Volume 4, Number 2 | Fall 2018 | www.acld.org

Oh, The Places They Will Go!

Amid playful songs and classrooms overflowing with proud parents and family members, 70 students

from ACLD Children’s Services took part in moving-up ceremonies in June. Celebrating their accomplishments, the students from the Kramer Learning Center and the Alan and Ellen Spiegel Children’s Center enjoyed the festivities, received their “diplomas” from their teachers and are headed to kindergarten in their school district this fall.

“As educators, we know that it’s critically important to make sure children with developmental disabilities get off to a good start in their educational lives,” said Noreen Clemens, Principal of ACLD’s Children’s Services.

With eight classes graduating from the two Bay Shore locations, ACLD Children’s

Services provides a variety of programs and therapies for children ages three to five with developmental disabilities and also supports school age children with an after-school therapeutic recreation program. In addition, a summer camp for school age children with disabilities, operated in conjunction with Great South Bay YMCA with the support of a grant from New York State Office for People with Developmental Disabilities (OPWDD), is also available.

“Before there was ACLD, parents of children with disabilities had limited program options for their children to receive a quality education,” Clemens said. “We’re so proud to watch the children grow and succeed and, most importantly, to have played a role in changing that reality.”

A student from the Kramer Learning Center receives his diploma from his teacher, Carla Alfieri.

Students from Miss Carla’s class at the Kramer Learning Center sing “America the Beautiful” at their moving-up ceremony in June.

The Alan and Ellen Spiegel Children’s Center (SCC) teacher, Jennifer Mahler, with her student Luciana Tramuto and her brother Anthony Tramuto who graduated from SCC last year. Thirty-six students in total moved up at the June ceremony.

WHAT’S INSIDE:

PAGE 1• Oh, The Places They

Will Go!

PAGE 2• A Sibling’s Story• Happy Birthday to

ACLD’s Oldest Resident!

PAGE 3• Comcast Cares and

Makes Change Happen

PAGE 4• RewearAble Helps

Students Get Prom Ready• Volunteering Gets a

High Five

PAGE 5• On the Road to Success

for CQL• Fantastic Farm Day Fun

PAGE 6• ACLD Partners at

Largest Job Expo• ACLD Artists Showcase

Their Work

PAGE 7• Recognizing Stellar

Employees• Administrative Staff

Knocks Our Socks Off!

PAGE 8• Special Delivery to the Day Hab Program!

Ask Megan McCormack what it’s like to be a sibling to a person with a disability, and she’ll tell you that every decision she makes always has her brother Sean in mind.

“He’s my best friend and vice versa,” Megan says of 46-year-old Sean McCormack who lives at their Commack home with her and their parents and who has attended ACLD’s Choices program in Hauppauge since 1993.

From day trips out east to nights gazing at the stars, McCormack and her older brother have always had an inseparable bond.

“He’s a big teddy bear. He’s a mush. He calls me sweetheart,” she says. “And when I’m away from him, I miss him.”

Born premature and with developmental delays, McCormack says doctors told her parents that Sean would never walk or talk. Instead of listening, her parents enrolled Sean in every program possible. Today Sean’s energy is unstoppable. He loves to travel, volunteers at Meals on Wheels and takes his job as the mailperson at Choices very seriously.

McCormack recently attended ACLD’s Sibling Network meeting in June and participated in the Council on Quality and Leadership (CQL) visit as a Sibling Network representative. At both meetings, McCormack spoke of the importance of sibling advocacy and staying connected to the administration.

“Attending meetings allows for personal interaction and to see how dedicated everyone at the agency is,” she explains.

McCormack added that she feels her voice and input is valued and participating is a lot more fulfilling than just reading a newsletter or a Facebook post. The Sibling Network, which meets quarterly on Sunday mornings, covers topics such as guardianship and other issues impacting siblings every day as well as offering the opportunity to meet others who may have similar challenges.

McCormack recognizes the integral role a sibling plays in the life of a person

with an intellectual and developmental disability and offers some simple advice, “Get involved. Be an advocate for them.”

Sean often puts things in perspective for his younger sister, especially when she asks him what he wants for Christmas or his birthday. His response is always the same…“Sunshine would be nice.”

“He makes me realize what really matters in life,” says McCormack.

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A Brother and Best Friend: A Sibling’s Story

Volume 4, Number 2Fall 2018

www.acld.org

The next Sibling Network meeting is September 23, 2018,

from 11:00 am to 1:00 pm in the Fay J. Lindner Building (807 South Oyster Bay Road, Bethpage) large training room. Join us at our next ACLD Sibling Network meeting. Robert Ciatto, Chief Operating Officer of ACLD will be on hand to share a staff directory with siblings. Knowing exactly who to contact is crucial when you need help. If you are interested in becoming a part of a growing network of adult siblings of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, contact Sharon Geiselmann at Geiselmanns@acld.org or (516) 336-5909, ext. 313.

to ACLD’s Oldest Resident!Esther Gropper, ACLD’s oldest resident, celebrated her 90th birthday among friends and family in April.

Over 30 guests enjoyed the festivities at the Dix Hills home, which included giving special tributes to Esther who enjoys watching TV and humming to soft music. 2

HappyBirthday

3

Traveling from Manhattan on an early Saturday morning in April to the ACLD Bethpage campus, over 30 staff members from Comcast NBCUniversal’s Advertising Sales Team emptied a coach bus wearing matching green t-shirts with the bold message: Make Change Happen.

Armed with rakes, shovels, brooms and flats of flowers, the hardworking volunteers spent the morning and afternoon beautifying the grounds as part of Comcast Cares Day, an initiative in its 17th year promoted by the media giant that gives back to local communities where their employees live and work.

The nation’s largest single-day corporate volunteer effort, Comcast Cares Day had over 100,000 Comcast NBCUniversal employees and their families, friends and community partners volunteer at more than 1,000 community improvement projects in over 20 countries worldwide.

Sandi Breuninger, whose son Keith is a resident at an ACLD home in Huntington, said the day was a “true commitment to community service.”

Along with her son, and husband Rich Breuninger, First Vice President of the ACLD Board of Trustees and Chairman of the Family Association Council, they spent the day working with the volunteers. “Seeing the group of volunteers of all ages is a great reminder of what is possible when people donate their time to making a difference in the lives of others, especially those of different abilities,” said Sandi Breuninger.

Robert C. Goldsmith, Executive Director of ACLD, echoed Breuninger, “On behalf of ACLD’s Board of Trustees, staff and the people we support, I extend my genuine gratitude to Comcast NBCUniversal’s volunteers. Your generosity and kindness is inspiring and uplifting. Your efforts are creating enviable lives.”

Comcast NBCUniversal’s Advertising Sales Team, ACLD staff and residents gathered at the Bethpage campus for Comcast Cares Day.

Comcast Cares and Makes Change Happen

ACLD resident, Keith Breuninger, gets a helping hand from a Comcast Volunteer.

Smiles were blooming for this group at this year’s Comcast Cares Day in April.

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Volume 4, Number 2Fall 2018

www.acld.org

Going to prom is a rite of passage, but for some students it can also be a financial burden, standing in the way of fun for girls who are in need of a gown. Luckily, through a partnership with United Federation of Teachers (UFT) and Long Island Volunteer Center (LIVC), the team at RewearAble was once again able to help pitch in at this year’s Prom Boutique. RewearAble not only donated over 600 dresses to LIVC for the Nassau Community College Prom Boutique held in April, one of the eight UFT events throughout the five boroughs and Long Island, but also assisted in the sorting and screening of the formal wear. Over 4,000 New York City students attended the invitation-only boutique in search of the perfect prom dress, suit, shoes and accessories, all free of charge. After the event, RewearAble collected over 1,500 prom dresses from UFT.

“The UFT is delighted each year to help students across New York City and Long Island celebrate their prom, and by working with RewearAble we were able to spread the joy to even more young people,” said Adriana O’Hagan, UFT’s point person for the work.

Two teams of volunteers from ACLD’s Program Without Walls also participated in helping deliver the donations from a storage facility to the event.

Sabine Maynard, Assistant Director, Regulatory Affairs at ACLD said,

“The beauty of this partnership is seeing the people we support

who work at RewearAble help students in need

go to their proms and make memories. It’s a win-win for all.”

RewearAble Helps Students Get Prom Ready

Karen Gropper of RewearAble sorts and inspects gowns to be donated to the 2018 Prom Boutique.

Volunteer Rich Mauro shares his free time with Robbie Cate from Oasis Day Program. Mauro, who has been volunteering at ACLD since March, spends one day a week offering his time and talents reading, playing the piano or just listening to the people supported.

“Seeing the smiles on their faces when I walk into the room and how they can’t wait to high five me, just brightens my day,” said Mauro.

Do you have time and a talent that you would like to donate? Whether it is painting, playing an instrument or reading a story, ACLD is looking for volunteers to foster new relationships with the people we support. For more information on ACLD’s Volunteer Program, contact Jan DiGeronimo at (516) 822-0028, ext. 211 or digeronimoj@acld.org.

Volunteering Gets a HIGH FIVE

For two consecutive days in June, the Council on Quality and Leadership (CQL) visited ACLD to assess the progress that has been made on enhancing person-centered supports for the people supported across all programs. This quality enhancement process began when ACLD achieved Quality Assurances Accreditation from CQL in October 2016 for meeting its strict criteria and demonstrating a commitment to CQL’s Basic Assurances.

CQL’s most recent visit to ACLD was a significant opportunity to share the agency’s accomplishments in organizational and personal outcomes for the people we support. Sharon Geiselmann, Administrator of Quality Enhancement, presented on the momentum ACLD has created in achieving many of the quality initiatives set forth in our agency’s Basic Assurances Monitoring Plan while Roseanne Tast, Administrator of Quality Enhancement, presented on the data collected from the Personal Outcome Measure interviews conducted since our accreditation in 2016.

CQL Quality Enhancement Specialist, Robin Shaw, shared the positive feedback that the agency is making in all areas of the Basic Assurances Monitoring Plan. “You have asked

organizationally to ‘raise the bar’ in many basic assurance areas, now you need to act and execute,” said Shaw.

A quality initiative this large takes many hands. Over fifty staff members and self-advocates worked in partnership to make the recent visit a success.

“On behalf of everyone involved in this important endeavor, I’d like to thank all our employees for their continued commitment to embracing the CQL

mission and to maintaining Basic Assurances for the people supported,” said Robert Ciatto, Chief

Operating Officer of ACLD.

“I was proud to be part of a team who is representing the agency by displaying true leadership in advocating for the men and women we support,” said Geiselmann. “Together we have made much progress to date, and together we look forward to seeing what the Basic Assurance Workgroups have

planned as we travel along this journey to continuous improvement.”

On the Road to Success for CQL

2Dignity

&Respect1

Rights&

Protection

10Basic

Assurances

9Continuity& PersonalSecurity

8Positive

Services &Supports

7Sta�

Resources& Supports

3NaturalSupport

Networks 4Protection

fromAbuse

5Best

PossibleHealth

6Safe

Environments

BasicAssurances®

For an Enviable Life

FANTASTIC FARM DAY FUN Furry Friends Visit the Children’s ProgramFurry and feathered friends were guests at ACLD’s Children’s Services in May. Over 100 students from the Kramer Learning Center and over forty children from the Alan and Ellen Spiegel Children’s Center were treated to a special day of pony rides and a petting zoo thanks to Steppin’ Out Ponies and Petting Zoo of Islip. The educational and interactive experience, which has been held for the past nine years, allows the children to engage with goats, sheep, ducks, bunnies, chickens and more. As part of the curriculum, the children learn about animals, but many may not have had the experience of going to a farm or a zoo. Families are also invited to share the experience with their child.

“It’s always a great day for the kids,” said Robin Stevens, Assistant Principal of the Kramer Learning Center. “Having the children explore and learn with a hands-on experience is an exciting part of our curriculum.” 5

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Volume 4, Number 2Fall 2018

www.acld.org

ACLD Partners at Largest Job Expo for People Supported

Over 300 job seekers, students and families of people of different abilities got the chance to connect with local businesses, such as Canon, eVero and Nature’s Bounty at the 7th Annual Community Partnership Forum and Talent Connection Job Expo. The event, held in June at Farmingdale State College, was in partnership with Family Residences and Essential Enterprises, Inc. (FREE), the YAI

Network and Life’s WORC.

Town of Oyster Bay Supervisor, Joseph S. Saladino attended the event and acknowledged ACLD’s Vocational Program for holding helpful workshops on topics that included interviewing skills, social media and job searches. Doreen Nobile, ACLD’s Job Developer, received a citation on behalf of ACLD’s Vocational Program, and keynote speakers Mark and John Cronin from John’s Crazy Socks shared their inspiring story and personally highlighted ACLD for their partnership in recruitment and retention of their top employees. Participants received valuable information about this special labor population.

Over 30 ACLD artists were honored at the Art League of Long Island’s Art For All Reception this spring. Charlee Miller, Art League of Long Island

Executive Director, welcomed the gathered group that consisted of

artists, family members and staff. The program, which was funded in

part by the Women of the Greens, displayed and recognized art from

participants in the Fall 2017 workshops as well as ACLD’s Day Hab program.

Huntington Town Supervisor, Chad A. Lupinacci, attended and awarded each

artist a certificate for their achievements. The participants enjoyed the art education

workshops that focused on charcoal drawings, printmaking and mixed media paintings which were on display for two weeks in April.

ACLD Artists

Showcase Their Work

Masterpieces on display at this year’s Art For All Reception.

Alan Alexander (center) is proud of his artistic achievement at the art show with ACLD Board of Trustees First Vice President, Rich Breuninger (left), and ACLD Chief Operating Officer, Robert Ciatto.

ACLD artists gather for a night of recognition and appreciation.

ACLD participated in the 7th Annual Community Partnership Forum and Talent Connection Job Expo in June.

Town of Oyster Bay Supervisor, Joseph S. Saladino with Doreen Nobile, ACLD’s Job Developer, who received a citation on behalf of ACLD’s Vocational Program, with keynote speaker John Cronin from John’s Crazy Socks.

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Celebrating Administrative Professionals Day in April, ACLD’s Administrative Staff show off their new socks. Thank you to the staff for your support and effort. Your hard work is key to creating enviable lives.

Administrative Staff Knocks Our Socks Off!

ACLD Executive Director, Robert C. Goldsmith along with fellow staff honored 2nd Quarter Employee Recognition winners (front row) Kathy Pagliuca, Nelda Moise, Kharen Hermano and Kenyada Abdul-Wahab.

RECOGNIZ ING STELLAR EMPLOYEESMaybe you heard the horns? Perhaps you heard the claps? Or was it the parade of people? But did you know it was the ACLD Prize Patrol awarding the Employees of the Quarter and Team Service winners? The Employee Recognition Committee began in January and is comprised of employees who are representative of all parts of the agency as well as the people we support. The Employee of the Quarter Award recognizes employees from the departments of Residential Services, Day Program, Administrative Services and Children’s Services on an agency-wide basis for excelling in their positions. Recipients are highly regarded by their peers, supervisors and program and/or departmental directors. The winners are selected by the committee for displaying consistent leadership on the job as well as a commitment to ACLD’s core values. These core values, which are shared with the Council on Quality and Leadership (CQL), are the agency’s collective beliefs, behaviors and expectations of excellence in the delivery of quality services and person-centered supports. These organizational values shape ACLD’s organizational culture.

The winners are announced via email and receive a “very” surprise visit from the ACLD Prize Patrol. Nomination forms can be found on ACLD Today under the Employee Recognition tab or at the front desk of each building. To submit a nomination, send an email to acldemployeerecognition@acld.org. Nominate a fellow peer for a job well done and see who the ACLD Prize Patrol will visit next.

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ACLD Executive Director, Robert C. Goldsmith; First Vice President of ACLD’s Board of Trustees, Rich Breuninger; 1st Quarter Employee Recognition winners: Lisa Fauerbach, Fito Blaise, William Cate, Mena Howell, Chief Operating Officer, Robert Ciatto and Administrator of Quality Enhancement, Sharon Geiselmann at the first Employee Recognition Luncheon.

The ACLD Prize Patrol strikes again! Kharen Hermano of the Residential Department (center) with ACLD Chief Operating Officer, Robert Ciatto and the ACLD Prize Patrol.

807 South Oyster Bay Road Bethpage, New York 11714

ENVIABLE LIFE NEWSA publication of Adults and Children with Learning and Developmental Disabilities, Inc. (ACLD) – 2018

Board of TrusteesJoseph J. Ortego, Esq. President

Richard Breuninger First Vice President

Edward Murphy Treasurer

Rebecca Kooper Secretary

Ellen Alexander Sharon Cimino Richard Dibble, Ph.D. Anne Emmerson, Ed.D. Megan GardnerErnest Gonzalez Meryl Jackelow Donald Mitzner Caryn Pincus, Esq. Doris Shaw Ellen Spiegel

Executive StaffRobert C. Goldsmith Executive Director

Robert Ciatto Chief Operating Officer

Anthony J. Perfetti, C.P.A. Chief Financial Officer

Christine Brown, M.D. Chief Medical Officer

Anne Marie Sime Senior Director of Clinical and Community Support Services

Aimee C. Keegan Director of Development and Community Relations

Founded in 1957, ACLD is a 501(c)(3), not-for-profit agency whose mission is to provide opportunities to more than 3,000 children and adults with autism, learning and developmental disabilities to pursue enviable lives, promote independence and foster supportive relationships within the community. ACLD employs more than 1,300 people and operates 80 different program sites including community residences and apartment programs across Nassau and Suffolk Counties. Services include early childhood services, day habilitation, residential alternatives, vocational training and job placement, recreation programs, respite, family support services and occupational, speech and physical therapies.

807 South Oyster Bay Road Bethpage, New York 11714Phone: (516) 822-0028Fax: (516) 822-0940www.acld.org

An affiliate of

Special Delivery to the Day Hab Program! The snack cart that usually makes its daily rounds throughout the halls of ACLD’s Bethpage buildings got a beautiful makeover thanks to the generous volunteer efforts of 12-year-old Hayden Glover. Hayden, a Boy Scout from Troop 29, spent close to 15 hours working on the newly designed snack cart and took this project on not for an award or recognition, but simply because he wanted to give back. Thank you Hayden for being you! Everyone at ACLD appreciates your time, generosity and talents.