diff --git a/hello_helpers/src/hello_helpers/hello_misc.py b/hello_helpers/src/hello_helpers/hello_misc.py
index 459f7a8..acbf645 100644
--- a/hello_helpers/src/hello_helpers/hello_misc.py
+++ b/hello_helpers/src/hello_helpers/hello_misc.py
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@ from control_msgs.msg import FollowJointTrajectoryAction
 from control_msgs.msg import FollowJointTrajectoryGoal
 from trajectory_msgs.msg import JointTrajectoryPoint
 import tf2_ros
-from sensor_msgs.msg import PointCloud2
+from sensor_msgs.msg import PointCloud2, JointState
 from std_srvs.srv import Trigger, TriggerRequest
 from std_msgs.msg import String
 
@@ -68,9 +68,10 @@ def get_left_finger_state(joint_states):
 
 class HelloNode:
     def __init__(self):
-        self.joint_state = None
+        self.joint_states = None
         self.point_cloud = None
         self.tool = None
+        self.mode = None
         self.dryrun = False
 
     @classmethod
@@ -79,15 +80,18 @@ class HelloNode:
         i.main(name, name, wait_for_first_pointcloud)
         return i
 
-    def joint_states_callback(self, joint_state):
-        self.joint_state = joint_state
+    def _joint_states_callback(self, joint_states):
+        self.joint_states = joint_states
 
-    def point_cloud_callback(self, point_cloud):
+    def _point_cloud_callback(self, point_cloud):
         self.point_cloud = point_cloud
 
-    def tool_callback(self, tool_string):
+    def _tool_callback(self, tool_string):
         self.tool = tool_string.data
 
+    def _mode_callback(self, mode_string):
+        self.mode = mode_string.data
+
     def move_to_pose(self, pose, return_before_done=False, custom_contact_thresholds=False, custom_full_goal=False):
         if self.dryrun:
             return
@@ -201,6 +205,18 @@ class HelloNode:
         assert(self.tool is not None)
         return self.tool
 
+    def get_mode(self):
+        assert(self.mode is not None)
+        return self.mode
+
+    def get_joint_state(self, joint_name, moving_threshold=0.001):
+        i = self.joint_states.name.index(joint_name)
+        joint_position = self.joint_states.position[i]
+        joint_velocity = self.joint_states.velocity[i]
+        joint_effort = self.joint_states.effort[i]
+        joint_is_moving = abs(joint_velocity) > moving_threshold
+        return (joint_position, joint_velocity, joint_effort, joint_is_moving)
+
     def main(self, node_name, node_topic_namespace, wait_for_first_pointcloud=True):
         rospy.init_node(node_name)
         self.node_name = rospy.get_name()
@@ -211,13 +227,16 @@ class HelloNode:
         if not server_reached:
             rospy.signal_shutdown('Unable to connect to arm action server. Timeout exceeded.')
             sys.exit()
-        
+
+        self._joint_states_subscriber = rospy.Subscriber('/stretch/joint_states', JointState, self._joint_states_callback)
+
         self.tf2_buffer = tf2_ros.Buffer()
         self.tf2_listener = tf2_ros.TransformListener(self.tf2_buffer)
 
-        self.tool_subscriber = rospy.Subscriber('/tool', String, self.tool_callback)
+        self._tool_subscriber = rospy.Subscriber('/tool', String, self._tool_callback)
+        self._mode_subscriber = rospy.Subscriber('/mode', String, self._mode_callback)
 
-        self.point_cloud_subscriber = rospy.Subscriber('/camera/depth/color/points', PointCloud2, self.point_cloud_callback)
+        self.point_cloud_subscriber = rospy.Subscriber('/camera/depth/color/points', PointCloud2, self._point_cloud_callback)
         self.point_cloud_pub = rospy.Publisher('/' + node_topic_namespace + '/point_cloud2', PointCloud2, queue_size=1)
 
         rospy.wait_for_service('/home_the_robot')