VALUED OUTCOMES GIVING

Tree Family

Here’s to 2023 and a new year full of togetherness, joy and opportunity! Thank you for being a part of our community and sharing your support, unique talents and experiences. You make our mission possible!

The Giving Tree Family held a fun and festive holiday party at the Wheatley Farms & Arts Center. Thirty-five men people supported by AHRC Day Services enjoyed live music, art lessons and a dance party with 45 Giving Tree volunteers of all ages. We look forward to all the new experiences we will share in 2023. Happy New Year!

POMs—Oceanside Road Builds a Bear

By Michelle Rudoff

On Wednesday November 30TH Steven, Laurie, Esther, Gabriella, and I along with our staff Julie and Roberta went to the Build a bear in the Walt Whitman Mall. We saw some of our friends from other sites and met by the store by Justine LitrasWe then walked into build a bear and picked out the bears that we wanted to make.

Steven- light brown and he put a Merry Christmas shirt on it. - Named Doris. Esther-Pikachu with a Pokémon shirt. Laurie-Unicorn with a tutu- named Rainbow. Gabby-Rainbow colored wearing a Hanukkah shirt- Helene after her manager. Michelle- Golden brown bear wearing a gingerbread outfit named Patrick Shade. After my favorite person in Plainview. Which he was flattered that I named the bear after him and asked if he should w more bow ties. LOL

How Technology Helps Me

By Jessica Campbell

My name is Jessica I have been self-advocate for over 20 years and 8 of them I have been self-direction. Recently I learned about a form of more help for people with disabilities called “Alexa”. “Alexa” is a voice activated assistant. It can do many things which really helps me especially during this staffing crisis. Below are just a few thing Alexa can do:

Set an alarm to remind you to do things (example: waking up, taking your medication, going to work, doing laundry, remembering your wallet, setting up a reminder for your para transit and locking your door).

It can also set a timer (example: for cooking or remind you to do something)

You can even ask Alexa how long to cook something like chicken. It will even send the recipe to your iPhone or iPad. It can also tell you important things too like the weather so you know how to dress and when there is a storm coming in your neighborhood.

It can help you spell words, tell you the news or tell you facts about celebrities.

It can also turn on/off your smart TV, lights, play music via your (Amazon, Apple, or Spotify account).

It’s also fun to have it tells jokes and plays games. Alexa can also remind you of birthdays and big events. I am learning every day of more things that Alexa can do. It is a great help. I strongly believe that during the staffing crisis this will not only protect people but teach independence for people with disabilities.

Learn more about creating a smart home that works for you. It’s simpler than you might think, and can make things you do every day much easier. It could be setting alarms or timers as reminders or even changing the temperature or controlling your lights. Give it a try!

POM DEPARTMENT—RIGHTS RALLY By Susan Gill Orange

As representatives of the Personal Outcome Department, where the “right to personal decision making” is taken very seriously, Kate Zimmerman and I distributed a variety of informative brochures that discuss options for day activities at the Annual Rights Rally held at the Brookville Mansion on Wednesday October 26th .

In our work conducting personal outcome interviews, we have found that many people are not familiar with the many choices they actually have for their daily activities. Community Habilitation, Day Habilitation, Self-Direction are just a few options obtainable for those seeking the right fit for their lifestyle. At the heart of our presentation, however, was the desire to emphasize to attendees that we need to know what matters the most to them . We hope by distributing questionnaires asking that question, to elicit from people their interests and their dreams in order to provide the best support possible in order to realize those goals.

The Rights Rally is always a great opportunity to spread the word that person centered planning and all that entails is the most effective way to have a “voice for choice.”

Personal Outcome Measures Update

By Bridget Cariello

Personal Outcome Measures (POM) interviews continue to assist people to improve their quality of life by identifying what outcomes are most important to each person. To date in 2022, 300 interviews have been conducted by three AHRC-Citizen’s CQL Certified POMs interviewers (two full time and one part time).

In 2022, the POM Department also expanded the University of Personal Growth Series to provide weekly classes on health and safety, money management, choice, artistic expression and other virtual opportunities to support person growth and independence for the people supported. The new “Show Us Your POMs,” initiative continued to celebrate both staff and the people supported on their personal journey. These opportunities aide people in expanding expressions of their own personal goals, plans and dreams for their lives. Empowerment training is now offered virtually every Friday by the POM Department to people receiving supports on various topics.

While our supports remained diligent, and many outcomes were met in 2022, our data remained stable in most of the 21 related areas. There are however, downward trends in the following indicator areas:

Participate in the community: Declined in 2022 to 30% outcomes and 40% support met. This appears indicative of the shortage of staffing which in turn impacted the availability of supports needed to provide transportation and opportunity into the community. The residual restrictions in a post Covid-19 world may have also factored into this data. People have expressed a wish to return to the preCovid frequency of these activities.

People choose where to work: This same indicator saw a significant reduction in the first half of 2022 as outcomes met are slightly over 20% and the support shown is at 25%. This trend is also representative of the statewide staffing crisis. This lack of adequate staffing and the backlash of COVID have impacted people’s opportunities. During the pandemic and its immediate aftermath, many opportunities for work vanished as did existing jobs. Mobility to volunteer and work were greatly affected by the COVID precautions existing then so it made a huge impact on where a person chose to work. While this trend is notable efforts continue to support education, choice and opportunity to engage in social enterprises. This included an increase in education related to day options.

People choose personal goals also saw a marked decline in outcome and supports met. In 2022, outcomes met decreased to 45% and the supports declined to a 30% success rate. This also could be the result of staffing and the slowing of community participation. There is a wish to return to the pre-Covid frequency of community engagement. Our organization continues to develop interest based opportunities us a match related system that creates opportunity for People supported, their staff and community organizations that share similar interest to partner on event/experiences. It is our organizational belief that education, experience and exposure supports choice.

People choose where to Live: In 2021, the outcomes met in this indicator area were at 50% and the supports shown were at 60%. In 2022, these numbers have declined to 37% outcomes met and 40% support shown. Again, the decline could be attributed to the staffing crisis, transportation issues and post Covid-19 related barriers.

Looking ahead in 2023 POMS Rally, Empowering You Classes, “Show Us Your POMs,” Personal Discovery Event to increase people awareness of choice and the personal planning process, Life Model Meeting, and UPG. All of these initiatives will take place in 2023 to expand everyone's knowledge and exposure to the vital importance of the CQL’s 21 Personal Outcome Measures. Together we will continue supporting people to live their own best lives, their own way!