Dear Staff,
By now, you should have received your bonus in last week’s payroll. We were pleased to announce that the ACLD Board last month approved a bonus for all employees who were not eligible for bonuses from OPWDD's Workforce Stabilization Initiative earlier this year. We are grateful to all the staff who have shown tireless dedication to the people we support. Click here to read the memo about these bonuses.
Last month we celebrated our recent Employee of the Quarter winners at the Employee of the Quarter Luncheon, which celebrated 8 of our incredible employees from across the agency. Keep reading to see who won and to learn more about these employees.
In keeping with industry practice, our legal counsel recently recommended title changes to the Executive Team and our Board Officers. Many organizations in our field have already adopted similar title changes and we wanted to make our staff aware in an effort of transparency. You will see the new titles reflected below. These small changes will help to more accurately reflect the operational roles of the management and staff.
In this edition of The Limelight, you will also find a spotlight on our new ACLD nutritionists, a history of the Americans with Disabilities Act as we celebrate the 32nd anniversary of the signing, and other news from across the agency.
Sincerely,
Rob, Gerard, Anne Marie and Kim
Robert Ciatto, President / CEO
Gerard DiMuro, Vice President of Administration
Anne Marie Sime, Vice President of Adult Services
Kim Leonard, Chief Financial Officer
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Congratulations to our recent Employee of the Quarter winners! Last month we celebrated these amazing men and women at our Employee of the Quarter Lunch and thanked them for all they do for the children and adults we support.
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RESIDENTIAL: Martin King, Manager of Calvert IRA; Joel Brea, Administrator; Jason Haywood, Manager of Straight Path IRA
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DAY HABILITATION: Berthe Percy, Day Habilitation Specialist at Bethpage Choices Day Program
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CHILDREN'S SERVICES: Joan Brown, Administrative Assistant at The Alan and Ellen Spiegel Children’s Center; Kathy Pagliuca, Teacher Assistant (ABA) at Kramer Learning Center; Jackie Spiegel, School Psychologist at Kramer Learning Center
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ADMINISTRATION: Mary Candela, Administrator of Office Services/Safety Officer
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Meet Arline Moore, Assistant Manager of the Oceanside IRA. As a future Quarter Century Club Inductee, Arline has been helping to create enviable lives at ACLD since June of 1997, and has worked exclusively at the Oceanside residence for all 25 years.
Arline, who started off as a DSP before being promoted to Assistant Manager, is praised by her peers for her work ethic and dedication to the wellbeing and lives of the adults we support. She consistently goes above and beyond, and over the years has planned many wonderful trips and fun activities, including a recent Paddle Wheeling Riverboat Cruise on the Great South Bay off Long Island. Arline not only plans and executes these activities, but also ensures that everyone is happy and looks their best!
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In addition to her dedication to the people we support, she has formed many close relationships with their family members, as well as all of her staff, and will go out of her way to accommodate everyone’s needs.
Arline is set to retire at the end of this year, and there are not enough words to describe how greatly she will be missed. We wish her luck on this next chapter of life, and thank her for touching and changing so many lives!
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Please join us as we welcome our new ACLD Nutritionists, Carol Nocella and Gerasimoula (Mema) Chaniotskis. These new Nutritionists are joined by Minerva Kim, who has been with ACLD since January 2019. Minerva has recently transitioned to per diem and covers our Nassau residences & SLF apartments. Carol Nocella will cover our Nassau residences as well and Gerasimoula will cover Suffolk.
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Our Nutritionists play a vital role in the lives of the men and women ACLD supports. They rotate to the residential group homes where they monitor weight trends, vital signs, medications, and labs. They also provide one to one nutritional counseling and meal planning for those men and women with diabetes and PKU, all with a focus on the people we support’s overall weight management. To further guide all residents, each Nutritionist conducts healthy cooking demonstrations in the residences to promote healthy food choices such as vegetable pizza, yogurt parfaits, smoothies, avocado toast and fruit-infused water. All of this training in turn gives our staff and people we support the knowledge to prepare healthy and delicious foods that they enjoy. |
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In addition to the hands on work in our residences, the Nutritionist Team also delivers food prep safety training for our new employees during New Hire Orientation, in which they cover topics such as food consistencies and thickened liquids. Lastly, the Nutritionists educate new employees on the importance of “My Plate, My Wins” and how to “Build a Meal with Healthy Portions” for a healthy life.
Recently, they had the adults who live in our East Hills IRA participate in a “snack taste test” of healthy snacks. Previously, favorite snacks of the residents were Pop Tarts, Cheeze Doodles, and chips, but this taste test consisted of pieces of Skinny Pop, mini rice cakes, Ritz thin chips, almonds, and flavored seltzers. Each person checked off the snacks they liked and now have new healthier choices in mind when choosing something to munch on.
Thank you to our nutritionist team for helping our residents to live healthier lives!
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Last month, The Organizational Care Committee organized an employee engagement day for Pride Day, and staff and adults supported across the agency dressed in colors of the rainbow to celebrate.
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The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) became law in 1990. The ADA is a civil rights law that prohibits discrimination against individuals with disabilities in all areas of public life, including jobs, schools, transportation, and all public and private places that are open to the general public.
The purpose of the law is to make sure that people with disabilities have the same rights and opportunities as everyone else. The ADA gives civil rights protections to individuals with disabilities similar to those provided to individuals on the basis of race, color, sex, national origin, age, and religion. It guarantees equal opportunity for individuals with disabilities in public accommodations, employment, transportation, state and local government services, and telecommunications. The ADA is divided into five titles (or sections) that relate to different areas of public life. Five sections of the ADA relating to public life include:
- Title I – Employment
- Title II – Public Services: State and Local Government
- Title III – Public Accommodations and Services Operated by Private Entities
- Title IV – Telecommunications
- Title V – Miscellaneous Provisions
In 2008, the Americans with Disabilities Act Amendments Act (ADAAA) was signed into law and became effective on January 1, 2009. The ADAAA made a number of significant changes to the definition of “disability.” The changes in the definition of disability in the ADAAA apply to all titles of the ADA, including Title I (employment practices of private employers with 15 or more employees, state and local governments, employment agencies, labor unions, agents of the employer and joint management labor committees); Title II (programs and activities of state and local government entities); and Title III (private entities that are considered places of public accommodation).
The law address jobs, schools, transportation, and all public and private places that are open to the general public.
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Two weeks ago the residents and staff of our Chichester community residence took a road trip ending in Bear Mountain State Park in upstate New York.
The house also made stops to see Lion King on Broadway, Playland Park in Rye, Palisades Center mall, and the town of New City, where they stayed at a beautiful Airbnb with a lot of amenities.
The vacation was a huge success and everyone had a blast traveling and eating at different places along the way! Thank you to the amazing residential staff for putting this trip together!
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And just like that, they’re graduates! Congratulations to the first classrooms at the Kramer Learning Center for graduating at their Moving Up Ceremonies in June!
Last month, the students’ families, along with our amazing Children’s Services staff, gathered to celebrate the accomplishments of these young minds!
The rest of the graduations, in both the Kramer Learning Center and The Alan and Ellen Spiegel Children’s Center, will take place next month. Stayed tuned for pictures from those ceremonies.
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Few things go together better than ice cream and beautiful summer days, and our Hauppauge day habilitation program got both of them earlier this month when Mr. and Mrs. Pavone sponsored an ice cream day for the adults supported at the site. Thank you to the Pavones and the Hauppauge staff for organizing this fun day! |
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Last month our Children’s Services staff enjoyed a year-end barbecue at The Alan and Ellen Spiegel Children’s Center, prepared and served by the BBQ Pit Crew, the family of Spiegel Teacher Heather Lyon.
The menu included hamburgers, hotdogs, veggie burgers, grilled corn on the cob, cold salads and all the trimmings! Both our Kramer Learning Center and Alan and Ellen Spiegel Children’s Center staff enjoyed time together listening to music and catching up.
Everyone also enjoyed a very special dessert prepared by Heather’s son - homemade marshmallow s’mores, and staff added to the meal by preparing and sharing delicious desserts as well!
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Congratulations to Sonia Gerges, Special Educator at The Alan and Ellen Spiegel Children's Center, and her husband Tom on the birth of their baby girl Elena Vaiva!
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Congratulations to Residential Manager, Joshua Shields, who was recently promoted to Head Coach of the Port Jefferson High School Football team. He was previously the Assistant Coach.
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Employee Referral Program |
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Don't forget about the 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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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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Anniversary Milestones - July 2022 |
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Pharadia Bastien Direct Support Professional, Bethpage 857
Mireille Dewan Direct Support Professional, Bethpage 857
Kevin Francois Direct Support Professional, Baldwin
Floris Guerrero Direct Support Professional, Bethpage 857
Jacqueline Hipp Special Educator, Kramer Learning Center
Zah-Niyah Jerrick Direct Support Professional, Bethpage 857
Jacqueline Kyei-Mensah Direct Support Professional, Bethpage 857
Marie Mingot Direct Support Professional, Yorktown
Yolanda Ramos Day Habilitation Specialist, Hauppauge
Diana Sanchez Lead Day Habilitation Specialist, Hauppauge
Raul Vega Day Habilitation Specialist, Bethpage 837
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Alyssa DeStefano Residential Manager, St James
Inez Love-Reid Direct Support Professional, Thomaston
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Sonia Taylor Direct Support Professional Bethpage 857
Jennifer Tiseo Physical Therapist Kramer Learning Center
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Maria Mondesir Direct Support Professional, East Meadow
Tara Pace Behavioral Intervention Specialist, Bethpage 857
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Cecelia Irvin Accounts Receivable Bookkeeper, Bethpage 807
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Welcome ACLD New Hires - June 2022 |
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Kendy Andre Day Habilitation Specialist, Bethpage 837
Anna Arthur Direct Support Professional, Ontario
Justin A Barnes Direct Support Professional, Hawthorne
Alizia M Bonilla Direct Support Professional, Oakdale
Rafael H Carmona Teacher Aide, Kramer Learning Center
Patrick W Caulfield Maintenance Aide, Bethpage 857
Gerasimoula Chaniotakis Nutritionist, Bethpage 857
Celeste E DeRosa Special Educator, Kramer Learning Center
Pierre Chardin Dorval Direct Support Professional, Eastover Drive
Joseph Foulkes-Bloomfield Direct Support Professional, Calvert Avenue
Donna M Gedeon Registered Nurse, Bethpage 857
Leticia Gonzalez Respite Counselor, Bethpage 807
Ashley N Grief Pirnak Creative Arts Therapist, Kramer Learning Center
Joseph A Ladevaia Maintenance Aide, Bethpage 857
Megan M Jones Day Habilitation Specialist, Hauppauge
Stephanie C Marinello Special Educator, Spiegel Center
Flor Marroguin Respite Counselor, Bethpage 807
Lyn Mezier Direct Support Professional, Eastover Drive
Cecile Marie Moody Direct Support Professional, West Hempstead
Kyesha N Owens Direct Support Professional, Magnolia Manor
Lustere Petit Lead Day Habilitation Specialist, B.L.U.E.
James S Piliero Maintenance Worker, Bethpage 857
Christine M Plona Special Educator, Kramer Learning Center
Jo-Ann Read Speech Language Pathologist, Kramer Learning Center
Kelly A Russo Day Habilitation Specialist, Bethpage 837
Sharonette Sanderson Direct Support Professional, East Hills
David A Sepaul Direct Support Professional, Northport
Karen L Sylvanus Occupational Therapist, Kramer Learning Center
Giavonni K Tobin Residential Manager, Nichols Road
Jayven J Torres Teacher Aide, Kramer Learning Center
Juninho K Vallon Direct Support Professional, Blake Ave
Briana Renee Wheeler Teacher Aide, Kramer Learning Center
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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.
Now it is easier than ever before to share your bright ideeas. Just click here and your Bright Ideas will be sent directly to the Organizational Care Committee. A representative from the committee will respond to you promptly, and if your idea is implemented, you will earn a $25.00 gift card!
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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)
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Employee Engagement day photos of you and your team.
- Or anything else you can think of!
DON'T be shy about submitting stories - we need new ones every month!
DON'T worry about writing it perfectly. Just give as much information as you have.
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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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