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TRC is a member of The Arc, ACCSES, ANCOR, NISH, NYSACRA, NYSARC, NYSID, & NYSRA AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2012

TRC's 2012 Symposium extremely well receivedMajor changes are taking place and

drastic systemic legislative initiatives are anticipated in the near future that will im-pact, in unprecedented ways, the lives and aspirations of individuals with disabilities. Legitimate concerns and apprehension are matched by new challenges and opportuni-ties that will emerge for individuals, fami-lies and providers.

Those were among a number of themes arising from The Resource Center’s third annual TRC Symposium at Chautauqua, held July 31 and August 1. Day one of the symposium took place in the Athenaeum Hotel at Chautauqua Institution, while the second day brought the speakers from the first day to various TRC locations for in-formal discussions about some of the topics that arose during the main sessions.

The opening speakers were Patrick Gauthier and Bill TenHoor from Advo-cates for Human Potential, a Massachu-setts-based firm that works with govern-ments and community-based organizations across the country. They addressed the Af-fordable Care Act and the changes that will take place once it is fully implemented.

Under the Affordable Care Act, 32 million Americans who previously did not have health insurance will be covered. There will be no denial of coverage based on preexisting health conditions, and the lifetime cap on coverage will be eliminat-ed. The act calls for Medicaid eligibility to be expanded, though the Supreme Court’s decision decreed that States can opt out of the Medicaid expansion; in those states that choose to opt out, the Federal government will establish health insurance exchanges. New York State plans to fully implement the Medicaid expansion.

Integration of currently fragmented services and support is at the foundation of this legislation, along with the expecta-tion for accountability for health outcomes by integrating Accountable Care Organiza-tions’ responsibility with providers’ activi-ties and interventions.

At the end of the symposium, the guest speakers were given paintings created by indi-viduals in TRC’s Traumatic Brain Injury Program in Dunkirk. Pictured are, from left, sitting, speakers Edye Schwartz and Thomas Cook, with artist Justin Tallchief; and, standing, speaker Patrick Gauthier; artist James Spicer; speaker Bill TenHoor; artist Frank Luce; and speaker Jerr Boschee.

The old “fee-for-service” reimburse-ment model, in which health organizations such as The Resource Center were reim-bursed through Medicaid dollars for the care they provided, will be replaced by a capitated system that sets aside a certain amount of money to be spent on each per-son. New York State will determine what are the essential health benefits that will be available to Medicaid recipients, including individuals with disabilities.

“This form of managed care says there are no incentives until you make people well. You have to provide the right kind of care, in the right place, at the right time, for the right reasons,” Patrick said. “Provide better care, achieve better outcomes, for

less than that pot of money, and then you will share in the savings.”

Care will be provided through a “health home” model, in which people will access services through a health home provider that then will refer them to other provid-ers depending on what services they need. Patrick likened the approach to a bicycle wheel, with the health home at the center and related providers as the spokes. This system will allow for better communica-tion among all agencies, thus leading to en-hanced patient care.

The next presenter was C. Thomas Cook, the Executive Director of Rehabilita-

PHOTO BY RITA VARNEY-SMITH

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TRC News

Board Corner In MemoryNew members sworn in

Phyllis Jones and Barbara Stewart took the oath of office and officially joined The Resource Center's Board of Directors at the Board's August meeting.

Phyllis and Barb were elected to two-year terms at TRC's Annual Meeting in June. They replaced James Chimenti and Dr. Harry Glatz, who stepped down after serving for many years. Phyllis and Barb have previously served on the Board.

In other matters, the Board:Dean DiMaio, 58, passed away August 6. Dean had lived in the A-1 home at the Intermediate Care Facility on Foote Avenue and attended the Day Habilitation Program on Fluvanna Avenue, and he had received other supports from TRC throughout the years. His many pleasures in-cluded wearing shorts (year-round), cruising through car lots with his father, riding his four-wheel cycle, the outdoors, mowing the lawn, and Italian food. He relaxed by watching old

sitcoms and playing records. Dean loved people, from strangers to beloved family and friends. He possessed a strong work ethic, always asking, "Work today, honey?" He thrived on the praise of others. Dean enjoyed giving personal items to friends and family, most recently art projects he created at Day Hab. His family has suggested that contributions in Dean's memory be made to TRC.

Tammera Elder, 48, passed away Au-gust 3. Tammera had worked on TRC's government contracts at the Jamestown Work Center since 2002. She also was linked with the Passages Program. Tam-mera enjoyed spending time with her grandchildren, outdoor activities and holiday traditions. Her daughter Leigha Osborne is a Direct Support Professional

Robert E. Patterson, 55, passed away August 3. Robert had received supports from New Vi-sion Services for several years. He served in the U.S. Army. He was a huge rock and roll fan, particularly the bands Pink Floyd and Led Zeppelin, and was a fan of NASCAR driver Jeff Gordon. Robert enjoyed camping and spending time outdoors. He liked to restore classic cars, and for the past several years enjoyed commu-nicating with family and friends online.

Jo Carol Householder Madden, 57, died Au-gust 4. Jo worked for TRC from March 2004 to May 2007 as a Community Living Special-ist in the home on Fairmount Avenue in James-town. She was recognized in March 2006 for being instrumental in preparing residents and all needed equipment for evacuation. She was an advocate, attentive to consumer satisfaction, and adapted well to new methods and changes. Her father, John, is a Lifetime Member of TRC.

Doris Anderson, 66, passed away June 30. Do-ris lived in TRC's home on Harris Avenue before moving to the "Hunt Road" home, and she attend-ed Senior Adult Day Habilitation. She attended Jamestown Free Methodist Church and enjoyed the hymns and the people there. Doris volunteered at the Humane Society. Her family has suggested that contributions in Doris' memory be made to TRC.

learned from Executive Director Paul Cesana that TRC had held discussions with the New York State Office for People With Developmental Disabilities regarding the significant gap between what it costs TRC to provide services and the reimbursements the agency receives from the State. This dis-crepancy has worsened since the State eliminated the reim-bursement appeal process in June 2011.was updated by Paul on talks with State representatives re-garding the inadequate reimbursements TRC receives in its Transportation Program, particularly for Medicaid Waiver Day Habilitation Services. Paul said that while some prog-ress has been made, unresolved issues remain.was informed by Paul about developments pertaining to mov-ing the OPWDD service delivery system toward a Managed Care model, as well as developments among organizations interested in establishing a DISCO (Developmental Disabili-ties Individual Support and Care Coordination Organization) to administer the new Managed Care system.was updated by Paul about the U.S. Supreme Court's decision regarding the Affordable Care Act and some of the implica-tions for people with disabilities and their families.was informed by Paul about the progress realized with the introduction of a Care Management process within TRC's Health Services and the outstanding results being achieved by the Care Management Coordinators.was notified by Paul about a meeting with the AbilityOne Commission concerning TRC's efforts to ensure compliance with ratios regarding work performed by people with disabil-ities, as well as initiatives designed to optimize employment opportunities (such as the establishment of a Rehabilitation Engineering Team, the engagement of the University at Buf-falo's Engineering School and a number of activities aimed at communicating available positions) in an attempt to increase preparation and on-the-job training for specific work stations.was told by Paul about the progress to date regarding poten-tial new business enterprise acquisitions.was informed by Paul about a number of changes required regarding the corporate membership of Chautauqua Connec-tions, Inc. The Board then authorized a number of actions necessary to support those changes.tabled a recommended reduction in third-shift staff at one home and requested additional clarifications and provisions regarding the proposal.voted to decline to renew a contract with OPWDD regarding operations at some homes because the contract terms were not favorable to TRC.approved the purchase of furniture and equipment as part of the relocation of the Finance Department to the second floor of the Dunham Avenue facility and the planned relocation of the Staff Training Center to Dunham.approved a number of contracts, applications and agreements.

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with the Senior Adult Day Habilitation Program. TRC is collecting money for a memorial contribution in Tammera's name to the Chau-tauqua County Child Advocacy Program. If interested in making a contribution, contact Mark Loomis, her Case Manager, at 661-1005.

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TRC News

TRC employees, service recipients, family members, and the general public are encouraged to submit nominations for the 24th annual Disability Awareness Awards.

The awards pay tribute to people with disabilities who have made significant strides in their personal lives. The awards also recognize individuals, businesses, or-ganizations, and others that have helped improve the lives of those with disabilities.

Nominations are due Monday, Sep-tember 10. Here is a listing of the award categories:

To submit a nomination online, go tohttp://resourcecenter.org/2012-articles/081512-awards.html.

A Selection Committee composed of volunteers from the community will meet to choose the award recipients. The awards will be presented at the Disability Aware-ness Awards Celebration on Wednesday, October 17, at the Dunkirk Moose Lodge.

The Awards Celebration is a wonder-ful event, and everyone is encouraged to attend. Additional information about the Awards Celebration will be available soon.

Remember: Although not everyone will receive an award, it is an honor to be nominated. TRC employees and service recipients, as well as family members and community members, are doing great things all of the time. Show people how much you appreciate the efforts of others by submitting one or more nominations.

If you have questions about the Dis-ability Awareness Awards Celebration or the nomination process, or if you would like a paper nomination form, contact Vic-toria Trass Bardo, Development and Events Manager for Filling the Gap, at 661-1477 or vicky.bardo@resourcecenter.org.

Advocate of the YearBruce Walford Community Service Award Community Support Award Allied Industries Customer of the Year Employer of the Year Health Provider of the Year Carl Cappa Humanitarian of the Year Edwin W. Roth Mental Health AwardOutstanding Achievement Success of the YearElmer Muench Volunteer of the Year

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Nominations for TRC's24th annual DisabilityAwareness Awardsare due September 10

Congressional visitExecutive Director Paul Cesana and U.S. Representative Tom Reed, right, listen as Gregg

Bender, Director of Business Operations, describes some of the products The Resource Center manufactures for the federal government. Beginning in January, Chautauqua County will be included in the Southern Tier Congressional district that Rep. Reed represents. He and mem-bers of his staff visited TRC on August 22 to tour the facility on Jones & Gifford Avenue, meet with TRC employees, service recipients and Board members, and learn about federal issues that are important to the agency, such as health care reform, Medicaid and employment of people with disabilities. Rep. Reed is seeking reelection this fall.

Transportation forumsClark Poppleton makes a point during a transportation forum August 8 at TRC's Admin-

istrative Offices in Jamestown. This meeting, and a forum two weeks later at TRC's facility on Lake Shore Drive in Dunkirk, were conducted to inform TRC service recipients, family mem-bers, caregivers, and staff that, due to inadequate reimbursement from New York State, TRC may have to make changes to its Transportation Program. Attendees were urged to work with TRC to advocate for more transportation funding from the government and to devise solutions to the transportation challenges. Clark, who worked for TRC for 28 years before retiring in 2008, is helping TRC in this effort.

PHOTO BY JANE YOUNG

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TRC News

“I want to keep improving on my job and become more inde-pendent. I earn money and can make decisions on how I want to spend my money. I have a checking account and a credit card. I budget my money and pay my own bills, buy my own clothes and plan vacations,” Jenn told the audience at the United Nations. “It makes me feel better to have money I earned. Through my employ-ment I have met many people and made many friends. I hope some day all disabled people will be able to have a job and earn their own money. That would make them feel good.”

Other key participants in the session were:

Employment is important to everyone. While most people are generally able to obtain work, the majority of people with dis-abilities who want to work are instead unemployed. A TRC service recipient recently had the opportunity to share her employment ex-periences at a United Nations special session on the employment of people with disabilities.

Jennifer Yost was selected to travel to New York City to speak at the U.N. Headquarters after event organizers asked The Resource Center to participate in the special session. The session was titled “Employment — The Key to Social Inclusion for People with Dis-abilities” and was intended to emphasize how critical employment is not only to the personal, economic and developmental well being of people with disabilities, but also to governments and commu-nities. The session was coordinated by The Rehab Group, an or-ganization supporting people with disabilities in several European countries, which had participated and contributed to “The Resource Center Symposium at Chautauqua” in 2011.

Jenn Yost gives testimony at United Nations hearingPaul Cesana, Executive Director

Jenn Yost addresses the audience at the U.N. hearing.

PHOTO BY PAUL CESANA

Serving as the reference point for the session was Article 27 of the U.N. Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, which addresses the rights of all individuals, including those with disabilities, to seek and obtain employment, and which articulates provisions that all nations ought to integrate into their constitution-al, legal and sociopolitical constructs to ensure the equal employ-ment of people with disabilities.

The session was chaired by Daniela Bas, the Director of the U.N. Department of Economic and Social Affairs’ Division for So-cial Policy and Development. Ms. Bas has had to use a wheelchair since becoming paraplegic as a child as a result of a tumor on her spine, so she understands well the many challenges facing people with disabilities, including barriers to employment.

Jenn, who has Down syndrome and who has been employed since 1996 with support from The Resource Center, spoke about her experiences in seeking, obtaining and then losing employment, and the devastating impact of being without a job for an extensive period. She discussed how important employment is in her life. Her employment provides Jenn with opportunities to establish rela-tionships with people who she otherwise would not be able to meet, and her job brings fundamental purpose to her daily life routine. As importantly, the earnings from her employment allow Jenn to plan for a number of personal and community activities, including taking family and friends to dinner, and to have personal belongings for simple things such as owning and using her own cell phone.

During an open panel discussion following the presenters, Paul Cesana, TRC’s Executive Director, remarked how Dr. Alaskara’s theme of “harmonizing” the efforts and commitments of the many stakeholders — from governmental entities, to educational and academic institutions, to private corporate entities, to non-profit mission-driven organizations, and to people with disabilities and their families — is most critical if societies are to make substantial progress in what remains an abysmal record in many countries, in-cluding developed nations such as the United States, where 70 per-cent of people with disabilities are unemployed or underemployed.

The proceedings from the session on disability employment will be included in a declaration to the U.N. General Assembly on promoting productive capacity and decent work to eradicate pov-erty in the context of inclusive, sustainable and equitable economic growth at all levels.

Visit www.resourcecenter.org and you can read Jenn's speech as well as an account of her trip to New York City.

Andrei Abramov, Chief of the Non-Governmental Organiza-tions (NGOs) branch of the Office for ECOSOC Support and Coordination. (ECOSOC is the U.N.’s Economic and Social Council.) He referenced the key provisions of Article 27 of the U.N. Convention and the key aspects that pertain to govern-ments, to their constitutional and legal provisions, and to social and political objectives that are critical to ensure access to em-ployment by people with disabilities.Angela Kerins, Chief Executive Officer of The Rehab Group. She spoke of the experience of the Republic of Ireland in devel-oping a comprehensive and effective national structure that in-cludes all key stakeholders. Such structure is essential to ensure successful access to employment for people with disabilities.Dr. Heidi Alaskara, Saudi Arabia’s head of disability employ-ment. She highlighted successful initiatives undertaken by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to support the educational and skills acquisition process of children and youths with disabilities in anticipation of their work aspirations, as well as the practical support to employers, in order to create awareness of the ben-efits associated with employing people with disabilities.Jan Spooren, Secretary General of the European Platform for Rehabilitation. He emphasized the critical interplay and invest-ment in not only supporting people with disabilities to seek and obtain employment, but, as importantly, in supporting and facil-itating the commitment and expectations of employers to pro-vide work to people with disabilities. Mr. Spooren elucidated the varying experiences of the different nations of the European Union in establishing among employers quota demands on em-ployment of people with disabilities, and he documented the high benefits in providing employment against the high cost to governments and communities of not investing and supporting employment of people with disabilities.

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TRC News

TRC Night at the Ballpark

Putting contest winnerJennifer Yost poses with, from left, Dan Reininga, the President and Chief Executive Officer

of Lake Shore Savings; Gregg Bender, TRC's Director of Business Operations and the Chair of the TRC Golf Classic Steering Committee; and Paul Cesana, TRC's Executive Director and the Honorary Chair of the tournament. Jenn bested 22 other competitors to win the annual Special Olympics putting contest at the TRC Golf Classic, held August 13 at Moon Brook Country Club. For her victory, Jenn received a Moon Brook pullover. Each of the contestants received a 2012 TRC Golf Classic ball cap. Lake Shore Savings was the presenting sponsor of the 16th annual tournament, which raises money for TRC Foundation.

PHOTO BY ALLISON REEFER

PHOTO BY JANE YOUNG

Maria Jacobson poses with Greg Peterson before throwing the ceremonial first pitch be-tween games at the August 6 Jamestown Jammers double-header. Each summer, The Resource Center holds a “TRC Night at the Ballpark” and gives employees, service recipients and Board members tickets to a game. The night is dedicated to Greg, a local attorney and baseball fan who has served on the Boards of Directors of The Resource Center and TRC Foundation for 35 years.

Person-Centered Thinking to be primary focus of TRCEducational Conference

Person-centered thinking will be the theme when The Resource Center holds its fifth annual Educational Conference on Wednesday, September 19.

The 2012 conference is titled "Person-Centered Thinking — Looking Inside Out" and will be held in TRC's Administrative Offices on Dunham Avenue.

The keynote speaker is Bob Sattler of Support Development Associates, a Mary-land-based company. His presentation is titled "The Time Has Come to BE Outside the Box" and will help people think differ-ently about how supports are provided.

Also scheduled to speak is Leigh Ann Creaney Kingsbury, the Chief Executive Officer of InLeadS Consulting and Train-ing in North Carolina. Her presentation is titled "Getting Out of the `Typical Meeting' Trap: Using Facilitation Skills for Better Planning" and will focus on getting people to be on the same page.

The afternoon presentation will be made by Randy Vance, Laurie Cirillo and Cathie Illenberg of Crystal Run Village, which supports people with developmen-tal, psychiatric and physical disabilities in the Hudson Valley and Catskills regions of New York State. They will share the suc-cesses and struggles they have experienced in adapting a person-centered approach to provide supports to the people they serve.

The conference will begin with reg-istration from 8:00 to 8:45. The keynote presentation will begin at 9:00. The confer-ence is scheduled to end at 4:30.

For the public, the registration fee is $85. The registration fee includes a light breakfast and a boxed lunch.

TRC will cover the cost of employees who attend the event. If interested in at-tending the Educational Conference, check with your supervisor.

A grant from the New York State De-velopmental Disabilities Planning Council will provide scholarships to cover the reg-istration fee of family members wishing to attend the Educational Conference. For in-formation, contact Paula Johnson in TRC's Staff Training Department at 485-7219 or at paula.johnson@resourcecenter.org.

To register, go to TRC's web site at www.resourcecenter.org. A paper registra-tion form is available by contacting Paula.

Other activities going on that day will include a display of paintings created by people with disabilities in TRC’s “Cre-ations” art program as well as a display from the Museum of disABILITY History.

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TRC News

tion for Wisconsin in Action, a collection of organizations support-ing 75,000 Wisconsin residents with disabilities and economic dis-advantages. Tom talked about what New York State can learn from the experiences of Wisconsin and other States in implementing managed care to support people with developmental disabilities.

He said the managed care approach appeals to States seeking to obtain budget stability. Through managed care, States can limit their financial risk by passing on to contractors (managed care orga-nizations) the responsibility for providing care to Medicaid popula-tions.

Tom stated that as New York State embarks on the managed care path for providing supports to people with disabilities, all stakeholders need to come together to build the system, and that payments to providers must be based on the actual costs they incur in providing services.

He concluded his remarks by saying that managed care is not necessarily a better or less-expensive way to provide services to people with disabilities.

“Managed care is not a panacea,” he said. “In our experience, it actually has reduced choice” for people with disabilities.

During lunch, a panel presentation brought together three people with a range of disabilities who receive supports from The Resource Center, and they shared glimpses of their personal sto-ries with the audience. First to speak was Edward Christensen, who participates in TRC’s Passages PROS (Personalized Recovery Oriented Services) Program in Jamestown. The Passages Program provides people with mental health challenges a variety of individu-alized services aimed at helping them become functioning, contrib-uting members of the community.

“Before I finally found the Passages PROS Program, I spent my life from the age of 8 until 50 trying to find my place in this world. I fought alcoholism, drug abuse and my own mental and emotional problems,” Ed told the audience. “Thanks to Passages PROS, I have learned so much about myself and others with the same, and different, problems in our lives that make us hide in an alcoholic or drug-induced state or literally hide from other people. I’m getting stronger mentally, emotionally and physically every day.

“I can’t say `thank you’ enough to all of the counselors, peer support, doctors, nurses, and all of my new, lasting friends from Passages PROS. Thank you for helping me understand better where I came from, who I am and the endless opportunities out there for all of us.”

Next to speak was Jocelyn Monaco, who lives in TRC's home on Cole Avenue in Jamestown and works at the Jamestown Work Center. She shared how she enjoys to travel, having taken recent trips to Nashville (where she had her photo taken with last year’s American Idol winner, Scotty McCreary) and to Disneyland.

“I like to go everywhere,” said Jocelyn, adding that this in-cludes spending time with her family, especially at holidays.

At her job, she assembles boxes, part of the subcontracting work TRC performs for area manufacturers. But Jocelyn said her other, favorite job is delivering mail to staff at the Work Center.

Next to speak was Andrew Lockwood, a young man who is on the autism spectrum. Andrew spoke proudly about how he graduat-ed from Jamestown Community College with an associate’s degree. He has found a job at Truck-Lite in Falconer, while he is pursuing his dream of becoming a published writer.

Andrew gave part of the credit for his accomplishments to his mother, Julie McCarthy, who is a member of TRC’s Board of Di-rectors. At her son’s urging, Julie shared some of her experiences of raising Andrew, who was diagnosed with Asperger’s syndrome when he was 12 years old.

“It’s been a journey with Andrew,” said Julie, remembering the bullying her son endured as a child, “all because of something he had no control over. When you have a challenge or a disability, you draw attention to yourself.” She recalled the day her son came home from school and said, “Mom, I think they forgot about me. No one picked on me today.” To which she responded, “Andrew, that’s the way it’s supposed to be.”

Julie said she feels blessed to be Andrew’s mother and shared the excitement she feels over how his life is developing.

“He’s living within his community, and it’s because of pro-grams at The Resource Center that he is able to do that.”

The first post-lunch speaker was Dr. Edye Schwartz, the Di-rector of Systems Transformation for the New York Association of Psychiatric Rehabilitation Services, a coalition of providers and peers. She spoke about the changes taking place in the mental health delivery system in New York State.

To provide more effective care at a reduced cost, and in a way that focuses on people with mental health challenges, New York State’s Medicaid Redesign Team created Regional Behavioral Health Organizations (BHOs.) Under the BHO initiative, New York State is scheduled to move from a fee-for-service system to a fully capitated and integrated managed care system in 2014. The BHOs are intended to improve the coordination and delivery of be-havioral health care in a way that also is linked to the broader health care, rehabilitation and housing systems.

A key component of the new system will be the health homes, whose goals will be to integrate care across mental health, substance abuse and medical systems; assure that individuals have a meaning-ful choice for services among the providers comprising the health home; reduce health care costs, hospital admissions and emergency room visits; and meet quality measures.

“We’re looking for proper services that really listen to people and provide what they need,” Edye said. “It’s up to the providers and the consumers to create a system that saves money but gives people what they want.” Those challenged by mental illness want recovery, which she defined as “developing new meaning and pur-pose beyond the mental health issue.”

She said the new system will reward those providers who are able to be entrepreneurial and develop effective collaborations with new partners and payers.

The notion of entrepreneurship was a key focus of the day’s final speaker, Jerr Boschee, the founder and Executive Director of The Institute for Social Entrepreneurs, located in Dallas. He en-couraged not-for-profit agencies to identify and develop business strategies that have a double bottom line — “having a financially viable organization and a significant social impact on the people they serve.”

Jerr said that in order to have a secure future, not-for-profits such as The Resource Center must strive to become self-sufficient by generating the money they need through earned income alone. TRC has been moving in this direction through the operations of its Work Centers, which last year did more than $50 million in busi-ness for a variety of Federal, State and private customers.

And that is part of the key to TRC’s ability to become a self-sustaining social enterprise. The agency has hundreds of people with disabilities who want to work, and while many of them have jobs (either with TRC or in the community, thanks to The Resource Center’s efforts and support), many are unemployed or underem-ployed.

“We have an available labor source that no one else is using,” Jerr said of the individuals with disabilities supported by TRC. “We have to find a way to use them.”

Symposium continued from page 1

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Providing employment to people with disabilities not only ben-efits the workers; it also is good for the economy. Jerr was involved in a 1982 study that determined the average job has a $52,000 an-nual effect on the economy, when taking into account the welfare payments that don’t have to be paid to a person when he or she has a job; his/her wages; the money spent by that person at other busi-nesses; and the taxes the worker pays. Adjusting for inflation, Jerr said that today, the average job has a $133,000 annual impact on the economy. Over a 40-year work career, that equates to a $5 million impact!

Following Jerr’s speech, Dr. Todd Jacobson, the President of TRC’s Board of Directors, thanked the presenters for coming to the Symposium. “It’s been such a pleasure to have such excellent speakers here. You will help us adopt a plan for the future,” Todd said. “The Resource Center has always been a very innovative and involved agency.”

After the Symposium’s first day wrapped up, R. Michael Goldman, Esq., the Secretary of TRC’s Board, gave a walking tour of Chautauqua Institution that ended at his home, where he and his wife, Barbara, held a reception for the speakers. Anne Hedin, Clinical Audiologist in TRC’s Diagnostic and Treatment Center, helped host the event.

The following morning, the five main speakers held breakout sessions to discuss some of the themes that arose during the sym-posium’s first day. The groups then gathered at TRC’s Conference Center to recap the morning sessions.

Heather Brown, TRC’s Assistant Executive Director for Pro-gram Operations, facilitated the session with Patrick Gauthier and Bill TenHoor. She said much of the discussion focused on develop-ing the clinical pathways that will determine the services people with disabilities receive in the integrated, managed care environ-ment. “It comes down to navigation and helping people get what they need,” she said.

Drawing on Jerr Boschee’s message from the first day, Patrick encouraged The Resource Center to develop, as a social enterprise, a “highly replicable model that other folks in other States need” when it comes to delivering services to people with disabilities. “Exporting what you do is good for them (other States) and good for you.”

Bill concurred, suggesting TRC become a leader in tying to-gether social services and health services.

Denise Jones, TRC’s Associate Executive Director and Chief Operating Officer, reported that Tom Cook’s morning session fo-cused on managed care organizations and the expanded use of tech-nology to improve the lives of people with disabilities.

Tom emphasized that service providers must educate their stakeholders on the changing landscape of services to people with disabilities. “It’s important that people keep up with what’s go-ing on so they can be proactive,” he said. He urged TRC to work closely with its State-wide associations and other regional providers so that there is a united voice on issues as they come up.

“You can’t do this alone,” he said. “Get a consensus with other organizations on your issues.”

Michelle Williams, TRC’s Director of Mental Health services, facilitated Edye Schwartz’s session, which focused on accountable care to people challenged by mental illness.

Edye said the stigma that continues to surround people with mental illness keeps them from being proactive in trying to get out into the community and strive for the kind of life they deserve.

“Sometimes it’s safer to be among people who aren’t going to pass judgment on you,” she said in explaining why people with dis-abilities tend to associate with themselves rather than taking advan-tage of all the riches of their community. “It’s not OK to be denied that kind of life because you have a mental illness, or any other type of disability.”

Michael Volk, TRC’s Director of Rehabilitation and employ-ment Services, facilitated Jerr’s session, where much time was spent discussing “the tightrope between money and mission” and the challenge to develop new ways to support people with disabili-ties that also will reap financial rewards.

Jerr said that as someone who has worked in the human service field for decades, he sometimes awakes in the middle of the night, wondering if his efforts have made a difference. He recounted his experiences working as a Peace Corps volunteer in a village in India in the 1960s. After he left, he for years wondered whether he had had an impact on the boys and young men of that village. When he went back to the village 25 years after he’d left, his hosts took him to see the school where he had taught. As they approached the school, Jerr was surprised to see a group of 28 of his former students, who had lined up to tell him about the positive impact he had had on their lives. He cherishes that memory, and it helps to inspire and energize him.

“My wish for you” Jerr told the audience at TRC as he con-cluded his remarks, “is that each of you have a village.”

Paul Cesana, The Resource Center’s Executive Director, orga-nized the Symposium and selected this year’s speakers. He thanked the presenters for helping to try to move TRC “in new directions that we didn’t think of before.” Paul expressed excitement over the vast number of opportunities awaiting TRC and said the agency needs in the coming years to enter into new ventures that can con-tinue to meet the needs and aspirations of the many individuals sup-ported by the organization.

“Not all will be successful, but we’ll assimilate the lessons learned and move forward to better ourselves in the future,” he said.

The Symposium was organized by Vicky Bardo, Development and Events Manager for Filling the Gap, and Michele Albaugh, Assistant Director for Staff Training and Development. A number of employees provided assistance during the event, including Jeff Eggleston, Internet Projects Manager; Tina Elliott, Administrative Assistant; Kathy Field, Associate Executive Administrative Assis-tant; Dominica Luzzi, Intern; Don Traynor, Staff Development Specialist; and Steve Waterson, Community Relations Director.

Additional discussion points from the guest speakers can be found on TRC's web site, www.resourcecenter.org. It is hoped that video clips of the speakers soon will be available online.

Paul Cesana, TRC’s Executive Director, addresses the audience during the Symposium’s first day. At left is sign language interpreter Janelle Krueger.

TRC News

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What does it take to be an astronaut?Representatives from NASA visited The Resource Center re-

cently to answer this question and to teach individuals with dis-abilities what it takes to be an astronaut through the “Train Like An Astronaut” program, designed to get people exercising and eating right.

The event, held at TRC’s Michael J. Raymond Center on Jones & Gifford Avenue in Jamestown, consisted of a short slideshow presentation, followed by training games. TRC service recipients and staff were excited as they learned about what it is like to live in space and answered questions about NASA, famous astronauts and space exploration. Laurie Abadie and Kathy Reeves of NASA have been traveling around the country to teach people about what it takes to be an astronaut and the importance of daily exercise and good nutrition in an astronaut’s routine.

At The Resource Center, attendees learned about what NASA does, what the engineers and astronauts do at NASA, and what NASA will be working on next. The audience also heard about astronauts’ daily routines when they are in space, including what special foods they eat, how they shower and sleep, and even how they go to the bathroom.

Ms. Abadie, a Southwestern High School graduate, and Ms. Reeves concluded the presentation by telling the participants that exercise is an important part of an astronaut’s preparation and rou-tine while living in the space station. They were met with cheers and claps when they asked the audience, “Are you guys ready to train like an astronaut?”

To wrap up the presentation, Ms. Abadie explained to the group what it takes to be an astronaut: “A lot of exercise. They have to stay in good shape! They gotta eat healthy … you’ve gotta want to explore!”

The presenters had three activities set up for the audience to do: “Mission Control” for balance training; “Agility Astro Course” for agility training; and “Speed of Light” for hand-eye coordination training. They explained how to do each activity, then broke the audience into groups to do the games.

For the balance training, led by Ms. Reeves, participants had to stand on one foot and try to throw a ball. The person catching the ball then would throw it to someone else. Many TRC service recipients and staff members enjoyed tossing the ball back and forth while trying to maintain their balance.

The agility training, led by Ms. Abadie, taught people how to maneuver around objects through a miniature obstacle course. Par-ticipants had to follow the arrows around turns and cones to try to walk to the finish line. Even those who could not walk around the course were able to join in with the help of staff and friends. Those who were watching cheered on the others as they made their way around the cones to the finish line.

The last activity was hand-eye coordination training, in which people had to catch a ruler and measure their quickness by looking at where their hand was on the ruler when they caught it. A chart was provided to help them find how quickly they caught the ruler by converting inches into seconds. Victoria Trass Bardo, Filling the Gap's Development Manager and the person who arranged the NASA presentation, led this group and helped the people catch the ruler as quickly as they could.

Staff and service recipients enjoyed the NASA presentation on how to train like an astronaut, as they listened to and learned from

Ms. Abadie and Ms. Reeves and cheered on their peers throughout the astronaut training activities.

TRC officials were grateful to have Ms. Abadie and Ms. Reeves come to the agency to work with people with disabilities and their support staff, and the two organizations are discussing additional collaborations.

“We are so excited that our connection and relationship with NASA may one day lead us to working with them on future projects on a national level,” Vicky said. “We thank the wonderful NASA representatives for taking the time to share their program with us.”

Staff, service recipients learn to "Train Like an Astronaut"Allison Reefer, Community Relations Intern

Vicky Bardo tests Mary Ford’s hand-eye coordination. In the background are Tim Hudson and Renee Summerson.

PHOTOS BY ALLISON REEFER

While others wait their turn, Aerospace Engineer Laurie Abadie guides Helene Walters through an obstacle course as part of the agility training exercise.

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A few months ago, Elida was introduced to a new opportu-nity, the DynaVox EyeMax System.

This device now helps give Elida the ability to utilize her eyes to select icons that speak words and phrases. Previously, Elida was using her cheek to communicate, but the EyeMax control has allowed her an easier and more efficient way of communicating.

This is one of the many new ways the agency is working toward incorporating technology to make each individual’s life more independent, fun, and meaningful.

Please refer to “Tech Corner” to find out what new technolo-gies are being utilized in the agency. Let’s all work together in an effort to focus on the people we serve and drive our mission of “Making a Difference in People’s Lives.”

Any questions or ideas, contact Katie Benedetto, Adaptive Equipment Coordinator, at 485-7200.

Tech Corner

Elida is happy with her new communication device.

Device allows woman to use eyesto operate communication device

Katie Benedetto, Adaptive Equipment Coordinator

Tips offered for communicating with people who are deaf

DO be aware that even a small hearing impairment can hamper a person’s ability to understand what you say.DON’T assume that a hearing aid corrects hearing loss.DO get the deaf person’s attention before you begin to speak.DON’T start speaking without it. It is perfectly acceptable to tap a person lightly on the shoulder or arm or to wave a hand, small piece of paper or cloth gently in the person’s direction to attract his/her attention.DO face the deaf person and maintain eye contact throughout the con-versation.DON’T talk directly to an interpreter, but always to the deaf person.DO stand close to the deaf person.DON’T let any object obstruct the person’s view of you, for example, don’t talk while you write on a chalkboard.DO make sure the deaf person can clearly see your mouth and face.DON’T eat, smoke, chew gum, or hold your hands in front of your mouth while you talk.

DO stand in a well-lighted place.DON’T stand with your back to a light source, such as a lamp or window. This throws your face into a shadow and makes it difficult to see clearly.DO try to converse in a quiet place.DON’T assume that background noise makes no difference.DO speak and enunciate clearly and normally.DON’T exaggerate your lip movements.DO use your voice.DON’T shout. Many deaf people can get some information through sound, but shouting distorts both the sound of words and the lip move-ments.

DO use facial expressions and body language to clarify your message.DON’T be embarrassed to be expressive.

DO be sensitive to whether the deaf person is understanding or just being polite and nodding without following what you’re saying.DON’T assume that a bland expression implies a deaf person is catching what you say.

DO write technical or difficult vocabulary on something the first time you present them.DON’T assume that a deaf person will be able to catch long or unusual words orally.

DO rephrase sentences that deaf people don’t understand.DON’T repeat the same words over and over in the same sequence.

DO equip your environment with TDD’s, television decoders, alarm flash-ers and other communication devices useful to hearing impaired persons.DON’T cut them off from the vital information these devices provide.

EDITOR'S NOTE: The following was submitted by Deb Long, a Cook at the Intermediate Care Facility on Foote Avenue, in advance of Deaf Aware-ness Week September 19-25.

The purposes of Deaf Awareness Week are: to educate communities about the many issues the deaf popu-lation faces every day, as well as to honor the history and culture of people who are deaf or hard of hearing;to become familiar with sign language and other ways people whop are deaf or hard of hearing communicate;to understand the functions of assistive devices used by peo-ple who are deaf;to better understand the interpreter's role;to learn about the types of educational programs and support services available to children who are deaf or hard of hearing;to become familiar with the services and resources available to people who are deaf and hard of hearing;to learn about communicating with deaf and h/h people;to recognize that deaf people can do anything except hear!

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When having a meeting where deaf staff is involved, an inter-preter should be notified. If an interpreter is needed, contact Nan-cy Ingram, Assistant Executive Director, at 661-1445 or at nancy.ingram@resourcecenter.org. If a meeting must be cancelled or postponed, notification must be given at least 24 hours beforehand, otherwise TRC may still have to pay for the interpreter's services.

Some DOs and DON'Ts for communicating with deaf people

TRC News

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Laurel Run enjoys another record year

For the awards presentation, the top three finishers in each age group in the 8k run and the 5k walk were given medals made by participants in the Future Strivers Group at The Resource Center’s “Alternatives” Day Habilitation Program in Jamestown. A number of persons with disabilities helped hand out the awards.

As the crowd began to disperse following the awards presenta-tion, some 50 people prepared to set out on the fifth annual Motor-cycle Dice Run. The route included stops at the Cassadaga Legion, the Ellery Center VFW, the War Vets Club near Jamestown, and the Westfield Legion before returning to Silver Creek. At each stop, participants were given a roll of the dice. Re-rolls cost $1, and people could re-roll as often as they liked.

Dice Run participants returned to Silver Creek for a barbecue. There also were prize drawings and a demonstration of a protective motorcycle bag made by Support Enterprises, which gave away one of the bags. After the barbecue, some Dice Run participants helped put away tables and chairs, and then the 2012 Laurel Run was over.

Laurel Run participants were given T-shirts made by Support Enterprises, as well as goody bags that were made by individuals at TRC’s Jamestown Work Center and that were filled with goodies by individuals at TRC’s Work Center on Lake Shore Drive in Dunkirk.

Event co-founders Wayne and Elaine Hotelling were pleased with how the 16th annual Laurel Run turned out.

“Thank you, thank you, thank you, everyone who was in atten-dance at Laurel Run this past weekend!” Wayne said. “There was a continual round of applause for the people who took part in Laurel's Lap this year. I was out along the track where all the participants were, and the smiles and the determination that was mirrored on their faces was so inspiring that I almost missed the noise from the finish line. It seemed to go on forever. This is truly what Laurel Run is all about – the crowd's response to those individuals showing their abilities to complete Laurel's Lap.

“Thanks to all — volunteers, staff, runners, walkers, sponsors, and those who were not able to attend but donated in some way to support the 16th annual Laurel Run. See you July 20th next year.”

Money raised through Laurel Run supports disability aware-ness and prevention initiatives. A portion of the Laurel Run pro-ceeds are used to provide employment and work training opportuni-ties for adults with disabilities.

It was another record year for TRC Foundation’s Laurel Run.A record 161 people participated in the 8-kilometer run July

21 in Silver Creek, with another 150 taking part in the 5k walk. Despite a summer that has featured hot and humid weather, walkers and runners were treated to relatively cool conditions.

In the 8k run, Chad Byler and Kim Vona enjoyed comfortable victories, with Kim claiming the woman’s title for the third straight year. Chad’s time of 27 minutes 47 second was 47 seconds better than the time posted by Raymond Graf. Justin Niebel was third in 28:57. Among women, Kim’s time of 31:21 was 1:03 better than that of Kimberly Turner. Kylee Witchey was third in 33:15.

Laurel Run awards prize money to the top three finishers in the 8k — $100 for first place, $75 for second and $50 for third. For the third consecutive tear, Kim donated her first-place prize money back to Laurel Run. Ray donated his prize money back to Laurel Run, as he did two years ago when he took third place. Thanks, Kim and Ray, for your generosity!

Determining results for the 5k walk was more difficult, as there were several challenges filed over whether people had walked the entire way or if they had jogged a portion of the course. In the end, first place was awarded to Ann Dolce with a time of 33:11 and Jake Proper with a time of 35:02.

The walk and run results can be found at www.laurel-run.com.In the team results, Tri-State Runners took first place in the

8k, followed by Niebel Realty, the Shiny Knights and the Rusty Knights. In the 5k, Team Proper took first place, followed by Jim White’s Truck & Auto Center and All Nerved Up.

The festivities for the 16th annual Laurel Run began with John Graham, who receives supports from The Resource Center, sing-ing the national anthem across the street from the Village Square, where most of the Laurel Run activities took place. Before, during and after the races, there was a party featuring free food; live music, first from Tony Pearl, “The Great Lakes Drifter”, and then by Adam McKillip, a finalist in this year’s Chautauqua Lake Idol Contest; face painting; massages; and raffle and auction tables.

After the 8k run, 5k walk and 1k fun walk concluded, children age 7 and younger gathered for the Fun Runs. After that, “Laurel’s Lap” was held, in which anyone with a disability was invited to take a lap around the track surrounding the ball field in downtown Silver Creek. Spectators applauded loudly as dozens of individuals with disabling conditions — some on their own, some with assistance from others — made their way around the track.

Following Laurel’s Lap, it was time for the awards presenta-tion. First to be recognized was Adrianna Fish, the Southwestern High School student who created the winning design in this year’s Laurel Run logo contest.

Next, the Laurel Run Spirit Award was presented to Tom Prop-er. Tom, who is employed alongside event namesake Laurel Hotel-ling at TRC’s Work Center on East Chestnut Street in Dunkirk, was selected for the award because he serves on the Laurel Run Plan-ning Committee, participates in the 5k walk (he took third place in his age group) and makes it possible for a friend to participate in Laurel’s Lap by pushing her wheelchair around the track.

As a side note, this year Tom had a friendly wager with Russ Beyer, the Production Coordinator at the Dunkirk Work Center, to see which of them would cross the finish line first. Russ, perhaps intimidated by Tom’s confident trash talking in the weeks leading up to the walk, arrived at the starting line late, enabling Tom to cruise to an easy victory. The two turned their competition into a fund-raiser for Laurel Run, generating $635.

Sitting atop her cycle, Laurel Hotelling and her mother. Elaine, head off with others at the start of the 5k and 1k walks.

PHOTO BY PAULA ARNTZ

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Marla and Benny pose before the Laurel Run Relay.

PHOTO BY JANE YOUNG

Benny has come a long way from the frightened pup that used to hide behind my legs. Now he allows con-sumers and staff to reward him with a treat after he fol-lows a command. He has become friends with Becky Bush, who used to be terrified of dogs. Benny gets excited when he sees her, and licks her nose. He is not complete-ly comfortable around people but is showing improvement as he matures.

I knew Benny would love to run the kickoff por-tion of the Laurel Run Re-lay. Maria Jacobson walked Benny to the starting point. When the signal was given to run — BAM! — he was off and smiling. He did great and only slowed down for the oc-casional fire hydrant. How-ever, he knows he shouldn’t run in the street, so he pulled me over to the sidewalk.

Benny participates in Laurel Run RelayMarla Gressley, Habilitation Specialist

Many staff and consumers have met my dog, Benny. He is a bundle of blonde curls and energy. His hobbies are the same as mine: kayaking, hiking, camping, biking, and swimming. Benny also loves to run. Trail running is his favorite, since he doesn’t have to wear a leash and there are plenty of chipmunks and squirrels to chase.

We ran from the TRC Pharmacy to the Park-N-Ride. Benny ran a faster pace than I and actually helped pull me up Main Street at one point.

Benny had a wonderful time and truly enjoyed himself. I’m sure he will run another kickoff run. Thanks to everyone for cheering him on.

The 2012 Laurel Run kicked off in grand style Friday, July 20, with the annual Jamestown-to-Dunkirk flag relay.

About 8:00 that morning, people began gathering inside The Resource Center’s Michael J. Raymond Center to enjoy an infor-mal breakfast that again this year was organized by individuals with disabilities and their support staff from TRC’s “Alternatives “ Day Habilitation Program. People talked excitedly about the relay run and the main events scheduled for the following day in Silver Creek. Adrianna Fish, the Southwestern High School student who designed this year’s Laurel Run logo, was on hand, and she had the opportunity to meet event namesake Laurel Hotelling and her parents, Wayne and Elaine.

At about 8:45, opening ceremonies began, with remarks given by Assemblyman Andy Goodell; Lisa Vanstrom, an Ellicott Town Council member who also is a representative for Senator Cathy Young; Paul Cesana, TRC’s Executive Director; Wayne and Elaine Hotelling; and two TRC service recipients, Surma Ayuso and Mi-chael Wilcox, who expressed their pride for those involved in Lau-rel Run and urged people to go outside the building to begin the relay.

Once outside, Laurel climbed onto the seat of her three-wheeled cycle, and she and a contingent of people made their way up the sidewalk to Eighth Street, where employees of TRC’s Pharmacy and Staff Training Center cheered them on. Senator Young joined the procession as it made its way up the sidewalk. Once traffic had subsided at the corner of Eighth and Jones & Gifford, TRC employ-ees Bruce Main and Marla Gressley (accompanied by Marla’s dog, Benny, and some runners from Maple Grove Central School) began the first leg of the relay, with a Jamestown Police escort. They car-ried flags announcing the fact that Premier Consulting Associates was the sponsor of this year’s flag relay.

The Laurel Run flags made their way north on Route 60, with runners from Sherman, Southwestern, Frewsburg, Maple Grove, Jamestown, Panama, Westfield, and Ripley taking turns carrying the flags. A Town of Ellicott Police cruiser took over from James-town, and then a Chautauqua County Sheriff’s cruiser took over from Ellicott. All of the cruisers had their lights flashing to alert passing motorists to the runners’ presence. At portions along the route, individuals with disabilities and their staff from The Re-source Center were positioned along the side of the highway, wav-ing homemade signs of encouragement and cheering on the runners.

Students and faculty members from Silver Creek took over the flags from Ripley and proceeded through Laona into Fredo-nia, where a police escort took them to a large group of runners from Fredonia High School. That combined group then was met in downtown Fredonia by about a dozen employees from the Lakev-iew Shock Incarceration Facility, located in Brocton. Each year, the Lakeview folks make a flag bearing that year’s Laurel Run logo, and they then lead the rest of the runners to the finish line while jog-ging in cadence. This year, the Lakeview contingent allowed about a dozen of the student runners to take turns carrying the Laurel Run flag as the group made its way along Central Avenue into Dunkirk, where it was joined by a Dunkirk Police cruiser for the relay’s final stretch.

Meanwhile, a group of about 100 people huddled under a tent in Washington Park, excitedly awaiting the arrival of the relay. While the light rain and cool temperatures were a slight annoyance to the crowd, the runners enjoyed the break from the oppressive heat that had gripped the area earlier in the week.

Rain fails to put a damper on Laurel Run RelayAs word passed through the crowd that the relay was approach-

ing, people came out from under the tent to greet the runners. A long, loud round of applause arose as the runners came into view and make their way to the park. Once there, the Lakeview contin-gent presented this year’s Laurel Run flag to the Hotellings. After-wards, everyone enjoyed pizza and ice cream provided by Mayor Anthony Dolce and the City of Dunkirk, which each year gracious-ly hosts a victory celebration in Washington Park.

We extend a huge “THANKS” to everyone who participated in the Laurel Run flag relay. Wayne and Elaine enjoy having students participate in the relay in hopes that by doing do, they are instilling in the youths an appreciation and respect for individuals with dis-abilities that will last a lifetime.

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DR. HOLLY BENSON DR. MEGAN TOMASSINI

TRC welcomes two new Physical Therapistsson’s interests include sports, horseback riding, crocheting, and playing musical instru-ments, while Dr. Tomassini cit-ed sports, exercising, outdoor activities, volunteering, and scrapbooking as her interests.

“We are very excited to have Megan and Holly on our highly skilled team of physical therapists," said Steve Ricz-ker, TRC's Director of Health and Health-Related Services. "Not only will they allow The Resource Center’s Physical Therapy Department to con-tinue service expansion; with their advanced education, they come equipped with the latest knowledge of effective thera-pies and technologies related to the field so we can better serve our patients.”

Dr. Tomassini practices in TRC’s facility at 75 Jones & Gifford Avenue in Jamestown, while Dr. Benson is located in TRC’s facility at 186 Lake Shore Drive West in Dunkirk.

TRC’s physical therapy offices are open Monday to Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., and later by appoint-ment. Most insurances are ac-cepted. For more information or to schedule an appointment, phone 661-1541 for the James-town office or 366-6125 for the Dunkirk office.

The Resource Center is pleased to announce the hiring of Dr. Holly Benson and Dr. Megan Tomassini as Physical Therapists in the agency’s Di-agnostic and Treatment Center.

Dr. Benson, a native of Conneaut, OH, graduated from the University of Toledo with a degree in athletic training before going on to obtain her Doctorate in Physical Therapy from Gannon University. Her areas of interest are sports med-icine and pediatrics, and she plans to expand her knowledge of adult neurology and wheel-chair management/mobility.

Dr. Tomassini is a James-town native who earned a Bachelor of Science degree from Daemen College, major-ing in natural/health sciences with a minor in biology. She also obtained her Doctor-ate in Physical Therapy from Daemen. Her main areas of interest are neuromuscular re-habilitation and orthopedic re-habilitation, with an emphasis on sports medicine.

TRC provides physical therapy and other health-related services to people with devel-opmental disabilities, but the services also are available to anyone in the community. Drs. Benson and Tomassini have relatives with developmental disabilities, and they said that this is one if the factors that led them to want to work at TRC.

“Growing up in James-town, I was familiar with the services that The Resource Center offered,” Dr. Tomassini said. “As a sister of a special young man with a rare genetic disorder, The Resource Center became a special place for not only my brother, but my fam-ily as well. I knew the mission of The Resource Center was to enhance the lives of those individuals with disabilities, and I want to continue that mission and provide optimal physical therapy services to those individuals of The Re-source Center, as well as mem-bers within the community.”

She added, “My brother has always been an inspiration to me and was one of the main reasons that I decided to enter the field of physical therapy. I wanted to not only be able to help him one day and enhance his quality of life, but also af-fect the lives of others and enhance their health and well-being.”

Dr. Benson learned of The Resource Center’s physical therapy program at her school’s job fair. “Since I'm not from the area, I found out by talk-ing with the staff about TRC what they are all about. Since I have a relative with a devel-opmental disability, TRC really interested me, and their goals to improve the quality of life for individuals with disabilities were very inspirational. I real-ly wanted to have a family-ori-ented and loving environment to work in, and after observing the staff and meeting some of the clients, I really felt TRC was for me.”

Both women come into their jobs with goals of improv-ing the quality of life of people with disabilities who are sup-ported by The Resource Center, as well as making the general public aware that TRC’s physi-cal therapy services can be used by anyone in the community.

“I would like to enhance the quality of life, health and well-being for the individuals that we serve here at The Re-source Center,” said Dr. Tomas-sini. “I would like to educate other department staff within the agency on the services that

physical therapists are able to provide and what our services mean to the people we serve. I would like to expand the physi-cal rehabilitation program to members within the local com-munity providing orthopedic rehabilitation services, sports PT and neuromuscular reha-bilitation services.”

Said Dr. Benson: “I hope to continue with TRC's goals to improve the quality of life for our consumers by providing the best physical therapy to our clients. Also, I hope to expand our Physical Therapy Program to outpatient clients outside of The Resource Center to reach out to the public by providing services to the Dunkirk and Jamestown area at The Re-source Center facilities.”

Both women lead busy lives outside of work. Dr. Ben-

HISTORICAL SCAVENGER HUNT

Residents of TRC's "Randall" home (from left, Tim Hudson, Mike Wilcox and Linda Bascom) pose with a person dressed as Governor Fenton during the "Finding Jamestown" scavenger hunt June 30. The event was organized by the Fenton History Center.

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Third annual Step Up for Autism takes place Sept. 22Plans are under way for the third an-

nual Step Up for Autism walk, to be held Saturday, September 22, in Celoron. The event is being coordinated by The Resource Center and TRC Foundation with support from parents and village officials.

The event will begin and end at The Resource Center’s Administrative Offices at 200 Dunham Avenue. Participants will walk to Lucille Ball Memorial Park on the shore of Chautauqua Lake, then return to The Resource Center (a total distance of about 1.5 miles) for food, children’s activi-ties, a cake auction and prize drawings.

Step Up for Autism was created after local parents lamented that there was no social skills training available in Chau-tauqua County for children with autism spectrum disorder. So in July 2010, The Resource Center established SUCCESS (which stands for Supporting, Understand-ing, Changing, Coping, and Everyday So-cial Skills), a program that helps children and young adults with autism learn social skills to enable them to better interact with the world around them.

In addition to raising money for the SUCCESS program, Step Up for Autism provides an opportunity for community members to show their support for people with autism by taking part in the walk.

The suggested entry fee is $20, but donations of any amount will be accepted; organizers just want to have a huge turn-out. Those paying the registration fee will receive a 2012 Step Up for Autism T-shirt and lunch the day of the event.

Registration begins at 9:00 a.m., with the walk scheduled to start at about 10:15.

There also is an opportunity for peo-ple to earn prizes for themselves by rais-ing money online for Step Up for Autism. Prizes range from a $20 gift card for raising $150 for Step Up for Autism, to a $100 gift card if you raise $550. For more info or to create a personal fund-raising web page, visit www.firstgiving.com/trcfoundation.

For more info, or to obtain registration forms or flyers, contact Tess Kerzner, Di-rector of Children's Services, at 661-1057 or at tess.kerzner@resourcecenter.org. Or visit www.stepupforautism.com.

You also can support Step Up for Au-tism by buying a paper jigsaw puzzle piece, writing your name on it and mounting it to the wall at your work location. The puzzle pieces cost $1 each.

People line up before the start of last year's Step Up for Autism walk.

PHOTO BY JANE YOUNG

Camp WeekCampers and counselors pose during TRC's annual week-long adventure at Camp On-

yahsa. About 70 individuals with disabilities attended camp August 19-24. Most of those who went to camp live in TRC homes, but thanks to a grant from the Jamestown Noon Rotary Club, nine individuals who live in the community had the opportunity to attend Onyahsa, overseen by counselors hired through New Vision Services. Pictured are, from left, front row, campers Grace Ribaudo, Elizabeth Ribaudo and Tess Kibbler, and counselor Jane Young; middle row, counselor Melissa Rasmussen and campers Erin Mikula, Ben Tillotson and William Prince; back row, counselor Bruce Main, campers James Danh, John Freeman and Paul Ribaudo, and counselor Ed Conway. Kevin Anderson and Karen Silzle served as Co-Chairs of this year's Camp Week. “The 2012 Camp Committee would like to express their sincere thanks to all the staff that worked so hard to make this year’s camping experience such a success," Kevin said. "The joy that this experience provides for the people that we serve is priceless.” TRC News was being prepared for publication during Camp Week. Additional photos and an article about Camp Week will appear in the next issue.

TRC News

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TRC service recipients Tom Cochran and Sue Pyszczek show off some of the vegetables they've picked in connection with TRC's participation in "Creating Healthy Places to Live, Work and Play", a New York State initiative that is being administered locally by the Chau-tauqua Health Network. This is TRC's second year participating in the project thanks to the efforts of Lee Hoffman, Habilitation Specialist at the Senior Adult Day Habilitation Program. This year, raised garden beds have been built at Senior Adult Day Hab and at TRC's home on Cole Avenue. A garden table has been built for the Day Hab on Hazeltine Avenue, and compost-ing bins have been purchased for the Michael J. Raymond Center. Soil has been purchased along with vegetable and fruit plants for the various sites. The supplies for the raised beds and garden table, along with the soil and plants, were purchased through a State grant. The beds and table were built by BOCES students. The vegetable gardens at Senior Adult Day Hab are “Giving Gardens”, and much of the produce has been donated to the St. Susan’s Center. The participants at Senior Adult Day Hab pick the produce and make the deliveries. TRC staff and service recipients also have been volunteering their time to care for the gardens at Washington Middle School during summer break. "This has been an excellent opportunity for TRC to par-ticipate and give back to the Jamestown community," Lee said. "Obviously that is a purposeful community activity for people with developmental disabilities, and like all of us that’s what they are looking for — to find purpose and meaning in their day and to be part of the Jamestown community. This has been a tremendous opportunity for The Resource Center to do that.”

Community gardening project

Toys for Tots Charity Ball will take place October 6

Tickets are on sale for the sixth annual Toys for Tots Charity Ball, to be held Satur-day, October 6, at the Robert Jackson Cen-ter, 305 East Fourth Street in Jamestown.

The event is a fund-raiser for the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve’s Toys for Tots drive in Chautauqua County. For the past 12 years, employees of The Resource Center have coordinated the Toys for Tots drive, making the holidays happier for underprivi-leged children. Last year, about 2,250 chil-dren received toys.

This year’s charity ball begins with a hors d’oeuvres reception at 7:00 p.m. At 8:00 there will be a variety show featuring several acts, with many TRC employees taking the stage. The theme of this year's variety show is "Music Through the De-cades." Scheduled performances include:

Tickets to the charity ball are on sale for $25 per person, and the cost includes hors d’oeuvres, dessert and the variety show. A cash bar will be available.

Tickets are available at TRC’s loca-tions at 200 Dunham Avenue and 880 East Second Street Jamestown. For more details or to purchase tickets, phone 661-1472.

Besides TRC, sponsors of this year’s event include Fessenden, Laumer & DeAn-gelo and Premier Consulting Associates.

a dance routine to Elvis Presley's Jail-house Rocka dance routine by TRC's Village Wom-en to songs by divas of the 1980sa dance routine to music by the Spice Girlsa dance routine to music by New Kids on the BlockBrian Hanna performing as Tom Petty Adam McKillip performing as Johnny CashLaura Cimino performing as Lady GagaKennadee Woods performing as Patsy ClineJason Williams and Jeff Kresge per-forming as the Blues Brothersa musical performance by Steve Ricz-ker, Carol Svensen and Curt BarnesTRC's famous Village People

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Man's self-advocacy effortslead to new doors at library

The last issue of TRC News detailed Chuck Hartson's efforts to have the Pren-dergast Library improve access for people with disabilities. Chuck's efforts paid off! http://www.post-journal.com/page/con-tent.detail/id/608613/Open-Sesame.html

TRC News

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Leanna Luka-Conley, left, and Christina Rosengren pose before some of the posters they use to teach the class.

PHOTO BY ALLISON REEFER

TRC offers healthy living instruction to persons with chronic conditionsAllison Reefer, Community Relations Intern

Christina agreed: “That’s where our whole health care system is moving any-ways, is really being integrated, being com-prehensive and really driving that goal of having natural supports, having caregivers that really understand the condition that you’re dealing with and you understanding the condition that you’re dealing with and take control of that, and knowing how to utilize those supports around you. The pro-gram really links people with each other.”

If you are interested in learning more about the class, you can contact Leanna at 661-1059 or Christina at 485-4681. Or, contact your primary care doctor or insur-ance company to be referred to the class.

The next class sessions offered through TRC will be held from noon to 2:30 Thursdays from September 27 to November 1 and from 1:00 to 3:30 Thursdays from November 8 to Decem-ber 20. Classes will be held in the Carl Cappa building on East Second Street in Jamestown.

Other community entities offer the class, giving people wanting to participate options that work with their schedules. “The classes are flexible. I don’t want peo-ple to think they’re always going to be dur-ing the day. There’s evenings. They can do a Saturday course,” Christina said.

She and Leanna hope that many more people will get involved with the class through TRC or one of the other facilita-tors. “What’s great about this is that we get to collaborate with other people out in the community,” Leanna said, “so it’s not just a TRC thing, it’s a community movement.”

A new class called “Living a Healthy Life with Chronic Conditions,” facilitated by Leanna Luka-Conley and Christina Rosengren, is being offered through The Resource Center in collaboration with P2 Collaborative of Western New York, Inc., an organization dedicated to improving the health of people living in the region.

The class is “an evidence-based pro-gram created by Stanford University that helps individuals better manage their chronic health conditions such as heart dis-ease, obesity and diabetes,” according to the program flyer.

Leanna, TRC’s Director of Social Ser-vices, and Christina, TRC’s Care Manage-ment Integration Specialist, took the oppor-tunity to do facilitator training for the class so it could be offered through TRC. The class teaches self-management for people living with chronic conditions, caregiv-ers, and friends and family of people with chronic conditions. The curriculum teaches participants about chronic diseases, as well as how these conditions interconnect with other areas of life such as diet, exercise, emotions, and general health.

Leanna explained some of the skills taught in the class: “It’s trying to get people the skills to be more equipped on develop-ing action plans that are going to meet their needs. I think sometimes in society, we cre-ate action plans like, `New Year’s resolu-tion — I’m going to go on a diet and lose 50 pounds,’ and usually when we set up goals like this, we’re more apt to fail at them. Creating achievable action plans, broken down into specific steps, creates better chances for success.” She said people are taught about their chronic conditions and how to manage them on their own.

Christina and Leanna said that patient-driven care is where the health care field is headed. “This is something that we’re looking at – giving them the tools to man-age their own life and symptoms and be able to ask questions,” Leanna said. “This really is putting a whole, new spin on the system of care. Everybody’s accountable by becoming an integrated system, and some of these workshops are assisting peo-ple with self-management tools to get to the next level of really understanding what it means to be the driver of your health care.”

One reason Leanna and Christina be-came facilitators was to make more TRC service recipients aware of the program. “We use our site because we’re hoping to engage many individuals from our Prima-ry Care Center into self-management pro grams," Leanna said. “Many individuals

are taking the steps to move out into the community from TRC group home settings and need to know how to become involved in their health care plans and know how to manage their symptoms.”

Participants in the class are paired with a peer to keep each other accountable in meeting goals and staying on track in action plans. This not only makes the classmates accountable to one another, but it also helps them form natural friendships and supports.

Participants are referred to the class through a primary care physician or an in-surance company, but not everyone in the class has to have a chronic disease. “You don’t have to be living with a chronic dis-ease to take the class,” Christina said. "A loved one or a friend could have a chronic condition, [or] you could be a caregiver.”

Leanna added, “They really encour-age caregivers to be a part of the health care plan. My goal is to see this program agency wide because this is important for us, especially with people moving out in the community.”

Their hopes are that more people will get involved in the class and start taking control of their own health. “My hope, my vision, is that people become more account-able for their health care — that individuals that we have at The Resource Center that are involved with our Primary Care are ask-ing questions, they’re becoming engaged with their health care, that they’re avoid-ing emergency room visits, that they’re just more involved. I picture this movement of people just wanting and expecting better quality health care,” Leanna said.

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Green CornerEDITOR'S NOTE: The following was writ-ten by Russell Fowler, who is employed at the Jamestown Work Center. Russell has been a self-described "greenie" since 1990. He is happy to share his thoughts on how to help preserve the environment.

I've traveled throughout the United States a bit, enough to know each state handles the collection of cans and bot-tles differently.

Many have curbside service. Some have deposit laws — New York, 5 cents; Michigan, 10 cents; California, depends what size the cans and bottles are, and are often bought back by weight. Some states accept a small, limited quantity of bottles and cans — pop and beer, but no Gatorade/tea empties, as we call them.

And the processing of each is even different. Every state has stores that "buy back" bottles, but some, such as California, contract with an outside contractor to collect their empties, and this to me makes a lot more sense. The Tomra machines you see in our stores in New York are expensive — as in $15K per machine, I was quoted by an employee from Tomra back when I worked for Meijers in Michigan — and most stores here have six machines. Is it worth it? Machines break down and need to be maintained; however, they don't need to be paid.

I prefer California's other options, though simply because of sanitary is-sues. You can take the bottles and cans to the outside distributor or to a scrap-yard like Weitzman's and get your mon-ey back. Why? When you consider how many times a day a grocery cart must be used for all consumers to put groceries, cards, magazines, even kids, did you ever stop to think of how sani-tary your shopping cart really is after someone dumps their empties into the cart, often full of some kind of liquid?

In Cali, I never had any problems with limits as to how much I could take in on a single day, unlike Michigan and New York, where it is $25 and $12, re-spectively. And in California, we can crush our cans and plastic to save space

I just wanted to shed some light on this subject.

Comparing the waysCalifornia & New Yorkrecycle cans, bottles

Lori D'Angelo, left, TRC's Logistics Manager, holds one of the 200 insect bars (mosquito nets) that TRC is donating to Jonathan House Ministries, while Joyce Harris, right, Materi-als Planner, holds one of the 20 T-shirts produced by Harold Roberts and his team at Support Enterprises. The shirts and nets were given to Denise Holder, center, an employee at NRG Dunkirk Power, who is assisting Jonathan House in its effort to help orphans in the country of Sierra Leone. The nets will be used to help protect children from mosquitoes, which can spread malaria. For more information about the not-for-profit organization, visit www.jonhouse.org.

Helping African orphans

PHOTO BY EDWARD VOS

Grant receivedAutumn Wilson, second from right, Program Manager for the "Alternatives" Day Ha-

bilitation Program at the Michael J. Raymond Center, poses with officials from the New York Stare Association of Day Service Providers and representatives from other agencies that were awarded Mary Frawley Memorial Grants at the NYSADSP's Annual Statewide Meeting in Saratoga Springs in June. The Alternatives Day Hab received a $1,000 grant for its Pickin' Club initiative, in which staff and program participants restore collectibles and antiques. The money was awarded to help purchase secondhand items and the supplies and tools needed to refurbish them.

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Medicaid Service Coordinators … MSC Assistants … Intake Coordina-tors … Startup Coordinators … Social Workers … Secretaries … Supervisors … Administration …

The list could go on, and that is why it was so difficult to choose just one em-ployee for the First Quarter 2012 Social Services Employee Recognition Award.

Julie Jackson was chosen for the designation for the first quarter of 2012. Julie is a 1997 graduate of Jamestown Community College with an Associate's Degree in social sciences and a 2000 graduate of the State University of New York at Fredonia with a Bachelor of Sci-ence Degree in education. She has been a Service Coordinator since January 2006 and has continuously developed her skills since her start with TRC.

The decision was made to extend this award to Julie for her tireless efforts in meeting the wants and needs of the individuals she serves. Julie is passion-ate about her job and is known to often put in additional time on days off, eve-nings and weekends to assist the people she serves and their families. She is a very important part of the Social Servic-es Department as well as the TRC team.

If you see Julie, don’t forget to con-gratulate her on this award, and thank her for being a great example to other employees and an asset to the agency!

Julie Jackson earnsRecognition Award

Social Services Spotlight

Todd Becker, Service Coordination Supervisor

Pam Mintzer retiresPam Mintzer poses beside the cake created for her retirement party, held July 24 at the

Day Habilitation Program on Hazeltine Avenue in Jamestown. Pam, Habilitation Specialist at Hazeltine, had worked for TRC since 1997. During her tenure, she initiated a number of activi-ties that saw Day Hab staff and service recipients lead fund-raising efforts to help people in need locally, nationally and overseas. Ongoing health challenges forced Pam's decision to retire, but she plans to come back as a volunteer. I will miss this job very much. It is who I am. I feel that I will forever be a part of TRC family. "It has been a joy and a complete honor to have been able to have this opportunity to be a TRC employee," Pam said. Working with the developmentally disabled can be difficult. At times it can be heartbreaking, and it definitely can be challenging. My experience over 15 years has been nothing short of life changing. `My guys' bring out the best in me. They give me a sense of who I am. They are the epitome of perseverance and cour-age. Being a part of working with dedicated staff has also been a privilege. They are so caring and work so very hard every day. I am proud to be counted among their number."

PHOTO BY JANE YOUNG

PHOTO BY DON TRAYNOR

Staff Golf TournamentFrom left, the team of Jason Carnahan (Manager of the Individualized Residential Alter-

native on Pardee Avenue), Joe Stravato (Assistant Manager at Pardee), Chris Postle (Mental Health Clinician at the "Passages" Personalized Recovery Oriented Services Program), and guest Peter Morgante claimed first place in TRC's 26th annual Staff Gold Tournament. A full field participated in the event, which took place July 28 at the Bemus Point Golf Club. This year featured a prize for the team with the best tropical theme, and that award was won by the four-some of Deja Aucoin (Registered Nurse at the IRA on Forest Avenue), Cherie Ohls (Nurse Man-ager at the Intermediate Care Facility on Foote Avenue), Erin Reeves (Allied Health Assistant at the Pharmacy), and Tammy Rhodes (Allied Health Assistant at the Pharmacy).

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Congratulations . . .

PromotionsKaren MoynihanKevin MylettBob Nieto, Esq.Randy OrdinesLaurie PassetBrenda PattisonAmy PeaseGreg Peterson, Esq.Nicky PittsKathy PlymelTony PrinziDr. Thomas PutnamDebbie RappBenjamin RenziMarcia RestivoAllicia RiceKris RichardDeseree RichterBarbara RysJuanita SawyerLouis SchraderAmy SchulzJodi SigmundKatie SmithBarb StewartJulie StronzPeter SzynskiRita Varney-SmithVirginia VathMichelle VaughnCarol VinciguerraJerry VinciguerraJennifer A. VolkJennifer L. VolkMichael VolkSteve WatersonMartha WheelerWendy WilcoxCallie WilliamsMichelle WilliamsAutumn WilsonSue WoodsJane YoungMara Zilkenat

Dr. Harry GlatzMike Goldman, Esq.Dr. Kathleen GradelBill HaenggiJoAnne HagbergMary Jo HamiltonRebecca Hamlet KappleAshley HammondJudith HandkammerAlecia HaskinsSteve HauckThomas HollandDebbie HornburgWayne HotellingNancy IngramDr. Todd JacobsonCarole JohnsonTerri JohnsonDenise JonesPhyllis JonesTess KerznerRobin KestlerJulie KohlerDr. Douglas LarsonJaime LauffenburgerJay LauffenburgerRita LenartSusan Lepley-JenkinsRandy Lewis, Esq.Leanna Luka-ConleyDonna LundmarkKristen MacKenzieBruce MainTammy MancusoPam MarchincinJulie McCarthyMichael McCoySherry McMeansAnn McKillipDiana MeckleyMike MetzgerRenee MoffattJoshua MonroeMark Morton

Michele AlbaughJulie BackusFaith BakerWilliam BarberJordan BardoVicky BardoSusan BaroneMarion BattleWilliam BeckHeather BeckerTodd BeckerDaniel BenderGregg BenderJoanne BevanJacquie BlackwoodMarcia BlissLucille BrooksAlda BrownDebbie BrownHeather BrownTom BrownWilliam BrownChristopher ButtsTheresa ButtsLinda CarlsonMarie Carrubba, Esq.Tyler CasePaul CesanaJim ChimentiDavid ChristHeather CourtneyPam CranstonCoty CrokerJon DeAngeloDebra DensmoreAmanda Dove Amy DrozdzielCasey DuBoseJodi EckmanPeggy ElofsonLinda ErneweinMary FordTodd FrangioneJulie Gable

Staff Appreciation Recipients (6/14—8/13)

Staff/Board donorsBelow are the names of TRC employees, and members of the

Boards of Directors of TRC and its affiliated corporations, who have donated money to The Resource Center or TRC Foundation thus far in 2012. Thank you for your generous support!

Heather Hill, New Vision Services Manager, has become a Certified Brain Injury Specialist through the Academy of Certi-fied Brain Injury Specialists. Heather traveled to Albany in June to take the exam and finish the requirements for the certification.

Susan Barone to Residence Manager 2Angela Dalrymple to Behavior Support ProfessionalTiffany Ferguson to Job DeveloperAllison Issler to Medical AideJaime Lauffenburger to EMR Applications AnalystRandall Samuelson to Production Trainer ICori Sanders to Service Coordinator INoelle Saulter to Assistant Site SupervisorAlbert Warner to Assistant Residence Manager IIKaren York to Medication Technician

Kevin AndersonTammi BlodienKristen BriggsLori CarlsonKatie ClelandJeremy CooperBonnie DerrySondra Dotson

Richard SmithSuzette SmithMarah StroebelJohnny TooleyPaul SweatJulie VoganRobert Warner

Marcos FigueroaMary FordWanda GebauerLisa GrossMatthew HomanDiana JohnsonLori NewmanShannon Prince

Free hearing screenings offeredThe Resource Center's Speech and Hearing Services will be

conducting free hearing screenings during September. Employees of TRC and its affiliated corporations, family members and friends are eligible for the free screenings. To schedule an appointment, phone 661-1541 for the Jamestown office or 366-6125 for the Dunkirk office.

Staff of the Celoron A Intermediate Care Facility

Staff PicnicOrganizing the annual Staff Picnic takes a lot of effort, planning

and coordination by the Human Resources Department. Taking a break from the work of putting on the picnic are, from left, Tyler Case, Human Resources Administrator; Nickey Riczker, Director of Human Resources; and Michelle Wood, Human Resources Specialist. About 1,500 people attended this year's picnic, held July 14 at Midway Park.

PHOTO BY JANE YOUNG

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1) Guest speakers at TRC's Symposium were given paintings made by participants in which program?2) When is the deadline to submit nominations for the Disability Awareness Awards?3) Who gave a speech at a United Nations hearing in New York City?4) Name the person who received this year's Laurel Run Spirit Award:5) True or False: TRC's two new Physical Therapists have rela-tives who have developmental disabilities.6) When and where will the third annual Step Up for Autism be held?7) When and where will the sixth annual Toys for Tots Charity Ball be held?8) TRC recently donated mosquito nets to help prevent malaria in which country?9) Name one of the members of the winning team at the 2012 TRC Staff Golf Tournament:

Your Name:

Work Site: Phone:

TRC NEWS Readers' Contest A total of 21 people submitted answers to last issue's quiz. The randomly selected winner of the $15 Applebee's gift card was Lisa Langford, Behavior Technician at the Intermediate Care Facility on Foote Avenue in Jamestown. Answer the questions below, based on information in this issue, and send this form to Steve Waterson at Dunham Avenue.

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Free swimmingSandra Biggers, left, Office Assistant and Scheduler with the

Residential Services Division, and Kathy Constantino, Site Supervisor Trainer, enjoy a relaxing swim at the YMCA in Jamestown. Sandy and Kathy will represent TRC in the miniature golf competition during the 25th annual Battle of the Businesses. TRC employees who are signed up to participate in any of the Battle events may use the YMCA's facili-ties free of charge until the competition ends September 15.

PHOTO BY BRUCE MAIN

September is National Recovery Month, raising awareness about recovery treatment for people with mental illnesses and sub-stance abuse challenges, and celebrating success stories of those who have gone through or are going through recovery.

The recovery approach is currently used by many substance abuse and mental health organizations as a more effective means of helping people. Recovery is seen as a more personal, more indi-vidualized process that can and often does include the concepts of hope, security, identity, relationships, empowerment, coping strate-gies, and purpose.

Hope is an important step because it allows people to believe in themselves, giving them perseverance through the process. Securi-ty in home, income and safety is another important part of recovery, as this creates stability for the person involved.

Allowing the person to reestablish a sense of self and identity is another step in the recovery process. This allows the individual to develop on a personal level and discover a sense of self-worth.

Another key aspect of the recovery process is having natural supports for the person, such as friends, family and people in the community. While professionals can support the individual, having non-paid friends and family is essential for the person’s progress. The person should also be empowered and allowed to gain control over his or her own life and own choices again. This helps people to become independent, instead of relying on professionals and sup-ports to make decisions for them.

Coping strategies are necessary for the individual to develop, as well. The individual will then be able to identify stressors and potential problems and develop a plan for how to deal with situa-tions that may arise.

One final aspect of the recovery approach is bringing meaning and purpose to the person’s life. This can be done through finding a meaningful job or even through religion or culture. This helps the person to develop an identity and sense of worth.

With individuals challenged by mental illness, the recovery ap-proach allows them to stay as in control of their lives as possible. This process is also helpful in these situations because it focuses on the person and not the disorder or the symptoms.

The same goes for substance abusers. This type of recovery process helps them deal with their addictions in a way that is con-structive and helps them focus on the future instead of the past. It allows them to develop identity outside of destructive substances, creating a sense of meaning in their lives.

The most important aspects of the recovery approach are form-ing the program to the individual and allowing the individual to be independent, instead of relying solely on a service provider. These are key parts of a successful recovery.

“We are fortunate that many Mental Health agencies in our community are now offering person-centered care. We focus on individual recovery, and we believe that recovery is possible for all individuals with disabilities. We have a person-centered recovery focus of care that builds on a person’s unique strengths and aspira-tions,” said Michelle Williams, Director of Mental Health Services.

Many people have gone through this process successfully and now live changed, more independent, more confident lives. Na-tional Recovery Month helps people celebrate these success stories, and it helps make those with substance abuse or mental health chal-lenges become aware of the options they have to begin to live life more fully.

September is National Recovery MonthAllison Reefer, Community Relations Intern