2019 AHRC COMPASS Annual Report

AHRC Nassau COMPASS Empowers people to live fulfilling lives. Together with Family-Friends-Community January 2019 Annual Report Recognized by CQL | The Council on Quality and Leadership with Person-Centered Excellence Accreditation | With Distinction Working toward a world of dignity, opportunity and community for all people

AHRC Nassau Staff Members Honored at Self Advocates of NYS (SANYS) Statewide and Long Island Regional Conferences Janice Shear—SANYS Statewide Advisor and Long Island Advisor of the Year 2018 Michelle Rudoff—SANYS Statewide Advocate of the Year 2018 Mary Donovan—SANYS Long Island DSP of the Year 2018

Janice Shear SANYS Statewide & Long Island Advisor of the Year 2018

Michelle Rudoff, SANYS Self Advocate of the Year

Coleen Mackin & Matt Hofele SANYS Nassau & Suffolk County Representatives

Mary Donovan SANYS 2018 Long Island Direct Support Professional of the Year

AHRC Nassau staff members were honored to be the recipient of multiple SANYS awards this year at the State and regional conferences. We commend all the recipients on their outstanding dedication and advocacy efforts that resulted in these well earned forms of recognitions. Below are a few words from the honorees.

Michelle Rudoff, SANYS Self Advocate of the Year: “I want to thank… the people who from a young age taught me how to be independent and do stuff on my own.”

Janice Shear SANYS Statewide & Long Island Advisor of the Year 2018: “I am honored to receive this award.”

Mary Donovan SANYS 2018 Long Island Direct Support Professional of the Year: “I am grateful for the recognition; it’s an honor.”

MISSION STATEMENT Mission Statement and Management Plan Annual Review A review of the agency mission statement and COMPASS management plan is conducted each year with updates, changes and enhancements made as indicated. The Councils conducted their reviews in September, the COMPASS Committee in October and the Board of Directors in January 2019. No changes were recommended to the mission statement. A summary of the changes to the agency management plan is shown below. Thank you to everyone for their input.

2019 ANNUAL REVIEW SUMMARY PART 1 – MISSION STATEMENT REVIEW: 1. Councils Review: No changes recommended.

2. COMPASS Committee Recommendations: No changes recommended.

PART II - MANAGEMENT PLAN REVIEW: A. Council Recommendations: See below list of proposed changes.

B. COMPASS Committee Recommendations: See below list of proposed changes.

Criterion #1 - Board and Management Commitment: No changes Criterion #2 - Mission Statement and Commitment to the ISE: 1. Revision: ISP initiatives revised to Life Plan initiatives to support person centered planning as well as persons responsible (from MSC to person’s primary program). The specific changes are shown below in blue.

The COMPASS Department re-designed the format for recording the annual Life Plan Pre Planning Meeting form in order to reflect the Mission Statement. People receiving supports and services from AHRC have the opportunity to design their own personal mission, naming their own choices, dreams, and valued outcomes.

Senior Director of Residential/Day will review the Life Plan Pre Meeting format to ensure format reflects current agency mission.

Pre Life Plan Process is held and/or Personal Outcome Measures interview is completed a month prior to a person’s ISP Life Plan meeting. This “interview” will be held to explore and assist the person in identifying their personal outcomes and creating a person centered plan that reflects their interests, and supports their dreams.

2. Revision: Any reference to MSC and ISP were changed to reflect new responsible parties and/or Life Plan process.

Criterion #3 – Empowerment: 1. Add: A Rights Ambassador peer to participate in agency Human Rights Committee meetings and serve as a liaison between the committee and the person reviewed. This position will also train and assist their peers with due process as indicated.

Criterion #5 – Self-Survey: 1. Revision: Change the type of special focused surveys/reviews conducted by Regulatory Affairs from MSC dedicated reviews to Person Centered reviews consistent with transition to Care Coordination.

2. Revision: Self-survey sample size was modified to reflect OPWDD new standards.

Criterion #6 – Valued Outcomes: 1. Revision: Change staff person responsible to ensure people are supported to choose their support team from Director MSC to Director Residential and Director Day services. (The agency encourages people to choose their support team to further promote self-directed and individualized services and supports.)

2. Revision: Remove MSC from AHRC Opinion Questionnaires (individual and family) and replace with Care Coordination questions consistent with transition to Care Coordination.

3. Revision: DSP of the Year Award change in responsible party from COMPASS Administrator to Director Residential.

Criterion #7 – Quality Improvement 1. Revision: Change person responsible from Director MSC to Program Directors for CQL Basic Assurances Factor 8 Positive Services and Supports person centered standards.

2. Revision: Change conducting Quality Reviews of ISP to Life Plan meetings by Certified Personal Outcome Trainers.

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MISSION STATEMENT & GUIDING PRINCIPLES IN ACTION Our Paintings on the Wall

by Michelle Rudoff

Sue Carman, Steven Capozzoli & Esther Lee painting and creating a beautiful world!

Oceanside Road hubsite enjoys making beautiful paintings with volunteer Sue Carman. Sue was a volunteer long before the painting began as she regularly visited the hubsite on Mondays with her chocolate lab, Lyra. But now Sue is now doing painting with the guys from Oceanside Road and it is terrific!

Everyone including the staff loves painting with Sue. We have made flowers, trees and moons in the mountains. Sue is more than a volunteer to all of us, she has become a friend— and we all love seeing her on Mondays!

Guiding Principles Work together to achieve excellence by promoting opportunities and supporting dreams.

Demonstrate courtesy, respect and compassion in every interaction.

Foster a unified culture that celebrates diverse talents, ideas and potential.

Mission Statement Story—Eric Forman For as long as many can remember, police officers have always held a special place in Eric’s heart.

This past December, Eric received a police hat, t-shirt and PBA card from “Detective Chris.”

Detective Chris did not know Eric but when he heard of Eric’s admiration for police officers he wrapped up a special gift for him which was delivered just before Christmas. Eric was thrilled.

A special “thank you” to Detective Chris for supporting Eric’s dream.

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Validation Visit Save the date! COMPASS Recertification Validation Visit During the week of May 13, 2019—May 17, 2019 AHRC Nassau’s annual COMPASS Validation Visit will be held. During this week partnership audits are completed with OPWDD’s Division of Quality Improvement, Bureau of Program Certification and AHRC Nassau auditors to ensure regulatory compliance throughout all certified programs. Our COMPASS Management Plan is also reviewed for policy and practices.

Several COMPASS related activities will be held. Please join us!

As a reminder, last year, habilitation plans lacked the level of specificity to ensure staff can implement services appropriately and consistently. A quality improvement plan was developed and implemented. Since that time a transition to Care Coordination occurred and outcomes are now translated into Staff Actions for staff to implement. People’s habilitative goals/valued outcomes are derived from the Life Plan. The habilitation service must relate to the habilitative goals/valued outcomes. To support person-centered practices, each of the goals/valued outcomes identified must relate to a Council on Quality and Leadership (CQL) Personal Outcome Measure (POM) category.

A Wonderful Relationship Direct Support Professionals (DSP) throughout NYS were highlighted during Direct Support Professional Recognition Week in September. One such professional is April Alexander of AHRC Nassau.

Every Thursday, April and Shehzad Muizzuddin, a 62-year-old Pakistani, go to the Farmingdale Library. There, Shehzad play’s his sitar in a jazz ensemble onstage in the library’s performance room. Shehzad learned to play sitar as a young boy and his passion for the instrument has grown even stronger with time.

Shehzad Muizzuddin & April Alexander

“When I first started working with Shehzad, he was very quiet, made very little eye contact. Always nice, but just really quiet,” April explained.

“What’s very special is over the time that I’ve worked with him, he’s become someone [who will] talk with people, he’ll make eye contact. He’s really become quite confident in himself, he’s become very outgoing.”

Much of Shehzad’s newfound confidence can be attributed to, of course, April’s support, but also to his passion for playing the sitar. On stage, Shehzad mentally travels to a place where it’s only him and the melodies he strums for all to hear. Bi-weekly, he travels to New Jersey to receive sitar lessons.

“He’s not shy here [at the library]. He just loves [playing the sitar], so if we can get him out more and more to play the sitar, we’re going to do it. He wants to go out and play, that’s his passion and he shows it on his face,” said April. April is reaching out to senior citizen centers in the hopes that they might enjoy listening to Shehzad play. “Shehzad has a real passion for playing for senior citizens, so he loves coming down here [to the library], and the people have been really responsive to him.”

Just as Shehzad has gained confidence to do what he loves in a public setting with April’s support, April has also gained a wealth of knowledge about the sitar and Pakistani culture.

“I learn much more from the people I support. They have taught me how to be patient, they’ve taught me how to smile during adversity,” April explained. “Shehzad has taught me about things I would never have known if I didn’t work with him. This is the gift that God gave me. It’s evident to me that this is where I need to be.”

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Personal Mission Jessica Shares Her Journey with NYSARC Board of Governors At the October 12, 2018 NYSARC Board of Governors meeting Jessica Campbell provided the opening presentation and greeting. She shared at the opening of the meeting her personal journey and the invaluable support provided by AHRC Nassau. Below is Jessica’s speech.

Hi my name is Jessica Campbell. Thank you for inviting me to share my experiences and how AHRC NASSAU has supported me to live a better, more independent life. I am honored to be here today.

First I’d like to let you know I lived in a Group Home (not AHRC, another agency) for 21 years and didn’t know my rights.

I couldn’t access my food, or my money and couldn’t go where I wanted to go when I wanted. I was happy until I was shown that things could be different.

My life started to change, when I joined AHRC Nassau’s Day Council. I met Joyce Guarneiri, the Council Advisor and learned about my rights. That was when I started to change my thinking.

Then I joined AHRC’s Executive Council were I met Colleen Tapia, the Council Advisor and learned about SANYS. Colleen introduced me to Bridget Carriello and helped me to get my first job at SANYS. Today Joyce and Colleen are my friends- my natural supports. They support me when I ask for assistance making decisions.

Then I decided to move. There were a lot of restrictions in the Group Home which I realized I didn’t like. I spoke to people at AHRC (Colleen, Joyce and Karen) and they helped me to move to an AHRC apartment in Wantagh. It was better. I was living with one person instead of ten.

But not perfect.

Then I learned about self-direction. I also met people at SANYS who were living self-directed lives. Lives with more freedom and flexibility. I liked the idea of hiring my own staff and not being assigned staff. So I spoke to Colleen and got her support to move forward with selfdirection.

I moved to an apartment of my own three years ago. It’s great! I was able to go to my first concert, go on a cruise (one of my bucket list items which I’ve always dreamed of) and meet new people who are not tied to an Agency.

I love my life now. I can eat shrimp everyday if I want to. Buy 3 packs of cookie if I want to. I have freedom, flexibility to change my schedule in the middle of the day, money to buy food that I want, no medical restrictions.

I do what I want and need to do.

I currently work at AHRC Nassau as a Rights Advocate. I also work at SANYS as a Field Assistant where I share my story, to help other people. I also work at the Independent Living Center where I help people transition from provider agencies to living in the community. I also was appointed to the AHRC Nassau Board of Directors two years ago. Now I have the opportunity to voice my opinions and impact the whole agency.

When I started my journey, a lot of people told I couldn’t do these things. Like work, live on my own, travel without support because of my disabilities but that was not true.

I would like to thank AHRC Nassau for educating and guiding me. The support and information I was provided, set me on a path that led to all these opportunities – And a Great Life!

Outstanding Performance Recognized It was National Custodial Worker's Recognition Day in October and AHRC Nassau was proud to recognize Abrar Butt, a William B. Joslin Outstanding Performance Awards Winner. Mr. Butt was recognized at NYSID’s 2018 Annual meeting for his outstanding work ethic and contribution to the community through employment.

Abrar has been employed with AHRC for the past 5 years, and works at the Department Of Labor Hicksville and NYSDMV (Massapequa). "I'm very happy to win this award," said Abrar. "I like helping people. When I came to America, I was motivated to work hard and earn money for myself and my family. I would like to thank the people of AHRC for supporting me!"

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BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Meetings were held monthly, except for December and a summer break, consistent with the Management Plan.

Annual COMPASS Training At the November 19, 2018 AHRC Nassau Board of Directors meeting, Chris O’Connor, Associate Executive Director provided annual COMPASS training on Care Coordination and the transition to managed care.

The training was very informative and educational Board meeting and Chris O’Connor, Associate Executive Director shown above with many questions asked and lively discussions held. All agreed it was a great and helpful presentation.

Walkathon—Sibling Group Table

On September 29, 2018 AHRC Nassau held the annual Walk-A-Thon at Eisenhower Park. The Sibling Group, founded by Board President and sibling Paul Giordano, hosted a table at the event to share information with siblings throughout Long Island. It was a wonderful day and great way to spread the word on the sibling group supports and education available at AHRC Nassau.

Board Member Honored Jeffrey Witt was honored and thanked for his years of dedicated and faithful service as an AHRC Nassau Board Member by Executive Director Stanfort Perry and Board President, Paul Giordano at the November 19, 2018 AHRC Nassau Board of Directors meeting.

Jeffrey joined the AHRC Board in 2012 to provide his input into the services and supports offered by AHRC Nassau.

He is now retired and enjoys spending time with his wife. We wish Jeffrey well and thank him for his many years of service.

Board of Directors - Physical Plant Inspections The annual Physical Plant Inspections (PPI) continued this past year and is truly an integral part of our COMPASS Management Plan and a shining star initiative that helps to make us a special COMPASS agency. 183 physical plant inspections were completed since January 2018. A total of 147 new work orders were generated. There were 13 hazardous citations. There were 19 physical plant deficiencies that remained open after 60 days . Thank you to Susan Dowling, RA who coordinates and oversees this process. The annual meeting will be held in April.

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SIBLING Holiday Party The sibling group meets three to four times a year. Paul Giordano, AHRC President and founder of the group, encouraged all in attendance to remain involved. As parents age, the role and responsibilities of siblings-supporting-siblings usually increases and they become one of the strongest natural supports for their brother or sister. Siblings also provide to each other mutually beneficial, long lasting, positive and loving relationships. AHRC Nassau strongly encourages this natural support and enjoys working with so many engaged siblings.

2019 SIBLING GROUP Please Join Us! March 7, 2019: Meeting 6:30pm—8:30pm Plainview April 14, 2019: Brunch Meeting 11:00-1:00pm Brookville June 13, 2019 : BBQ 6:00pm—8:00pm Brookville September 5, 2019: Meeting-6:30-8:30pm Plainview December 5, 2019: Holiday Party 6:00pm—8:00pm Brookville For more information, please call (516) 293-1111 extension 5492

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AHRC Nassau - Councils Executive Council Met Monthly (except summer break and November) The Executive Council hosted a pancake fundraiser to offset the expense of attendance at the SANYS Statewide conference on August 1, 2018.

On September 26th, 2018 the Council received training on safe eating and choking prevention.

Supported Decision Making training was completed at the Freeport hubsite for 35 people.

On October 3rd, the Council hosted the annual Rights Rally.

On October 16, 2018 the Council hosted a legislative training.

Harriet Traversa, AHRC Board member, attended the Executive Council meeting. The Council shared their issues with her which she will share with the Board of Directors.

On October 31, 2018 a Call-A-Thon was held to local and State legislators urging them to vote “No” to Medicaid cuts.

We are looking for volunteers to participate in a

Direct Support Professional Focus Group!

Please call (516) 293-1111 ext. 5492 if interested

Freeport Workforce Council Met Monthly (except summer break) In August 2018 we had the annual Workforce BBQ. All people that participate in Workforce service for AHRC Nassau were invited to attend. We were able to host the event by closing off the parking lot and set up tents so that we could create a true BBQ event. College Meats was very supportive of this event and donated food so that everyone could enjoy a variety of food.

The Workforce Council was able to host a Halloween party. ETS Almore Narcisse was instrumental in hosting the costume contest and assisting with the music set up as well.

In combination with the Freeport Day Hab we were able to host a Winter Holiday Party for all the people who attend the programs here in Freeport. At the party we had the delightful chorus comprised of people from both programs who performed for everyone in Freeport. The party was a wonderful way to celebrate the holidays with all.

Freeport Workforce Council held its annual elections for the positions of President and Vice-President. We are pleased to present that Theresa Clarkin and Loriann Iozzia as our new Workforce Compass Council leadership. They are both excited and pleased to be participating and helping to educate and advocate for their peers.

Call-A-Thon to Stop Medicaid Cuts The QA Trainers hosted a call-a-thon at Plainview on October 31, 2018 to support and stop Medicaid cuts anticipated. It is also critical to reach out to state law makers and Governor Cuomo. His proposed budget did not include money to increase Direct Support Professional’s salaries. AHRC has engaged Assemblywoman Melissa Miller and State Senator James Gaughran on this issue. Staff, families and the people who receive services please CALL 518-474-8390 and SAY: I am a [DSP, Parent, Self-Advocate, etc.] and a supporter of #bFair2DirectCare.

The developmental disabilities community is in a crisis.

Right now, Direct Support Professionals (DSPs) across New York State are making just above minimum wage and can barely make ends meet, despite the difficult and vital work.

These low wages for DSPs have led to high vacancy and turnover rates, leaving a devastating impact on the individuals and families DSPs support.

This impacts and concerns me because -Tell a personal story or a reason why #bFair2DirectCare is important to you ( i.e.- staff shortages that prevent you from doing activities, etc.).

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AHRC Nassau - Councils Community Hub Site Council—Met Monthly (except summer break) Celebrated DSP Appreciation Week- September 9-15. Council members wrote letter and shared stories about how their staff go above and beyond each and every day.

20 Council members attended the NY State SANYS Conference in Albany. Michelle Rudoff (Council Officer Emeritus) was named NY State Advocate of the Year. Janice Shear (Council Adviser) was named NY State Advisor of the year.

12 Council members attended the Legislative Breakfast in Huntington on October 19, 2018 40 Council members attended the SANYS LI Conference in Melville on October 30, 2018. Janice Shear (Council Advisor) was named LI Advisor of the Year. Mary Donovan was named DSP of the year. Executive Council member Coleen Makin was elected Nassau State Representative and Executive Council member Matthew Hoeffel was elected Suffolk State Representative.

Peer Mentor Seminars were held in: Self Medication administration, Self-Direction, Political Advocacy and Financial management.

30 Council members attended the #bFair2Direct Care Rally at Suffolk Community College on November 18, 2018.

10 Council members attended the Public Listening Sessions to Study Accessible Ride Sharing Services for Customers with Disabilities. CHS Council member Ed Richardson spoke on camera for News12 LI. Council members attended the SANYS Holiday Party held in Hauppauge The annual Holiday Party was held on December 7, 2018. Thank you to special guests, Patrick Sherrard, Jeff Binfield, the DJs and also to the Freeport Singers, Nefertiti Dolce and Maribel Encarnacion.

The results of the Council Board election, held in November were announced at the Holiday Party. Congratulations to: North Council President – Noah Ackereizen Vice President- Jennifer Alford Secretary- Eileen Erb

South Council President – Ed Richardson Vice President- Michael Costa Secretary- Patty Fran

Residential Council Met Monthly (except summer break) June 12th was the COMPASS Dinner at which the Council was recognized for its achievements for the year.

The Council’s “Caught in the Act” dinner was held on October 24, 2018 at which fourteen staff were recognized for going “Above & Beyond” in their jobs for people supported.

Movie Night fundraisers were held over the past six months to benefit good causes identified by the Council. The first Movie Night was held in June and raised money to send two Council members to the SANYS state conference in Albany. An additional Movie Night was held in October 2018 and raised $1000 for “True Thabo”. This money will help provide two water purification systems for schools in Africa. At the December Council meeting a check was presented to Marissa Frank from the University of Scranton who started this project after service trips to Ghana and Zambia..** The Council enjoyed the following Empowerment trainings: Meeting & Greeting people presented by Pam Boyle; Fire Safety presented by George Pitts; and Resolving Conflicts.

An employee’s son spoke to the Council about his archery groups project “Pink Arrow.” This project is to raise money for cancer research and distributing cancer prevention information. The Council will do a fund raiser in 2019 for this project.

Council presented its fundraiser check to True Thabo **For more info about True Thabo, visit their Facebook page at facebook.com/truethabo

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Advocacy and Councils Advocates Rally for Direct Support Professional Wages On the morning of Tuesday, December 18, 2018 AHRC Nassau advocates joined others throughout Long Island at Suffolk Community College to demonstrate at the #bFair2DirectCare rally. The advocates called out for a living wage for direct support professionals and shared their heartfelt DSP stories.

SANYS Statewide President and advocate, Coleen Mackin presented on how DSPs provide "the right supports that will help us to be heard." Coleen was joined by AHRC Nassau Board Member Jessica Campbell (right) and SANYS' Bridget Cariello (center).

Jeanmarie Rogers praises her DSP Lori Staton, who "makes learning new skills fun and exciting."

Alexandra Coumaras shared how DSP Malaysha Moore supports her in the community, from shopping to volunteering at Island Harvest.

John Buley-Nuemar (shown on left) gave a heartfelt speech about how DSP, Donald Parsons made a positive impact on his life. "He is one of the staff that always listens and also gives advice. . .He shares stories with us of his personal life, when he was in his country," said John.

"What a wonderful guy. If people can't see how wonderful our staff are, then people need to open their eyes."

The Life Plan Jessica Campbell joined Karleen Haines of the PHP to present information on the Life Plan—the new ISP. PHP is a Managed Care pilot in NYS and utilizes a document called the Life Plan. Supports and services in New York has transitioned to Care Coordination based on the PHP model. People First Care Coordination converted people’s health and wellness services from the Individualized Service Plan (ISP) to the Life Plan. All services people receive is now generated by the Life Plan including services from their dentists, physicians, behavioral health professionals and others. This plan is overseen and monitored by a Care Coordinator.

Care Coordination was the first major step in the evolution of the OPWDD system. This new system is reported to enhance and expand service coordination for people currently supported

by OPWDD and will assist with the states move to fully integrated services via managed care.

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AHRC Nassau COUNCILS SANYS Strong Island Regional Conference

The Long Island Regional SANYS conference took place on October 30, 2018 at the Melville Marriott and over 40 advocates from AHRC attended.

The theme was “Strong Island” recognizing and encouraging the strength of advocacy across Long Island. There were many sessions offered such as Supported Decision Making, PHP –The Life Plan and an open forum on Care Coordination. Mary Donavan was named DSP of the Year. It was a fun and educational day.

SANYS Statewide Conference By Michelle Rudoff and Steven Barsh A group went up to the SANYS State wide conference on September 6, 2018 and we came back on Saturday September 8 th 2018. We went up in style by a coach bus. Even though we had a long wait for the bus (because the bus company had to send a second bus because the first one broke down) it didn’t stop the group having fun and enjoying a nice pizza lunch.

Some of the workshops that we attended were Self-direction, Rights and Responsibility, Care Coordination versus Managed Care, and Open Doors/Transitioning. Everyone had a great time. The part that I think everyone enjoyed, especially the Residential Council members, was seeing our former advisor and friend Jason Signorelli. The only complaint that people had about the conference was THE FOOD… some say that since they have a microwave in the room that next year they are going to bring some food to heat up in the microwave.

Michelle Rudoff Won the Self Advocate of the Year award and Janice Shear won the Advisor of the Year award. This is like the 5th or 6th year in a row that AHRC Nassau has won an award at the SANYS conference.

All in all everyone had a wonderful time and is already planning to attend next year.

Supported Decision Making Training— Save the Date!

Jonathan Martinis, Esq. will provide Supported Decision Making (SDM) training to all stakeholders on April 9, 2019. Families, staff and people receiving services will participate. Nationally, SDM is increasingly recognized as a best practice to support vulnerable adults with decisions without formalized court actions. Some jurisdictions, including Delaware, Texas, and Canada have enacted legislation allowing a person to designate their supporters to assist with decisions in any and all areas of life.

Invitations will follow. Please contact Colleen Tapia at ctapia@ahrc.org or 516-293-1111 ext 5492 for more information.

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EMPOWERMENT Rights Rally On October 3, 2018 AHRC Nassau held its annual Rights Rally. Jonathan Drexler was Master of Ceremonies and Kevin Greenstein was the keynote speaker. The FREE Singers performed at the event and were phenomenal.

Many people took the opportunity to speak and share the rights that are most important to them. The rally focused this year on Bridget Cariello SANYS who conducted an exercise on rights. It was a fun, moving and inspirational event!

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EMPOWERMENT Political and Legislative Advocacy On October 16, 2018, advocates enjoyed training on political and legislative advocacy offered by Kevin Greenstein. Kevin has received a grant to train fellow self-advocates on political and legislative advocacy.

He taught everyone how to advocate with government officials and provided the opportunity to meet policy makers. Here is a list of Do’s and Don'ts when meeting with policy makers.

Do: Be on-time Dress professionally Share a personal story about the topic Make cue cards with talking points Know the basics Stay on message

Don’t: Take up too much time Go off topic Be critical Waste time Raise your voice Be late

Financial Management University A nine week Financial Management series was held for people to learn about Representative Payee and YOUR money…YOUR key to financial freedom.

This was a lunch and learn series. People who attended completed the curriculum, Cents and Sensibility and were awarded a certificate when the course was completed with a graduation ceremony held in December 2018.

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EMPOWERMENT Leading a Self-Directed Life—Options and Brokers On October 23, 2018 a self-direction seminar was held in Plainview. Brokers were on hand so people could take the “next step” if interested.

Self-direction gives you flexibility to choose the mix of supports and services that are right for you so you can live the life you want.

With self-direction, you choose your services, the staff and organizations that provide them, and a schedule that works best for you.

Each person is unique. Self-direction empowers people to design supports based on their unique strengths and needs. It gives you more control over the funding used to buy your services.

People enjoy learning about self-direction

If you would like more information on self-direction, please call Kevin Wilber at 516 293-2016 extension 5370. Get started today!

Let’s Vote!

On November 6, 2018 many people participated in the political process and made sure their voices were heard. Pictured voting are the folks from the New Woods IRA. We are very proud that people take the right to vote seriously and proudly engage in their community and civic duty.

Supported Decision Making Seminar Supported Decision Making (SDM) is the process by which a person with an intellectual or developmental disability (I/DD) makes decisions with the assistance of a trusted supporter or supporters. SDM is based on the belief that everyone has the right to make his or her own decisions, and receive the supports that make that possible, regardless of disability.

Historically, people were told they couldn’t make good decisions and that having guardianship was the best way to protect themselves, even as adults. “Looking at people through a human rights lens, we are able to see that by giving people appropriate supports to make their own choices, they can become more selfdetermined, more integrated into the community, and so also safer and better able to protect themselves.” For more information see the sdmny.org website.

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Valued Outcomes Billy—Treasured Memories by Nicole Zerillo, J.D. When Billy Meyer was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and given four months to live, AHRC Nassau Community Habilitation Worker, Lynne Brewer, knew what to do. Project “Make Memories for Billy” was started to make sure Billy would have a lifetime of memories.

“What Billy wanted more than anything else was more time,” said Billy’s stepfather, Michael O’Connor. “When Lynne got involved, there was no stopping her.”

As one of his chief “memory makers,” Lynne earned the nicknames “Tornado” and “Mom #2,” working closely with Billy on daily self-care and medical routines as well as his most heartfelt wishes. Lynne planned weekly adventures and celebrations to motivate Billy to continue to pursue his life goals and connect with others through activities.

“Each memory gave (Billy) a reason to fight and he did, lasting a year and an half,” said Lynne.

Most of Billy’s goals were modest. He enjoyed cooking for his friend, Lindsey, who was also battling cancer, and baking and delivering a birthday cake to his friend, Emily.

Some of Billy’s goals were more adventurous – go-carting, visiting water parks, attending his first polo match, and fun nights out with friends at Mulcahy’s Pub. However, as Billy was supported and encouraged by Lynne to pursue his interests, his ideas became more creative; his network of community connections broadened; and people he had never met stepped in to offer their time and ask how they could help.

Billy loved anything by Billy Joel and always wanted to see the Piano Man live. In his last months, Billy sang regularly with Michael Delguidice, rhythm guitarist and vocalist for Billy Joel’s band, and lead vocalist and pianist for the Long Island band, Big Shot. Standing beside Lynne, Billy enjoyed many evenings out singing with Big Shot, including at Mulcahy’s Pub, Concert Hall and The Paramount in Huntington. Michael also graciously shared two backstage passes and floor seats to Billy Joel at Madison Square Garden. Another passion point was wrestling. Lynne connected with Garden of Dreams to attend a WWE wrestling match at Madison Square Garden as well as local wrestler, John Rage Lesser, who met Billy at different matches and attended his 51st birthday bash. Another live-action event Billy enjoyed was “Marvel Universe LIVE! Age of Heroes” with tickets donated

by NYCB Live – Nassau Coliseum.

In his last months, Billy also accomplished his goal of jumping in horseback riding, thanks to bi-weekly lessons donated by the North Shore Equestrian Center, while North Shore Saddlery provided riding pants, a shirt and horse treats. As his dreams were coming true, Billy remained focused on his family and friends. Important moments were shared at 50th and 51st birthday bashes, where space was donated by B.K. Sweeney’s Parkside Tavern in Bethpage. More than 80 families and friends came together to enjoy a meal and good times.

“It was the simple things in life Billy reminded me to treasure,” said Lynne. “A song on the radio being sung as we danced in the car, a smile he shared and brought to the face of everyone he met, his genuine caring for all those in his life. He always asked how others were doing.”

Lynne is quick to thank “all friends and family members that made monetary donations that assisted with making memories happen,” and Billy, himself, for “helping (her) remember to see the good in people.”

Billy developed meaningful friendships during this time and connected on his fierce love of the Rangers, the Yankees, horses and motorcycles. Lynne’s close friends, Jeff S. and Dave Kohrumel donated tickets and time to attend events with Billy and developed a true friendship. On the back of Jeff’s Harley Davidson was one of Billy’s favorite places to be – and their support for Billy continued in his memory. Dave connected with his fellow officers at the Nassau County Police Department to have horses show respect at his funeral, while Jeff led the procession, sirens blaring.

Billy passed away on Sunday, July 22. Lynne continues to honor Billy’s memory with a new project. She formed Team “In Memory of My Dear Friend Billy” for the AHRC Walk, Oct. 14, in Eisenhower Park, to benefit children and adults with developmental disabilities “I’ll treasure the time we had together,” said Lynne, “never forgetting that funny man who brought so many smiles to my face! I walk in memory of Billy and as I walk I’ll look up knowing he’s smiling back and happy with his mom, again.”

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Valued Outcomes One Stop Gift Shop Paves the Way to Employment! By Janice Shear Dinora Gomez has always loved fashion and dreamed of working in a retail store. She worked at TJMaxx as part of her transition programing with Brookville Center for Children’s Services while she was in high school and loved the experience.

When she graduated, she applied for jobs in several clothing stores, but was never hired because she lacked actual experience. So when the One Stop Gift Shop opened in Hicksville, Dinora applied for the volunteer salesperson position and was hired. She began working there in June, 3 days a week and later on changed to 5 days.

Dinora, with the support of DSP Steven Arzt, has learned all aspects of running a store.

She has learned how to assist the customers, gift wrap, use the cash register, stock the shelves, arrange displays in the windows, and do inventory. Dinora has also learned store maintenance, and takes pride in keeping the store and merchandise sparking clean. She even selected her own fashionable ensemble and was a model for the autumn photo shoot.

The One Stop Gift Shop appeared as the cover story for the LI Life section of Newsday on Sunday, July 15, 2018 and featured Dinora and her coworkers in a four page article about this concept of this store. Profits made at the One Stop Gift Shop are donated back to the organizations serving the Hicksville and Long Island community.

In November, Dinora applied again to a few retail stores. This time however, with store experience on her resume, she was hired by American Eagle. Dinora was ecstatic! She began working immediately and loves it there. The manager is very impressed with her skills and how helpful she is to the customers.

Meet Michael By Nicholas Scolaro Every morning at the AHRC Nassau Plainview Office, there is one thing you can count on.

You hear the wheels rolling from down the hallway, around the corner. The sound stops.

Then it starts again, growing louder and louder as the cart nears. And then it stops by your desk, outside your office. You receive a warm greeting, “Hey, how are you doing! Good morning Debbie! Good morning Joyce! Hey Chris! How’s it going!” He knows everyone’s names. And everyone knows him.

Michael Nissenfeld has been working for AHRC/Citizens for a long-time. He can tell you stories about the people who used to work here and how things used to be. But before he came to us, Michael grew-up hanging around and working at his father’s gas station. He has always enjoyed meeting new people, seeing familiar faces, and interacting with others in a jovial manner.

Michael loves to talk to people. And above all, Michael loves to talk sports. He is a die-hard Jets fan. Mike’s other favorite sports teams include the Knicks, Yankees, and Islanders, but he also supports other New York teams, including the Mets. Michael enjoys watching games and WWE wrestling on TV in his AHRC supported apartment in Rockville Centre, which he shares with a roommate. If you missed the previous night’s events, Michael can provide you with a recap of the action. He will also pick you up if your team did not do too well and celebrate with you if they won.

Michael keeps a very busy schedule. He goes to the gym on Monday, bowling on Tuesday and sometimes Saturday, Yoga on Wednesday, laundry on Sunday, and food shopping with direct support staff at least once every other week. Michael is very independent with most aspects of his life, but appreciates the support from staff with certain things, such as cooking. Michael continues to work on becoming more independent with his daily living skills and is enjoying using his new Air Fryer to make chicken cutlets, hamburgers, and other healthy meals.

Michael Nissenfeld is friendly, gracious, competitive, but humble, and always dedicated. Although he may dream of the days being back at his father’s gas station, pumping the gas, and helping out in the shop, Michael works hard, never complains, and is always there for a laugh. And when he does laugh, you will be sure to hear it, from down the hall, around the corner, inside someone else’s office. Meanwhile, you just have to sit there and wait for your turn to be graced by Mike’s presence.

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Valued Outcomes Disability Pride Parade—NYC! With banners and heads held high, AHRC Nassau was proudly represented at the recent Disability Pride Parade in NYC. We believe in celebrating what makes everyone unique—as a way to bring everyone closer together and create awareness about the issues impacting people of all abilities.

Personal Outcomes: 2019 Update By:

Kevin Wilber, Assistant Director

For 2018, 477 interviews were conducted compared to 443 people interviewed in 2017. It should also be noted that during the Personal Outcome Measures (POM) Department’s recent CQL training/certification, emphasis was made on various factors of decision making that have resulted in more critical look at whether or not an outcome or support is present. In many cases, where one of these factors was previously overlooked, an outcome or support that may have previously been noted as present is now determine to not be present.

When comparing 2017 POM data to 2018 POM data the following has been noted: A decrease in outcomes/per person from 14.02 to 13.16 (comparable to 12.94 for 2016).

A decrease in supports/per person from 17.93 to 16.38 (comparable to 16.08 for 2016).

Increase in the following outcomes (+5%): realize personal goals, choose services.

Decrease in the following outcomes (-5%): natural supports, intimate relationships, rights, continuity and security, share personal info, environments, integration, interaction, social roles, participate in community, friends.

Increase in the following supports (+5%): n/a Decrease in the following supports (-5%): natural supports, intimate relationships, safe, rights, continuity and security, live, environments, integration, interaction, social roles, choose personal goals, participate in community, friends, respect.

Overall, changes in present outcomes and supports can be attributed to the increasing education, awareness and advancement of Personal Outcomes for the people we support as well as agency staff. Changes can also be attributed to the agency's initiatives and action plans that have been developed and implemented based on data collected throughout 2014 – 2017. Data for 2018 will be utilized to make further improvements in areas of weakness.

Changes can also be attributed to previous achievement in personal outcomes. As such, the people supported are now developing new personal outcomes requiring new supports to achieve those goals.

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Valued Outcomes/Personal Outcomes Surf’s Up! Efforts continue to support people to work and/or participate in activities of their choice. A strategic planning goal has been developed to continue the progress in this area. The plan is to shift the focus from volunteerism to providing a variety of interest based activities. Some successes this year include: 1) The opening of the “One Stop Gift Shop”, which provides experiences in retail and focuses on skill development for resume building. 2) The implementation of a rotating art program continues to be a popular activity. 3) A surf program was piloted this past summer. While we dipped our toes in the water this year, we hope this will lead to other opportunities in this interest based activity. 4.) Efforts continue with the development of services focusing on farming, animal care, horticulture, and wellness. It is anticipated these services will be in full operation on a small scale by July 1, 2019.

Meet Loretta Loretta Gulotta lives happily with her husband, Russell, in Levittown, N.Y. They have been married for over 15 years. Loretta works part time as a switch board operator in Plainview, NY and also is an office assistant for the Training Department.

Loretta has strong family supports and relationships. Loretta and her husband care for their cat “Cuddles” together. Loretta would like to learn about computers and will look into programs at her local library and take computer classes. She feels that it is important to learn new skills. She helps other departments as well with filing and shredding. Loretta enjoys spending time with her co-workers and always has a smile and nice word for everyone she greets.

Hicksville Road Has Choices by Joyce Guarneiri During a recent Personal Outcome Measures (POM) interview with Bobby Archer, I learned that Bobby loves the Yankees and Bobby stated he wanted to see more games. The POM was written and shared with his team and Bobby’s desires were made known. As I was conducting a quarterly review to see if Bobby was satisfied with his dream of seeing more Yankee’s games I learned so much more. Yes, I am happy to say Bobby has gone to a few games but the great staff at Hicksville Road did not stop at just one game. Bobby really likes baseball and is happy to attend most any game so with the help of Johnson Acinol and Wanda Thompson (DSPs at Hicksville Road) Bobby and his house mates have seen Mets and Ducks games. They didn’t stop there though; John and Wanda along with other staff at Bobby’s home planned a trip to Cooperstown Baseball Hall of Fame. It was a great trip and thoroughly enjoyed by all.

The staff at Hicksville Road actively involves the men there to be a part of choosing places to visit that everyone will enjoy. The staff have gotten to know the men well and look to plan trips with the men’s interests in mind. Some of the trips that they have taken recently are Mohican Sun, Atlantic City, Amish country in Lancaster Pa. and West Point Academy. Scott the Assistant Manager reports there are regular house meetings where recreation opportunities are discussed, suggestions are made, research is done and a collective agreement is come to by the group. All the staff at Hicksville Road should be recognized for promoting POMs and helping the men at the house to be actively involved in having choices and assisting them to learn about their options and exposing them to new opportunities.

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VALUED OUTCOMES Family Questionnaire Results 2018 The family questionnaire is a vital component of AHRC Nassau’s COMPASS Management Plan. This year a paper version of the questionnaire was sent due to the low response received last year when it was completed electronically. The response rate for this year is 29.4% compared with 30.7% in 2017 and 20.5% in 2016.

The questionnaire is sent to all families to obtain their feedback, assess level of satisfaction and improve services. The 2018 Agency wide results are attached for review. A trend is defined as a score of 89% or lower. There was one program trend identified at Freeport Vocational, “Does Your family member have and connect with friends”. *This question was however deemed not applicable to vocational services which is a work environment. Thus there are no Agency wide or individual program trends for 2018. These are outstanding results which reflect the excellent services AHRC Nassau provides.

As per the COMPASS Management Plan, these results are provided for Board of Directors review and Agency planning purposes.

AHRC NASSAU 2018 OVERALL AVERAGE SCORES PER PROGRAM

Negative Responses

120 99.1

100

98.5

99.1

98.1

80 60

40 20

0.9

1.5

1.9

2.6

0 CLS

Comm. Hub Site

Freeport Site Based Pre-Voc

Freeport SEMP

Patty Fran, Teaching Assistant by Colleen Tapia Patty Fran attends Clocks PWW and has volunteered in the community for many years. Her skills, gentle and kind manner landed her a job one time per week at a pre-school in Merrick, N.Y. as a Teaching Assistant. She was able to secure this position on her own, approaching the person in charge if they had an available position for her.

Patty loves to go to work where she is responsible for setting up the children’s desks with crayons, paper and other learning material. She prepares the classroom for a full day of art, reading and other developmental activities. Patty enjoys her job and looks forward to being a part of and fostering each child’s education. Patty hopes to one day increase the amount of days she works at the school. How lucky the school is to have her.

House and Family Meetings by Deanna Allen It was during an apartment COMPASS meeting that people learned of Kathryn Jussen’s upcoming retirement. She has been the Assistant Director for the apartment program for many, many years. Maryann Witt, a person who lives in the apartment program, stepped up and interviewed the applicants for the position that would become vacant. Maryann’s thoughtful feedback and questions, particularly how a new Assistant Director would support those in the apartments to have a voice, were an important part of the candidate review process.

House and family meetings are part of the COMPASS Management Plan so that people are able to share and offer input to supports and services. It is also a place to communicate agency activities and staff changes.

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VALUED OUTCOMES Art Show Winner Congratulations to artist, Donna Nowakoski for placing second in the art competition at The Arc New York Fall Board of Governors meeting.

Donna created an image using more than 1,000 tiny beads to capture her vision. The picture is exquisite and unique.

Donna was congratulated on this honor by Paul Giordano, AHRC Board President and Stanfort Perry, Executive Director at the November Board of Directors meeting.

The Ivy Ferdinand Memorial Scholarship “My life was not eternal, but I left behind a lasting legacy.” ~ Unknown The Ivy Ferdinand Memorial Scholarship was established in July of 2013 in honor of Ivy’s memory and self-advocacy legacy. Ivy placed a strong emphasis on self-advocacy and dedicated her life to speaking out and advocating for others.

This scholarship will enable a person to attend the SANYS Statewide Self-Advocacy conference in Albany and is intended for a person to learn about and get started on their own self-advocacy journey. The person must travel independently or provide support to do so. The scholarship does not cover the cost of staff to attend.

Deadline for Submission: May 1, 2019 For more information or an application, please contact Colleen Tapia at ctapia@ahrc.org or at (516) 293-1111 extension 5492.

Workforce Development by Jason Persan We are happy to report that more than twelve hundred employees participated in our “Project You” Wellness Program this past year. That number represents an increase of over 50 percent from 2017. Of those who participated, more than 500 employees will receive a financial incentive this year which is up nearly 60 percent from 2017. We are currently working on our next program with the hope that we will again be able to offer a comprehensive wellness program with flexible options to help everyone meet their personal goals. Look out for an update on this great benefit in the coming weeks! In the very near future we will be reaching out to all employees to introduce and request feedback on our employee engagement survey. The survey will again be disseminated electronically to the email address each person has active on their UltiPro account. Your input is essential to our efforts of providing the very best working experience for all employees. We greatly appreciate your time to provide us with this valuable information.

Recent communications distributed from our office to all employees included a new Diabetes Support Group, information about flu prevention, a new gym membership discount offering at 24 Hour Fitness and safety tips for the winter season. The Employee Newsletter continues to be distributed to all employees each month. Highlights include upcoming dates of interest, employee wellness and health tips, employee discount offerings, employee recognitions and submissions from our employees. For the most up to date list of employee discount offerings please access the AHRC Café. By clicking on Workforce Development, Shared Documents and Employee Discount Program you will have access to several great cost saving opportunities.

For information about one of these great benefits, please contact us at jpersan@ahrc.org or lfranzen@ahrc.org. Thank you for your participation.

Family Seminar Series

by Leigh Fanuzzi

Family Seminar Series provides useful information to families as they have questions or need information pertaining to the care and support of their family member with a developmental disability. 2018 was a great year! Michelle Gladstone, spoke about causes of behavior challenges and interventions that could be employed to support success! She provided helpful tools for effective communication in an effort to avoid any escalation of behaviors. Then on September 11 th, Wills and Trusts for People with Disabilities was discussed. Joe Puccio from Mass Mutual talked about the usual trusts that everyone knows about. He also discussed the ABLE Trust. He compared the different trusts and gave information regarding what the different trusts could be used for. Topics for 2019 include supported decision making, self direction services, benefits and entitlements and positive behavioral supports—to name a few. If you have any topics you would like discussed, or would like to present a topic, please contact Leigh Fanuzzi, Training and Professional Development 115 E. Bethpage Rd. Plainview , New York 11803, or lfanuzzi@ahrc.org.

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VALUED OUTCOMES 2019 EMPOWERMENT & FAMILY SEMINARS Empowerment Series February 1, 2019 Fire Safety Plainview 1:00 p.m.

February 19, 2019 Resolving Conflicts Plainview, 7:00pm March 16, 2019 Interpersonal Skills Freeport 10:00 am

April 16, 2019 Being Your Own Rep Payee Plainview, 7:00pm May 8, 2019 Dignity of Risk Plainview , 5:00pm October 4, 2019 Money Management Plainview 11:00 October 9, 2019 Peer Self Advocacy Plainview, 5:00 pm October 15, 2019 Fire Safety Plainview, 7:00pm November 19, 2018 How to Voice a Complaint Plainview, 7:00pm

Family Seminar Series April 9, 2019 Supported Decision Making Jon Martinis Esq. Time TBA May 16, 2019 Special Needs Trusts and Planning June 20. 2019 Self Direction Kevin Wilber September 19, 2019 Positive Behavior Supports Glenn Kaplan October 15, 2019 Benefits and Entitlements Karen Lukas November 5, 2019 Life Decisions: Big and Small Julie Cannet All seminars are free. 7:00 pm—9:00 pm AHRC Nassau Plainview Center 115 E. Bethpage Road, Plainview, NY 11803 For information or registration:

For information or registration:

Empowerment Series by Leigh Fanuzzi In October, Learning How to Self-Medicate was discussed. One of the nurses went over the steps needed to learn how to become more independent. The first step is being able to read and understand the different medications that are being taken.

The nurse in the house, a family member or good friend can also help you with this.

Practicing is also very important and you should be comfortable doing this before you start to give yourself your own medication. Once you understand everything, you can start giving yourself your medication. Have someone with you when doing this in the beginning, in case you have any questions.

Those in attendance enjoyed the presentation and asked many valuable questions. The training raised awareness and provided a clear overview on how this could be achieved.

In November, social media was discussed. Patrick Sherrard went over the importance of not giving out any personal information on social media. Do not “friend” anyone unless you know them. Do not share where you are going and who you are going with on social media. If someone asks you to meet them somewhere, do not go unless you know them. Being safe is very important. Always speak to a trusted friend or family member if you have any concerns. The training provided an important reminder that social media can be a great way to socialize and communicate, but you must exercise caution.

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QUALITY ENHANCEMENT The COMPASS Committee & The Quality Improvement Process AHRC Nassau and Citizens: 2018 QUALITY ENHANCEMENTS In 2018, there were 12 quality improvement goals as well as enhancements, with 42% of the goals/objectives met.

RIGHTS A Peer Ambassador/Liaison position was created and filled for participation in the Agency Human Rights Committee process and to serve as a peer resource/support in regard to the complaint process.

An annual Rights Rally was held to inspire and educate people about their rights.

Based on the change to Care Coordination, the Rights and Supportive Decision Making Assessment was reassigned for completion by the person’s primary program manager/site supervisor to ensure each person continues to have a strong voice in their life.

The frequency of training on how to address concerns and/or complaints increased and is now provided at council meetings, house and staff meetings every three months.

A Family Seminar on supporting positive interactions/conflict resolution is now offered annually DIGNITY & RESPECT The 2018 privacy survey results found 94.9 percent of the people are satisfied with their current level of privacy. Individual privacy plans were developed for anyone desiring additional privacy.

Training on Supported Decision Making and Personal Finance was added to Monthly Rights Training for all.

In addition to the monthly Rights Training, Supported Decision Making training was provided directly at the Agency day sites by COMPASS Trainers.

One staff was trained as a Facilitator for Supported Decision Making by a grant funded by the NYS Disability Planning Council implemented by Hunter College, CUNY, N.Y. Alliance, DRNY/and the Arc of Westchester. The grant is an educational campaign to introduce SDM to a large variety of stakeholders including people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, their families, service providers; educational and special education professionals; lawyers and judges and the court system; legislators and the general public. SDM is an alternative to guardianship that retains all of a person’s legal and civil rights.

NATURAL SUPPORTS Natural supports month was celebrated in November to highlight the importance of natural supports.

A review of natural supports was added to the admission packets to promote the importance of maintaining these relationships.

Training on natural supports continues at new staff Orientation and is completed by a parent of a person supported.

People’s satisfaction with their natural supports slightly reduced but remained in the 90th percentile maintained based on the family and individual satisfaction questionnaire scores. All scores for satisfaction levels remained in the 90 th percentile. Great!

Activities were hosted throughout the year (book club, game night, etc.) to support people to connect with others that share common interests to establish new friendships.

FREEDOM FROM ABUSE, NEGLECT & EXPLOITATION An advocate was appointed as a standing committee member of the Incident Review Committee to represent the interests of people supported and advocate on their behalf.

In 2018 substantiated neglect related to IPOP supervision which may not be necessary reduced by 33% for AHRC Nassau and 60% for Citizens. Thus the goal to reduce such neglect by 5% for 2018 was met for AHRC Nassau and Citizens.

Incident management training was conducted throughout 2018 for management personnel and improved the timely reporting and resolution of incidents.

BEST POSSIBLE HEALTH The number of people supported to create a health care proxy increased to 25 from 17 people in 2017. It is wonderful to see the number of people who have health care proxies in place continues to grow.

This year, the AMAP recertification classroom course was eliminated in favor of on-site training and assessment of AMAP skills. This has helped improve proficiency by having the training tailored for each AMAP at their site.

SAFE ENVIRONMENTS In 2018, the goal to decrease the number of fire safety self-survey citations by 5% was met with an 11% decrease attained. Specifically, in 2017 there were a total of 320 fire safety citations (AHRC 266, Citizens 54) and in 2018 there were a total of 279 fire safety citations for an 11% decrease.

In 2018, the total number of employee injuries related to lifting reduced to 19 compared to a total of 22 in 2017. This represents a 14% decrease. However, it is important to note that there was an increase in injuries not related to personal supports by 57% increase. While this represents the minority of total lifting injuries, it will be analyzed further and monitored in 2019.

POSITIVE SERVICES & SUPPORTS The goal to reduce the number of presenting behaviors (yelling, cursing, crying, threats, teasing) in Behavior Support Plans by 5% in 2018 was met with 22 out of 242 Behavior Support Plans (9%) reevaluated to remove the above presenting behaviors.

Within AHRC, 5 people had one or more restrictions removed from their behavior support plans while 8 people were able to have one or more restrictions faded. Within Citizens, 9 people had restrictions removed from their behavior plans while 7 people were able to have a restriction faded.

A 40-hour Registered Behavior technician (RBT) training program was developed by two BCBA clinical staff and ran for two cycles in 2018. The first staff to take the national RBT exam recently passed and will work with BCBA staff monthly to maintain the credential.

The next class will begin in February 2019.

Continued on next page

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CONTINUITY AND SECURITY There was a slight increase in people choosing personal goals from 31.83% in 2017 to 33.33% in 2018 based on Personal Outcome Measures interviews.

Another goal for 2018 was to increase outcome data for “people choose where they work” by 5%. The POM outcome data in 2017 for “choosing work’ was 55.76. The POM outcome data for choosing work in 2018 is 56.18%, which reflects a 14.68% increase.

Efforts continue to be successful in supporting people to work and/or participate in activities of their choice. Some successes this year include: 1.) The opening of the “One Stop Gift Shop”, which provides experiences in retail and focuses on skill development for resume building. This has already led to one person obtaining competitive employment. 2.) The implementation of a rotating art program continues to be a popular activity. The East Meadow Art Gallery is a very popular program location, resulting in a waiting list for enrollment.

The art gallery staff travels to other program locations on a rotating basis to provide opportunities for people in other program locations to participate in art projects. 3.) A ‘surf for all’ program was piloted in the summer; although the initial pilot enrollment was small, it was a very successful pilot which will lead to other opportunities in this interest based activity. 4.) Efforts continue with the development of a program focusing on farming, animal care, horticulture, and wellness. It is anticipated that the program will be in full operation on a small scale by July 1, 2019.

STAFF RESOURCES AND SUPPORTS The goal to increase employee retention by 5% in 2018 was met for AHRC Nassau. The number of voluntary separations reduced by 13% from 256 in 2017 to 234 in 2018. Citizens reduced the number of voluntary separations by 4% from 119 in 2017 to 111 in 2018.

The agency employee newsletter has been streamlined and electronically disseminated monthly.

In 2018 the Human Resources Department began to complete Stay Interviews to promote staff retention.

Employee discount opportunities continue to be enhanced with a payroll deduction towards 529 accounts being the newest addition.

A pilot leadership training was implemented and will be made available to all managers across all companies.

The agency held its first annual Employee Appreciation Day in June 2018 with over 700 employees in attendance.

The National Alliance for Direct Support Professionals frontline supervisor curriculum was purchased and a train the trainer session completed. We will be working with each of the programs to develop a protocol for implementation.

PERSONAL OUTCOME MEASURES The goal to increase satisfaction in people choosing services by 5% in 2018 was met based on Personal Outcome Measures interviews (58.07 in 2018 and 51.92 in 2017).

Regulatory Affairs By Eric Rosen During calendar year 2018, the Regulatory Affairs Department completed one-hundred fifty five (155)) surveys. Surveys were completed for one hundred percent of the agency’s sites/programs during this calendar year. These included surveys of the agency’s small IRAs, large IRAs, day habilitation programs, the community habilitation program, the prevocational program, the respite program and the supported employment program.

In addition, person-centered reviews were completed for a random sample of individuals. These surveys consisted of review of all services that the individuals received from the agency, utilizing OPWDD’s person-centered review tools.

Multiple exceptional practices were noted during completed surveys during the calendar year; including but not limited to people being satisfied with their services/supports, the encouragement of independence and choice, as well as respectful/supportive interactions.

Congratulations to 555 Merrick Road for achieving the designation of “exceptional survey” in the second half of 2018.

Exceptional Survey Awards Go To……!

EXCEPTIONAL SURVEY AWARDS CONGRATULATIONS! Merrick Road Apartments

555 Merrick Road, Rockville Center

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AHRC Nassau 189 Wheatley Road Brookville (Glen Head) New York, 11545

Non-Profit Organization U.S. Postage PAID Permit No. 11 Glen Head, NY Please Rush Dated Material

TO:

About the Artist | Douglas Walcott

Doug is an accomplished painter and sculptor who utilizes a wide variety of materials & mediums to create his works of art. He enjoys sharing his talents with his peers and supporting them in their artistic journeys. Douglas Walcott is a member of East Meadow Art Gallery, of AHRC Nassau.

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