January What s Inside: ARISE Center for Independent Living ARISE Oswego 9 Fourth Ave Oswego, NY (315) OSWEGO COUNTY EDITION

Transcription

1 OSWEGO COUNTY EDITION Director: Sabine Ingerson January 2017 What s Inside: ARISE Groups 2 Independent Living Svcs 3 Holiday Open House 4 MSC Blog 5 Fun Page 6 Calendar 7 Employment 8 ARISE Center for Independent Living ARISE Oswego 9 Fourth Ave Oswego, NY (315) ARISE Pulaski 2 Broad St Pulaski, NY (315) ARISE Fulton 113 Schuyler St, Suite 2 Fulton, NY (315) ariseinc.org /ARISEcny Our Mission To work with people of all abilities to create a fair and just community in which everyone can fully participate. Happy New Year, A New Year brings with it much talk about happiness. As I observe the many individuals who come to our office or work here, I see a lot of happy faces and laughter. What makes us happy? A 75-year long study reported on by Robert Waldinger on YouTube followed Harvard graduates and youth from the inner city for decades. It confirmed what many of us already know - that good relationships and being able to make choices are what keep us happier and healthier, more than education or wealth alone. The founders of Independent Living Centers must have also been aware of the need for relationships and choice when they opened the first center. Important to them was - and still is - community inclusion, consumer-direction and peer relationships. The Office for People with Developmental Disabilities (OPWDD), which funds our Medicaid Services Coordination Program, Habilitation Services, Respite, and the many social groups we have, is also guided by these principles of choice, self-determination, and the importance of building social connection. If you or your children have not participated in Community Connections, Teen Group, Social Skills Groups, SibShops, Parent Groups, or Farm Camp, feel free to ask your MSC or contact the coordinator of the group (see information in this newsletter). Many of the individuals served in the Habilitation Program get together in small groups for cooking, bowling, volunteering, or other activities, which they all enjoy. Jim Cronk and Josh Solazzo facilitate the Self-Advocacy Group, which is open to anyone with any disability. This group discusses upcoming legislation and how to remove barriers we face in our own community. ARISE also sponsors a support group for those who live with a brain injury. This group meets at our Oswego office on the second Tuesday of the month at 4:30pm. Other groups are coming together to learn about Chronic Disease Self-Management and Diabetes Self-Management. Please call Jim Karasek for more information about these programs. Let s make 2017 our best year yet! Sabine Page 1

2 ARISE Groups Oswego Social Club No Social Club this month. Self-Advocacy Group Friday, January 6th 11:30 AM - 12:30 PM Pontiac Terrace Community Room Self-Advocacy is a group for people who want to advocate for change. For additional information, or if you have an issue you would like the group to advocate for, please contact Josh Solazzo at X213. Teen Group Saturday, January 14th 9:30 AM - 11:30 AM Bowling at Lakeview - Fulton Lakeview Bowling 723 West Broadway Please Vicki at vaffinati@ariseinc.org or call X225 for information about this group. However, All reservations had to be made in advance for this event & not able to accept new reservations. Note: In February we will be going to the Rosamond Gifford Zoo. Details to follow when closer to actual event dates. Community Connections Saturday, January 21th 9:00AM - 11:00AM Bowling at Lighthouse Lanes Oswego Please Vicki at vaffinati@ariseinc.org or call X225 for information about this group. However, All reservations had to be made in advance for this event & not able to accept new reservations. Note: In February we will be going to the Rosamond Gifford Zoo. Details to follow when closer to actual event dates. Sib Shops Saturday, January 21st 12:00 PM We will be bowling. Please Sabine at singerson@ariseinc.org or call X210 for information. TBI Group Tuesday, January 10th 4:30 PM - 5:30 PM (This is a reoccurring meeting that takes place the 2nd Tuesday of each month) We will be meeting at the ARISE Oswego office If you have any questions, contact Shannon Morrell at X245 or Christine Ward at X201 or cward@ariseinc.org. Page 2

3 Independent Living Services We would like to take a moment to extend a very large thank you for those that assisted with our annual Christmas Baskets this year. We were able to serve over 37 families that were not able to be signed up for other programs. Out of those families, we had well over 60 kids. Novelis stepped up and provided a turkey for every family and the ARISE staff and community brought in food that made up the basics for each family. We made sure there was enough food for three complete meals and then added mac and cheese, cereal, peanut butter, jelly, and a couple of snacks for the families with children. We over spent our funds raised but we made sure each family that needed a basket got one. Often times those with disabilities are not able to get out into the community to get signed up for assistance so we were very grateful that we had this opportunity to fill that gap. Also for the second year in a row ARISE provided cookies to the Salvation Army for their annual Christmas Dinner that is open to those that have no other place to go. It is our pleasure to be able to do this as the Salvation Army is one of several great organizations in this county that puts people first. Now for the frosting on the cake.our open house this year grew yet again, we had lots of food, (provided by staff), the annual office door decorating contest, and great fun. At one point we had a table set up in the hallway as the conference room was at capacity with standing room only. The sound of people enjoying themselves and sharing with one another is a big part of what an Independent Living Center is all about. Our door decorating contest was won by Stacy and Shane. Check out a few of the photos on the next page, or view all of them on the ARISE CNY Facebook page. As each of these efforts grow yearly, we are very thankful for your help, contributions, and assistance in making these efforts go from ideas to the reality of touching the lives of others. Thank you very much and our sincere wishes for a great new year to you. Jim Karasek, Manager of Independent Living Services. Page 3

4 2016 Holiday Open House Was a Hit! Thank you so much to everyone who came to celebrate at our annual Holiday Open House last month! We enjoyed the carols, food, and spending some quality time with our Oswego community members. Thanks to everyone, we hope it was a shining moment during the holidays for you all! Page 4

5 Happy New Year!! What is Service Coordination? MSC Blog Medicaid Service Coordination (MSC) is a service available through the Office for People with Developmental Disabilities (OPWDD), which assists individuals who have a developmental disability so they can achieve their personal goals. The individual works with their MSC to create a Person Centered Individualized Service Plan which contains information about their goals, talents, and areas where the individual needs support. The MSC assists the individual to achieve their goals by connecting them with supports and services. To receive Medicaid Service Coordination, an individual needs to go through the process of eligibility through OPWDD. An individual who is deemed eligible for OPWDD services will also be required to enroll in New York State Medicaid Health Insurance through the local Department of Social Services. For new individuals, the OPWDD process of going through the Front Door process is mandatory. Once the person has been deemed eligible, has Medicaid insurance, and has been through the Front Door process, the individual is able to receive Medicaid Service Coordination. Each MSC treats each of their individuals on their case load (25-30) with respect. The MSC assists the individual when developing the Person Centered Individual Service Plan (ISP). This plan helps point out the individual s needs and goals, and is reviewed at least twice a year. Once the ISP is developed and the individual is satisfied with the ISP, the MSC then gathers information to discuss informed choices regarding services out in the community. The MSC s will work with each individual on their case load to coordinate services which meet the needs determined. The MSC assists the individual, natural supports, family members, and any other significant person the individual wants involved to implement the ISP. How does the MSC accomplish all this? By researching and accessing community resources. MSCs assist with communicating between service providers and advocating for quality services. They work very hard to ensure the individuals on each of their case loads are satisfied with services. The MSCs will conduct regular face to face visits in the home and out in the community. OPWDD expects MSCs to complete a home visit at least once a year with the individual present. In order for the MSCs to develop a relationship with the individual, the MSCs need to visit more often. This develops into a wonderful working relationship maintaining the person centered philosophy. The MSC s are mandated reporters; we are expected to report incidents, which cause or may potentially cause harm to the individuals the MSCs serve, to New York State s Justice Center. We also report incidents to the ARISE Quality Assurance officials. The MSCs take the safety and health of each of their individuals very seriously. Please note, each MSC works very hard connecting to services for each individual, each MSC often has to gather a lot of information in order to receive waiver services. Once the HCBS waiver has been approved, the MSC then makes the referrals to each of the programs. The MSC then has completed their job when making the referrals. Once each of the programs, receive the referral, it is the service provider who then does an intake and starts services. The MSC works as a team member to advocate, inform, make referrals, and gather information needed. Once the services are up and running the MSC then monitors the services received for safety and satisfaction. Please feel free to call me any time if you have questions or concerns at (315) X208. Thank you and have a wonderful New Year!! - Lisa Seguin; Manager of Medicaid Service Coordination in Oswego County Page 5

6 Fun Page Page 6

7 JANUARY Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat Self Advocacy Group 11:30a-12:30p Fresh Food Giveaway Park UMC, Pulaski 3:00-5:00p 12 Fresh Food Giveaway St. Joseph s The Worker, Liverpool Teen Group 9:30-11:30a Office Closed Martin Luther King Jr. Day TBI Peer Support Group 4:30-5:30p Fresh Food Giveaway No. Syracuse Christian Church 3:30-5:30p Fresh Food Giveaway Sandy Creek UMC, 3:30-5:30p Sibshops 12:00-4:00p Community Connections 9:00-11:00a Page 7

8 ARISE 9 Fourth Avenue Oswego, NY Phone: (315) Fax: (315) TTY: (315) ariseinc.org NON-PROFIT US POSTAGE PAID PERMIT NO. 25 OSWEGO, NY Address Service Requested Mailing Address Goes Here Employment ACCES-VR (Adult Career and Continuing Education Services-Vocational Rehabilitation) is an agency in the New York State Education Department that has helped many individuals with disabilities find and keep employment. You may know the agency from it s previous acronym: VESID. Over the past year, ACCES-VR has helped over 900 people in Central New York (including 80 in Oswego County) succeed in careers ranging from customer service to information technology. Services to help eligible individuals reach their employment goals may include but are not limited to: job coaching, employment counseling, advocacy, and financial assistance with training, equipment, and work uniforms. If you or someone you know has a barrier to employment and is interested in applying, please call (315) to register for an information session or to receive an application.