EMPOWERMENT & ADVOCACY!

Voice For Choice Lets Talk About Day Options!

The room was jam packed with energy and enthusiasm for the POM Department “Voice for Choice. Exploring Your Day Options” educational forum and rally on May 10, 2023.

What an excellent way to learn about and consider different day opportunities and choices.

Now just may be the time to try something new! The possibilities are endless.

If you would like help, contact the POM Department

Destination: My Life Discovered! was successful.

Welcome to POM - My first months in the POM Department By

Samantha Rodonis

This past April, I made a huge leap from my position in Day Hab as a site manager to the POM Department. This leap was not just into a new position, but into that position at one of the department’s busiest times of the year. I came in as we were preparing for our COMPASS validation visit and had the opportunity to see firsthand just how much work goes into recertification related events. We were leading three major person-centered initiatives, Person Centered Planning, Voice 4 Choice, and The POM Rally. The first event, Person Centered Planning, was designed to give everyone the opportunity to learn how to self-direct their own lives. I had the pleasure of watching the people work to create and present their plans in their own unique ways, such as power points and posters. I supported John Buley-Neumar to use a PowerPoint to share with the group about his Norse religion and his experiences as a member of the LGBTQIA+ community. I also had the opportunity to meet with our Chief Executive Officer, Stanfort Perry and create with him his own person-centered plan that was presented as a power point that shared his likes and dislikes as well as his goals for himself and his future. The second event, “Voice 4 Choice” gave us the opportunity to highlight all the different service options that are available. These options were presented by the people who utilize these services who can speak firsthand of their experiences, such as April Kloepfer who shared about how rewarding being a volunteer is and spoke of the different places she had the opportunity to volunteer. The POM Rally was a huge celebration of the discovery of our goals and our dreams where we encouraged everyone to share their visions for their future. This event was a way to inspire people to use their voices and share their visions for their own person-centered lives. Cathy Loquercio presented a moving speech about self-advocacy that had the whole room cheering for her. Following the presentation, the attendees were invited to tour the different stations of the room to create vision boards, meet delegates from different counsels at the agencies and play a game of POM Jeopardy.

After these events, I got to spend time learning what it means to be a POM interviewer. I loved my time as a site manager in the agency’s Day Program. I learned so much in the nearly 7 years I spent there, but leaving has taught me to look at things through a different lens. The POM is a tool we all use, but I am learning there is so much more to this piece of paper that is received following the interviews. One of the biggest things I have learned is to change my language. Language is a powerful thing, and the words we use daily have greater impact than we can even imagine. We spend so much time referring to the people we work with as “our guys” or “our individuals” and we take away the most important part, they are people, people we support. They are adults who are seeking support to create the lives of their choosing just like anyone else. The POM tool, gives us the opportunity to offer the support that people really want. All this is learned during the interview. With each conversation I have had the opportunity to learn more and find ways to offer the best recommendations I can. I am only at the beginning of this exciting journey. As these next few months progress, I will get the opportunity to not only learn from the amazing team I am now a part of, but from CQL, the agency that has given us the highest accreditation honors. Once I receive my certification, I will have the opportunity to meet with more people and use the tools I have learned to help them create their own futures. I can offer my knowledge to the supporting staff to assist them in using the recommendations given to create opportunities that may not have been there before. I am so excited for my future with the POM department. There are so many incredible things happening in the upcoming months. Our department with be hosting other organizations for a day of leadership and planning at our annual POM retreat. We hope to add people supported to our team who will complete CQL certification and do POM interviews. We have recently introduced “Discovering You” which is a program for transitioning youth to learn about advocacy and the programs available beyond graduation such as Wheatley Farms and Arts. All these events and initiatives are designed to expand person-centered culture within our organizations. I truly am excited for my future here in the POM Department and cannot wait to see what happens next!

Happy Pride Month, Everybody!

Join us in celebrating love, acceptance, and self -expression.

SANYS LONG ISLAND REGIONAL CONFERENCE July 14, 2023

Back in person for the first time in four years for the SANYS regional conference!

Everyone was so excited to be together to advocate and celebrate. And a special thanks to Brittani for her amazing conference logo!

The theme Unite for Change was so evident and charged the room!

Innovation Reducing Barriers

AHRC Nassau partner New York Institute of Technology won a $10,000 prize in the NYSID, Purchasing That Powers Employment CREATE Symposium. The NYIT team built assistive technology in the form of an intelligent glue gun which helps adhere rubber pieces to floor mats.

Products like this reduce barriers to entry for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities seeking to enter the workforce. These products are used to complete work tasks safely and efficiently.

Great job everyone!

Nyda Capitol Rally

Advocates from across New York State. called out for investments in the workforce and disability services infrastructure on Monday, February 13, 2023, at the New York State Capitol, War Room in Albany

The 2023 session of the New York State Legislature will end on Thursday, June 8. Help us advance bills, A.6813 and S.5329-A, ensuring fairness and procedural clarity for providers subject to the NYS Office of Medicaid Inspector General (OMIG). Show your support: https://nyalliance.org

NY_Alliance_Government_Action_Center#/

DSP Wage Enhancement was not included in the NYS Budget, but Senator Mannion and Assemblymember Seawright have brought it to the table as a stand-alone piece of legislation before the end of session. Let lawmakers know you support a historic investment in DSPs: https://p2a.co/h0k1t2b