is completed at the Shenandoah Work
Center which offers more office space and a private conference room as well as
enough space to house the Redemption Center operation, which had been housed in
a separate building.
1993: Job Placement Services are developed. This is a program that
matches individuals to the manpower needs of local businesses. This program also
offers job-training skills to a unique group of individuals seeking employment.
Nishna Productions, Inc. employs an Employment Specialist whose job is to assess
individual skills and teach persons with disabilities the skills necessary to do
a job. Job Coaching is also offered “as needed” to assist the business and the
employee in meeting training demands.
1994: The Malvern Work Center is relocated to the newly purchased Red
Oak Work Center. The “Old Jefferson School” was purchased to house the new work
center. This acquisition gave Nishna Productions more room and heating and air
conditioning efficiency. It also offered easier access to the Red Oak industrial
community for the purposes of work contracts for the new work center.
The Home and Community-Based Services Mental
Retardation-Waiver (HCBS) Program is introduced. The services available under
this program include Supported Community Living, Respite Care, Supported
Employment, and Home and Vehicle Modification. Since 1994 three additional
services also became available, the Elderly Waiver, Physical Disability Waiver,
and the Brain Injury Waiver.
The traditional 15-bed Lowell
Group Home located in Shenandoah is converted to the Lowell Specialized Home. It
was designed to meet the needs of individuals aged 50 or older with
pre-vocational needs, intensive one-to-one training, or persons with a
deteriorating medical condition. It was a self-contained program offering 24
hour services.
The 15 bed Oak Street Group
Home in Red Oak is downsized to an eight-bed group home.
The south end of the Oak
Street Group home is redesigned to become home to five men receiving services
through the Community Support Program, (CSP). These individuals receive 51 hours
of service a week. Staff are on duty during critical times of the day. These
services are billed by the month rather than the hour. Individuals receiving
these services no longer require over-night or daytime supervision, as provided
in the group home, but are not ready, or have chosen not to live independently
in the community.
Nishna Productions begins
recovering batteries for Eveready Battery Company in Red Oak. In the beginning
an enclave was sent to the actual Eveready plant and recovery was completed at
the factory. Eventually a building was rented in Red Oak and the TAP (Training
Assembly Production), operation was begun. Individuals with disabilities worked
alongside individuals from the community in a number of different battery
operations for Eveready.
1995: A house is purchased and opened to provide HCBS services in
Sidney. It continues to serve four persons with disabilities today.
1996: Nishna Productions begins offering Community Based Vocational
Assessments. These assessments are completed on “real world” jobs in the
community. The process is customer-driven and based on the wants and needs of
the person being served. The intent of the community-based assessment is to
evaluate the interests and support needs of the potential community employee.
The Eveready plant in Red Oak
closes and moves its operation out of the area. The TAP operation ends.
1997: The Summit Group Home located in Red Oak is converted to two
four-bed apartments that served eight individuals with disabilities under the HCBS program. Eight individuals continue to receive services there today.
Day Habilitation Services are offered at both work centers.
These services, first developed as Adult Day Care, are for individuals who have
chosen to no longer work at the work centers, are not benefiting from work
services, or who could benefit from more intense staff support, where the focus
is more behavioral in nature. Individuals have opportunities for socialization,
community involvement, and for learning new skills. The ratio is one staff for
each six participants, with group sizes ranging from five to 16 individuals.
1998: The Federal Building custodial contract, (NISH), is awarded to
Nishna Productions. Pottawattamie County individuals were provided work services
through this service. The agency provides janitorial services for the building.
The main customer is the Postal Services on the main floor. Other tenants
include Senator Grassley, Immigration and Naturalization Services, and the
District Court. The individuals working there are responsible for the facility’s
cleaning, floor work, and outdoor appearance.
The agency develops its Sports Mirror business which
assembles the mirrors and sells them to wholesalers and retailers.
1999: A home is purchased in Red Oak to house a Community Support
Program site for women. This house is later transitioned to the HCBS-MR
Supported Community Living Program and houses a 24 hour site on the first floor
and an apartment for one individual receiving hourly services on the second
floor.
2000: Nishna Productions develops a
partnership with Innovative Industries of Creston. The name of this agency is
Support Services of South Central Iowa and is located in Greenfield. The agency
delivers HCBS and CSP services to individuals in this area.
2001: The Lowell Specialized House rolls to the HCBS-MR program. The 15
bed home becomes two four bed apartments. The change was made with the sole
intent of enhancing the quality of life for the people living there and
receiving services from the agency.
2005: A four person HCBS Supported Community Living 24 hour site for
four women in Glenwood is opened.
2006: A two person HCBS Supported Community Living 24 hour site is
opened for two individuals in Hamburg.
A four person HCBS Supported Community Living 24 hour site is
opened for four men in Glenwood.
2007: Nishna Productions sells its share of the partnership of Support
Services of South Central Iowa to Innovative Industries.
The agency currently serves approximately 200 individuals.
Approximately 160 staff are employed by the agency.
The Future:
*Remedial Services
*Habilitation Services
*Opening of a third HCBS 24 hour site in Glenwood
*Construction of a new Vocational Center in Red Oak, which will house a new
Commercial Laundry Business
Over the
course of the last several years, Nishna Productions has expanded in very
significant
ways. In 1985, approximately 85 individuals were served. Today the
agency
serves approximately 200 individuals. Funding availability and individual
choice have
impacted the number of individuals being served. This expansion has
had both
positive and negative effects on all aspects of the operation and the
program of
services being offered. Medicaid has become the primary funder of
many of the
services offered by the agency.
Services
remain fluid and ever-changing. Services are very much dictated by the
funding
sources available, but they also are individualized, flexible, and customer
friendly. Nishna Productions strives to provide very high quality services.
