FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Welcome to the first updated version of our DSACK magazine! Isn't it lovely? Terri and Julia spent hours planning the new layout and expanded version Thank you, ladies!

Speaking of planning, our amazing board of directors and staff came together in January for a two-day strategic planning session to map out the next five years for DSACK. Normally, two-day planning sessions are not something that most boards are jumping for joy to complete But our staff and board were brimming with energy, new ideas, and ready to problem-solve challenges. So, are you ready to hear some of the great things we plan to roll out in the next five years?

Here are just a few of the highlights

DSACK recognizes the need for improvement in our society to meet the mental health needs of people with Down syndrome. This was discussed at great length, because we see the impact on so many of our families and there just aren't enough professionals who are comfortable and experienced enough to counsel people with Down syndrome To help with this crisis, DSACK is going to add a full-time social worker to our staff. I've already been talking with the UK College of Social Work and other social workers in private practice to develop this job description

Our focus group last fall with families who have elementary-age children uncovered that they believe social opportunities are equal in importance to education opportunities. So, be on the lookout for our new Simple Socials. They are just what the name implies; fun, easy-toplan, social gatherings Some may be for all ages, some may be for a specific age group, some will be for the whole family, others may be just for the student with Down syndrome Who knows what fun will come from this!

DSACK is going to expand our reach into more regions by establishing points of contact and exploring relationships with local professionals. We are already working to establish more of a presence in Somerset Our conference was such a huge success that we want to offer smaller workshops throughout the year These will be half-day workshops focused on topics of interest. To accomplish all of this and more, we want to increase our annual revenues to $500,000. That's a little less than double our current income DSACK is committed to continue our tradition of offering all our programs and services free to families, so the only way to realize our goals is to raise more money.

This is a five-year plan, and I've only mentioned a few of our goals We even have housing, free-standing office space, transportation, and educational options in our plan These are huge issues and not easy to solve, but we were intentional about putting them in there so we can begin to explore opportunities.

Truth be told, the future of DSACK is not in my hands, the board's hands, or the staff's hands The future of DSACK is in all of our hands I ask you to participate in events, give us your feedback, share your ideas, and support the future of DSACK. We've come so far in creating this phenomenal community of support and resources, but we can never stand still or stop growing