Merakey Allegheny Valley School

Merakey Allegheny Valley School (Merakey avs) has earned an exemplary reputation as a leading provider of services for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (idd). Merakey avs provides nurturing environments, enrichment activities and community engagement programs while caring for the daily needs of those we support.guiding Merakey avs are the following:our purpose: putting our heart and soul into exceptional care.our vision: to be a nationally recognized provider of the highest quality health and human services.our core values: compassion, diversity, integrity, safety, trust and qualitymerakey avs is a non-profit organization that provides a full range of services, supports, and living arrangements to more than 700 adults with varying levels of intellectual and developmental disabilities. Most of the people we support are diagnosed with severe or profound idd, have multiple physical disabilities and extensive medical complications. We care for some of our community's most vulnerable adults and provide support for those with social, emotional and/or psychological needs.merakey avs has specialized programs that respond to the unique needs of the people we support such as: memory care, communication technology, sensory needs, and technology homes. Merakey avs operates facilities including homes, campus living, apartments, and life sharing programs in nine Pennsylvania counties: Allegheny, beaver, bucks, butler, dauphin, lebanon, mercer, montgomery, and philadelphia. Services range from physical, occupational, and communication therapies to vocational training and employment support. Therapeutic activities and developmental training focus on sensory, environmental and pre-vocational skill development. An individualized/person-centered plan of care is developed for each person with the goal of achieving his/her highest level of independence, while enhancing their quality of life. Merakey avs has been providing care for individuals with idd since its founding in 1960. In 2008, Allegheny Valley School became an affiliate of Merakey, a nonprofit, tax-exempt corporation that serves as the parent organization of its nonprofit and for-profit affiliated organizations. In all that we do, we aim to provide quality programs and facilities to help individuals with idd entrusted to our care to live with purpose and dignity, and to provide opportunities and choices to help them grow and function at their full potential as independently as possible.merakey continues its commitment to the prevention of abuse through all areas of operations including policies, screening, hiring, training, supervision and monitoring, administrative policies, and consumer participation through our praesidium accreditation. Providing the highest quality services and a zero-tolerance environment for abuse of any kind for those within our care is the highest priority. 57 individuals played baseball in the fall miracle league and 111 individuals played in 2 spring leagues. Weekly games were held in moon and cranberry townships. Community volunteers including high School athletes, employees from ecsi (a local business in moon township), and volunteers through the miracle league were at every game. Each player received a participation certificate and scrapbook with photos. Avs individuals visited enrichment venues such as the moon shot museum, the carnegie museums, phipps conservatory, national aviary, the pittsburgh zoo and ppg aquarium. Individuals visited amusement parks like kennywood and idlewild park and requested and used funds to go on vacation. Additional outings included erie zoo and two sensory-friendly pittsburgh orchestra performances via donated tickets. There were also many holiday lights drive-thru experiences available for all Pennsylvania sites. The Merakey idd fall costume virtual dance party was held in october. Nearly 100 locations across Merakey idd dressed in costume and joined the 90-minute online dance party packed with games, dancing, and special messages.in fy23, 110 Merakey avs and Merakey idd employees attended sessions focused on bouncing back/bringing passion back to our work. Three four-hour in-person workshops brought frontline staff together to share the reasons why they got into the field, to learn new strategies, and to stay engaged. All three engagement sessions were funded by the edith l. trees charitable trust's grant to Merakey avs.merakey avs continues to expand access to technology to ensure that individuals can continue to engage meaningfully with family, friends, and the community while preserving health and safety. We support individuals fostering new and ongoing social relationships. Merakey avs was able to purchase 30 lenovo thinkbooks with accessories for the training sites at Merakey idd locations in western pa. having these dedicated training laptops will help staff have greater access to, and support from, the training teams so that employees can complete certifications.merakey avs has increased access to telehealth which helps to provide exceptional care to the people we support, and to provide access to the many medical providers needed to ensure they are provided with the best care possible. Using the results of a company-wide survey about improving the employee experience, Merakey has and will continue to offer employee benefits including flexible payment options, programs that reduce the cost for personal care providers, a free learning platform to improve skills that support their current job role and more. Merakey avs has provided employees with off-site workshops geared toward how each of us can maintain our passion and energy in the workplace. Understanding and working toward a more inclusive culture is a critical challenge in human services today. We have a passion to help people and to make the world a better place. Using an interactive format, we looked at the best part of our work, the best part of each of us, and shared stories of hope and joy. We learned to think about ways to stay energized and to learn new strategies to remain engaged. The passion ambassador program continues to encourage teams to incorporate trust and compassion in their workplace. Highlightsin-person holiday gatherings and parties at Merakey avs campuses, homes, and program centers.virtual dances for all of idd throughout Merakey. More than 150 people participated in the virtual idd dances. Day trips to local attractions, many coupled with learning opportunities.visits to museums, zoo, aviary, and other educational venues.participation in virtual and in-person community events.pet therapy with local organizations.vacations with their housemates to places like geneva lake, myrtle beach, niagara falls, and the poconos mountains.holiday visits from local rotary groups and companies.attending cultural shows from the pittsburgh symphony orchestra. Bi-weekly participation in program center activities and classes such as computers, food preparation, music therapy and more.visits to favorite restaurants, movie theaters, concerts and parks.attending summer camps with individuals from similar organizations.participating and volunteering at many pittsburgh vintage grand prix events.playing miracle league baseball for the summer and fall sessions.holding themed camps and celebrations at Merakey avs program centers and campuses.attending local sporting events like hockey, baseball, and soccer games.