Dear Staff,
March is here and finally spring is right around the corner. This month has cause for celebration for it's both Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month, along with Women’s History Month. See below in this edition of the Limelight to read about how we are celebrating both occasions.
We will be holding Virtual Town Hall meetings later this month on Thursday March 17th and Thursday March 24th. All staff are welcome to attend and are encouraged to speak with Executive Director Rob Ciatto about important issues facing the agency and our industry. Check out the available times below in this newsletter.
We would like to note that the agency’s newest house Calvert in Ronkonkama is opening this month and there is an opportunity for anyone to join the house and receive a signing bonus. Click here for details and contact Human Resources at victorj@acld.org with any questions.
In this edition of the Limelight, you will also find a new Direct Care Corner highlight, a shout out to our Bright Idea Box winners and so much more.
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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Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month |
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ACLD is celebrating Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month by spotlighting people we support, their achievements and how they live enviable lives. This month we spoke to adults employed at RewearAble, women supported at Levittown Bridges, and one Administrative staff who works on the Bethpage campus. |
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(left to right) Karen Gropper and Carmen Pumo at RewearAble |
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As residents of ACLD, along with working as sorters at RewearAble, Carmen Pumo and Karen Gropper, serve as role models for anyone who has the goal of becoming employed.
Both women have been working in their communities for a long time, and Pumo remembers going to a workshop years ago in Albany that discussed how to prepare to get a job in the community, and how to get along and work well with others. Her first job was at a Stop and Shop, and she also worked at United Cerebral Palsy of Long Island prior to joining RewearAble in 2017.
Gropper, who also had a few jobs before starting at RewearAble in 2016, says she is “proud to be working” and that “it feels good to earn my own paycheck.” Being the amazing self-advocates they are, it is no surprise that they also advocate for others to pursue employment opportunities too, and they hope to see more of their friends get jobs in the future.
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(left to right) Abby Levinson, Merril Krassner, Allison Royar, Tina Boland and Sharon Giselmann, ACLD's Employee Development and Engagement Manager. (front) Marlin Heely. |
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Meet Abby, Merril, Allison, Tina and Marlin, attendees of the Levittown Bridges Day Habilitation program, and active volunteers in their communities.
Despite the pandemic putting a pause on many volunteering opportunities, the site has stayed busy with work such as Meals on Wheels, food shopping for senior citizens and baking dog biscuits for animal shelters.
Everyone expressed that volunteering and helping people out in the community makes them feel good and they are looking forward to more of it as this year continues.
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Stefanie Bishop at the 807 building |
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If you come to the 807 building on the Bethpage campus, ACLD Clerk Stefanie Bishop might be the first person you see. Bishop, who was hired last year in March and is supported by ACLD's Vocational Services, says that she loves working here and enjoys being a part of the administrative team.
As a natural hard worker, Bishop has spent the last few years racking up experiences in volunteering and working in the community. She has volunteered at the Guide Dog Foundation in Smithtown, the office in ACLD’s Hauppauge Day Program, and also works at Smithtown’s Board of Elections as a Poll Inspector.
When asked, Bishop thanks her family for always encouraging her and guiding her to continue to grow. She says, “I have always believed that I can do anything I put my mind to, and my parents believing in me is a big part of that. I wouldn’t be able to do everything without them.”
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This month is Women’s History Month and ACLD proudly celebrates the impact women have made at our agency over the past 65 years, including ACLD’s first Executive Director Lila Blum and current Assistant Executive Director Anne Marie Sime and Chief Financial Officer Kim Leonard.
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Lila Blum was a parent of two developmentally disabled children, and was known as a feisty, hardworking, trailblazer who was committed to forging community partnerships during her tenure as Executive Director.
Under Lila’s leadership, ACLD embarked on fundraising endeavors, began to plan for development of residential options and moved into our first office, which consisted of a room and a half over an adult home on Brush Hollow Road in Westbury.
She had a reputation for being a fierce advocate for equity in health care services for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, and fostered long-standing relationships with people in the community, along with the Nassau and Suffolk County Executives. She also connected with local superintendents and their SEPTA chapters (Special Education Parent Teacher Associations) to push for improved educational services for students with “brain injuries”. Her driving purpose was to provide a continuum of services from infancy throughout adulthood.
Being a master fundraiser, Lila and ACLD President, Hal Balk, invited notable personalities Sammy Davis Jr., Peter Lawford, Melba Moore, Geraldo Rivera and other dignitaries to fundraising events. We thank Lila for being a woman who was not afraid to challenge the status-quo and for encouraging people to look at men and women with I/DD differently, as competent, capable human beings who are deserving of a life filled with purpose and meaning.
*This reflection was shared by George Singfield, ACLD Education Consultant. George, who has been a part of our agency since the 1960's, worked closely with Lila Blum and knew her well.*
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(left to right) Anne Marie Sime and Kim Leonard |
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Our Assistant Executive Director, Anne Marie Sime got her start in I/DD services as a counselor over 34 years ago. At the time, she was working on her Psychology degree, and had not planned on going into the field of supporting people with learning and developmental disabilities. She applied for a job as a counselor, but didn't realize until the interview that the job would be working with the I/DD population. However, as soon as she began helping the people supported, she felt that this was her calling.
Over the years she has worked as a Direct Support Professional and Manager in community residences in other agencies in upstate New York and on Long Island, and joined ACLD as a Coordinator for the Apartment Program in 1997. "From the first minute I walked in the door at ACLD, I knew that this was the place for me. I fell in love with all of the staff and people we support, and ACLD felt like a family." says Sime.
During her time here, Sime has climbed the ranks of Administrator of Residential Services, Director of Residential Services, Senior Director of Adult Services, and finally Assistant Executive Director in 2021. When describing her passion for helping people, she says, "There's nothing else like it in the world. Finding the key to unlock a person you work with, and helping them feel better and improve their life is so rewarding, and I can't imagine another life for myself other than this one."
As she reflects on Women's History Month, Sime is grateful to all of the trailblazing women who came before her and paved the way for women to excel in this field, and the world. She says that she has always been fortunate to have encouraging mentors and executives who have helped her grow throughout the years, and at this stage of her career, she feels that her greatest accomplishment has been the hiring and mentoring of other leaders who are growing in ACLD right now.
Kim Leonard, ACLD's Chief Financial Officer (CFO), got her introduction to this field while working at an employment company who happened to have several non-profits as clients. Stating that she always wanted to work for a "greater good", Leonard was attracted to the I/DD industry and began working for a Long Island based agency supporting people with I/DD in 2003 as an Executive Assistant for the CFO.
At this time, Leonard was still in school for Accounting, and said her boss took her under her wing and allowed her to learn and take on additional responsibilities. Like Anne Marie Sime, she also expresses that she knew right away that this was a cause and mission she wanted to work for.
As she continued to grow, she became a Financial Analyst and learned about OPWDD rates for different programs, the ins and outs of an Article 28 clinic, school funding streams, HUD housing and anything else she could take on. Leonard eventually joined ACLD in 2016 as the Controller for our preschools and the Charles Evans Center. In 2020 she was promoted to Chief Financial Officer.
"I love working for this cause and with the people we support, and I am proud of the relationships myself and my department has formed with staff all across the agency", she says. She believes in speaking to program staff and teaching them about the business side of everything, as well as taking the time to learn from them about their program operations. Leonard says "We are all working together - the business side and the program side. And no one is higher or lower than anyone else, and I am no different from anyone else. We are all helping each other out, and working on our mission together."
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ACLD Programs Celebrate Women's History Month |
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Banner of the "wonderful women" of the Kramer Learning Center |
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Adults supported at the Hauppauge day habilitation site purchased roses to hand out to all women at the program. |
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Hauppauge RN Jenise Alfano recieving a rose
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Hauppauge's core rooms were decorated with faces of influential women in history |
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A close up of two of the faces of women on a wall in Hauppauge |
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Meet Therancio Julien, Day Habilitation Specialist (DHS) in the Bethpage day program. Therancio has only been with ACLD since May 2021, but in a short period of time he has already made an impression on everyone he works with and is very intuitive of the needs and interests of the people he supports.
Currently, Therancio is working alongside a Lead DHS in one of the core rooms. He has an eagerness to learn and enjoys getting to know each person’s likes and talents.
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Last year he participated in a sign language training at the day program with the goal of communicating more effectively with a person in his group who is deaf. His Lead DHS says that Therancio always projects a calm and pleasant demeanor and makes each day fun and enjoyable for everyone.
Laida Duany, Administrator at the Bethpage Day Program says, “Therancio is very reliable and steps up when his Lead DHS is off. He adapts well and quickly to program or transportation changes with a smile, and never complains. He is compassionate, fun, patient and is very mindful of monitoring people’s health needs. We are so lucky to have him in our program!”
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Last Month in the Limelight we celebrated Black History Month by spotlighting Black men and women who work at ACLD and asked them "What does Black History Month mean to you?".
We also shared reflections on the month from more staff and a person supported on our social media pages. In case you missed last month's Limelight, or our social media posts, check out the video below to read everyone's answers.
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Direct Care Professional Learning Academy |
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Congratulations to the graduates of ACLD’s Direct Care Professional Learning Academy, Karl Gerlus (Oakdale IRA), Jarlande Pierre (Blake IRA), Marie Mingot (Yorktown IRA), Ona Farley (Seaford IRA), Myrna Joseph (Seaford IRA) and Lynn Hartmann-Alesia (BLUE Day Program).
This was the second cohort of this academy and the group met for two and a half days to go through unique training modules that focus on ACLD’s culture, mission, core values, the NADSP Code of Ethics and Best Practices in Direct Care Responsibilities.
This cohort also incorporated a new training called “Working with Families” and introduced a powerful TED talk video called A Story of Undiagnosed Autism by Carrie Beckwith-Fellows. Each participant offered their critical feedback and evaluation of each training module, and with this program, ACLD is committed to building a stronger future for our direct care professionals.
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Interested in learning more about the Direct Care Professional Learning Academy? Call Sharon Geiselmann at 516-822-0028 ext. 240.
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Executive Director Rob Ciatto will be hosting Town Hall meetings on March 17th and March 24th to give staff an opportunity to have dialogue about important issues facing the agency and our industry.
Please save the following dates and links if you would like to participate virtually.
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Thursday, March 17, at 10:30 am
Meeting ID: 883 1399 3484
Thursday March 17, at 2:00 pm
Meeting ID: 853 7240 4633
Thursday, March 24, at 10:30 am
Meeting ID: 861 6397 1731
Thursday, March 24, at 2:00 pm
Meeting ID: 823 3877 9511
Thursday, March 24, at 4:00 pm
Meeting ID: 848 8961 8857
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Kudos to our amazing staff who submitted ideas to the Bright Idea Box and have had their ideas implemented in the organization.
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 the highest level of supports and services.
Now it is easier than ever before to share your Bright Ideas. Just click the link 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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The Organizational Care Committee has announced an Employee Engagement Day called Team Spirit Day on March 16th.
On this day all staff are invited to come in with their favorite team jerseys, shirts, hats and accessories on. Mark your calendar!
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The staff at Bridges Levittown day program threw a Super Bowl party on the day before the Super Bowl last month.
Leda Sanchez, Administrator of the site, said “Everyone partied and enjoyed their lunch while watching last year's Super bowl. There was delicious pasta, heroes, teriyaki chicken, potato and macaroni salad, chips and dip and desserts! It was so much fun and we are so happy to have celebrated together!”
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Want the newest ACLD apparel (t-shirts, shorts, jackets, hoodies etc.) and other accessories? Then shop the Limited Time ACLD Web Store starting today March 11th.
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This web store will be for a limited time only and close on March 27th at 11:59 pm so grab your ACLD swag right away!
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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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A message from the Center For Learning: ACLD has assigned the Annual Prohibition of Sexual and Other Unlawful Harassment and Discrimination online course in Litmos to all employees.
The course content may seem similar, but please note that all employees are required to complete this training annually. We have made some changes to the settings of this course that we’d like you to know about:
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This version of the Harassment course will now “resit” every year. “Resitting” means that this course after completion will again reappear in your Litmos profile approximately 30 days before the compliance period ends. We have established the “resit” date as January 1st of every year.
- You may receive email reminders from Litmos to encourage you to complete this course. The reminders stop when the course is completed.
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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 - March 2022 |
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Ismael Constant Direct Support Professional, Malts Ave
Milien Fineus Day Habilitation Specialist, Levittown Strive & Day Hab
Brendan McMahon Maintenance Aide, Bethpage 857
Kodjovi Messetchan Direct Support Professional, Bethpage 857
Jennifer Molina Teacher Aide, Spiegel Children's Center
Jarlande Pierre Direct Support Professional, Blake Ave
Jean Swan Registered Nurse, Bethpage 857
Maria Urquilla Direct Support Professional, Rainbow 918
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Foday Sillah Registered Nurse, Bethpage 857
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Alyson D'Andraia Occupational Therapist, Kramer Learning Center
Marjorie Mathieu Direct Support Professional, West Hempstead
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Nick Madamba Day Habilitation Specialist, Bridges Westbury
Sharlene Smart Fernando Direct Support Professional, Roslyn Heights
Georgia Williams Residential Manager, West Hempstead
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Welcome ACLD New Hires - February 2022 |
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Monique Abarca Registered Nurse, Bethpage 857
Lia Alexis Licensed Practical Nurse, Bethpage 857
Flora Arango Licensed Practical Nurse, Yorktown
Karla Argueta Respite Counselor - In Home Waiver, Bethpage 807
Marie C Bernard Direct Support Professional, Yorktown
Yolanda Burroughs Direct Support Professional, Bethpage 857
Jamal Castma Direct Support Professional, Blake Ave
Jephte Celestin Direct Support Professional, Calvert Avenue
Carme Derosier Direct Support Professional, Baldwin
Serge Elysee Direct Support Professional, Yorktown
Adam Fanfan Direct Support Professional, Yorktown
Steven Farinella Day Habilitation Specialist, Program Without Walls - Commack
Ashma Galhotra Day Habilitation Specialist, Bethpage 837
Wilddy Gerlus Direct Support Professional, Autumn
Robert Gorman Direct Support Professional, Long Hill Road
Jessica Haas Registered Nurse, Bethpage 857
Nhien Huynh Accounts Payable Clerk, Bethpage 807
Odley Jean Direct Support Professional, East Hills
Pascal Jean Charles Direct Support Professional, Yorktown
Dervens Jeanty Direct Support Professional, Calvert Avenue
Vanessa Jovin Direct Support Professional, Oakdale
Isabella Leon Teacher Assistant, Kramer Learning Center
Blanca Mancia Maintenance Aide, Bethpage 857
Dina Mozart Direct Support Professional, Nichols Road
Vickens Orsel Direct Support Professional, Autumn
Natasha Parker Registered Nurse, Bethpage 857
Amanda Razzano Teacher Assistant, Kramer Learning Center
Raj Regina Direct Support Professional, Magnolia Manor
Mark Shelton Direct Support Professional, Bethpage 857
Kristin Smith Teacher Aide, Spiegel Center
Betty Sow Direct Support Professional, Alice Court
Zion Tanor Direct Support Professional, Phelps
Marilynn Tapia Payroll Assistant, Bethpage 807
Victoria Thompson Teacher Aide, Spiegel Center
Chanel Tolliver Nivens Direct Support Professional, Bethpage 857
Devaughn Williams Teacher Aide, Kramer Learning Center
Davonna Winfrey Residential Assistant Manager, Sejon
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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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