Dear Staff,
As healthcare costs continue to rise, ACLD remains committed to providing our employees with comprehensive and affordable medical insurance coverage. Over the last several years ACLD has been able to absorb all or most of the increases to minimize the cost to our employees. However, many employees have expressed concern about some of the features of our medical insurance including the need for referrals to see specialists, high co-pays for specialists, labs, x-rays, and imaging tests, and the limited size of in-network providers.
We heard your concerns and are pleased to inform you ACLD will be upgrading our medical insurance through Emblem Health. The new plan does not require a referral from your primary care doctor to see a specialist and there will be reductions to copays for specialists, labs, x-rays, and imaging. We are also excited to share with you the medical insurance coverage will include a larger network of primary care and specialist providers. There will be a slight increase to the cost of the mail order prescription program to help keep other costs down. However, this small increase is still lower than the cost to purchase a 30-day supply from your local pharmacy. Most importantly, ACLD will absorb the full increase of these improvements and there will be no increase to the employee bi-weekly payroll contribution.
In other healthcare news, the Human Resources Department has announced that we are offering the Moderna Booster Shot to employees who were vaccinated more than 6 months ago. Click here to make an appointment. We would also like to remind everyone that this is the final week of open enrollment, so if you wish to make changes to your plan, you must login to ADP and do so by this Friday the 10th.
This week our Executive Director Robert Ciatto is holding virtual Town Hall meetings to give staff an opportunity to have dialogue about important issues facing the agency and our industry. These Town Halls will be held today December 8th, tomorrow the 9th, and Friday the 10th. All staff are welcome to attend. See below in this newsletter for the links to join.
In this edition of the Limelight, you will also find two employee spotlights, coverage of Thanksgiving at our day hab sites, and other news from across the agency. Enjoy, and have a Happy Holiday season!
Sincerely,
Rob, Gerard, Anne Marie and Kim
Robert Ciatto, Executive Director
Gerard DiMuro, Assistant Executive Director
Anne Marie Sime, Assistant Executive Director
Kim Leonard, Chief Financial Officer
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Meet Jenny Kellerman, Job Developer in Vocational Services. Jenny originally began working at ACLD in 1997 as a Direct Support Professional at the Hauppauge Day Program, during which time she also joined the Recreation program where she became a supervisor for several years.
While still in the Recreation program, she began working in residential services at the Chichester house, but was also known for helping out at other homes too as needed. Jenny left ACLD in the 2000s while pursuing her degree in Occupational Therapy and spent 15 years working in nursing homes. She then returned to ACLD in 2019 as a Job Coach, and in two years’ time has been promoted to the position of Job Developer, has gotten involved in the Prevocational Program, and has become a member of the Organizational Care Committee.
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In her new role she is extremely creative and does everything you can think of to help the people we support get employed. She finds employment opportunities, coordinates skills workshops, assists with resumes, prepares people for interviews, and accompanies people to orientation and their first shifts on the job. Since being promoted in October, she has already placed five people in jobs, established a relationship with the local department of labor and is also pursuing relationships with chambers of commerce across the island.
Vocational Coordinator Patty Hopkins says "Jenny is highly regarded by all, is always willing to go above and beyond, and truly cares about the people we support. Ellen Alexander, ACLD Board Member and mother of Alan Alexander (a Chichester resident and ACLD employee that Jenny worked with in Residential and now supports in Vocational) says, "Jenny takes her job very seriously, and is always making sure she understands Alan’s needs and follows through to ensure his success. She truly ‘likes’ Alan and knows he can learn new tasks with her guidance."
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Congratulations to Amanda Nelson Brown on her promotion to Junior Accountant in the Finance Department.
Amanda began her career at ACLD as a Day Habilitation Specialist in 2017 at the Bethpage Day Program. There she enjoyed working with the men and women we support on all different types of activities such as art projects, gardening, community outings and volunteer opportunities in the neighborhood.
Having already completed her degree in Business Administration with a Minor in Accounting, Amanda applied for the open position of Accounts Payable Bookkeeper in 2019 and was hired. In that role she has been responsible for paying for all supplies and utilities that ACLD uses every day. Sandi Gutmanstein, ACLD Controller, says, "From the moment Amanda joined the A/P team in July 2019 she showed a passion for learning and desire to grow. Amanda always volunteers to assist wherever needed. She tackles every challenge with a positive attitude and team spirit."
Right now she is transitioning over to her new role of Junior Accountant in which she will handle things such as deposits, entries, and reports on spending throughout the agency. Kim Leonard, ACLD Chief Financial Officer, says, "I am so pleased Amanda will be utilizing more of her educational background in this new role, and I have no doubt she will continue to be a wonderful addition to the Finance Department."
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Our Executive Director, Robert Ciatto is holding Virtual Town Hall Meetings today December 8th, tomorrow the 9th, and Friday the 10th.
If you were unable to attend the Town Halls earlier today at 10:30 am and 2:00 pm, take a look at the days and times below and choose one that works for your schedule.
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Wednesday, December 8 at 4:00 pm
(Town Hall with Dr. brown about Covid-19 Vaccinations, followed by Rob Ciatto)
Meeting ID: 815 1565 1277
Passcode: 572997
One tap mobile:
+19292056099,,81515651277#,,,,*572997# US (New York)
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Thursday, December 9 at 2:00 pm
Meeting ID: 857 8945 5927
Passcode: 917812
One tap mobile:
+19292056099,,85789455927#,,,,*917812# US (New York)
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Thursday, December 9 at 4:00 pm
Meeting ID: 868 2436 4667
Passcode: 824159
One tap mobile:
+19292056099,,86824364667#,,,,*824159# US (New York)
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Friday, December 10 at 10:00 am
Meeting ID: 847 0710 2342
Passcode: 530200
One tap mobile:
+19292056099,,84707102342#,,,,*530200# US (New York)
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On the week before Thanksgiving, Day Hab sites across the agency threw Thanksgiving lunch parties with delicious food, music and games in celebration of the holiday.
Shout out to all of the staff that worked diligently to purchase, cook and serve all of the food. The men and women we support greatly appreciate all of the work you put in to make these parties a success.
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Last month, The Organizational Care Committee organized an Employee Engagement Day called Fall Colors Day, with staff across the agency dressed up to celebrate the season.
Remember to participate in the next Employee Engagement Day Ugly Sweater Day next week December 16th.
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Congratulations to Jeanne Chelius, Assistant Director of Day Services, on her son Daniel's engagement to Melanie Barnes on November 4th in California.
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Congratulations to Mary Candela, Administrator of Office Services, on the birth of her granddaughter Penny Grace on October 7th.
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Congratulations to Veronica Samis, Vocational Evaluator, on welcoming her second baby boy, Desmond Lux on November 6th.
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Haiti Earthquake Relief Campaign |
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We are very happy to announce that during the month of August we raised a total of $480 for the organization Hope for Haiti, in order to assist with relief efforts in the country. The donation was then sent to the organization in September.
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Employee Referral Program |
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Don't forget about the NEW EMPLOYEE REFERRAL PROGRAM! You can now earn up to $6,750 when you refer people to work at ACLD. See the flyer below for details.
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Message from the Center for Learning: The CFL runs reports which detail the training status of ACLD employees. We have posted a new version of this report. It can be accessed by going to MS Teams. Find the ACLD Today team and the Center for Learning channel underneath that.
Select “Files” at the top (See the red arrow on the image below) and then click on the folder named “02 – CFL Staff Training Reports”. (See the blue arrow on the image below). The report in that folder is organized to make it easy to find your staff’s information by work location, by department and by name. It can also be filtered so you are only looking at the staff that report to you.
REMINDER – CFL documents are now posted exclusively on MS Teams. See the image below.
This newest report has been revised to provide information on staff training in Blood Glucose Monitoring, Tube Feeding, Tube Medication and Sub-Cutaneous Injections. The report also covers:
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Employee certification in AMAP, SCIP, CPR-First Aid and AED (New Version which highlights when staff are close to expiring or already expired)
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- This report includes extensions made to staff certification expiration dates.
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Click on the report to view this information and stay on top of the training and recertification needs of your employee. |
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NOTE: Please complete all assigned and annual online courses on Litmos such as:
- Prohibition of Sexual Harassment and Other Unlawful Harassment and Discrimination
- Annual NYS Justice Center Code of Conduct Training
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This month we are continuing with our new section in this newsletter that covers safety tips that we can all use in our every day lives. This month's topic is on Distracted Driving. Click the article below to download it as a PDF.
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Help the people we support find employment |
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Do you know of a job opening in your area that would be a good fit for the men and women we support who are seeking employment in the community?
If so, please send an email to the Vocational Services department at Millerl@acld.org.
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Discounts for ACLD Employees |
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Did you know that by being an employee of ACLD, you can take advantage of exclusive discounts at different businesses such as Splish Splash, Verizon, P.C. Richard, Six Flags and a lot more?
You can also register as an ACLD employee on PlumBenefits.com to get even more discounts on vacations, entertainment, online shopping and other services. Use company code ac0825520 to register.
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Welcome ACLD New Hires - November 2021 |
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Faramade Agunloye Direct Support Professional, Bethpage 857
Matthew Alexander Personal Care Assistant, Bethpage 837
Jessica Bernard Direct Support Professional, Spur Drive
Anastasie Beugre Residential Assistant Manager, Autumn
Michael Bradley Direct Support Professional, Ronkonkoma
Natosha Bush Behavior Support Specialist, Kramer Learning Center
Ericka Conrad Direct Support Professional, Alice Court
Vanessa Cormier Day Habilitation Specialist, Levittown - Strive & Day Hab
Maytasha Drayton Direct Support Professional, Bethpage 857
David Eason Direct Support Professional, Long Hill Road
Andre Edwards Direct Support Professional, Bethpage 857
Julie Elam Direct Support Professional, Sejon
Sarah Fagan Creative Arts Therapist, Kramer Learning Center
Shanelle Forbes Direct Support Professional, Brighton
Tamara Garcia Sharma Teacher Aide, Kramer Learning Center
Destiny Gaskin Direct Support Professional, Bethpage 857
Renee Germain Direct Support Professional, Dix Hills
Andrea Glenn Direct Support Professional, Bethpage 857
Norton Hepburn Direct Support Professional, Bethpage 857
Liam Houlihan Direct Support Professional, Blake Ave
Gracieann Howard Direct Support Professional, Bethpage 857
Nadege Isaac Direct Support Professional, Bethpage 857
Gedler Jean Pierre Direct Support Professional, Bethpage 857
Kaliyah Johnson Respite Counselor - In Home Waiver, Bethpage 807
Lashae Kyles Direct Support Professional, Bethpage 857
Wildens Lauriston Direct Support Professional, Bethpage 857
Ryan Lenhauser Direct Support Professional, Bethpage 857
Marie Lysse Direct Support Professional, Bethpage 857
Rico Maulange Direct Support Professional, Bethpage 857
Anthonelly Neree Day Habilitation Specialist, Bethpage 837
Princess Oliver Direct Support Professional, Ontario
Joseph Oswald Direct Support Professional, Bethpage 857
Charles Payne Accounts Receivable Bookkeeper, Bethpage 807
Ricky Payoute Registered Nurse, Bethpage 857
Shanece Powell Direct Support Professional, Ontario
Bianca Robinson Direct Support Professional, Bethpage 857
Nicole Sasuk Receptionist/Secretary, Kramer Learning Center
Tara Skehan Speech Language Pathologist, Kramer Learning Center
Veda Tappin Direct Support Professional, Syosset
Dawn Taylor Direct Support Professional, Bethpage 857
Gabby Trejo Residential Manager, Westwind Dr
Marisa White Direct Support Professional, Plainview
Brittney Young Residential Assistant Manager, Magnolia Manor
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Don't forget to give a SHOUT OUT to recognize someone at your location for something special they did for you, your department or a person we support. |
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The Organizational Care Committee is always looking for new ideas and suggestions from all of YOU to continue to make ACLD one of the best places to work, and for children and adults to receive supports and services.
Please share your ideas and suggestions anytime at brightideabox@acld.org or by using the "Bright Idea Box" at one of the following ACLD locations.
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807 Building
837 Building
857 Building
Program Without Walls
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Kramer Learning Center
Spiegel Children's Center
Hauppauge Day Program
Levittown Day Program
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Glen Cove Day Program
Westbury Day Program
Farmingdale Day Program
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RewearAble has replaced their bins on the Bethpage Campus with beautiful newly designed bins (see below). These new bins can also be found at the new B.L.U.E. program in Deer Park, and will soon replace the bins at the Hauppauge day program.
Donation bin addresses: 807 South Oyster Bay Road, Bethpage, NY 11714 / 305 Oser Avenue, Hauppauge, NY 11788 / 775 Long Island Avenue, Deer Park, NY 11729
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Submit YOUR stories for the "Limelight" |
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Each month we include stories in this newsletter about YOU and all of the amazing staff here at ACLD!
BUT WE NEED YOUR HELP to find out about these stories. Please send us anything to include such as:
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A story about how you or someone else went above and beyond to help the people we support, organized any fun or educational activity, or did anything to further our mission in any way
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Information on any staff member or team who you would like to see spotlighted for their exceptional work.
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Information or news useful for staff across the agency. Anything important or fun.
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Proud moments for you or your family (Personal or professional milestones, awards, weddings, educational degrees or works in the community).
- Or anything else you can think of!
Don't be shy about submitting stories - we need new ones every month!
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"the limelight" is an initiative of the
Communications Committee
and is produced by the
Development and Community Relations Department.
Jonathan Dolan, Editor. For questions, comments or suggestions, please email dolanj2@acld.org
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Thank you to all who have submitted information
and photos. Keep them coming!
We welcome your comments and suggestions.
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