Dear Staff,
Last month we celebrated our direct support staff across the agency for Direct Support Professionals Week, and thanked them for all they do to care for the children, men and women we support. Each and every DSP deserves to be recognized for the HEROES that they are, and for their commitment and dedication to our mission. Please see below in this newsletter for this year's Direct Support Professionals Week video.
Along with DSP Week, we also held our Employee of the Quarter Luncheon last month to celebrate the winners in Residential, Day Habilitation, Children's Services and Administration. In addition to that, we are extremely proud to announce that our own Katia Thomas of the Glen Cove Bridges Day program won DSP of the Year for the Long Island Region from New York Alliance for Inclusion & Innovation and the Regional Centers for Workforce Transformation. This is an incredible honor and well deserved for such an outstanding direct support professional. Read more about Katia and her work at Glen Cove in the first story of this newsletter below.
In this edition of the Limelight, you will also find a highlight on a very special team at ACLD, news from the RewearAble program, links to nominate your co-workers for the Board of Trustees Exemplary Service Award and Gail White-Rison Scholarship, and 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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Congratulations to Katia Thomas, Day Habilitation Specialist at the Glen Cove Bridges Day program for winning DSP of the Year for the Long Island Region from the New York Alliance for Inclusion & Innovation and the Regional Centers for Workforce Transformation.
As an outstanding DSP, Katia always comes to work with a smile on her face and with the ambition to make people’s lives better. She continually shows patience with the people we support, sees the potential they have, and has helped many at Glen Cove reach increased success in their outcomes. One adult supported that Katia works with has made significant progress since the re-opening of programs last year. This adult has become more verbal about their wants and needs, has become more independent around program, and has begun to take on roles in day-to-day functions and activities. For this Katia deserves a lot of credit.
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Katia frequently initiates what needs to be done at the site, and during the pandemic has been especially meticulous in sanitizing the site and encouraging proper handwashing and hygiene to ensure the health and safety of the people we support. As a true hero, last year Katia worked at a residence to continue to provide day services to the people we support while the day programs were closed, and was instrumental in keeping continuity and active programming for everyone at the residence.
Joann Leavy, Assistant Director of Day Services says, “Katia is a team player and is always ready to take on responsibility. Her unwavering love and care for the people we support is apparent in all that she does. She absolutely deserves this recognition and we are lucky to have her on our team”
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Direct Support Professionals Week |
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Last month we celebrated Direct Support Professionals Week, and took a moment to recognize this celebration which has taken on a new meaning.
For the last 18 months, our direct support professionals have been on the front lines, ensuring the people we support have been safeguarded and their needs met throughout this pandemic. As we reopened programs and welcomed back the people supported, their dedication and commitment has never wavered. They ARE the heart and soul of everything we do to support people of all abilities.
Please enjoy this year's Direct Support Professionals Week video below.
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Congratulations to our Employees of the Quarter winners! Last month we celebrated these amazing men and women at our Employee of the Quarter Luncheon and thanked them for all they do for the children and adults we support. See list of winners below.
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Residential: Chris Kyei, Manager at Washington IRA and Kelly Torchon, Assistant Manager at Oakdale IRA.
Day Habilitation: Charles Yanes, Day Habilitation Specialist at Glen Cove BRIDGES and Keira Finnell, Job Coach in Vocational Services.
Children's Services: Rochely Gonzalez-Sanchez, Teacher Assistant at Kramer Learning Center and Christine Dello-Russo, Teacher at Kramer Learning Center.
Administration: Bridgette Samuel, Entitlement Coordinator in Finance Department.
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RewearAble is also pleased to announced that it was able to give clothes to a new resident that recently joined an ACLD residence. The person supported came to ACLD with very little, and Rosmaliz Valdes-Romero, Operations Manager at RewearAble and Sabine Maynard, Associate Director of Regulatory Affairs, set aside clothing for them and everything fit perfectly.
Lastly, RewearAble has replaced their bins on the Bethpage Campus with beautiful newly designed bins (see below). These new bins can also now be found at the new B.L.U.E. program in Deer Park. In addition, the bins currently at the Hauppauge Day program will also be swapped out with this new design.
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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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Center for Learning Spotlight |
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You may be aware that ACLD’s Center for Learning (CFL) provides agency-wide training to our workforce including New Hire Orientation, AMAP, CPR / First Aid, SCIP, the online Litmos courses, and more.
But did you also know that the CFL team is likely the most tenured department at ACLD with over 105 years of experience at our agency?
Here's the numbers: Today, Anne Stanton celebrates her 35th year at ACLD, with Scott Bradshaw currently at 31.5 years, MaryCara Ferdinando at 24.5 years, and Sherry Hitraj at 14.75 years. That’s a lot of knowledge and experience supporting people with disabilities, and they are happy to share with all of you!
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Breast Cancer Awareness Month |
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Here at ACLD we celebrate Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and every Friday this month our Children’s Services staff at Kramer Learning Center and The Alan and Ellen Spiegel Children's Center wear pink to show their support. We also encourage all staff in the agency to wear pink as well, and to feel free to send pictures of you and your co-workers to dolanj2@acld.org to be featured on the ACLD social media pages this month.
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Last month, The Organizational Care Committee organized a brand-new Employee Engagement Day, School Colors Day, with staff across the agency dressing in their high school and college shirts, sweatshirts and jerseys.
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Remember - this month's Employee Engagement Day is "Team Spirit"! |
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Congratulations to Pushpa Reddy, Day Hab Administrator at the Bethpage Day Hab Programs, on the birth of her 2nd granddaughter, Maanya Thangirala Reddy, born on August 20, 2021, 7 lbs 3 oz.
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Congratulations to Johnna Curry, Reimbursement Analyst in the Finance Department, on her recent engagement to John Hauck.
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Congratulations to Girl Scouts Samantha and Caroline Keegan, daughters of ACLD's Director of Development and Community Relations Aimee Keegan, on their Silver Award Project. Part of their project was holding a clothing drive for ACLD's RewearAble program in which they collected over 90 lbs. of clothes!
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Nominate Your Co-Workers! |
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It’s that time of year to nominate your amazing co-workers for the Board of Trustees Exemplary Service Award and the Gail White-Rison Scholarship. The deadline to nominate for both awards is November 1, 2021.
In addition, it is also time to nominate your co-workers for the next Employee of the Quarter Award and the Team Service Award! Please click the links below to nominate your co-workers today.
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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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This month we are beginning a brand new section in this newsletter that covers safety tips that we can all use in our every day lives. This month's topic is Avoid Rear-End Collisions. Click the article below to download it as a PDF.
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Message from the Center for Learning: We have set our training schedule for November of 2021. The links to register for classes can be found on the CFL Training calendar on MS Teams! See image below.
Please note:
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All AMAP Cert and Recert classes are still being held virtually using Zoom. Zoom links are sent out the night before the training.
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All CPR-AED-First Aid trainings are being held live in Bethpage at the 807 building.
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All SCIP Core and Recert trainings are being held live in Bethpage at the 807 building.
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Annual Notice: Health & Welfare Plan |
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Every year the Human Resources Department sends out a Summary Annual Report for the ACLD Health and Welfare Plan. Please click the button below to read this important document.
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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 5 people to work at ACLD. See the flyer below for details.
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See below for the schedule of Walk-In Interview Events for this month of October. Please share this with anyone who would be interested in working at ACLD.
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Tuesdays from 1:00 pm – 4:00 pm @ 807 South Oyster Bay Road, Bethpage NY 11714
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Wednesdays from 10:00 am – 1:00 pm @ 305 Oser Avenue, Hauppauge, NY 11788
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Fridays from 10:00 am – 1:00 pm @ 807 South Oyster Bay Road, Bethpage NY 11714
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Message from IT Department: In an effort to improve IT support at ACLD, please take a minute to answer our 5 question survey.
You can use the link below which will direct you to the Teams site, or you can scan the QR code with your Smartphone.
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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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ACLD Anniversary Milestones - October 2021
5 Years
Taylor Pelissier Registered Nurse, Residential
Yudy Leonardo Day Habilitation Specialist, Bethpage 837
15 Years
Elfleda Sanchez Team Coordinator, Bridges Glen Cove
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Welcome ACLD New Hires - September 2021 |
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Ismaila Abdul-Karim Residential Manager, Yorktown
Noa Benezra Special Educator, Kramer Learning Center
Christalia Bonilla Direct Support Professional, Nichols Road
Tara Boothe Day Habilitation Specialist, Levittown - Strive & Day Hab Support
Hayden Charles Direct Support Professional, Bethpage 857
Gwyneth Clark Residential Manager, Autumn
Arianna Cox PreVocational Coach, Bethpage 857
Issaiah Cuevas Direct Support Professional, Bethpage 857
Kaye-Lise Delva Job Coach, Bethpage 857
Shaquaisha Harrison Direct Support Professional, Bethpage 857
Janaya Hedges Direct Support Professional, Brighton
Rachel Laterza Special Educator, Kramer Learning Center
Shakeen Legette Direct Support Professional, Bethpage 857
Lourdes Lopez Job Coach, Bethpage 857
Shavane Marshall Direct Support Professional, Rainbow 921
Madjery Masse Direct Support Professional, Oceanside
Milena Martinez Direct Support Professional, Bethpage 857
Karen Obeso Registered Nurse, Bethpage 857
Jennifer Oriol Residential Assistant Manager, Rainbow 918
Christopher Riley Direct Support Professional, Calvert Avenue
Anna Siegel Day Habilitation Specialist, Bridges Day Hab - Glen Cove
Stephen Tedesco Maintenance Worker, Bethpage 857
Readlyn Videau Residential Manager, Dix Hills
Alyssa Vignone Registered Nurse, Bethpage 857
Christie Volcy Direct Support Professional, Russell Gardens
Sandra White Direct Support Professional, Bethpage 857
LaWanda Young Residential Manager, Louis Kossuth
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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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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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