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The MMI leadership team shares an important message. |
It’s a time of social distancing, but MMI directors and staff are working to stay connected with initiatives designed to build camaraderie and team spirit.
“It can be hard to feel a part of something when you are distanced from it out of necessity,” said Melonie Welsh, community engagement director. “MMI is committed to keeping faculty and staff feeling engaged through several efforts, some created by directors and some by other teams in the institute.”
Institute Director Karoly Mirnics, M.D., Ph.D., for example, created a virtual online “open door” policy, scheduling a weekly Zoom meeting that staffers can join to speak with Dr. Mirnics for updates as well as providing a forum to float ideas and discuss concerns.
The community engagement team offered MMI staff an opportunity to support the families MMI serves by gathering cards, poems and drawings to forward on to families. Recreational therapy prepared care packages for program participants and drafted “quarantine” chain letters. And just this week, the institute held a virtual “Cinco de Mayo” celebration with games, prizes and a virtual get-together on the evening of May 5.
“It doesn’t need to be fancy, just something that shows we care,” said Welsh, who is overseeing the effort. “If each of us would create two pieces of correspondence, we could make a big impact.” (The effort is ongoing — contact Jacqueline Hankins for details.)
Digital media manager Nicole Hackendahl created a “blog” for MMI staffers to share personal stories and photos to continue a sense of community.
The MMI Department of Education and Child Development is keeping connected with weekly all-staff meetings. The staff has “met” for lunch, and there have been two virtual sessions available to staff that dealt with mindfulness and addressing stress, including using humor during stressful times.
In the Severe Behavior Program, “we pulled together and made autism-awareness masks (blue with puzzle pieces),” said director Amanda Zangrillo, Ph.D. “We also created an April Awesomeness bracket challenge to spark a healthy team competition, and we try to share celebrations and ‘brags’ during each group supervision.”
UCEDD staff members are holding weekly virtual lunches to allow for socialization and have been brainstorming other virtual ideas to increase interaction. Recreational therapy staffers have gotten together to create videos to post for their clients’ enjoyment, including the ever-popular “Moose Song.” Group activities including movie night, Pictionary and other innovative virtual activities allow team member to connect, check in, and stimulate lighthearted conversation.
Departments and other groups also have gotten together to share messages on social media via photo montages. Recently, members of the leadership team came together and each held up a one-word sign that together spelled out, “We are socially distanced, but not disconnected.”