Happy Spring! We are halfway through April, with beautiful weather upon us – there’s so much to look forward to! Below is some useful information that we hope you can take advantage of. 

NYRx, The Medicaid Pharmacy Program 

Hudson Valley Lego Store Helps People with Special Needs  

Photo Credit: Brick It Again 

“Brick It Again” is a new Lego resale store in Valley Cottage that provides workers with developmental challenges to learn new job skills. This opportunity is available thanks to Randi Rios-Castro, the CEO of Jawonio, a non-profit organization services provider in both Rockland and Westchester counties dedicated to advancing the independence, well-being, and equality of people with special needs.  

The store is located at 7 Lake Ridge Plaza in Valley Cottage and is open Wednesday through Sunday from 10:00 am to 7:00 pm. To learn more, click HERE.  

Update to Social Security Overpayment Waiver Process 

A recent change to the process of requesting waiver of a Social Security overpayment will make waivers more accessible by using a higher margin when calculating a person’s expenses to determine whether repayment would be a financial hardship.  

Part of the process to request an overpayment waiver is proving that it would be a financial hardship for the individual to repay the overpayment. The overpayment waiver form asks for the individual’s income and expenses and then compares whether expenses equal or exceed income. The waiver form previously provided a margin of $25 on expenses, recognizing that every household has some unbudgeted or unaccountable expenses. This new change provides a higher margin of $55. Now, total expenses plus the $55 margin will be compared to total income, giving people more leeway for unexpected expenses. The lower margin had long been challenging for individuals to navigate because $25 did not reflect the reality of current-day household costs.  

Though the Social Security Administration has now updated that margin to $55, GN 02250.100 (section D4), the overpayment waiver form has not been updated yet. Regardless, the $55 margin will apply going forward and waiver requests will be processed using the updated margin. This update will make the waiver process more accessible to everyone requesting waiver of an overpayment, by providing a documentation requirement that better reflects current financial realities for older adults and people with disabilities who receive Social Security benefits. 

National Pet Day

The Westchester Independent Living Center and Putnam Independent Living Center teams love our furbabies! National Pet Day took place on April 11. According to the CDC, “there are many health benefits of owning a pet. They can increase opportunities to exercise, get outside, and socialize. Regular walking or playing with pets can decrease blood pressure, cholesterol levels, and triglyceride levels. Pets can help manage loneliness and depression by giving us companionship.”  

 In honor of National Pet Day, we shared photos of our companions on our social media channels.  

Upcoming Webinars

Montefiore Rehab’s 3rd Annual Adaptive Sports Expo  

The public is invited to enjoy adaptive tennis, boxing, wheelchair basketball and more. 

DATE: Saturday, April 15, 2023 

TIME: 11:00 am – 1:00 pm 

LOCATION: Williamsbridge Oval  

3225 Reservoir Oval East, Bronx, NY, 10467 

For more details, email [email protected] or call 929-285-4493.  

Supported Decision Making  

Presented by: The Lower Hudson Special Education Task Force 

Panelists: Naomi Brickel, M.S.Ed, Project Director, SDMNY, Hunter/CUNY 

Janine Belfast, Transition Specialist, WIHD Community Support Network 

Karen Rosenthal, Mentor, SDMNY, Hunter/CUNY 

DATE: Monday, April 24, 2023,  

TIME: 7:00 pm – 8:30 pm 

LOCATION: Zoom 

To register, clickHERE. For more information, contact Jessica Baumann at [email protected] or (845) 228-7457 ext. 1108. 

Virtual Resource & Transition Fair 

The Putnam County Transition Consortium, Brewster Central School District and Green Chimneys will be holding a virtual Resource and Transition Fair on During the Fair, local agencies will be available to provide information about their programs and services now and into the future for families & students with and IEP or 504 plan. There will also be breakout sessions presented by the Office for People with Developmental Disabilities (OPWDD) and Adult Continuing Career and Education Services (ACCES-VR).   

DATE: Monday, April 27, 2023,  

TIME: 4:00 pm – 6:00 pm 

LOCATION: Zoom 

To register, click HERE. For more information, contact Jessica Baumann at [email protected] or (845) 228-7457.  

2023 Fair and Affordable Housing Expo 

Each workshop is offered in English and Spanish. 

Topics being covered include: first time home-buying and getting a mortgage; grants for closing costs and down-payment assistance; applying for affordable housing (rental and sales); and rental assistance, eviction prevention and fair housing.  

DATE: Saturday, April 29, 2023 

TIME: 11:00 am – 4:00 pm 

LOCATION: Yonkers Riverfront Library  

One Larkin Center, Yonkers, NY, 10701 

To register, click HERE.  

Supporting Patients with Disabilities in Becoming Tobacco-Free 

 Presented by: The New York State Smoker’s Quitline 

The goal of the webinar is to improve clinician understanding of common practices and barriers that impact their relationship with patients who have a disability and use commercial tobacco products. 

DATE: Wednesday, May 10, 2023 

TIME: 12:00 pm – 1:00 pm 

LOCATION: Zoom  

To register, click HERE.  

Getting Back to Basics  

Guidance and Support for Infant and Toddler Caregivers

The workshop will consist of discussions in behaviors, techniques in resolving behaviors (including specific activities) and recognizing antecedents. Once the lecture is over we will all have the opportunity to break up into groups and utilize the new techniques in various situations and how they could be applied accordingly. Speaker: Tiffinie Helwig, Infant Toddler Specialist, Child Care Council of Dutchess & Putnam, Inc. 

 DATE: Wednesday, May 10, 2023 

TIME: 6:30 pm  

LOCATION: Donald B. Smith Government Campus 

112 Old Route 6, Carmel, NY, 10512 

To register, click HERE. If you have difficulty RSVPing, or have questions, please call Robin Llaque, Putnam Independent Living Services, (845) 228-7457.