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Council on Quality and Leadership calls for maximizing potentialAsomeone else’s future brighter suggestss the agency’s CQL Committee engages ina power over that other person’s destiny.a self-assessment process outlined by theWorking together, collaboratively, as thoseCouncil on Quality and Leadership, there maywho build a house or bridge, is an endeavorbe one overarching question driving all others.by equals. That is the thrust of the CQL’sHow is the agency promoting peoples’ greaterinquiry initiative.independence and maximizing their potential?The first factor under Basic Assurances:It’s the big question, topping all others. It isRights Protection and Promotion, beginsthe question a good parent or teacher probeswith, “People exercise their human and civilin supporting young peoples’ growth andrights. They retain these human and civildevelopment. It isn’t comfortable at times forrights despite the presence of disability andeither, the supporter or the supported. But, it ismental illness.”the way we grow wings and fly.These rights cannot be limited byIs taking care of people the same as supportinggovernment, family or service providers.them? Does it promote their independenceThis area explores the need for guardianshipor enable continued dependence? Which isif the person is unable to make decisionsmore empowering, leading to greater selffor him or herself. However, it does notdetermination?Jenelle Page, Day Treatmentprevent the person from exercising his orAs the agency steps away from its former role as Manager; and Tim Barberher rights or even expressing which rightsservice provider and moves toward becoming aaremostimportanttohim or her.support provider, our CQL committee has found that positive“People determine for themselves which rights matter most tosupport implies a greater level of respect for the people whothem,” according to the CQL, which uses a formal assessmentcome to the agency for rehabilitative services or live in our 18system to ensure it understands what rights are important toresidences. It is an intentional level of caring leading to greatereach person and trains staff accordingly.independence and self-sufficiency for people.“Each person is guaranteed the opportunity to be heard andThis is why the agency changed the mission statement, andtreated fairly in any situation where limitations are imposed,”prefers not using “building brighter futures,” on the logo.CQL states. It has an active Human Rights CommitteeRuss Hahn, Chief Strategy Officer, has suggested that clausededicated to promoting and protecting people’s rights, throughmight better read,“building brighter futures together.”thoughtfully outlined requirements ensuring “decision-makingTo suggest, or even consider, that “we” could ever makesupports” are provided to people as needed.ReHab Center weighs Opportunities Unlimited unificationThe ReHab Center began a six-month due diligence process inMarch to evaluate the benefits of a potential unification of ouragency with the NYS ARC Niagara County Chapter, OpportunitiesUnlimited of Niagara.While Opportunities Unlimited has revenues of almost 26 million and close to 600 employees, recent financial shortfalls andcompetency deficiencies at two of its 20 residential sites led to itsplacement on early alert status by the New York State Office forPeople with Developmental Disabilities, OPWDD.In an effort to find a solution to its problems, the corporate officeNYSARC, Inc. asked our Cattaraugus County Chapter to engage inan assessment which could include future unification if the Agencychooses to move forward in that role.Mari Howard, CEO of the ReHab Center, will serve as interimCEO for Opportunities Unlimited throughout the process. Currently, the Agency’s leadership team is heavily engaged in evaluatingOpportunities Unlimited’s service and financial systems to determine if unification is feasible. A final decision is expected later thisyear.“Niagara has faced many challenges in recent years, both financiallyand from a quality perspective,” Mari said. “My hope is we can ensure the continuity of services. They were in a place where thingswere very unsure as far as the future.”Many of Opportunities Unlimited’s financial difficulties stem fromrate changes from the state for Medicaid-funded programs that alsohave contributed to deficits at about a third of the 48 NYSARCprograms, 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 andat the ReHab Center. Our teams are working wonderfully togetherand we’re finding synergy so only good things can come from this.”Mari said no additional changes are expected for employees or thehundreds of people with disabilities who receive services on a dailybasis.“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 ourservices 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 childrencan be over whelming. But, for aCattaraugus family there’s hope throughNew York State’s Self-Directed Ser vicesprogram administered by the Agency’sSupport Ser vices program.Yvonne has been torn between beinga playful and present mom to her sonswhile responding to the high need levelsof both.She is a single mom who works fulltime as a direct care provider for theState in a group home. She also needsto help Ryan, 13, her eldest son withDuchenne’s Muscular Dystrophy off thebus into the house while managing tokeep a watchful eye on her highly activeyounger son, Dustin, 6, who has DownSyndrome. Fortunately, Ryan usuallygets home before Dustin who has notbeen able to attend school locally and needs to take anhour-long bus trip to Olean from Cattaraugus for his dayat school.“Ryan needs help getting into the van, and she has no oneto keep an eye on Dustin while she helps Ryan,” KarenHunt, the Agency’s Support Ser vices broker who has beenworking with the family since 2012.“Yvonne longs for the day when she can focus on being amother without always worr ying about what Dustin is doing while she’s helping Ryan.”Karen is working with Yvonne to hire two care providersfor each of the boys through the Self-Directed Ser vicesprogram.“Respite will be beneficial for Dustin, especially gettinghim ready for school in the morning,” Karen said. “It’s ahectic time when Ryan also needs assistance. And if thewheelchair ramp needs shoveling, Yvonne is in an impossible situation as Dustin requires close super vision.“Despite the constant balancing act, Yvonne has been resourceful in trouble-shooting solutions to challenges thatarise almost daily. When she needed a wheelchair van forRyan, she held a fundraiser.“She held a fundraiser and raised 11,000 to buy a usedwheelchair van for Ryan,” Karen said, adding Yvonneis hoping to be as successful in hiring support ser vicesthrough this state program.Self-Directed Ser vices would allow Yvonne to hire someone she tr usts to help her children. This might be someone from her home community who may already have arelationship with the children, rather than a stranger whodoesn’t have a connection with the family or the children.“It’s a family custom-designed ser vice provided by OPWDD and funded by Medicaid. The family can hire theirown staff for the ser vice they want.” Karen said, addingshe can assist families in seeking potential staff if needed.“They can look at people in their community to hire their own staff for thecare they need. Once we get the plan approved, then Yvonne can hire whomevershe needs.”Individualized care for the boys wouldallow for more pro-active skill development for Ryan.“Ryan would benefit greatly from community habilitation ser vices. As a teenhe’s at the age where community integration is important, and equally important is to have opportunities to bearound his peers without his parents,”Karen said.To help Yvonne get the help she needs,Karen is helping her select the mostappropriate ser vices the boys need andput together a budget for those ser vices.She is also helping Yvonne develop a plan which will helpher achieve what is important in their lives.“This is a relatively new program which allows peoplewith developmental disabilities, or their parents, to hiretheir own ser vice providers,” Karen said.“The families inter view the staff. This is ver y liberating forYvonne 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 children, originally as their Medicaid Ser vice Coordinator, andnow as their Support Broker. She has seen Yvonne’s dailystr uggle with taking care of the boys’ needs and living inthe moment with them, and, as a social worker, she has ahigh level of understanding what Yvonne needs to be thebest mom possible.“She can’t focus on Ryan’s future,” Karen said, addingsoftly, “She is living in the today mode so she can enjoyhim today.”For information on the Agency’s Self-directed Care program, contact Karen at khunt@rehabcenter.org.You shop, Amazon donatesWhenever you make a purchase on Amazon.smile andselect the Rehabilitation Foundation as the charity ofchoice, you support the great work the ReHab Centerdoes everyday.

InTandem Solutions packages Disney-Licensed‘Star Wars’ products with new Blister MachineThe ReHab Center has rebrandedfor people with disabilities as SubconSubCon Industries as InTandemIndustries. As a successful cleaning businessSolutions to provide a more collaborativefor more than 35 years, SubCon Industrieswork environment for people with andalso operated a workshop that created jobswithout disabilities.supporting local industry. When recentAs a financially sustainable socialFederal policies began phasing out workenterprise, InTandem Solutions willcenters which exclusively employed peopletarget supply-chain support services inwith disabilities, the agency responded withthe warehouse industry, which includesits innovative InTandem Solutions.packaging and fulfillment to provide“Our social enterprise will draw uponfunding for its support services and reducethe decades of experience we have as athe Agency’s dependence on government Using the new Rotary Blister Packagingbusiness in fulfilling these sorts of contractsfunding.Machine, purchased through a generousfor customers,” Hahn said, adding “and“There was a lot to like about InTandem Oishei grant last year, InTandem Solutions the beneficial by-product is the amountis packaging thousands of Star Wars USBSolutions right from the very start,”of opportunities it will create for bothFlash Drives through a contract withRuss Hahn, Chief Strategy Officer said.individuals who have disabilities and thoseMimoco, the Boston-based, “art-toy”“Not only does it speak to the close,who are disenfranchised or face other barriersmanufacturer.collaborative partnership we seek toto employment.”have with each of our customers, butThe business will be located in the 10,000also references the social component of our mission – workingsquare-foot Charles Ried Center for Social Enterprise warehouse,together, in unison, toward the same goal.”dedicated in 2012 to honor Charles Reid, and in the 35,000“The social enterprise model is about supporting the mission ofsquare foot building on North 15th Street in Olean. Administrativethe agency,” Joe Rich, Intandem Solutions’ Director of Businessoffices are in the OBI building, 301 N. Union St., Olean.Development said, adding, “Our focus will be on generating“This is a market space we are very familiar with,” Brian Eddy,earned income to support people with disabilities in the area andMarketing Director, said. “We feel that there is great potentialoffset consistent government funding reductions.”for continued growth for us. We are uniquely positioned andThe ReHab Center has a long history of supporting employmententhusiastic for this launch.”Foundation donations help autistic childwould break the glass and hurt himself.”Odin’s unbounded impulsive streak could have senthim dashing into the street terrifying his watchfulparents about on-coming traffic on their busy NorthUnion Street.“Odin has no sense or understanding of fear. Wewere concerned he could. We knew we had to dosomething,” Elida said, adding while Odin was eligblefor Medicaid, he wasn’t eligible for safety modificationsuntil 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 worksfor the ReHab Center, took the initiative and turned to the RehabilitationFoundation for some financial assistance for new windows and a fence.“The Foundation was honored to ensure Odin has a safe, happychildhood,” Elena Bombardier, Director of Development for theFoundation, said.“Generous donations and support from the community allow us tohelp local families like Odin’s.”From FrontThe Foundation responded by funding a six foothigh fence that completely enclosed their backyardand four shatter-proof windows in the Green’shome.“We are very grateful to the Foundation. I don’tknow what we would have done otherwise,” Elidasaid.Elida and Alex with Odin.

MAKING A DIFFERENCE ONE DAY AT A TIMEK“eith Pierce is a Direct Support Professional who lefta 16-year career in security to make a difference inpeoples’ lives. He posted the following on Facebook duringa break at 2 am on one of his overnight shifts at the Big 6,one of the Agency's 18 residences. His thoughts and feelingsare shared by many others who work for the agency, andwho are succeeding in making a meaningful difference inpeoples’ lives.People ask me all the time. ‘Why did youleave security? You left a well paying job,a college degree in criminal Justice. Why notstick to it? You've been in it for so long that youcould have retired from security.’I just smile at them, and say it was a chapterthat was ready to end. I got to meet so manyamazing people over the years. I was enlistedto go to NYC back when hurricane Sandy hit. Iwas there for nearly a month. I got to help outwith the relief and see things that I never canunsee. I've seen people homeless because of thestorm. I've seen boats just laying in the middleof the highway. A house just sitting in themiddle of a swamp where it didn't belong.Out of all this I did get to see one thing thatopened my eyes. I saw people helping outstrangers. I saw communities that come togetherto help out each other. I worked long hours tojust help out the best I could. 24 hour shifts every other day with 12 hours in between. I didn'texpect a thank you. I was there for me. I wasthere to help out any way I can.I'm no longer in security because again thatchapter ended and whenever a chapter ends anew one begins. People ask me now, ‘What areyou doing? What do you do for a living?’I work with people. I make a difference in theirlives one second at a time. I work long hours justto better their lives. I am part of a group of manywho 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.Cooking together as a family at the Big 6As any family returning home after a day away atwork, they gather in the kitchen to cook andshare their daily experiences.For the people living at “Big 6” residence on 6thStreet, Olean, it’s no different.“They’re a family and live like one,” Joanie Onufry,supervisor, said.“They set the table, pour juice for eachother, cut up food to the right consistency.We help them open cans.”Most of the people living at the Big 6work at SubCon during the day and returnhome around 4 p.m.They are fairly self-supportive and mayonly need a nudge to make their beds ora little help getting in and out ofthe shower.“They look at the staff as theirfamily, too,” Joanie said. “I workuntil 9 pm on Tuesdays andam always getting my dinnerinvitations. They all want me toeat with them.”And, she does.“It can be hardto leave them atthe end of theday. I’ve beenblessed by themand the Agency,”she said.

Waves of Agency walkers, runners surge on OleanThe Agency’s creativity wowed the Chamber’sCorporate Challenge judges earning us mostwalker status for the second year on its annual walk andrun through the City of Olean.As waves of aqua blue shirts, complimented bygrass skirts, coconuts, leis, and shades pouredthrough Olean, the Agency’s team of more than 118participants should have won top prize for being themost creative, enthusiastic, and best all around mostspirited team.For many this was a first time experience, and forothers, it was an annual event anticipated with greatfun-filled expectation.The 3 mile run, and 2.1 mile walk, align with theAgency’s push on health and wellness, and follows upon our well-attended “Fitness in the Park” summerseries.“The Agencydoes a lotinternallyto promoteemployeewellness,but on anindividuallevel theCorporateChallengeofferseveryone theopportunity tocome togetherto promotewellness,”Russ Hahn,Chief StrategyOfficer, saidto the OleanTimes Herald.‘Fitness in the Park’ draws crowd for ZumbaThe ReHab Center and City ofOlean’s first of five “Fitness in thePark” Zumba classes drew more than50 people to Gargoyle Park Wednesday,June 22. The classes are led by Lilian Dirito who has her own practicefor Zumba and health and wellness inEllicottville.They were all ages and levels of fitness, but all were enthusiastic about theunique opportunity to dance togetheroutside on a beautiful Olean summerevening.“Fitness in the Park” is a collaborative venture between the Agencyand the City of Olean to bring the ReHab Center’s health and wellness initiative to the community. As one of the largest employersin the area, the ReHab Center supports more than 1100 peoplethroughout the three counties of Cattaraugus, Allegany and Chautauqua through day programs and 18 residences, including a YouthHome.As much as the Agency is supportiveof those with developmental andbehavioral health issues, it is committed to educating the community aswell as the people it supports and themore than 500 staff members on thehigh value of health and exercise.“Our first Fitness in the Park classwas a great success. We are grateful toall who participated,” Mari Howard,CEO, said.The City of Olean joined the RehabCenter’s fitness-centered initiative to encourage exercise as a wayto increase health among City residents.The success of the event reveals a growing awareness of the value offun exercise as part of a whole wellness health program.“Fitness in the Park” will continue Zumba classes from6 – 7 p.m., Wednesdays, July 6, July 20, August 3 andAugust 31. Join the events page on facebook: facebook.com/fitnessintheparkolean

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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