Nysarc Inc

NYSARC WAS FOUNDED IN 1949 TO MEET A CRITICAL MISSION TO IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF LIFE FOR PEOPLE WITH INTELLECTUAL AND DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES.

RESIDENTIAL HABILITATION PROGRAM: INDIVIDUAL RESIDENTIAL ALTERNATIVES (IRA) OUR MISSION AT THE ARC MID-HUDSON IS TO PROVIDE INDIVIDUALS WITH INTELLECTUAL AND OTHER DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES OPPORTUNITIES TO LIVE AND EXPERIENCE FULL LIVES. OUR RESIDENTIAL PROGRAM PROVIDES HOUSING AND APARTMENT OPTIONS IN ULSTER, GREENE, PUTNAM, AND COLUMBIA COUNTIES. WE CURRENTLY SUPPORT APPROXIMATELY 422 PEOPLE IN RESIDENCES CERTIFIED UNDER OPWDD (OFFICE FOR PEOPLE WITH DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES). WE OPERATE INDIVIDUAL RESIDENTIAL ALTERNATIVES (IRAS), SUPERVISED APARTMENTS, SUPPORTED APARTMENTS AND THREE INTERMEDIATE CARE FACILITIES (ICFS). EACH OF OUR RESIDENCES IS UNIQUE IN ITS DESIGN AND CHARACTER TO REFLECT THE LEVEL OF SUPPORTS NEEDED BY THE INDIVIDUALS WHO LIVE THERE. RESIDENTIAL SERVICES' MAIN OBJECTIVES ARE TO SUPPORT EACH PERSON TO LIVE AS INDEPENDENTLY AS POSSIBLE AND TO PROVIDE THEM WITH OPPORTUNITIES TO GAIN THE NECESSARY SKILLS TO MEET THEIR PERSONAL OBJECTIVES. WE STRIVE TO PROVIDE EACH PERSON WITH INDIVIDUALIZED, PERSONAL SPACE, DECORATED TO REFLECT THEIR PERSONALITIES AND INTERESTS. THE PANDEMIC CONTINUED INTO 2021 AND OPWDD AND DOH MAINTAINED COVID PROTOCOLS FOR OUR CERTIFIED RESIDENCES. MANY INDIVIDUALS AND STAFF THROUGHOUT THE AGENCY RECEIVED THEIR COVID-19 VACCINATIONS IN FEBRUARY AND MARCH, COURTESY OF PUTNAM AND GREENE COUNTY DEPARTMENTS OF HEALTH, THE MID-HUDSON REGIONAL PHARMACY, AND CVS. BY THE END OF MAY, ALMOST ALL INDIVIDUALS RECEIVING RESIDENTIAL SERVICES AND MANY OF OUR STAFF WERE FULLY VACCINATED AGAINST THE COVID-19 VIRUS. TELEHEALTH CONTINUED TO BE AN ADDITIONAL SUPPORT FOR INDIVIDUALS, GIVING THEM GREATER FLEXIBILITY IN ACCESSING MEDICAL CARE. BY MID-YEAR, WE WERE ABLE TO EASE SOME RESTRICTIONS AND RETURN INDIVIDUALS TO GREATER NORMALCY AND SOCIAL CONNECTIONS. PEOPLE WERE ABLE TO VISIT WITH THEIR FAMILIES WITH NO RESTRICTIONS AT THE END OF JUNE AND THEY WASTED NO TIME MAKING UP FOR LOST OPPORTUNITIES. HOUSES SET UP BBQS FOR RESIDENTS AND FAMILIES AND FAMILIES STARTED TAKING MORE VACATIONS WITH THEIR LOVED ONES. ONE RESIDENT, FOR EXAMPLE, VISITED HIS FAMILY IN NORTH CAROLINA FOR THE FIRST TIME IN TWO YEARS. VACATIONS WERE PLANNED AND ENJOYED BY A NUMBER OF RESIDENTS, INCLUDING TRIPS TO LAKE GEORGE, HULL-O FARMS, NIAGARA FALLS, AND NEW YORK CITY. INDIVIDUALS BEGAN GOING OUT INTO THE COMMUNITY MORE, PARTICULARLY IN THE LATTER HALF OF THE YEAR AND BEGAN ATTENDING SPECIAL EVENTS LIKE BROADWAY PLAYS, WWE, COMEDY ACTS, THE BRONX ZOO, AND LOCAL THEATERS. FACILITY IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS THAT HAD BEEN PUT ON HOLD DURING THE PANDEMIC WERE RESCHEDULED AND SEVERAL BATHROOMS IN OUR HOMES WERE RENOVATED TO BETTER PROVIDE ADA ACCOMMODATIONS. MANY ROOMS IN OUR HOMES WERE RE-PAINTED AND SOME DECKING AND WALKWAYS WERE REFURBISHED. IT WAS DIFFICULT TO FILL OUR RESIDENTIAL VACANCIES DURING THE HEIGHT OF THE PANDEMIC. AS RESTRICTIONS AND HEALTH CONCERNS LESSENED IN 2021, OUR ADMISSIONS DEPARTMENT HELPED US TO ASSESS SOME OF OUR OLDER RESIDENTS' NEEDS AND MOVE THEM INTO OUR OTHER HOMES WITH ADA ACCOMMODATIONS. SEVERAL FOLKS ALSO MADE SUCH GREAT STRIDES THAT THEY WERE ABLE TO MOVE FROM 24-HOUR SUPERVISED IRAS TO SUPPORTED APARTMENTS. MANY OF THESE BENEFICIAL MOVES WERE POSSIBLE DUE TO THE NUMBER OF VACANCIES WE HAD SUSTAINED, GIVING US GREATER FLEXIBILITY IN MOVEMENT. SUCCESS STORIES: WE SUPPORT AN INDIVIDUAL WHO IS VERY SET IN HER ROUTINE AND WOULD EXPERIENCE VERY CHALLENGING BEHAVIORS IF HER ROUTINE WAS BROKEN. ONCE THE PANDEMIC HIT, HER ENTIRE ROUTINE WAS COMPLETELY UPSET. WITH STAFF SUPPORT, SHE WAS ABLE TO ADAPT TO THE CHANGES. SHE ADJUSTED WELL TO NOT GOING OUT IN THE COMMUNITY, PARTICIPATING IN DAY HAB AT HOME AND ADJUSTING TO THE DAY HAB STAFF IN HER HOME. THIS WAS A HUGE SUCCESS FOR HER. STAFF WERE VERY HAPPY THAT SHE WAS ABLE TO RISE TO THE CHALLENGE AND DO SO WITH VERY MINIMAL DIFFICULTY. SHE WAS WILLING TO PARTICIPATE IN ACTIVITIES PRESENTED BY STAFF WITH WHOM SHE WAS UNFAMILIAR WITH THE GUIDANCE OF FAMILIAR STAFF, PARTICULARLY WHEN SHE WAS STRUGGLING. SHE OVERCAME SIGNIFICANT OBSTACLES AND SURPRISED EVERYONE WITH HOW SUCCESSFUL SHE HAS BEEN. A GENTLEMAN HAS LIVED AT ONE OF OUR RESIDENCES SINCE IT OPENED IN 2012. HE PREVIOUSLY LIVED AT WASSAIC FOR MANY YEARS AND HAD LITTLE TO NO CONTACT WITH HIS NATURAL FAMILY. HE WOULD RECALL WHEN HE LIVED IN ST. THOMAS, SURROUNDED BY HIS AUNTS, UNCLES, AND COUSINS. WHEN HE SHARED STORIES FROM HIS CHILDHOOD, YOU COULD SEE HIS HAPPINESS WHEN REMINISCING. DURING THE PANDEMIC, HE CALLED AND SENT WRITTEN CORRESPONDENCE REGULARLY TO ONE AUNT AND EVENTUALLY ANOTHER FAMILY MEMBER INTERCEPTED A LETTER AND CONTACTED HIM. HE WAS ECSTATIC AND THIS LED TO A CALL FROM A COUSIN HE GREW UP WITH. HE AND HIS COUSIN HAD BEEN BEST FRIENDS WHEN THEY WERE YOUNG, AND HE HAD NOT SEEN HIM IN OVER 30 YEARS. STAFF WERE ABLE TO ARRANGE A SURPRISE VISIT FOR HIM WITH HIS COUSIN AND HIS TWO CHILDREN- HE WAS BEYOND EXCITED. HIS COUSIN HAD LOST CONTACT WHEN HE MOVED TO THE USA WITH HIS FATHER, BUT THE COUSIN HAD GOOD MEMORIES AND NAMED HIS SON AFTER HIM. NOW HE HAS RECONNECTED WITH SEVERAL FAMILY MEMBERS VIA FACETIME. STORIES WERE SHARED AND TEARS WERE SHED AND I'VE NEVER SEEN HIM HAPPIER. TECHNOLOGY GIVES HIM THE OPPORTUNITY TO STAY CONNECTED. HE'S LOOKING FORWARD TO VISITS NOW!

THE ARC MID-HUDSON OFFERS DAY HABILITATION PROGRAMS (DAY HAB) AT A VARIETY OF LOCATIONS THROUGHOUT ULSTER, GREENE AND PUTNAM COUNTIES. WE OFFER THESE SERVICES EITHER AT A CERTIFIED PROGRAM SITE OR IN A COMMUNITY-BASED PROGRAM REFERRED TO AS DAY HAB WITHOUT WALLS. BOTH PROGRAMS PROVIDE OPPORTUNITIES FOR COMMUNITY INTEGRATION, SOCIALIZATION, SKILL DEVELOPMENT AND VOLUNTEERISM, BASED ON THE NEEDS AND INTERESTS OF PARTICIPANTS. IN MARCH 2020 WE WERE FORCED TO TEMPORARILY STOP PROVIDING "SITE-BASED AND WITHOUT WALLS" SERVICES DUE TO COVID RESTRICTIONS AND CONCERNS AND WE PIVOTED TO IN-HOME AND REMOTE DAY HAB SERVICES. BY SPRING 2021, WE BEGAN A MAJOR PUSH TO RE-OPEN ALL OF OUR SITE-BASED AND "WITHOUT WALLS" PROGRAMS. CHALLENGES INCLUDED STAFF SHORTAGES AND FAMILIES STILL FEARFUL OF COVID, BUT WE MADE SIGNIFICANT STRIDES IN SITE-BASED PROGRAM PARTICIPATION BY THE END OF THE YEAR. IN ADDITION WE CONTINUED TO OFFER REMOTE SERVICES FOR THOSE INDIVIDUALS WHO WERE NOT READY TO RETURN IN PERSON. UNFORTUNATELY WE CONTINUED TO BE SEVERELY LIMITED IN PROVIDING "WITHOUT WALLS" SERVICES DUE TO STAFFING SHORTAGES. IN TOTAL, WE CURRENTLY SUPPORT APPROXIMATELY 383 PEOPLE IN OUR DAY HAB PROGRAMS, WHETHER IN THE COMMUNITY, OUR CERTIFIED DH SITES, IN THE IRAS, OR THROUGH REMOTE TECHNOLOGY. ACTIVITIES THROUGHOUT DAY HAB INCLUDED MANY MORE WEEKLY COMMUNITY OUTINGS AND VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES THAN IN 2020. IN ADDITION, REGULAR SELF-ADVOCACY MEETINGS AND A WIDE ARRAY OF ACTIVITIES WERE OFFERED, MANY OF WHICH WERE RESEARCHED BY OUR CQL DIRECTOR. KEY THEMES INCLUDED PHYSICAL HEALTH AND WELLNESS, RELATIONSHIPS, CREATIVITY, COMMUNICATION, AND EXPLORATION.

IN 2021, THE ARC MID-HUDSON ASSISTED 154 INDIVIDUALS WITH MAINTAINING THEIR EMPLOYMENT THROUGHOUT THE PANDEMIC. MANY INDIVIDUALS REQUIRED A MORE ROBUST LEVEL OF SUPPORT TO LEARN AND ADAPT TO THE CHANGING COVID PROTOCOL AND PROCEDURES SPECIFIC TO THEIR PLACE OF EMPLOYMENT. SEVERAL INDIVIDUALS WE SUPPORT WERE RECOGNIZED BY THEIR SUPERVISOR FOR THEIR DEDICATION AND EXEMPLARY PERFORMANCE DURING THESE TRYING TIMES. THE ARC MID-HUDSON EMPLOYMENT SERVICES FORGED A RELATIONSHIP WITH GREEN CHIMNEYS, A RESIDENTIAL SCHOOL IN PUTNAM COUNTY, TO OFFER YOUTH PRE-EMPLOYMENT SERVICES TO THEIR STUDENTS. SINCE IN PERSON INSTRUCTION WAS PROHIBITED DUE TO COVID-19 RESTRICTIONS, IT WAS NECESSARY TO CREAT A VIRTUAL JOB READINESS AND SOFT SKILLS CURRICULUM TO PROVIDE THE SERVICE. STUDENTS PARTICIPATED IN THE CLASS REMOTELY AND GAINED EXPOSURE TO THE SOFT SKILLS NEEDED TO ENGAGE IN A SUMMER WORK EXPERIENCE AND ENTRY LEVEL EMPLOYMENT. IN 2021 OUR SCHOOL TO WORK PROGRAM RETURNED TO IN PERSON INSTRUCTION AND WAS PREPARED TO OFFE REMOTE SERVICES WHEN NEEDED. A SOCIAL CLUB WAS CREATED TO PROVIDE VENUE FOR STUDENTS TO SEE FRIENDS, SOCIALIZE, COMMISERATE, SUPPORT ONE ANOTHER, ETC. MANY STUDENTS WERE DEEPLY IMPACTED BY THE ISOLATION CREATED BY COVID RESTRICTIONS AND NEEDED SUPPORT TO RECONNECT WITH FRIENDS, RE-ENGAGE WITH THE COMMUNITY AND DEVELOP THEIR SOCIALIZATION SKILLS. THE BLACK BOARD BISTRO STARTED PROVIDING FOOD SERVICE AT SUNY ULSTER. THIS HAS PROVEN TO BE AN EXCELLENT TRAINING VENUE FOR INDIVIDUALS IN COMMUNITY PRE-VOC WHO ARE INTERESTED IN EXPLORING FOOD SERVICE. INDIVIDUALS HAVE HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO LEARN HOW TO OPERATE THE FRYER, PREP FOOD, WAIT ON CUSTOMERS, USE A POS SYSTEM, STOCK SUPPLIES, ETC. AT THE CORNEL CREATIVE BUSINESS CENTER WE HAVE LEASED 5 OF THE 9 FOOD PODS TO INDEPENDENT BUSINESSES. THE REMAINING PODS ARE BEING MARKETED TO FILL AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. WE HAVE ALSO CREATED 3 ADDITIONAL PODS IN GREENE COUNTY AND 2 OF THE PODS ARE LEASED. THE AFOREMENTIONED CURRENTLY EMPLOYEE NINE INDIVIDUALS AND HAVE HOSTED MANY ASSESSMENTS AND WORK EXPERIENCES.