October 2012 - Lifespire

NEWSLETTER OCTOBER 2012

Message from the President The week of September 9th through September 15th was designated as Direct Support Professional recognition week. Regardless of its size, every agency that works with individuals with developmental disabilities is almost completely dependent upon the work that is performed 24/7 by Direct Support Professionals. In fact, the reputation that an agency has in the community is almost entirely determined by the quality of the work of the Direct Support staff. When parents consider entrusting the health, safety, and welfare of their child to an organization they are far less concerned with the “management” arm of an organization. What they are first and foremost interested in is the quality of care their child will receive “from staff”. You are the individuals who work compassionately with the consumers each and every day and who perform hundreds of tasks to ensure that the consumers have a safe, caring and interesting world to live in. Whether you work in one of our residences, our day programs, or see the consumers in their own homes, your extraordinary dedication to the individuals you work with is the fulfillment of Lifespire’s mission and your work is what allows all of the parents to sleep at night without having to worry whether their son or daughter is “safe and happy”. Without you there is no Lifespire and without you the lives of thousands of less fortunate individuals would be far less fulfilling. Over the past 33 years I have worked on both sides of our business. Several decades ago I started my career working as a Vocational Counselor in a sheltered workshop. As the years passed, I was fortunate enough to move through various administrative positions and ultimately was honored to assume the CEO position for Lifespire. Having been on both sides of our business, I know that Direct Support Staff often feel that “management” doesn’t care about its support staff. In reality this couldn’t be further from the truth. One of Lifespire’s key strengths is that almost every supervisor, program administrator, or executive staff member started his or her career in a direct support position. We remember what it was like and how hard the work was. I can’t tell you how much time we spend thinking of the work you do and how to make your work lives better. It is true that we hear of situations when something went wrong. However, I also hear about many of the extraordinarily good things that you do. Hardly a week goes by when one of your supervisors or program administrators doesn’t come into my office to tell me of some event that happened where Direct Support Staff did something ”special” to better the life of one of our program participants. So, on behalf of myself, the management staff, and the Board of Directors I want to commend each one of you for the outstanding work you do and your contributions to this organization. I am also pleased to remind all of you that on October 11 we honored our Lifespire staff on all levels who have worked for the organization in the past 10 years. This year we honored one individual who has spent forty years working for Lifespire which is longer than many of you have been alive. This kind of commitment is what sets us apart from some other organizations and I'd like to congratulate again all those who passed their 10 year mark.. Sincerely, Mark van Voorst

Bronx Special Needs School Takes BOLD Stand to Avoid Closure Our Bronx pre-school for children with developmental disabilities appears to have been saved from the chopping block. Having successfully downsized two locations into one, BOLD’s Pelham Bay location opened its doors and welcomed students back the second week of September. The school currently teaches five classes and is waiting for the Department of Health to approve two more. Though we still have some work to do in order to meet all necessary regulations, we are looking forward to the new school year.

Richard Scottie Appointed Principal of BOLD The Bronx Organization for the Learning Disabled (BOLD) has named Richard Scotti as it’s new Principal. Mr. Scotti will oversee the day-to-day operations of the school, as well as fundraising and community outreach efforts. “People in the neighborhood need to know what we do here. We need to dispel myths about what special education means for children. Some children need services at a young age so they can be mainstreamed into regular education. The earlier you can intervene and provide services the better chance a child has to succeed in school and in life. This pre-school is an asset to children, families and the community,” says Scotti, who adds, “My main focus has always been students and families. I live in this community so I consider it a privilege to serve these students and their families.” Prior to joining BOLD, Scotti was the Assistant Principal at the New York Institute for Special Education, Van Cleve Program, in the Bronx where he spent 30 years. He held various positions including Personnel Manager, Director of Human Resources and Support Services and School Psychologist.

Maurice Michael Silverman Appointed as New Controller at BOLD Bronx Organization for the Learning Disabled (BOLD) welcomes Maurice Michael Silverman as Controller. A Certified Public Accountant, Silverman most recently served as the highest credentialed business professional at the New York Institute for Special Education in the Bronx. We are happy to have Maurice join our team at BOLD for the new school year!

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Golf Outing

Volunteers at the 2012 Lifespire Golf Outing

On Monday, August 6, 2012, over 100 golfers joined Lifespire for their 12th Annual Golf Classic at the Garden City Country Club. Prior to golfers taking the course, famous golfer and entertainer, Dan Boever, hosted a 40 minute show of golf tricks, witticisms and some audience participation. Lifespire is happy to announce that they raised nearly $212,000 toward their mission to provide individuals with developmental disabilities the support and assistance necessary to succeed.

Linda Cohen Residence An organization is only as good as its staff, volunteers and board members. The Cohen family was honored for its contributions to Lifespire, when the non profit agency renamed its Kings Highway Residence, the Linda Cohen Residence at a small reception on September 20 at the home located at 3916 Kings Highway in Brooklyn. Honoree Linda Cohen's brother, Gerald, a longtime resident of the Lifespire's Margolis Residence, attended – as did 30 other people, including staff, residents and board members The Kings Highway Residence, which is home to 10 residents, opened in 1982. The Cohen Family's history with Lifespire goes back to the organization's early days when it was known as The Parents Association for C.R.M.D., Inc. Shirley and Herb Cohen advocated for son Gerald who was mentally challenged. He has ties of almost 30 years to the agency in Brooklyn, first as a tenant of the Lubin Center and now as a resident of the Margolis Residence. Shirley and Herb were devoted board members for ACRMD and Shirley ran a Saturday evening social at the Pomonok housing complex in Queens. After their passing, their daughter Linda continued the family tradition by joining the board of directors, where she served many years. “She was a fine board member. I doubt if she ever missed a board meeting until she became ill. Even then, she would attend when she felt up to it,” says Lifespire board member Larry Hirsch. “Since Shirley and Linda worked tirelessly on behalf of our organization, it seemed fitting to name a group home after them.”

Celebrating Lifespire’s DSPs Throughout the second week of September, Lifespire residences, day services, supported employment and the after-school program held various activities and celebrations in honor of our DSPs. On Sept. 14, Lifespire joined more than 300 people with developmental disabilities and direct-support professionals on the steps of New York City Hall for a rally to call attention to the importance of this dedicated workforce, which has a profound impact on the lives of nearly 100,000 New Yorkers with developmental and intellectual disabilities. Attendees were joined by members of the City Council as well as state officials. “National DSP Week is a great opportunity to acknowledge, honor and raise awareness of the valuable work of our dedicated staff and the difference they make in the lives of those we serve, their families and our communities at large,” said Diana P. Vega, Director of Education and Training for Lifespire. Deborah Knorr and Bernadette Pasley were the grand prize winners in Lifespire’s agency-wide raffle, which was held in honor of National Direct Support Professionals Week Sept. 9-15, 2012. Deborah, who works in the Jumel Residence, won an 8GB iPod Touch, while Bernadette, who works in Community Habilitation, received a Nikon Coolpix camera. In all, there were 31 prize winners, with 24 staff members receiving gift cards to restaurant chains or movie theaters and another five were awarded personal days. Congratulations to all the winners!

Sunday Bowling Group of Adults with Developmental Disabilities The Sunday Morning Bowling Group started its new season in September with an uptick in membership. Now in its 44th year, the group of developmentally disabled adult bowlers welcomed a half-dozen new members, growing to about 140 members strong. “This is as large a membership as we have had in the group’s history,” said Larry Hirsch, who co-founded the group in 1969 to provide his daughter, Phyllis, with an activity to do with her peers. The bowlers, who meet on Sunday mornings at Jib Lanes in Flushing, Queens, play two games each week for 34 weeks beginning in September. They are divided into three groups. The largest group, which consists of about 80 individuals, is highly competitive. “They’re not happy when they lose,” Hirsch said. “We have a couple of new bowlers this year who are quite good, and I think it’s going to be more competitive than ever.” The number of teams in this group grew from 15 to 16 this year. There are also two smaller groups – one for group home residents who prefer to bowl exclusively with their housemates, and another for lower-functioning individuals who require bumpers and ramps. For more information about Sunday Bowling, contact Julian Palmo at [email protected].

New Board Members Lifespire welcomes Alan S. Liu and Mathew Hoffman as the latest members of the Lifespire, Inc. Board of Directors.