It is difficult to quantify the many qualities that make Jayne special and deserving because she embodies all that makes New Horizons, well, New Horizons. Jayne is our mentor, advocate, arbitrator, supervisor, co-worker, confidant, and voice of reason. New Horizons is extraordinar-ily fortunate to have Jayne as part of our family. One word that describes Jayne is “visionary.” In 1988 (over 20 years ago) I was interviewed by Jayne for a residential counselor position. When asked “Why do you want to work in this field?” I thought I gave a good answer by saying “I like caring for and helping people.” After the formal interview was over Jayne let me know that she was looking for employees who would teach people to become independent adults; staff should be teaching, not doing. At a time when the rest of the field still considered residential counselors as caregivers, Jayne was hiring us to be Direct Support Professionals. That amazing and forward-thinking statement still resonates with me today. Another word that describes Jayne is “activist.” Back when I worked on Sinpatch Road (a mere babe in the woods), Jayne mentored me and my peers on social role valorization and the mapping of personal outcomes. Drawing on her boundless energy, Jayne would ensure that she visited every house, role modeling respect and professional interactions. Whenever Jayne’s silver-blue Tercel wagon appeared, word spread quickly among the 4 Sinpatch houses: no fixed routine tonight, no pajamas at 5:00 pm, no packing eleven people like sardines in the back of one van for a “recreation” trip, and NO, you all can’t go to Ames . . . . Jayne’s dedication to individualization meant family style dining and REAL activities for individuals or small groups. And through her dedication and sheer will-power Jayne created change, altering the mindset in our little corner of Dutchess County. Jayne is a doer. A leader by example, she is a role model for each and every DSP. Jayne enjoys being at our homes, involved with the people we provide supports to. After a ridiculously long day at the office, Jayne will stop in at someone’s home and assist with evening routines. Jayne has supported us all in our mission. Offering guidance, assisting with hospice care, ensuring individuals are able to do the activities that are important to them, providing coverage during storms, teaching someone to make dinner, providing hand over hand assistance with bathing, ensuring an IPOP is accurate and Residential Habilitation goals are being done – Jayne has done it all.

2011 Goldman Award Winner : Jayne Violon

Enabling people with developmental disabilities to achieve fulfilling lives within their local communities.

Inside NHR December 2011

Inside this issue:

Welcome New Employees to NHR, Trivia Question of the Month, NHR Employees Celebrating December Work Anniversaries

2

NHR Birthdays in December, United Way Thanks You, December NHR Blood Drive

3

Happy 90th Birthday Marie!, Goldman Award continued

4

In Loving Memory of William Wildbrett

5

Jon Taub’s New Shed, Staff Appreciation 6

NHR DSPs Recognized for Exceptional Service, AJ Diacone at the Kingston Train Show

7

New York Times Should Probe Further

8

New York Times continued, 9

17th Annual Community Leadership Breakfast

10

Inside NHR Scavenger Hunt

11

Current Job Openings at NHR 12

NHR December Training Calendar

13

From left to right: Jayne, Sylvia Goldman, Jayne’s daughter Sarah, and Jayne’s sister Julia

Please turn to page 4 to continue reading this article!

Inside NHR Page 2 Inside NHR

All of us here at NHR would like to extend a warm welcome to the following new employees:

Eric Ashby DSP (Relief)

6-10 years!

Cheryl Bergfels, Dover Plains—6 years Paul Clemmons, Unionvale—6 years Teresa Dixon, Canal Path—6 years Rose Palazzo, Day Hab—6 years Sarah Zacek, Relief/Floater Group—6 years

Trivia Question of the Month

Q. If you were to spell out numbers, How far would you have to go until you would find the letter "A"?

David Griffiths, Behavior Specialist/Psychologist

Joseph Snyder DSP (Relief)

NHR Employees Celebrating December Work Anniversaries

Judy Baker, Overlook—11 years Danielle Fridstrom, Relief/Floater Grp—13 yrs. Elaine Fiore, Mountain View—14 years

11-15 years!

16-20 years!

Jean Tansey, Relief/Floater Group—17 years Stephen Queenan, Poughquag—19 years Linda Hornbeck, Canal Path—22 years

21-25 years!

Sharon Decker, Angelo Boulevard—21 years

Brooke Bosch, Thornwood—1 year Rebecca Hanson, Community Programs—1 year Staycia Jackson, Jansen Road—1 year Cindy Kowalewski, Mountain View—1 year Todd Snead, Dwigth Street—1 year George Dinkelmeyer, Pinewood—2 years Amanda Gruntler, Community Programs—3 years Sharon Adamec-Pacheco, Comm. Programs—3 yrs. Towanna Crawford, Dwight Street—4 years Susan Greenidge, Deer Run—5 years Shaune Snyder, Relief/Floater Group—5 years

1-5 years! Heather Atkins, Day Hab—7 years Linda Campbell, Relief/Floater Group—7 years Derea Johnson, Clinical—9 years

Inside NHR Page 3 Inside NHR

Tammy Dellacamera, Day Hab—12/1 Betsy Coy, Tyrrel Road—12/2 Suman Miller, Clinton Corners—12/2 Bernice Butler, Unionvale—12/3 Thomas Paleaz, Unionvale—12/3 Lauren Rosenberger, Community Prog.—12/3 Tracy Fambrough, Relief/Floater Group—12/6 Nicole Hubbard, Albrecht Lane—12/6 Laura Lewis, Jansen Road—12/6 Tennille Martin, Community Programs—12/6 Scott Meltzer, Mountain View—12/7 Gianni Palanca, Jansen Road—12/8 Dorothy Vasquez, Canal Path—12/8 Caroline Holt, Roundhill—12/10 Roger Loewer, Amenia—12/11 Lauren Lyle, Clinical—12/11 Jessica Schlanger, Community Prog.—12/11 Nancy Howell, Asst. Admin. Coord.—12/12 Sally Olsen, Mountain View—12/12 Betty Williams, Pinewood—12/12 Joseph Devito, Maintenance—12/13 Neil Green, Relief/Floater Group—12/13 Luz Rivera, Dover Plains—12/14 Carol Puco, Relief/Floater Group—12/15 Deborah Redavid, Canal Path—12/15 Mark Williams, Clinton Corners—12/16 Valerie DeVore, Relief/Floater Group—12/17 Bridget Mahoney, North Clove—12/18

Jennifer Patrick-Harris, Tyrrel Road—12/18 Cathy Delahoyde, Human Resources—12/19 Paul Njora, Unionvale—12/19 Stephen Queenan, Poughquag—12/19 Brenda Smith, Millerton—12/19 Jason Yoder, Independent Living—12/19 Christopher Barrett, Stormville—12/20 Kevin Crosson, Unionvale—12/20 Christopher Scileppi, Stormville—12/20 Daniel Sheehan, Relief/Floater Group—12/20 Barbara Stefanic, Mountain View—12/21 Charles Morgan, Relief/Floater Group—12/22 Jonathan Gonzalez, Canal Path—12/23 Paul Molloy, Pleasant Valley—12/25 Heidi Quinn, Clinton Corners—12/26 Laura Cullen, IT—12/27 Cyrus Kirigi, Pleasant Valley—12/27 Roger Rascoe, Relief/Floater Group—12/28 Valerie Skok, Poughquag—12/28 Neil Rosenthal, Canal Path—12/29 Christopher Turton, Albrecht—12/29 Isaac Kamau, Unionvale—12/30 Joan Skiff, Relief/Floater Group—12/30 Mary Jo Fraser, Dwight Street—12/31 Jenifer Jefferson, Albrecht Lane—12/31

‘Tis the season for giving and what better gift to give than the gift of LIFE through blood donation?

NHR Blood Drive

Wednesday, December 21, 2011 9:30am-3:30pm

123 West Road, Pleasant Valley Call Lauren at 845-473-3000 ext. 316 to sign up!

United Way Thanks You by Jenn Wells I am happy to announce that this year we were able to raise $2766.00 for the United Way!

Considering the tight economic times we are in I think this is amazing and I thank all of you who

chose to give to this cause! Based on the United Way's calculations of $1 turning into $12 worth of food for a local food bank our donations could be turned into over $33,000 worth of food for a

food bank!!! INCREDIBLE!

Thank you again, from the bottom of my heart, to all those who gave and all of those who took the time to get this message out to the people you work with!

Birthdays at New Horizons in December

Page 4 Inside NHR

Jayne is thorough. Her knowledge of each and every rule ever made by man is legendary. Ask her anything, whether related to program services or human resources, and she can give you all the details. She is not one to rush a thought process; Jayne will analyze, and then analyze some more about the best strategy. She cares deeply and wants to get it right. Jayne is patient. Jayne’s plans of action are always presented with respect and integrity. She will thoroughly explain what needs to occur, then teach us, and teach us some more and continue explaining until we all “get it.” (After all, any person that is mentoring me has to have the patience of saint.) Jayne is constant. Jayne’s expectations supersede providing quality services; she believes that everybody deserves a home, family, and caring professionals to assist in the pursuit of personal dreams. Over the twenty plus years I have known her, as New Horizons grew and Jayne’s re-sponsibilities grew, she has never wavered in her commitment to those beliefs. (Never, not even when she suffered head trauma in a skiing accident. That was a reckless and dangerous expedition; and I might add that Jayne did fail to adequately deliberate, analyze and safety assess such an activity before approving this planned outing for herself.) Jayne Violon sees the good in ALL people, and (while this is exasperating at times) this ability speaks to her constancy, her patience, and her unwavering commitment to helping each of us achieve our personal best. Jayne’s dedication, compassion, and integrity are the special qualities that I respect and try to emulate, and the qualities that ensure that the individuals New Horizons Resources, Inc. supports have meaningful life experiences.

“What are we teaching the guys?” “How can we assist them in fulfilling their lives?” Who said one person can’t make a difference?

2011 Goldman Award Winner, continued

Trivia Question of the Month

A. One Thousand

Happy 90th Birthday to Marie Cain, who celebrated her birthday with friends and family on Saturday, October 22. Marie looked beautiful and enjoyed her special day and her party, given to her by the staff at Thorn-wood. Marie proudly showed her family her home, enjoyed great friends and food, and of course....celebrated with cake and presents. Marie loved her presents, enjoyed chocolate cake, and was even serenaded by Pearl (who could not wait to sing "You are My Sunshine." ) But the biggest surprise of all, was the gifts of love. Her family had childhood pictures located (in Wisconsin) restored and framed, which she proudly has displayed in her bedroom!

Happy 90th Birthday, Marie!

Page 5 Inside NHR

William Peter Wildbrett, or "Bill" as he liked to be called was born at

home on March 7, 1932 and died Saturday November 12, 2011 at

Kingston Hospital with loved ones by his side. He was the only son of

Peter Wildbrett and Christine Morath. Both of Bill's parents emigrated

separately from Austria-Hungary to the United States. They met,

married and settled in Beacon, NY in the early part of the 20th century

and raised their son Bill in a German speaking home. Bill attended

Spring Street School in Beacon, NY from age 6-14. After school Bill

lived at home with his parents where he helped them with the family

poultry business for 23 years. In his youth, Bill was also a member of the Boy Scouts.

When his mother's health was failing Bill moved from his family home into various group

living situations. At the time of his death Bill was living at the Canal Path Residence in High

Falls NY. Since he left the farm he has worked at Rehab Programs Inc in Poughkeepsie, NY

and enjoyed his retirement at the UG-ARC Day Hab in Wawarsing, NY.

Bill had remarkable, sparkling, baby blue eyes. When he was at a loss for words the twinkle in

his eyes could tell you exactly what he was thinking. Bill was a quiet, private man for most of

his life. He enjoyed being outside with nature and loved animals. Bill had a calm way about

him. When he was able, one of his favorite pastimes was hand feeding the deer in the yard. He

was fluent in both German and English and enjoyed music, literature and food from his Ger-

man culture.

Bill is preceded in death by both of his parents Peter (1965) and Christine(1975)

as well as his cousins Lewis Schiller and wife Madelyn. Though Bill's biological

family passed before he did, he was well cared for and loved for many years by

people who have become his chosen family, especially those at UG-ARC and New

Horizon's Resources. Bill's friends and family stood by his side and assured that

he always had whatever he needed to maintain a rich and fulfilling life. He may

not have always been able to say thank you...but it was there...in the twinkle in his eye.

In Loving Memory : William Wildbrett

Page 6 Inside NHR

Staff Appreciation!

Jon Taub, Deer Run, got a new shed, courtesy of his brother!

He has a lot more room now so he can get all of his garden equipment (lawnmower, etc.) under

cover.

He is so proud of it that you can see he is beaming!!

Stacey Alexander, Administrative Counselor at Deer Run, celebrated 20 years with NHR!

From left to right: Mona Nixon, Rebecca McNally,

Stacey Alexander, Cheri Galindo, Cathy Civile, and Chris Rodriguez

Not pictured are Susan Greenidge and

Shanue Snyder who also celebrated anniversaries with NHR, both 5 years!

Lynda DiPressi, DSP-C at Gerry Road, celebrated 5 years with NHR!

From left to right: Roxanne McLaughlin, Kathy Atwood,

Lynda DiPressi, Kieran Blauvelt, and Verona West

Bill Beattie, Associate Executive Director, celebrated his 30 year

anniversary!

Page 7 Inside NHR

On Thursday, October 27th, at the NYSACRA Regional DSP Conference, Mary Miller (DSP at Mountain View) and Lindsey DuPont (DSP at Pinewood) were recognized for being exemplary DSPs!

A few weeks later, two more NHR DSPs were honored during the Extraordinary Caregivers Recognition Programs, sponsored by the School of Social Welfare at SUNY Stony Brook. Lorraine DeNunzio (DSP at Unionvale) and Joseph Parker (DSP at Day Hab) were among a group of DSPs selected from the Taconic five-county region.

The Extraordinary Caregiver Recognition Program was conceived by NYS Assemblyman Peter Rivera, chairman of the Committee on Mental Health, who said that “the best way to change the world is through education.” Dr. Frances Brisbane, Dean of the School of Social Welfare at SUNY Stony Brook, designed the program to recog-nize and support caregivers who assist people with developmental disabilities. The purpose is twofold: proper acknowledgement of the contributions of DSPs and a challenge posed to DSPs to continue their own professional development.

Congratulations to Mary, Lindsey,

Lorraine, and Joe!

NHR DSPs Recognized for Exceptional Service

From left to right: Chris Fortune (NYSACRA Vice Pres-ident), Mary Miller, Lindsey DuPont, and Yolanda

Peaches Conquest (president of DSPANYs)

From left to right: Joseph Parker and Lorraine DeNunzio

In November, AJ Diacone, Canal Path, attended the train

show in Kingston.

AJ loves trains and model trains so, in November, he attended the train show in

Kingston.

He is pictured, at left, outside the show with a train!

Page 8 Inside NHR

One of the most celebrated newspapers in the world has been excoriating the serious failures in New York State’s services for people with develop-mental disabilities all year long. Is there any opportunity that our service system can grasp while being pummeled? Yes. We are being forced to return to our fundamental principles regarding the inherent worth of eve-ry human being and reconfigure our commitment to making civil rights come alive every day. The New York Times has very appropriately pointed its forefinger to the definition of quality at the point of service instead of in policy and standards compliance. This newspaper has unearthed some rotten aspects of our service system and shoveled them into our faces. Is there anything left for them to do? Indeed, there is. We encourage them to examine very carefully our system’s preparation of the direct support personnel who are at the heart of every single ugly incident they identify. Danny Hakim and Russ Buettner, investigative reporters from the New York Times, published on NOV 5 another article in a series about abuse, systemic failure and unwarranta-ble deaths in services licensed by the NYS Office For People With Developmental Disabilities (OPWDD). Using the Freedom Of Information Law (FOIL), Hakim and Beuttner gained access to thousands of records from which they wrote “In State Care, 1200 Deaths and Few Answers.” The deaths of persons with developmental disabilities they concentrated on in this recent investigation were the following: drowning in bathtubs, choking, and fires. The New York Times secured data on 7,118 instances of death over the past decade. Next to “natural causes,” the largest number of deaths in the service system are “unknown.” The average age of these unexplained deaths was 40. Critical of the system of service, the New York Times reporters pointed out that there are State agencies that track deaths and cannot even agree on the number of deaths in a given period of time. Further, trends of fatal incidents have not been identified so that the service system is required to pay closer attention to and receive training on prevention measures. New York State is deficient in learning and teaching lessons appropriate to these experiences. There is “no uniform training for the nearly 100,000 workers at thousands of state and privately run homes.” In particular, there are glaring shortcomings in the training on safety standards. OPWDD Commissioner Courtney Burke admitted to a “culture of non-reporting” and pledged to have better data on those deaths. Examples cited by the reporters are: In 2005, a 41 year old man with quadriparalysis, requiring constant supervision while

bathing, drowned because the direct support staff left him unattended for 15 minutes;

New York Time Should Probe Further by Regis Obijiski

Please turn the page to continue reading this article!

Page 9 Inside NHR

Over the past 10 years, 222 persons with developmental disabilities choked to death while eating because staff did not take the proper precautions necessary to obviate these preventable deaths;

and in 2009, four adults with developmental disabilities perished in a group home fire in the Adirondack town of Wells; the causes were lapses in fire safety.

The shocking realities of these incidents are indefensible. However, amassing better data, trending the incidents, and turning the system into an organization that learns from its mistakes and enforces reporting compliance are only small parts of the solution. The data, the regulations, and the standards compliance are only as effective as the direct support personnel evident in every one of those incidents. There are three fundamental questions that need to be raised and answered. The first is obvious. The other two are not.

Who is the target of 99 % of all abuse/neglect/mistreatment incidents? Direct support staff.

Who are these people and what are their capabilities and their value? What do we want direct support staff to be?

Joseph Macbeth, executive director of the National Alliance for Direct Support Professionals (NADSP), in a letter to the editor of the New York Times reflects on the well-intentioned and under-prepared people who assume the challenging 24/7 responsibility of supporting individuals with developmental disabilities. NADSP, he asserts, “strongly advocates for the training and credentialing program for direct care professionals build on universal skills and a code of ethics. Anything else will continue to fall short.” OPWDD’s Commissioner Burke chaired a Talent Development Design Team that generated a comprehensive list of competencies that mirrors the NADSP Code of Ethics and the nationally validated Community Support Skills Standards. The resulting competencies are comprehen-sive and respectful of the breadth of responsibilities that a direct support staff member shoulders. The most recent draft composed by a panel of brilliant practitioners lists 25 competency areas, 62 related skills and 223 allied task statements. I dare say that any non-direct support professional in the field of developmental disabilities could not meet 75% of the stated expectations on their best day. The life and death demands of this job are enormous, the preparation is very deficient, the assigned status of the position vastly understated, the accountability crushing and the compensation pitifully inadequate. The credentialing of direct support staff must begin in earnest now in order to remediate the problems described in the The New York Times and also in The Poughkeepsie Journal. If we value people with developmental disabilities as much as we claim, the leadership in the field of services and supports as well as State elected officials must fundamentally address who direct support staff are and incrementally introduce credentialing and ethical training for this position.

New York Time Should Probe Further continued

Page 10 Inside NHR

17th Annual Community Leadership Breakfast

The 17th Annual Community Leadership Breakfast was held on Thursday, October 27th at the Poughkeepsie Grand Hotel and Conference

Center. This year’s honorees are Barbara & Stephen Lumb and Tony Campilii and were chosen

by past recipients of this award.

This award is presented annually to individuals for their spirit, dedication and

leadership in fostering a better life for all residents of the Hudson Valley.

The Lumbs & Tony Campilii have all

dedicated their time and talents to many wonderful organizations in our area. If you would

like to read their bios, please visit our website.

Many thanks to our sponsors!

Ambassador Circle: Marist College Envoy Circle:

Gellert & Klein, P.C. Hudson Valley Federal Credit Union

KeyBank Karen & Roderick MacLeod

Marshall & Sterling Insurance Rhinebeck Savings Bank

Emissary Circle: Central Hudson Gas & Electric

HealthQuest Jackson Lewis LLP

The Poughkeepsie Grand Hotel

Above From Left to Right: Donna Reyer of Cablevision News interviews honoree Stephen Lumb, NHF Board President Roderick MacLeod, NHR Executive Direc-tor Regis Obijiski, NHF Director Beth Cookinham, Honorees Tony Campilii & Stephen Lumb. Lower Photo: Regis Obijiski poses with past honorees Roderick

MacLeod, Larry Hughes, F. Kennon Moody, Daniel Hickey, Sr., Eleanor & Martin Chartwat, Lisa Morris, Owen T. Clarke, Jr. and Timmian Massie. Seated: Stephen Lumb, Lorraine Roberts, Marie Tarver, Kathy Tallman, Mary Moody, Jackie Chatfield, Tony Campilii and George Decker.

Page 11 Inside NHR

Congratulations to the winner of the November Scavenger Hunt, Vicki Smith, IT Coordinator! Vicki, 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 December Inside NHR and find the answers to following 6 questions:

1. Who won the 2011 Goldman Award?

2. How much money did NHR raised for the United Way?

3. When and where is the December Blood Drive going to be held?

4. Name one DSP that was recently recognized for providing exceptional service.

5. Who were the honorees at this year’s Community Leadership breakfast?

6. How many SCIP recert classes are being offered in December?

Send an email with all 6 answers to Jerilynne Smith, HR Coordinator, at jlsmith@nhrny.org

by Friday, December 23rd. (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 Scavenger Hunt! By Jerilynne Smith

Page 12 Inside NHR

AMENIA—PART TIME Saturday 3pm-9pm, Sunday 11am-11pm, Monday 3pm-8pm STORMVILLE-FULL TIME Wednesday 1pm-11pm, Thursday 1pm-11pm, Friday 1pm-9pm, Saturday 9am-9pm CANAL PATH—FT—TEMP Thursday 3pm-11pm, Friday 3pm-11pm, Saturday 4pm-12am, Sunday 4pm-12am, Monday 4pm-12am JANSEN ROAD—PT—TEMP Thursday 12am-6:30am, Friday 12am-6:30am, Saturday 12am-am **due to the needs of the house and existing staffing patterns, NHR is seeking female candidates for this position.

UNIONVALE—FT—TEMP Wednesday 11pm-9am, Thursday 11pm-9am, Friday 10pm-8am, Saturday 10pm-8pm RES 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 RES HAB & 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.

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**

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!