Foundation funds Care Coordinator at YMCA to meet ‘people ...€¦ · apraxia (speech disorder), developmental delay, an eating disorder, and a sleep ... The facts are staggering:

Foundation donations help autistic child

He had been a preemie but was growing as a healthy child. By the

time Odin was 19 months old, he was verbal, walking, and on his way to a normal childhood. Then, for unknown reasons, he suddenly regressed and was diagnosed with autism.

His mom and dad, Elida and Alex Green, can’t say exactly what caused Odin’s sudden regression. At his well-baby visit he was fine. After that, for no known reason, he became non-verbal.

“His diagnoses are severe autism disorder, apraxia (speech disorder), developmental delay, an eating disorder, and a sleep disorder,” Elida said.

The bright and happy three-year-old loves to run, and does so with abandon through their home in Olean with his tablet that seems to express what he can’t. He plays with his toys and is affectionate with his parents and his one-year-old baby sister, Lennox. “He’s learning sign language, but it’s extremely frustrating for him,” Elida said. “He would get so overwhelmed and rail his face into the window, bang his head on the glass, and we were concerned he

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Foundation funds Care Coordinator at YMCA to meet ‘people where they’re at’Each year, millions of

Americans face the challenges of living with a severe mental illness. The facts are staggering: 2.6 million are bipolar, 16 million live with major depression, and 42 million have anxiety disorders.When a young Olean mother ended her own life after struggling for 10 years with bipolar disorder and depression, her mother, Barb Sweitzer, who works with the YMCA of the USA, knew something had to be done to address this disease.“It is a challenge to find a balance between the state of depression and a manic state,” she said. “When a balance is found, people can lead a normal and productive life.”Barb began the Jessica Sweitzer Memorial Fund, “Swizzy’s Cause,” named for her daughter Jessica, to address ways to help people struggling with mental health issues. She went to Jeff Alevy, CEO at the YMCA of the Twin Tiers, and Mari Howard, CEO of the ReHab Center who was also on the board of the YMCA at the time, to discuss the YMCA and ReHab Center partnering to hire a behavioral health care coordinator through “Swizzy’s Cause.” While Barb has been working for two years to fund “Swizzy’s Cause” for a behavioral health care coordinator, the Rehabilitation Foundation stepped in to expedite the

Jeff Alevy, CEO of the YMCA of the Twin Tiers; Patty Blue, Care Coordinator; Dan Gayton, Director of Community Services at the ReHab Center, and Stephen Jackson, Re-gional Executive Director of the YMCA of the Twin Tiers.

“People are at their best when they’re healthy and have purpose.” - Barb Sweitzer

program by funding the position in the interim.“It’s a perfect example of community agencies coming together to care for community and reach a greater impact,” Barb said. ”Swizzy’s Cause” blended the expertise of the ReHab Center with the social and exercise activities at the YMCA and hired Patty Blue in June.“Through this position, both the Agency and the YMCA, are meeting people where they are,” Mari said. “Behavioral health is very complicated. We need to make it more accessible to people so they feel comfortable reaching for what they need,

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Foundation funds Care Coordinator at YMCAright where they are, rather than in a sterile mental health clinic.“There had to be a way to reach people who are depressed. Barb said Jessica was at her best when she was working out three times a week at the Y.”“People are at their best when they are healthy and have purpose.” Barb said, adding “Swizzy’s Cause” will also “educate the community about the effects of mental illness and offer strategies to make it easier for those with mental illness.”“This joint effort combines the ReHab Center’s expertise with the friendly atmosphere of the Y to offer people in the community a welcoming, non-judgmental person to talk to,” Daniel Gayton, Director of Service Coordination at the ReHab Center, said.Patty will provide mental health support to members, and take notice if someone stops showing up and reach out to that person. “Patty can make referrals. She’s watching the whole person, incorporating the Y’s cultural wellness into the whole person,” Dan said.With more than 20 years of experience in mental and

behavioral health, Patty has the expertise to support people. “This position is about building relationships with people. I’m here for someone who just needs a friend,” she said, adding “I have an open door where anyone can feel comfortable walking in without the stigma of walking into a

mental health clinic. They soon find out there’s no judgement.”On her first day, Patty had five referrals for people who were either feeling depressed or facing difficult life challenges. “This position really brings together the Y and the ReHab Center,” Jeff Alevy, Regional CEO of the YMCA, said at the open house.“The ReHab Center and the Y had the foresight and passion to make this vision a reality.”

Without precedent, this joint decision to bring onboard a professional with a behavioral health background is a unique step in supportive community health.

“We researched it and can’t find a single partnership anywhere like this,” Dan said. “It’s really innovative. When you look at the Y’s mission and the ReHab’s, they’re similar in the way we’re trying to create a culture of helping people.”

Putt-Putt for ‘Swizzy’s Cause’A fundraiser for “Swizzys Cause” will be held from 4 - 10 pm, Friday, July 29 at the Mystic Waters Resort Park in Limestone, NY.

Ryan’s imaginary world alive with improbable friends

Ryan’s bright smile and vibrant imagination draw you in to his

world, full of extraordinar y characters with interesting lives. They are any-thing but normal. As an artist, Ryan has a brilliantly creative mind that is already showing a depth of imagination that is inspiring to ever yone.

“I’ve been drawing sketches for a long time,” he said, timidly, as he reluc-tantly showed a few exquisetly designed pencil drawings.

“This is Norman,” he said, smiling, “He’s ‘normal’ and he’s boring.”

Apparently, Norman goes to his office ever y day, works a dull job, wears grey and black and “is boring,” according to Ryan. He’s an ordinar y Earth person.

That’s why Ryan prefers Spikie, who is from Pluto, and Robotron who is from a rival planet, Galvatron. Robotron

is 150 years old which translates into 21 in Earth years.

“Robotron and Spikie were rivals, but when they met they became friends, which is not allowed on Galvatron,” Ryan said, offering a glimpse into his inner world where people who are different are much more interesting than those who aren’t. “Spikie’s father was King of Pluto,” he added.

Ryan also loves to build things and is a Lego master. His creative narrative of non-boring people from distant planets

and galaxies translates into his Lego people, also.Ryan is in the 7th grade at the Cattaraugus / Little Val-ley Middle School and has a debilitating case of Muscular Dystrophy.

He went from walking to a wheelchair in less than three years. Despite it all, his physical limitations have not slowed down his active imagination.

From front

ReHab Center weighs Opportunities Unlimited unification

Council on Quality and Leadership calls for maximizing potential

As the agency’s CQL Committee engages in a self-assessment process outlined by the

Council on Quality and Leadership, there may be one overarching question driving all others. How is the agency promoting peoples’ greater independence and maximizing their potential?It’s the big question, topping all others. It is the question a good parent or teacher probes in supporting young peoples’ growth and development. It isn’t comfortable at times for either, the supporter or the supported. But, it is the way we grow wings and fly.

Is taking care of people the same as supporting them? Does it promote their independence or enable continued dependence? Which is more empowering, leading to greater self-determination? As the agency steps away from its former role as service provider and moves toward becoming a support provider, our CQL committee has found that positive support implies a greater level of respect for the people who come to the agency for rehabilitative services or live in our 18 residences. It is an intentional level of caring leading to greater independence and self-sufficiency for people. This is why the agency changed the mission statement, and prefers not using “building brighter futures,” on the logo.Russ Hahn, Chief Strategy Officer, has suggested that clause might better read,“building brighter futures together.” To suggest, or even consider, that “we” could ever make

someone else’s future brighter suggests a power over that other person’s destiny. Working together, collaboratively, as those who build a house or bridge, is an endeavor by equals. That is the thrust of the CQL’s inquiry initiative. The first factor under Basic Assurances: Rights Protection and Promotion, begins with, “People exercise their human and civil rights. They retain these human and civil rights despite the presence of disability and mental illness.” These rights cannot be limited by government, family or service providers. This area explores the need for guardianship if the person is unable to make decisions for him or herself. However, it does not prevent the person from exercising his or her rights or even expressing which rights

are most important to him or her. “People determine for themselves which rights matter most to them,” according to the CQL, which uses a formal assessment system to ensure it understands what rights are important to each person and trains staff accordingly. “Each person is guaranteed the opportunity to be heard and treated fairly in any situation where limitations are imposed,” CQL states. It has an active Human Rights Committee dedicated to promoting and protecting people’s rights, through thoughtfully outlined requirements ensuring “decision-making supports” are provided to people as needed.

Jenelle Page, Day Treatment Manager; and Tim Barber

The ReHab Center began a six-month due diligence process in March to evaluate the benefits of a potential unification of our

agency with the NYS ARC Niagara County Chapter, Opportunities Unlimited of Niagara.While Opportunities Unlimited has revenues of almost $26 mil-lion and close to 600 employees, recent financial shortfalls and competency deficiencies at two of its 20 residential sites led to its placement on early alert status by the New York State Office for People with Developmental Disabilities, OPWDD. In an effort to find a solution to its problems, the corporate office NYSARC, Inc. asked our Cattaraugus County Chapter to engage in an assessment which could include future unification if the Agency chooses to move forward in that role.Mari Howard, CEO of the ReHab Center, will serve as interim CEO for Opportunities Unlimited throughout the process. Cur-rently, the Agency’s leadership team is heavily engaged in evaluating Opportunities Unlimited’s service and financial systems to deter-mine if unification is feasible. A final decision is expected later this year.

“Niagara has faced many challenges in recent years, both financially and from a quality perspective,” Mari said. “My hope is we can en-sure the continuity of services. They were in a place where things were very unsure as far as the future.”Many of Opportunities Unlimited’s financial difficulties stem from rate changes from the state for Medicaid-funded programs that also have contributed to deficits at about a third of the 48 NYSARC programs, Howard said.“Rate rationalization has really put us all on our heels,” she said. “We feel very strongly we have a committed team at Niagara and at the ReHab Center. Our teams are working wonderfully together and we’re finding synergy so only good things can come from this.”Mari said no additional changes are expected for employees or the hundreds of people with disabilities who receive services on a daily basis. “We’ve done what we can to essentially stop the bleed,” she said. “Nothing has changed on service side, so it’s invisible to families. The real goal for us is to ensure that people who are receiving our services are not scared or feel like the bottom is falling out.”

Self-Directed Services gives mom a voice and a choiceLife with two special needs children

can be over whelming. But, for a Cattaraugus family there’s hope through New York State’s Self-Directed Ser vices program administered by the Agency’s Support Ser vices program.Yvonne has been torn between being a playful and present mom to her sons while responding to the high need levels of both. She is a single mom who works full time as a direct care provider for the State in a group home. She also needs to help Ryan, 13, her eldest son with Duchenne’s Muscular Dystrophy off the bus into the house while managing to keep a watchful eye on her highly active younger son, Dustin, 6, who has Down Syndrome. Fortunately, Ryan usually gets home before Dustin who has not been able to attend school locally and needs to take an hour-long bus trip to Olean from Cattaraugus for his day at school.“Ryan needs help getting into the van, and she has no one to keep an eye on Dustin while she helps Ryan,” Karen Hunt, the Agency’s Support Ser vices broker who has been working with the family since 2012.“Yvonne longs for the day when she can focus on being a mother without always worr ying about what Dustin is do-ing while she’s helping Ryan.” Karen is working with Yvonne to hire two care providers for each of the boys through the Self-Directed Ser vices program. “Respite will be beneficial for Dustin, especially getting him ready for school in the morning,” Karen said. “It’s a hectic time when Ryan also needs assistance. And if the wheelchair ramp needs shoveling, Yvonne is in an impos-sible situation as Dustin requires close super vision.“Despite the constant balancing act, Yvonne has been re-sourceful in trouble-shooting solutions to challenges that arise almost daily. When she needed a wheelchair van for Ryan, she held a fundraiser. “She held a fundraiser and raised $11,000 to buy a used wheelchair van for Ryan,” Karen said, adding Yvonne is hoping to be as successful in hiring support ser vices through this state program.Self-Directed Ser vices would allow Yvonne to hire some-one she trusts to help her children. This might be some-one from her home community who may already have a relationship with the children, rather than a stranger who doesn’t have a connection with the family or the children. “It’s a family custom-designed ser vice provided by OP-WDD and funded by Medicaid. The family can hire their own staff for the ser vice they want.” Karen said, adding

she can assist families in seeking poten-tial staff if needed. “They can look at people in their com-munity to hire their own staff for the care they need. Once we get the plan ap-proved, then Yvonne can hire whomever she needs.”Individualized care for the boys would allow for more pro-active skill develop-ment for Ryan. “Ryan would benefit greatly from com-munity habilitation ser vices. As a teen he’s at the age where community inte-gration is important, and equally im-portant is to have opportunities to be around his peers without his parents,” Karen said. To help Yvonne get the help she needs, Karen is helping her select the most appropriate ser vices the boys need and put together a budget for those ser vices.

She is also helping Yvonne develop a plan which will help her achieve what is important in their lives. “This is a relatively new program which allows people with developmental disabilities, or their parents, to hire their own ser vice providers,” Karen said. “The families inter view the staff. This is ver y liberating for Yvonne because she will be working directly with her staff. She doesn’t have to go through a middleman.”Karen has walked the hard road with Yvonne and her chil-dren, originally as their Medicaid Ser vice Coordinator, and now as their Support Broker. She has seen Yvonne’s daily struggle with taking care of the boys’ needs and living in the moment with them, and, as a social worker, she has a high level of understanding what Yvonne needs to be the best mom possible.“She can’t focus on Ryan’s future,” Karen said, adding softly, “She is living in the today mode so she can enjoy him today.”For information on the Agency’s Self-directed Care pro-gram, contact Karen at [email protected].

You shop, Amazon donates Whenever you make a purchase on Amazon.smile and select the Rehabilitation Foundation as the charity of choice, you support the great work the ReHab Center does everyday.

Foundation donations help autistic childwould break the glass and hurt himself.”Odin’s unbounded impulsive streak could have sent him dashing into the street terrifying his watchful parents about on-coming traffic on their busy North Union Street.

“Odin has no sense or understanding of fear. We were concerned he could. We knew we had to do something,” Elida said, adding while Odin was eligble for Medicaid, he wasn’t eligible for safety modifications until after age five.

In the Green’s home there are four large windows, two in the living room, one in the bedroom and one in the toy room. The family’s Medicaid Support Coordinator, Jessica Paterniti who works for the ReHab Center, took the initiative and turned to the Rehabilitation Foundation for some financial assistance for new windows and a fence.

“The Foundation was honored to ensure Odin has a safe, happy childhood,” Elena Bombardier, Director of Development for the Foundation, said.“Generous donations and support from the community allow us to help local families like Odin’s.” Elida and Alex with Odin.

From Front

The ReHab Center has rebranded SubCon Industries as InTandem

Solutions to provide a more collaborative work environment for people with and without disabilities.As a financially sustainable social enterprise, InTandem Solutions will target supply-chain support services in the warehouse industry, which includes packaging and fulfillment to provide funding for its support services and reduce the Agency’s dependence on government funding.“There was a lot to like about InTandem Solutions right from the very start,” Russ Hahn, Chief Strategy Officer said. “Not only does it speak to the close, collaborative partnership we seek to have with each of our customers, but also references the social component of our mission – working together, in unison, toward the same goal.”“The social enterprise model is about supporting the mission of the agency,” Joe Rich, Intandem Solutions’ Director of Business Development said, adding, “Our focus will be on generating earned income to support people with disabilities in the area and offset consistent government funding reductions.” The ReHab Center has a long history of supporting employment

InTandem Solutions packages Disney-Licensed‘Star Wars’ products with new Blister Machine

Using the new Rotary Blister Packaging Machine, purchased through a generous Oishei grant last year, InTandem Solutions is packaging thousands of Star Wars USB Flash Drives through a contract with Mimoco, the Boston-based, “art-toy” manufacturer.

for people with disabilities as Subcon Industries. As a successful cleaning business for more than 35 years, SubCon Industries also operated a workshop that created jobs supporting local industry. When recent Federal policies began phasing out work centers which exclusively employed people with disabilities, the agency responded with its innovative InTandem Solutions. “Our social enterprise will draw upon the decades of experience we have as a business in fulfilling these sorts of contracts for customers,” Hahn said, adding “and the beneficial by-product is the amount of opportunities it will create for both individuals who have disabilities and those who are disenfranchised or face other barriers to employment.”The business will be located in the 10,000

square-foot Charles Ried Center for Social Enterprise warehouse, dedicated in 2012 to honor Charles Reid, and in the 35,000 square foot building on North 15th Street in Olean. Administrative offices are in the OBI building, 301 N. Union St., Olean. “This is a market space we are very familiar with,” Brian Eddy, Marketing Director, said. “We feel that there is great potential for continued growth for us. We are uniquely positioned and enthusiastic for this launch.”

The Foundation responded by funding a six foot high fence that completely enclosed their backyard and four shatter-proof windows in the Green’s home.“We are very grateful to the Foundation. I don’t know what we would have done otherwise,” Elida said.

Cooking together as a family at the Big 6As any family returning home after a day away at

work, they gather in the kitchen to cook and share their daily experiences. For the people living at “Big 6” residence on 6th Street, Olean, it’s no different.“They’re a family and live like one,” Joanie Onufry, supervisor, said.

“They set the table, pour juice for each other, cut up food to the right consistency. We help them open cans.”Most of the people living at the Big 6 work at SubCon during the day and return home around 4 p.m.

They are fairly self-supportive and may only need a nudge to make their beds or

a little help getting in and out of the shower. “They look at the staff as their family, too,” Joanie said. “I work until 9 pm on Tuesdays and am always getting my dinner invitations. They all want me to eat with them.”And, she does.

“It can be hard to leave them at the end of the day. I’ve been blessed by them and the Agency,” she said.

Keith Pierce is a Direct Support Professional who left a 16-year career in security to make a difference in

peoples’ lives. He posted the following on Facebook during a break at 2 am on one of his overnight shifts at the Big 6, one of the Agency's 18 residences. His thoughts and feelings are shared by many others who work for the agency, and who are succeeding in making a meaningful difference in peoples’ lives.

People ask me all the time. ‘Why did you leave security? You left a well paying job,

a college degree in criminal Justice. Why not stick to it? You've been in it for so long that you could have retired from security.’I just smile at them, and say it was a chapter that was ready to end. I got to meet so many amazing people over the years. I was enlisted to go to NYC back when hurricane Sandy hit. I was there for nearly a month. I got to help out with the relief and see things that I never can unsee. I've seen people homeless because of the storm. I've seen boats just laying in the middle of the highway. A house just sitting in the middle of a swamp where it didn't belong. Out of all this I did get to see one thing that opened my eyes. I saw people helping out

MAKING A DIFFERENCE ONE DAY AT A TIME

strangers. I saw communities that come together to help out each other. I worked long hours to just help out the best I could. 24 hour shifts ev-ery other day with 12 hours in between. I didn't expect a thank you. I was there for me. I was there to help out any way I can. I'm no longer in security because again that chapter ended and whenever a chapter ends a new one begins. People ask me now, ‘What are you doing? What do you do for a living?’I work with people. I make a difference in their lives one second at a time. I work long hours just to better their lives. I am part of a group of many who have the same passion. To help better lives. I didn't choose this, this chose me. I am a Direct Support Professional. We make a difference one day at a time.

“

Waves of Agency walkers, runners surge on OleanThe Agency’s creativity wowed the Chamber’s

Corporate Challenge judges earning us most walker status for the second year on its annual walk and run through the City of Olean.

As waves of aqua blue shirts, complimented by grass skirts, coconuts, leis, and shades poured through Olean, the Agency’s team of more than 118 participants should have won top prize for being the most creative, enthusiastic, and best all around most spirited team.

For many this was a first time experience, and for others, it was an annual event anticipated with great fun-filled expectation.

The 3 mile run, and 2.1 mile walk, align with the Agency’s push on health and wellness, and follows up on our well-attended “Fitness in the Park” summer series.

“The Agency does a lot internally to promote employee wellness, but on an individual level the Corporate Challenge offers everyone the opportunity to come together to promote wellness,” Russ Hahn, Chief Strategy Officer, said to the Olean Times Herald.

The ReHab Center and City of Olean’s first of five “Fitness in the

Park” Zumba classes drew more than 50 people to Gargoyle Park Wednesday, June 22. The classes are led by Lil-ian Dirito who has her own practice for Zumba and health and wellness in Ellicottville. They were all ages and levels of fit-ness, but all were enthusiastic about the unique opportunity to dance together outside on a beautiful Olean summer evening.

“Fitness in the Park” is a collaborative venture between the Agency and the City of Olean to bring the ReHab Center’s health and well-ness initiative to the community. As one of the largest employers in the area, the ReHab Center supports more than 1100 people throughout the three counties of Cattaraugus, Allegany and Chau-tauqua through day programs and 18 residences, including a Youth Home.

‘Fitness in the Park’ draws crowd for ZumbaAs much as the Agency is supportive of those with developmental and behavioral health issues, it is commit-ted to educating the community as well as the people it supports and the more than 500 staff members on the high value of health and exercise.“Our first Fitness in the Park class was a great success. We are grateful to all who participated,” Mari Howard, CEO, said. The City of Olean joined the Rehab

Center’s fitness-centered initiative to encourage exercise as a way to increase health among City residents. The success of the event reveals a growing awareness of the value of fun exercise as part of a whole wellness health program. “Fitness in the Park” will continue Zumba classes from

6 – 7 p.m., Wednesdays, July 6, July 20, August 3 and August 31. Join the events page on facebook: facebook.com/fitnessintheparkolean

Check out our new website: www.rehabcenter.org