The ARC Mid-Hudson

RESIDENTIAL HABILITATION PROGRAM: INDIVIDUAL RESIDENTIAL ALTERNATIVES (IRA) Our mission at the Arc Mid-Hudson is to empower people with intellectual and other developmental disabilities to achieve and experience the highest quality of life. Our residential program provides housing and apartment options in Ulster, Greene, Putnam, and Columbia Counties. We currently support approximately 374 people in residences certified under OPWDD (Office for People with Developmental Disabilities). We operate Individual Residential Alternatives (IRAs), Supervised IRA Apartments, Supported IRA Apartments, and three Intermediate Care Facilities (ICFs). We also consolidated several of our homes (Market Street, Linnabary, and Wilson IRAs) due to excessive bed and staff vacancies and temporarily suspended operating certificates to re-build our staffing. In 2022 we admitted eight people to our residences and provided temporary respite for one individual. Each of our residences is unique in its design and character to reflect the level of supports needed by the individuals who live there. Residential services' main objectives are to support each person to live as independently as possible and to provide them with opportunities to gain the necessary skills to meet their personal objectives. We strive to provide each person with individualized, personal space, decorated to reflect their personalities and interests. In 2022, we expanded opportunities for people in the community, with individuals returning to regular church activities, more frequent visits with families, eating out at favorite restaurants, and traveling. A few folks were able to travel out of state to Florida, Tennessee, North Carolina, and Puerto Rico to visit families. Special event trips included Yankees and Renegades baseball games, a Buffalo Bills game in Buffalo, the Norwalk Aquarium, the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, City Island, a Devils hockey game in NJ, overnight trips to see the Backstreet Boys in CT and the New Kids on the Block in PA, and several vacations to Lake George. Facility improvement projects that had been delayed due to supply chain challenges following the pandemic were given high priority and in 2022 we completed renovations of a bathroom at Foggintown IRA, a bathroom and flooring renovation at Mooney Hill IRA; sidewalk replacements at Brimstone IRA; kitchen renovations at Neal IRA (including new cabinets, counters, and island worktop); replacement of an old deck at Oak Road IRA; installation of a new roof at Pecora Center; the purchase of West Main supervised IRA apartments; and the renovations of bathrooms at Hagan and Strauss IRAs. Success Stories: One young gentleman finally achieved his long-term goal of moving out from a 24-hour supervised IRA into an apartment within the community. He is now living completely independently, with no staff support, and has a nice one-bedroom apartment on a property with hiking trails and farm animals. He spent years working towards this goal and, despite multiple challenges along the way, he didn't let anything stop him. Another individual, who resided at Sand Hill IRA, also made great strides towards his independence. When he moved into Sand Hill IRA in 2018, he had a Behavior Support Plan along with enhanced supervision. He was able to slowly decrease the close staff supervision he required and gained some home and community alone time. He worked closely with his team and his neurologist to safely eliminate a prn, which would have hindered his ability to be independent. He worked diligently on mastering his daily living skills, including cooking meals, budgeting his money, and keeping his space clean. He was so successful that he was able to move into a supported apartment in August 2022. A resident at Wiccopee IRA worked hard to get a job in 2022 and developed a great work ethic, sense of responsibility, and attitude. He has been very responsible and exceptional about getting up and being ready for work in a timely manner. He is knowledgeable about the work he does, the time he needs to be there, and being properly clothed for the job at hand. He takes his job very seriously and enjoys the income he makes while doing it. He has been in great control of his anger and when he comes across confrontations, he is able to remove himself and go for a walk and return with a level head.

In 2022 the Arc Mid-Hudson supported 127 individuals with obtaining and/or maintaining their employment. Efforts focus on providing quality individualized services to assist with longevity, career advancement and increased wages. In 2022 all of the employed make minimum wage and 57% of those individuals made above minimum wage. Also of note is that 28% of the aforementioned have worked for the same company for more than 6 years. An additional 72 individuals were supported with developing their pre-vocational skills to prepare them for securing an entry level position in the community. The Arc Mid-Hudson's partnership with Green Chimneys, a residential school in Putnam County, continues to flourish. Our relationship began in 2021 when we started to offer youth pre-employment services to their students virtually due to restrictions related to Covid-19. In 2022 as precautions were lifted, this service shifted to providing in person classroom instruction and opportunities for work experiences/internships in the community. Both a fall session and spring session were offered focusing on job readiness skills, career exploration, post-secondary options and paid work experiences with coaching supports. A total of 22 students participated and gained exposure to the soft skills needed to engage in a summer work experience and entry level employment. In 2022 The Arc Mid-Hudson Employment Services was honored by the Putnam County Legislature for their continued efforts on the Keep Putnam Beautiful Proclamation. In Putnam we have a contract with the county to employ individuals we support to remove liter from the highways. This training initiative employs 6 to 8 individuals at minimum wage and provides a venue to teach soft skills such as: team work, problem solving, communication, critical thinking, etc. which are essential to securing competitive employment within the community. In 2022 this crew cleaned over 300 miles of road and collected over 480 bags of trash. The crew members under the supervision of a job coach are a fixture in the community and the community shows their appreciation for their hard work by offering them a simple wave or honk as they pass by. Communities know that if their neighborhood needs to be cleaned, they can call at any time to be put on the cleaning schedule. In 2022 our School to Work Program initiated a film class where students were provided with an opportunity to gain exposure to all aspects of film making. Students were encouraged to develop their own concepts, write a script, design sets/props, act, direct, etc. They also learned about the technical aspects of film making regarding using the cameras, setting up lighting, editing, etc. This activity provided a needed venue for students to be able to express themselves creatively and work through some of the impact Covid-19 had on their lives. Many students were deeply impacted by the isolation created by Covid-19 restrictions and needed a way to reconnect with friends, express their feelings and develop their socialization skills. The Black Board Bistro continues to build a following at SUNY Ulster among the students, faculty and local residents providing breakfast, lunch and catering options. It also functions as a training venue for individuals and students who are interested in exploring food service. Individuals have had the opportunity to learn how to operate the fryer, food prep, wait on customers, use a POS system, stock supplies, wash dishes, manage inventory, etc. In 2022, 30 young adults and students gained knowledge and experience working at the Blackboard Bistro. The skills and references they acquire at the Blackboard Bistro are transferrable to entry level positions and improve their marketability. At the Cornell Creative Business Center we have leased 8 of the 9 artisanal food Pods to independent businesses. The aforementioned currently employ ten individuals and have hosted many assessments and work experiences. In 2022 one of the businesses opened their doors to our community pre-vocational program once a week to provide vocational training and instruction regarding foraging. The business owner involves the individuals in all aspects of her business and has taken the group out on foraging expeditions.

Day habilitation program: The Arc Mid-Hudson offers day habilitation programs (day hab) at a variety of locations throughout Ulster, Greene and Putnam counties. We offer these services either at a certified program site or in a community-base program referred to as day hab without walls. Both programs provide opportunities for community integration, socialization, skill development and volunteerism, based on The needs and interests of participants. In 2022 we continued to provide in-home and remote day hab services, but our focus was on bringing people back to traditional day hab services where people could re-build social connections and integrate within their communities. In 2022 we admitted approximately 30 individuals into our day hab programs throughout Putnam, Ulster, and Greene counties and increased enrollment by 16 to our current total of 399 individuals this is inclusive of individuals in our wow programs, our certified dh sites, in The iras, and those receiving remote day hab. Activities throughout day hab key day hab themes in 2022 included physical health and wellness, volunteerism, relationships, creativity, communication, and exploration. Many more people had opportunities to get into The community and volunteer. Volunteers supported meals on wheels, community action network, and local animal shelters and libraries. Self-advocacy efforts expanded and groups met every week and joined other groups via teams. Community activities included visits to local eateries, museums, farms, walking trails, parks, shops, and zoos.

School, clinic services, support

services, and other programs