Gateway Services Inc

A FUTURE WITHOUT LIMITS: BUILD COMMUNITY - CREATE OPPORTUNITY - EXPECT SUCCESS - CHANGE LIVES. GATEWAY SERVES INDIVIDUALS WITH DISABILITIES, AND OTHERS WITH SIMILAR SERVICE NEEDS.

DECLARED AN ESSENTIAL SERVICE NATIONWIDE DURING COVID-19, ACCESS JOHNSON COUNTY PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION CONTINUED ALL SERVICE OPERATIONS THROUGHOUT 2021 WITH FEW NEW MODIFICATIONS, WHILE MAINTAINING ADDITIONAL SAFETY PROTOCOLS IMPLEMENTED IN 2020. ACCESS PROVIDED 47,898 LOCAL PASSENGER TRIPS DURING 2021, AND ADDED 326 NEW FIRST-TIME REGISTERED PASSENGERS, IN ADDITION TO 'WALK-ONS' BOARDING AT BUS STOPS. OF THESE TRIPS, 27,666 (58% OF TOTAL) WERE ON THE FIXED ROUTE SERVICE WHICH HAD INCREASED FREQUENCY IN 2012 THROUGH A SYSTEM REDESIGN MADE POSSIBLE BY THE JOBS ACCESS/REVERSE COMMUTE GRANTS FROM INDOT AND INDYGO/INDIANAPOLIS PUBLIC TRANSIT CORPORATION.19,107 DIFFERENT INDIVIDUAL REGISTERED PASSENGERS HAVE USED ACCESS SINCE ITS ONSET, PLUS AN UNKNOWN UNREGISTERED NUMBER OF BUS STOP WALK-ONS. ACCESS, ALONG WITH GATEWAY'S CASE MANAGEMENT SERVICES, CONTINUED THROUGHOUT 2021 TO COORDINATE WITH UNITED WAY OF JOHNSON COUNTY AND OTHERS IN RESPONSE TO ADDITIONAL COMMUNITY ISSUES, RELATED TO THE PANDEMIC AND OTHER LOCAL UNMET NEEDS. IN ADDITION, ACCESS DISPATCHED VOLUNTEER DRIVERS' TRIPS FOR VETERANS TO THE VA HOSPITAL, COORDINATED PUBLIC TRANSIT SERVICES FOR 3-COUNTY SERVICE AREAS INCLUDING PURCHASED SERVICES FROM LOCAL PROVIDERS, PLUS HELPED FACILITATE NETWORKING OF CENTRAL INDIANA REGIONAL RURAL TRANSIT SERVICES WITH THE INDIANAPOLIS TRANSIT SYSTEM AND CENTRAL INDIANA REGIONAL TRANSIT AUTHORITY. TO ABSORB THE LOSSES FROM THE SUCCESSFUL CONCLUSION OF SEVERAL TEMPORARY (2008-2014) FEDERAL 'SPECIAL PROJECTS' GRANTS INCLUDING JARC/NEW FREEDOM, A PHASED-IN TRANSIT SERVICE REDESIGN AND SYSTEM RESTRUCTURING IN 2014 FOCUSED ON KEEPING THE MOST-USED AND MOST CRITICAL SERVICES OPERATIONAL WITH MINIMAL DISRUPTION TO PASSENGERS, AND WITH NO EMPLOYEE LAYOFFS.

DISABILITY & COMMUNITY SERVICESCOMMUNITY EMPLOYMENT SERVICES SERVED ANOTHER 44 NEW REFERRALS IN 2021 AND ASSISTED 158 INDIVIDUALS WITH DISABILITIES (2 OF WHOM ARE DEAF OR HARD OF HEARING) WITH THEIR JOB SEARCH, TRAINING, AND ONGOING EMPLOYMENT/CAREER SUPPORT, INCLUDING SUSTAINING INDIVIDUAL JOB RETENTION SUCCESS AND LONGEVITY IN COMMUNITY EMPLOYMENT, RANGING UP TO THE HIGHEST INDIVIDUAL RECORD OF 33 YEARS CONTINUOUS SUCCESSFUL EMPLOYMENT DESPITE FLUCTUATING ECONOMIC CONDITIONS OVER THE YEARS. 48 OF THE INDIVIDUALS SUCCESSFULLY HOLDING COMMUNITY JOBS IN 2021 RECEIVED EXTENDED CAREER SUPPORT/'FOLLOW-ALONG' SERVICES. SHIFTING EARLY AT THE ONSET OF COVID TO ADAPTING METHODS AND PROVIDING VIRTUAL SERVICES, EVEN WITH CONTINUING PANDEMIC IMPACT DURING 2021, THERE WERE 43 NEW JOB PLACEMENTS MADE INCLUDING ALL OF THOSE WHO RECEIVED DEAF SERVICES, AND HALF OF THOSE SERVED THROUGH TICKET TO WORK WHO STARTED FULL-TIME BENEFITTED POSITIONS AND ARE WORKING THEIR WAY OFF SOCIAL SECURITY. GATEWAY IS A FEDERALLY APPROVED EMPLOYMENT NETWORK, WITH TICKET TO WORK FOCUSING ON ASSISTING THOSE WHO WISH TO WORK THEIR WAY OFF OF DISABILITY-RELATED SOCIAL SECURITY BENEFITS OR WHO DON'T QUALIFY FOR OTHER FEDERAL/STATE EMPLOYMENT SERVICES. GATEWAY ALSO PROVIDED CERTIFIED BIN SERVICES (BENEFITS INFORMATION NETWORK) TO 12 INDIVIDUALS IN 2021, ASSISTING THEM IN COORDINATING THEIR DISABILITY BENEFITS WITH WORKING, TO ALLOW GREATER INDEPENDENCE. HABILITATION SERVICES PROVIDED IN 2021 TO INDIVIDUALS WITH DISABILITIES INCLUDED SERVICE COORDINATION (236); AND DAY PROGRAM EMPHASIZING MEANINGFUL COMMUNITY PARTICIPATION, ACCESS TO COMMUNITY OPPORTUNITIES AND LOCAL RESOURCES, VOLUNTEERISM, HANDLING OF LIFE EVENTS WITH SUPPORT FROM STAFF, SKILL DEVELOPMENT, INCLUSIVE RECREATION/LEISURE ACTIVITIES AND EVENTS, AND PERSONAL ENRICHMENT. THESE SERVICES WERE HARDEST HIT BY THE COVID STATE-WIDE RESTRICTIONS ON GROUP EVENTS AND GATHERINGS, FORCING SOME ACTIVITIES WITH COMMUNITY OUTINGS OR LARGE GROUPS TO BE TEMPORARILY SUSPENDED, BUT OTHERS QUICKLY REINVENTED THEMSELVES AND WENT VIRTUAL--MONTHLY CLUB 31, NOW IN ITS 9TH YEAR; CONDUCTED THEME-BASED EVENTS REMOTELY TO MAINTAIN SOCIAL CONNECTIONS WITH ONE ANOTHER; FRANKLIN COLLEGE BEST BUDDIES (IN ITS 19TH YEAR) HELD VIRTUAL SESSIONS DURING THE SCHOOL YEAR; AND OUR LOCAL KIWANIS 'AKTION CLUB' CHAPTER, HAVING COMPLETED ITS 25TH YEAR IN THE PANDEMIC, IT WAS FORCED TO CONTINUE TO SUSPEND ITS VOLUNTEERISM AND COMMUNITY SERVICE PROJECTS IN 2021 . DAY PROGRAM ALSO QUICKLY WENT VIRTUAL WHEN COVID HIT, AND IN 2 WEEKS DEVELOPED A CURRICULUM ALLOWING THOSE WE SERVE TO PARTICIPATE DAILY FROM THEIR HOMES, ALSO RECEIVING CARDS AND NOTES, ACTIVITY PACKETS, AND PHONE CALLS OF SUPPORT. INNOVATIVE CURRICULUM CONTINUED TO BE DEVELOPED THROUGH 2021, PLUS ZOOM GROUPS AGAIN HAD 33 PARTICIPANTS. WHEN CONDITIONS ALLOWED BETWEEN PERIODS OF COVID CASE FLUCTUATIONS, INDIVIDUALS WHOSE FAMILIES WERE COMFORTABLE DOING SO RESUMED GROUP PARTICIPATION, WITH APPROPRIATE PRECAUTIONS FOR THAT TIME PERIOD IN PLACE AND ENFORCED. OTHER COMMUNITY DISABILITY SERVICES INCLUDE AFTER SCHOOL/TRANSITION (REDUCED TO 5 RETURNING MEMBERS DURING ONGOING COVID PRECAUTIONS, WHO ENGAGED IN A NEWLY RE-DESIGNED CURRICULUM, AND CONTINUED ADAPTING TO USING PPE, SOCIALLY DISTANCING, AND TEMPORARILY SUSPENDING COMMUNITY-BASED PROJECTS AND OUTINGS.) SUMMER CAMPS WERE NOT SCHEDULED IN SUMMER OF 2021 DUE TO COVID. TRANSITION IS FOR HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES FROM 5 JOHNSON COUNTY SCHOOL SYSTEMS SERVED, DEVELOPING SKILLS FOR EMPLOYMENT, LEADERSHIP, LIFE SKILLS AND ACCESS TO COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT THROUGH LOCAL PARTNERSHIPS. FAMILIES CHOSE NOT TO PARTICIPATE IN A VIRTUAL OPTION DURING SHUT-DOWN PERIODS. RESPITE SERVICES PROVIDED CAREGIVER SUPPORT FOR CHILDREN AND ADULTS, WITH ALL THE NEEDED PRECAUTIONS, TO 28 FAMILIES IN 2021 THROUGH 3,534 HOURS OF RESPITE CARE, SUPPLIED BY A GATEWAY TRAINED RELIEF CAREGIVER WHO THE FAMILY PERSONALLY CHOOSES FROM INDIVIDUALS THEY ALREADY KNOW AND TRUST. THE CURRENT MEMBERS OF A COMMUNITY-BASED WORK CREW WORKING ON-SITE AT NSK FOR THE PAST 20+ YEARS ENTERED A NEW CHAPTER AFTER THE COMPANY'S COVID SHUTDOWN, AS 100% OF THE INDIVIDUAL MEMBERS INCLUDING THE CREW LEADER WERE DIRECTLY HIRED BY NSK AS COMPANY EMPLOYEES FOR THEIR RETURN TO WORK IN 2021. COMMUNITY CASE MANAGEMENT INCLUDES UNITED WAY OF JOHNSON COUNTY'S ECONOMIC ASSISTANCE PLANNING FOCUSED ON REGAINING FINANCIAL STABILITY FOR FAMILIES IMPACTED BY JOB LOSS DUE TO THE ECONOMY OR OTHER DISRUPTING LIFE EVENTS. OF THE 8 TOTAL FAMILIES SERVED IN 2021, 5 WERE NEW ELIGIBLE FAMILIES ADDED OUT OF 5 NEW REFERRALS. CASE MANAGEMENT FOR 5 OTHER FAMILIES WAS PROVIDED IN 2021 (AGAIN INCLUDING 4 NEW REFERRALS) AS PART OF A NETWORK OF LOCAL AGENCIES THROUGH UNITED WAY'S NEW NO PLACE TO CALL HOME INITIATIVE, BEGUN IN LATE 2016 TO HELP PREVENT HOMELESSNESS IN JOHNSON COUNTY, WITH A SIMILAR GOAL OF ESTABLISHING FAMILY FINANCIAL STABILITY FOR THOSE AT RISK. THESE SERVICES GREW FROM THE SUCCESSFUL CONCLUSION OF THREE YEARS DISASTER RECOVERY CASE MANAGEMENT SERVING 915 RECOVERING FAMILIES FOR UNITED WAY. THESE LOWER NUMBERS FOR THESE TWO SERVICES REPRESENT THE IMPACT OF COVID AND ITS SPECIALIZED ASSISTANCE AVAILABLE TO QUALIFYING FAMILIES. AT THE INITIAL OUTBREAK OF THE VIRUS, UNITED WAY ENLISTED US TO COORDINATE A RAPID RESPONSE INITIATIVE OF CASE MANAGEMENT AND FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE FOR THOSE IN ECONOMIC HARDSHIP DUE TO COVID, IN 2020, 258 ELIGIBLE FAMILIES HAD BEEN SERVED OUT OF 287 REFERRALS, AND ANOTHER 252 NEW FAMILIES IN 2021 FOR A TOTAL OF 510 FAMILIES (OUT OF 542 REFERRALS) WHEN THE CASE MANAGEMENT PORTION OF THIS PROGRAM ENDED DEC. 2021.