Dear Members, Families, and Friends,

The vibrant colors of leaf-peeping season came and went, and the Southern Tier region has already experienced its first few snowfalls! Today, we’re embracing the seasonal spirit as we don our favorite fuzzy socks, cozy up with a warm drink, and gather to share the Winter Newsletter with you.

This edition is filled with seasonal items from accessible events through the holidays to compassionate care management; we share the latest Your Rights in 10 that offers valuable insights to empower you and a few things you may have missed. We hope you are enjoying the warmth of the holiday season with family, friends, and loved ones, but also find time for yourself before diving into the New Year.

If you're a care manager with a story to tell or have a special request for our upcoming newsletters, don't hesitate to reach out – your voice matters! We wish you all the best this Winter, and, as always, we hope you find this newsletter insightful and informative.

Sincerely,

Jess and Carey

On Monday, October 30th, at 1:00 p.m., we put the spotlight on the remarkable people who work in the community. They took the stage during this heartwarming session to celebrate National Disability Employment Awareness Month by sharing their inspiring stories and showcasing the incredible work they do each day.

So many of you joined us to celebrate the achievements and valuable work that people with disabilities bring to the workforce on this day. We give heartfelt thanks to all who attended and to those who shared their story. If you missed it or want to re-watch this spotlight series, click the link below to access it.

Care Coordination Manager Christine Maiurano has worked with Southern Tier Connect since February 2023. In that time, she has connected with members like Alex and helped him find a place to live, apply for benefits, and focus on his next steps. Before joining STC, Christine worked in similar fields as a vocational rehabilitation counselor, a qualified intellectual disability (QDIP) professional in a residential setting, and an Article 17-A guardianship coordinator. In her last position, Christine provided Children and Family Treatment and Support Services (CFTSS) and Home and Community Based Services (HCBS) waiver services to both adults and children with mental health issues and/or developmental disabilities. What drew Christine to care management? “It was where I felt I could make a positive impact on people’s lives,” she says.

Before Christine started working with Alex, he lived with his mom in an apartment and worked part-time at a local nursing home as a dietary aide. Christine stepped in to help when Alex’s mom announced that she would be relocating to Florida, leaving Alex on his own for the first time at 21. After his initial application to the apartment building in which he was living was rejected, Christine called the Chenango Housing Improvement Program, who explained that they needed proof of Alex’s disability or else his application would continue to be denied. Christine re-applied and provided evidence of Alex’s disability, after which he was approved! 

In between securing the apartment and moving in, Alex lost his job. Christine assisted in writing addendums to his life plan and applied for an OPWDD housing subsidy and transition stipend. After moving in, Alex started with very little, but with help from Christine, he secured furniture, kitchen gadgets like a blender and microwave, and cleaning supplies like a vacuum. She also helped set up his utilities, while community habilitation will help set up a bank account to ensure Alex can make rent payments on time. Soon, he will be working on creating and understanding budgeting. In the meantime, Christine is assisting with Alex’s application for the New York State Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) so he can purchase healthy food for meals. Alex shares the apartment with his cat, Tucker.

While Alex is out of work, he is taking time to focus on his artwork. Alex enjoys playing video games and has creatively incorporated them into his art. He has created weapons concepts from the video games he plays. Alex also works with a job coach and hopes to return to the nursing home soon; meanwhile, he has applied to a local gas station for part-time work. Alex’s sister assists with community habilitation, getting groceries, and setting up his television so he can continue playing video games.

In under a year, Christine and Alex have collaborated to transform Alex’s life. Currently, Alex is working to determine his future goals, which Christine looks forward to supporting him in realizing. Christine’s favorite part of her job is “helping members reach their goals and achieve independence.” 

Southern Tier Connect members—and brothers—George and Chris shared a few photos with us of their recent family trip to Disney. While there, they met many of their favorite Disney characters like the Incredibles' Edna Mode and Frozone, and Sully of Monsters Inc. Thank you, George and Chris, for sharing your time at Disney with us!

At this link, I Love NY, you'll find a list of experiences (places and events) across New York state that offer sensory-friendly activities and more for children and adults who are on the autism spectrum or have a developmental disability. Start planning your next experience today!

Events in Broome County:

• Broome County Festival of Lights: ‘Tis the season for holiday magic! The Broome County Festival of Lights (hosted by the Spiedie Fest) is returning for the 4th year to deliver cheer throughout Otsiningo Park. This event runs until December 31. To learn more, visit their website: Broome County Festival of Lights

• Gaffer District & Holiday Tree Lighting: Enjoy a Crystal City Christmas in the Gaffer District of Corning. They offer city tours, boutique shopping, public art, and more! Visit their website here: Gaffer District Events

Events in Oneida County:

• Bank of Utica New Year's Eve: Ring in the New Year on December 31st with the Bank of Utica New Year's Eve celebration event starting at 6:30 pm. There will be a bonfire, horse and carriage rides, magicians, dancers, and more. This event is not to be missed. More here: Bank of Utica New Year's Eve

• Explore Oneida County Tourism: The Oneida County Tourism site offers a webpage with events happening all winter long. Check it out here: Oneida County Tourism

Events in Otsego County:

• Oneonta: First Night and Five Star Subaru present the drive through Oneonta Festival of Lights Saturday, December 18th through Saturday, January 1st. On opening night, December 18th, from 5 pm-8 pm, a special pedestrian area will feature Santa and live entertainment by Cosmic Karma Fire, Mike the Juggler, DrumQuest, and the Hill City Ice Queen and Friends! For more information, visit the webpage: First Night Oneonta

• This is Cooperstown: Visit This is Cooperstown for events happening in Cooperstown and across Otsego County. Visit their webpage for a complete listing: This is Cooperstown

Events in Tompkins County:

• Ithaca Children's Garden hosts a FREE winter event, the Festival of Fire & Ice, on Saturday, February 3rd, from 3 to 6 p.m. Ithaca Children’s Garden will be dressed up to celebrate the winter season! There will be snacks and beverages available for purchase. For more information, visit their events page here: Festival of Fire and Ice

• For a list of all annual events and festivals taking place in Ithaca, visit their events page here: Visit Ithaca

Events in Cortland County:

• Enjoy Winter Solstice in the Garden at the Cornell Botanical Garden in Ithaca. Register to join a guided tour of the Mullestein Winter Garden to learn all about plants that thrive over the winter season. This event takes place outside; general admission is $18. Tickets are selling fast! Register here: Winter Solstice in the Garden

• For events happening in Cortland County, visit their events page at Experience Cortland

Events in Fulton County:

• Join Santa Claus at The Glove Theatre this weekend, Sunday, December 17th, from 12:00 pm to 4:00 pm. You can take pictures with Santa and watch the tree lighting with hot cocoa in hand. For more information, visit the Glove Theatre webpage here: The Glove Theatre

• There are many holiday events happening in Fulton County this Winter. For a complete list of all the events, visit their calendar page here: 44 Lakes

Events in the Capital-Saratoga Region: 

• Saratoga New Year's Festival: On Sunday, December 31, 2023, the Saratoga New Year's Fest will kick off with all kinds of fun things to do from 1 pm to midnight on. Families can enjoy daytime activities in the Spa City, followed by the return of fireworks at approx. 6:00 pm. For more information, visit the website: Saratoga New Year's Festival

• Schenectady Festival of Trees: The Schenectady Festival of Trees is on now through December 23, 2023 at the Schenectady County Historical Society and YWCA North Eastern NY. Celebrate the season as we fill our galleries with lighted fir trees! The Festival of Trees is a fundraiser for, and a partnership between, the Schenectady County Historical Society. Admission is $6 for adults 12+. Visit the webpage for more information: Schenectady Festival of Trees

Events in Chenango County:

• The Wolf Mountain Nature Center: Looking for something a little different? Spend Winter with the Wolves at The Wolf Mountain Nature Center, which provides sanctuary to 22 animals, from wolves to foxes, located in 12 various enclosures across 70 acres. Trails are grassy or gravel and contain uneven terrain; however, they are easily navigable by persons with disabilities and physical challenges. The gift shop and restrooms are accessible; admission is $8. Visit their website for more info: The Wolf Mountain Nature Center



• Annual Events in Chenango County: Chenango has numerous annual events and festivals listed on their webpage here: Annual Events in Chenango County

Watch the I Love NY website for events listed across the state. As always, you can reach out to your care coordinator for more information about events, places to visit, and accessibility in your city, town, or region.

Would you like to share more reading time with your child or have a greater selection of books for your child? Dolly Parton launched the Imagination Library in 1995 for the children of her home county in East Tennessee. Dolly’s vision was to foster a love of reading among her county’s preschool-aged children and their families by providing them with the gift of a specially selected book each month. Today, the Imagination Library is in five countries and all 50 states.

All children under five years are eligible, regardless of family income. After signing up at the website, a free age-appropriate book will arrive around the beginning of the month, usually six to eight weeks after enrolling. If you have more than one child under five, you can sign them up to receive their own books.

To learn more about this wonderful program, visit the Imagination Library website Imagination Library. You local library may also participate in this program; to find out, contact them or visit this link: Check Availability Here. As always, you can reach out to your care manager, and we can assist you in getting your child signed up for this free program!

At Southern Tier Connect, we are committed to fostering collaboration and communication to enhance the quality of care for our members. In that spirit, we have facilitated meetings with local healthcare professionals to open a dialogue to bridge the communication gap and improve relationships.

Our team has met with providers across our catchment area, including Bassett, UHS, Cayuga Medical Center, and Guthrie. These meetings have included conversations that focused on:

• Improving Communication: First and foremost, our objective is to open lines of communication between STC and the healthcare providers that our members utilize. Establishing efficient communication allows both parties to streamline information exchange and ensure timely interventions. Simply ensuring that providers know who they can reach out to when there are questions or concerns about a patient can be invaluable.

• Education: While we all aim to provide quality care to those we work with, we must educate one another on our roles regarding mutual patients. We took these meetings as an opportunity to explain the role and responsibilities of an OWPDD care manager and touch on OPWDD regulations and the eligibility process (for those who may benefit from but don’t yet have care management services). 

• Identifying Challenges: Unsurprisingly, each provider has experienced the struggle of limited resources. Regardless of the region or county, the lack of staff and reduced service access has significantly increased the challenges we face in supporting our patients and members. With these limitations, it’s more important than ever to collaborate and take advantage of the different perspectives and experiences that each brings to the table so that new approaches to care can be considered.

Our goal is to continue the outreach to hospitals, medical professionals, and community service providers to improve collaboration and offer quality services and support to our members. While we will maintain contact and have regular meetings to connect with each provider, we also present new opportunities for STC to communicate with more providers to extend the same collaborative initiative and provide additional education about specific scenarios. We will continue our efforts to foster a proactive approach to problem-solving and improving patient outcomes.

If you’re a healthcare professional or community service provider interested in connecting with our team, please contact Population Health Coordinator Emily Jackson at 607-376-7526 ext. 354.

At Southern Tier Connect, we care about your health and well-being. Chronic conditions can be challenging to manage during the winter months. If you're struggling with anxiety, ADHD, or hypothyroidism, perhaps you will find the information in the brochures (at the links below) to be helpful! Each brochure contains information about the following chronic conditions: anxiety, ADHD, and hypothyroidism. These brochures can be downloaded and saved for personal use. If you have questions about these conditions or other health concerns not answered by the brochures below, reach out to your care manager.

We are looking for someone like you to share your voice for our Your Rights in 10 series. If you are interested in reading for an episode in this series, please email us at: info@southerntierconnect.org

At Southern Tier Connect, we value our members, and we want your voice to be heard! We are looking for members to join the Family Advisory Board. The Family Advisory Board (FAB) meets quarterly via Zoom from 6:30 pm to 7:30 pm on Tuesdays. This is a space where members, family members, and self-advocates meet with the leadership of STC to help make decisions about agency goals and priorities. This is where we ask you, our members, to help the agency understand areas for improvement and give input on your experiences to drive agency decision-making. If you would like more information or would like to join the Family Advisory Board, please email us at info@southerntierconnect.org