Inside NHR - New Horizons Resources, Inc.
Transcription
Inside NHR - New Horizons Resources, Inc.
Inside NHR Enabling people with developmental disabilities to achieve fulfilling lives within their local communities. October 2011 Inside this issue: Welcome New Employees to NHR, NHR 2 Work Anniversaries Celebrated in October NHR Birthdays Celebrated in October and Work Anniversaries, continued 3 October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, Trivia Question of the Month 4 Self Advocacy Conference 2011 and NHR Cele5 brates 25 Years of Advocacy Larry Holden: Still With Us 6 8th Annual Fashion Show, Bike-A-Thon for Sight, Therapy Dog at 7 Unionvale, Larry Holden: Still With Us, continued More pictures from Summer Camp! 8 Preparing for Cold & Flu Season 2011 9 Inside NHR Scavenger Hunt 10 Current Job Openings at NHR 11 NHR October Training Calendar 12 Summer Camp 2011 by Rachael Oliver Summer camp at New Horizon’s Briggs Farm gives both employees and campers a very different experience than a “typical” summer camp. My experience as an employee for our camp was much different than that of other summer camps I have worked for. The unique relationships that are formed with the campers at Briggs is much more of a friendship and bond than that formed with the campers at a “typical” summer camp. Not only is Briggs Farm summer camp fun for the campers, it is also fun for the staff. We did activities such as horse back riding, swimming, Zoom Flume and my favorite - Balawick Ranch. All these activities gave the campers a chance to try something new whether it was riding a horse for the first time or feeding kangaroos at the ranch. I enjoyed the experience of working at camp because I saw that it was a great opportunity for the children that they wouldn’t be able to get at another camp. Briggs Farm summer camp is an important program that is unique to New Horizons. It provides a community-based summer camp which provides an opportunity for the guests to become integrated members of their community. It is a great opportunities for families to get the respite and appropriate care for their children and for their children to get very unique and fun learning opportunities through many different activities. From left to right: John Clausson, Maya Irby, Nima Parvar, Chuck-E-Cheese, Arnold Williams (sitting), Jake McMahon, Tori Smith, Kyle Ricci, Kari Cirigliano, Ben Hollman pushing Izel Seay, Rahcael Oliver, Niklas Watkins, Danielle McCabe, Christine Palazzo, and Victoria Iacobellis Turn to page 8 for more pictures!!! Inside NHR Inside NHR Page 2 All of us here at NHR would like to extend a warm welcome to the following new employees: Katherine Briggs DSP (Relief) Annamarie Riley DSP (Relief) Daniel Sheehan DSP (Relief) Hannah Webster DSP (Community Programs) NHR Employees Celebrating October Work Anniversaries Jennifer Wolven, Unionvale—3 years Jane Brooker, Round Hill—4 years William Morrissey, Community Hab—1 year Abril Franco, Overlook—4 years Ann Mugambi, Relief/Floater Group—1 year Sophia Hayles, Unionvale—4 years Kaitlin Traudt, Clinical—1 year Lisa Munzer, Poughquag—4 years Darlene Albano, Pinewood—2 years Lori Smith, Relief/Floater Group—4 years Alicia Healy, Canal Path—2 years Mark Williams, Clinton Corners—4 years Louis Antonelli, Day Hab—3 years Lucy Lomonaco, Relief/Floater Group—3 years Shannon Whitted, Respite—5 years Gordon Riggs, Briggs Farm—3 years October Anniversaries continued on page 3!! Paul Thorstenson, Angelo Blvd.—3 years 1-5 years! Inside NHR Inside NHR Page 3 Birthdays at New Horizons in October Angela Miller, Clintondale—10/1 Linda Heady, Albrecht—10/2 Helen Delavello, North Clove—10/5 Dorothy DeNunzio, Administration—10/6 Bertha Dymond, Pinewood—10/6 Bruce Pleasants, Pleasant Valley—10/6 Cheryl Dennis, Morehouse—10/7 Joseph Booth, Jansen Road—10/8 Richard Holmes, Relief/Floater Group—10/8 Bruce Anderson, Unionvale—10/9 Natasha Dykeman, Dover Plains—10/9 Maryann Moldoff, Poughquag—10/9 Debra Piccirilli, Millerton—10/9 Debbie Cuevas, Pinewood—10/10 Michael Payeur, Human Resources—10/10 Richard Smith, Independent Living—10/10 Regina Ann Reilly, Thornwood—10/11 Janet Amodeo, Dover Plains—10/13 Kenneth Hanover, Respite—10/13 Eugene Posoli, Independent Living—10/13 Michael Curtin, Tyrrel Road—10/14 Bernard Kosby, Deer Run—10/15 Margaret Limnios, Round Hill—10/16 Janette Pagan, Canal Path—10/17 Matthew Peterson, Clintondale—10/17 Debra Whispell, Unionvale—10/17 Kathleen Atwood, Gerry Road—10/18 Owen Passante, Respite—10/18 Heather Atkins, Day Hab—10/19 Karina Montgomery, Clintondale—10/21 Kathy Rodriguez, Independent Living—10/21 Vernon Phillips, Overlook—10/22 Donita Walker, Tyrrel Road—10/22 Nikole Johannesen, Ind. Living—10/23 Courtney Johnson, Unionvale—10/23 Marie Cain, Thornwood—10/24 Lori Rheingold, Independent Living—10/24 George Saris, Albrecht—10/24 Jennifer J. Hall, Unionvale—10/26 Rachael Oliver, Community Hab—10/26 Pieter VanLeeuwen, Music Therapist—10/26 Adam Fitzpatrick, Poughquag—10/27 William Morrissey, Community Hab—10/27 Michael Dietz, Overlook—10/29 Paul Dixon, Independent Living—10/29 Rose Farrell, Clintondale—10/29 Teena Hirsch, Tyrrel Road—10/29 Donna Lyons, Finance—10/29 Robynne Duck, North Clove—10/30 Annamarie Riley, Relief/Floater Group—10/30 Matthew Sherlach, Pleasant Valley—10/30 Marie Sleight, Tyrrel Road—10/30 Sharon Wong, Dover Plains—10/30 Mae Smith, Asst. Admin. Coordinator—10/31 Alexander Stevens, Canal Path—10/31 NHR Employees Celebrating October Work Anniversaries 6-10 years! Corinne Millard, Thornwood—7 years Tiffany Anderson, Dover Plains—9 years Sam Njoga, Amenia—9 years Mary Waterman, Relief/Floater Group—9 yrs. 11-15 years! Dawn Beebe, Canal Path—11 years Stephen McRoberts, Pleasant Valley—11 years Brooke McNally, Jansen Road—13 years Joyce Beaumont, Poughquag—15 years 16-20 years! Linda Milroy, HR—16 years Vickie Fitzpatrick, Tyrrel Road—17 years Cheri Galindo, Clinical—17 years Stacey Alexander, Deer Run—20 years Isabel Tortorici, Relief/Floater Group—20 yrs. 21-25 years! Thomas McCluskey, HR—21 years Page 4 Inside NHR Did you Know??????? More than 250,000 new cases of breast cancer will be diagnosed in 2011. Although women are at highest risk men are also at risk Early detection through monthly self breast exams and annual mammograms increases the rate of survival. With advancements in screening and treatment breast cancer related deaths have decreased by 2% each year since 1996. For Additional information on diagnosis, treatment and research related to breast cancer visit http://www.cancer.org. How Can WE Help? New Horizons will be purchasing cases of Pink Gloves in place of our usual gloves for the month of October. A portion of the purchase will be donated to Breast Cancer Awareness by Medline. Throughout October several companies donate a percentage of the proceeds breast cancer research. Look for brands marked with the Pink Ribbon. Even the NFL goes Pink for Breast Cancer!! Trivia Question of the Month Q. Name the only two cast members who appeared in the Pilot and Series Finale of M*A*S*H? David Griffiths, Behavior Specialist/Psychologist Inside NHR Page 5 Self-Advocacy Association of NYS and NHR Celebrates 25 Years of Advocacy by Tom McCluskey In 1972, Geraldo Rivera entered Willowbrook, the largest institution in the world, with a camera and broadcast to the American people the deplorable conditions that people with disabilities endured. It’s said that crisis presents opportunity, and the Willowbrook crisis helped create the Self-Advocacy Association of NYS (SANYS). Bernard Carabello was a resident of Willowbrook. In Geraldo’s exposé, Bernard was interviewed. While at first it may be difficult to understand what Bernard is saying, it doesn’t take long to understand he is intelligent and possesses keen insight. Bernard went on, with the help of others like Amy Bittinger, Duncan Whiteside, Mariette Bates, The Guggenheim Foundation, Harvey Pacht, and Michael Kennedy, to form the SelfAdvocacy Association of NYS. They all came back on September 8th, 9th and 10th to celebrate the 25th anniversary. In his speech at the conference Bernard said he founded SANYS because, “I wanted to ensure everyone has a voice.” SANYS has been successful as the voice of people receiving supports in NYS and is at the table in policy making forums. New Horizons has a long history of being involved with SANYS through its local group, Speakout. Residents of Deer Run who were active members of Speakout advocated for the change of the agency name from New Horizons for the Retarded to New Horizons Resources back in the early 1990’s. Just last year SANYS was successful in finally convincing NYS to do the same, removing the “R” word, hence the new name of the state agency, the Office for Persons with Developmental Disabilities. Speakout was formed by Ann Hardiman, now Executive Director of NYSACRA. It is unique in that the group does not belong to one agency, as most other self-advocacy groups do, but rather, people who receive supports from a variety of agencies make up our membership. Beverly Kaufman and I have been advisors to Speakout for the last 20 plus years. Beverly is also an advisor to the SANYS’ state board. Speakout meets on the 2nd Wednesday of each month at the community room in the Poughkeepsie Galleria. Speakout has been twice recognized as NYS group of the year and NHR has been twice recognized as state agency of the year. This year the SANYS conference was once again well attended by people with ties to NHR. People who live at Canal Path, Pinewood, Stormville, Albrecht and Jansen Road were in attendance. In addition to recognizing people from the SANYS past, we had the opportunity to meet Courtney Burke, Commissioner of OPWDD, Roger Bearden, Chair of the Commission on Quality Care and Advocacy for People with Disabilities and Clarence Sundram, Special Advisor to the Governor for Vulnerable People. The highlight of this year’s conference for NHR may have been the recognition of the SANYS DSP of the year award. At the behest of Jennifer Sucato, Marie Moncure and Sylvia Goldman, Speakout nominated Darlene Albano, DSP at Pinewood and she won! She was humbled by the recognition and the ladies who nominated her were full of praise for the respectful way she supports them in their daily lives. They said that in addition to being flexible and taking them everywhere they want to go she is always there Above, from left to right: David Liscomb to listen and support them when they have concerns in their (SANYS Past President), Jennifer Sucato, Darlene Albano, and Marie Moncure personal lives. Congratulations Darlene! Page 6 Inside NHR Larry Holden (1947-2011): Still With Us “Larry was truly my friend and my teacher,” explained Don Peck. “He was my friend because he accepted me unconditionally, and he was my teacher because I wanted to imitate him and the philosophy he understood in his heart. He mastered some life’s greatest paradoxes; for example, ‘whatever you want out of life, give it away.’ Larry embraced and lived a life of love and harmony and, like a magnet, drew exactly that to himself. Another one of his un-verbalized practices was: ‘try to understand another person deep down and they will make an effort to understand you.’ The last six months of Larry’s life were difficult for him, but every single person at Tyrrel Road vied to be with him to make his burden easier.” Larry Holden, a resident at our group home located at 81 Tyrrel Road in Pleasant Valley passed away on September 5th. A sweet man, Larry affected the lives of many people. At the funeral, Patti Duggan struggled to share these sentiments: “no man—and I told this to my boyfriend many times—ever touched my life the way Larry did. One little hug, one gentle reassuring touch on my shoulder seemed to come from a place deep inside of him and went right through me, and I thought ‘God, I’m good for another week.’” Vickie Fitzpatrick confided that “I used to think chivalry was dead until I met Larry. If he walked with you, you were not allowed to open any doors without his assistance. I doubt that they made shining armor as small as he, but he was my knight.” “He was a one-of-a-kind lover—the kind who shows his love with respect, kindness, and pure joy,” shared Amy Budd. “This is going to sound trite,” warned Jason Sealy, “but the world would be a much better place with more Larrys. His lessons give us a lot to live up to.” “That’s the truth,” agrees Marcus Sierra. “My thoughts of him are not as a sick person who declined in health for many months but as a vibrant person who gently claimed the best qualities of a life well -lived.” Shawne Eato-Roberson was quick with: “It’s the attitude that always makes the difference between what you do and who you are, but I wouldn’t describe Larry by his attitude—something you really have to work on. He was better than that. He had a developed gift of good spirits, and that made him a beautiful person.” Pastor Mark and Pastor Steve from the Odyssey Church—Larry’s church—in their remarks at the funeral said “we often use the term ‘angel’ loosely, but Larry was, indeed, an angel among us.” Larry Holden, 64, died September 5, 2011 at his New Horizons’ home surrounded by his loving family and friends. Larry was born May 12, 1947 in Margaretville, NY the son of the late Herbert Holden and Genevieve Delameter. Continued on the following page... Page 7 Inside NHR 8th Annual New Horizons Foundation’s Fall Into Fashion Show Thursday, October 6th Poughkeepsie Grand Hotel Poughkeepsie, NY This event has sold out in the past, don’t wait! Please call Beth at (845) 4733000 ext. 322 or e-mail her at bcookinham@nhrny.org for more information. Bike-a-Thon by Lauren Hann Adolf Neuman and the therapy dog, CoCo, at Unionvale. (continued from page 5) Larry worked for Abilities First, Inc., out of Poughkeepsie as an assembler. He was also a very proud member of the Boy Scouts and an accomplished athlete in the Special Olympics. He won the outstanding achievement award in 1985 from the Elks #285 in the Special Olympics. Larry was also very proud of his multiple certificates of achievement he earned through the Dutchess County BOCES. Larry is survived by his loving Sister Arlene Cobb and her husband Eddie of Poughkeepsie, NY, his close friend Don Peck and his extended friends and family at New Horizons. September 17, 2011 was the 27th Annual Lions Journey for Sight Bike-a-Thon in Pleasant Valley. The ride is 10 miles long and includes two stops along the way: one at Terhune Orchard, where crisp apples and delicious apple cider are available to all the riders, and one at the old Town Hall on Wigsten Road where girl scouts handed out fresh orange slices and cups of water. This year Tom Jordan rode for the 3rd consecutive year and Quincy Ferguson participated for the first time. Tom collected sponsors and raised $138 this year earning him a free pair of sneakers from the PV Department Store. Both gentlemen had a fantastic ride under sunny blue skies! Pictured above, from left to right: Lauren Hann, Quincy Ferguson, and Tom Jordan Trivia Question of the Month A. Alan Alda (Hawkeye Pierce) and Loretta Swit (Hot Lips Houlihan) Page 8 Inside NHR Maya Irby, Tori Smith, and Victoria Iacobellis Izel Seay Arnold Williams Rachel Rose Michael Ermo Laura Clarke Max Nadel Back row, from left to right: Felecia Green, Kayla Naccarato, Rose Dent, Giancarlo Ballon-Ribaudo, Anthony Collagen, Amber Rennie, Bridget Murphy, Laura Clarke, Gerry Funk ; Front row, from left to right: John Clausson, Rachel Rose, Zach Hildebrandt, Max Nadel, Sarah LePerch, Michael Ermo Page 9 Inside NHR Preparing for Cold and Flu Season by Lauren Hann, RN Summer has come to an end and Fall is upon us. Leaves are falling and soon, but hopefully not too soon, snowflakes will be falling. Now is the time to be aware of cold and flu prevention and treatment. Preventing Colds and the Flu The best way to treat a cold or the flu is to prevent them in the first place. Here are some helpful ways to protect yourself and others during Cold and Flu Season: 1) Wash your hands frequently—this is the # 1 way to protect yourself from germs. Use warm water, soap and vigorous lathering for at least 30 seconds. Use lotion to prevent cracks and openings in the skin. Utilize hand sanitizer when hand washing is unavailable or hands are not visibly soiled and do not feel dirty. 2) Cough and sneeze into a tissue or your elbow / shoulder to prevent spreading germs. 3) Place all used tissues in the garbage, do not leave them laying around 4) Clean surfaces including door knobs, handrails, bathrooms, and kitchens at least once daily with Lysol or other antibacterial products. 5) Feeling sick???? Stay home!!!!! Limit exposure and opportunity to spread germs to others, especially if those you work with are elderly or otherwise compromised. Flu Vaccine FAQ’s, as reported by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention Q: Who should get the flu vaccine? A: Everyone. CDC recommends everyone gets a flu vaccine but especially those who are classified High Risk; some of those included are health care workers, people over the age of 65, those living in long-term care facilities, persons with chronic medical conditions, the morbidly obese, pregnant women and children under the age of 5. Q: Who should not get the vaccine? A: Anyone with a severe allergy to chicken eggs, a previous reaction to a flu vaccine, or a current illness (wait until the illness has subsided) Q: If I get a flu vaccine does that mean I won’t get the flu? A: Not necessarily. The CDC tracks data to determine which strains of flu are most prevalent for the upcoming year, but not all strains of flu are protected against, only the three most common. If the selected three are a good match for the season, effectiveness is 70-90%. Q: Which strains of flu does the vaccine protect against this year? A: This years flu vaccine includes protection against H3N2 virus, an influenza B virus, and H1N1 (swine flu). Q: When should I get vaccinated? A: Beginning in September or October but can continue through January. The sooner the better as it takes 2 weeks to build immunity after vaccination. For more information please visit the CDC’s website at http://www.cdc.gov. FLU VACCINES WILL BE AVAILABLE AT OPEN ENROLLMENT. CONTACT HUMAN RESOURCES TO SIGN UP FOR YOURS. Symptoms of Colds and the Flu can look similar, so which is it? Flu symptoms include worsened cold symptoms such as dry cough, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose and, in addition, possible fever or chills, muscle or body aches, headaches, fatigue (tiredness) and some people may have vomiting and diarrhea, though this is more common in children than adults. Cold symptoms often include runny or stuffy nose, mild cough and or sore throat. **When in doubt see your doctor. Colds are often harmless and resolve without complications, however, even colds can develop into bacterial infections and pneumonia. If symptoms worsen contact your doctor or nurse for further instructions. Page 10 Inside NHR Inside NHR Scavenger Hunt! By Jerilynne Smith Congratulations to the winner of the July Scavenger Hunt, Cathy Civile, DSP at Deer Run! Cathy, please contact Jerilynne in the HR Department at (845) 473-3000 ext. 323 or jlsmith@nhrny.org to arrange a time to claim your $50 gift card!! The best reason to read Inside NHR is still to learn about important news within the agency and our field; acknowledge significant milestones; and, learn about and celebrate the many good things happening in the lives of people we support as made possible by the efforts of a talented and dedicated group of people on a mission to enable people with developmental disabilities to achieve fulfilling lives within their local communities. To encourage everyone to read the electronic version of Inside NHR, we will be conducting a treasure hunt open to all NHR employees (except HR department staff and agency directors). Here is how it works! Search through the October Inside NHR and find the answers to following 6 questions: 1. Name one activity that Summer Camp participated in this year. 2. How many NHR employees will be celebrating their 20 year anniversary in October? 3. Who are they? 4. What will NHR be doing to contribute to Breast Cancer Awareness Month? 5. Who participated in the Journey for Sight 10 mile Bike-A-Thon in September? 6. What is the #1 way to protect yourself from germs? Send an email with all 6 answers to Jerilynne Smith, HR Coordinator, at jlsmith@nhrny.org by Friday, October 21st. (Make sure you follow up with a phone call to ensure that she received your e-mail!) To pick the winner, Jerilynne will enter the name of each person who answers all 6 questions correctly into an Excel spreadsheet. She will then use this website http://www.random.org/ integers/ to pick one winner at random. The winner will receive a $50 gift certificate to the location of his or her choice. Everyone who enters and answers all 6 questions correctly will have a chance to win! Have fun and if you have any questions please contact Jerilynne at (845) 473-3000 ext. 323 or jlsmith@nhrny.org. Inside NHR Page 11 Do You Know Someone Who Would Make A Great New Horizons’ Employee?? Any NHR staff member (except Directors, Administrative Coordinators and HR Department staff), who refers a friend, family member or colleague to NHR will receive $500 for each person we hire in a full or part-time position who successfully completes his or her probationary period. Please help us add to our great team by referring someone you know to one of the positions currently available at our agency listed below! AMENIA—PART TIME Saturday 3pm-9pm, Sunday 11am-11pm, Monday 3pm-8pm ULSTER FLOAT—FULL TIME Regularly scheduled days off are Monday and Tuesday CLINTONDALE—FULL TIME Thursday 11pm-7am, Friday 11pm-7am, Saturday 11pm-7am, Sunday 11pm-7am, Monday 11pm-7am ULSTER FLOAT—FULL TIME Regularly scheduled days off are Wednesday and Thursday COMMUNITY HAB (CRH)—PART TIME Working one-on-one with a young man in the Port Ewen area; the schedule is flexible but ultimately dependent on the needs of the person served and his family INDEPENDENT LIVING—PART TIME 20 hours over 4 days (Friday, Saturday, Sunday, Monday); schedule is flexible but ultimately determined by the needs of the program CANAL PATH—FULL TIME—TEMP Thursday 3pm-11pm, Friday 3pm-11pm, Saturday 4pm-12am, Sunday 4pm-12am, Monday 4pm-12am RES HAB (CRH) & AT-HOME RESPITE Per diem opportunities available in both Dutchess and Ulster County. 4-12 flexible hours per week (depends on the needs of the family served). Some appointments may be able to be combined for part time STORMVILLE—PART TIME Thursday 3pm-9pm, Friday 3pm-10:30pm, Saturday 4pm-10:30pm Contact Jerilynne, HR Coordinator, at (845) 473-3000, extension 323 or jlsmith@nhrny.org for more information on any of these positions. **We are also accepting relief applications for all areas**