Next Meeting: Tuesday, January 8, 2012, 10:00 AM – 12 Noon
YAI, 460 West 34th Street – 11th Floor (corner of 10th Avenue)
For More Information: Jennifer Shaoul @ 212.273.6869 / Jennifer.Shaoul@yai.org
Amy Bittinger @ 718-859-5420 ext. 234 / or abittinger@ucpnyc.org
Topic: Alternatives to DD Placement, Jerry Victor, Director, Adult Protective Services, and Home Sharing presentation by the Department for the Aging
ANNOUNCEMENTS
UCP of NYC – Eden Ruiz-Lopez announced Housing Advocacy and referrals, PT Evaluations and status
checks for family support eligibility for families in Brooklyn & Queens; Manhattan & Bronx are
currently at max capacity. Contact Eden Ruiz-Lopez for more information at 212.677.7400 x748.
LOWER EAST SIDE FAMILY UNION – Luis Nieves announced vacancies are available in Non Medicaid family support.
Contact Kaleena Teoh or Luis Nieves at 212.260.0040 x222/208.
SPROUT – Samantha Schwendeman announced a new program:
Queens Free Weekend Program: for individuals ages 22+, 3 weekends out of the year, from Friday-Saturday and individual must be living at home with family.
School Holiday: the Manhattan days have changed, eligibility requirements are still the same, must be ages 14-21 and living at home with family.
Contact Samantha Schwendeman Scott Randau at 212.222.9575 for more information.
Hawthorne Foundation – Jeannine Schmelzkopf announced they have eight openings for their In Home Behavior Management program, which is available to families living in Manhattan with children ages 3-18yrs, with Autism or other developmental disabilities. The program includes up to 46 hours per year per family.
For more information, contact Jeannine Schmelzkopf at 646.675.5957.
YAI – announced the dates for their Behavior Management Series dates for the Autism Parent Support Group are on 1/8/13; 1/15/13; 1/22/13 – from 10am-12:30pm and its for parents who have a child diagnosed with ASD.
Please call YAI-LINK at 212.273.6182 for more information.
NYSH/Camp Oakhurst – Natalie Fabris announced openings in their year-round Overnight Respite for individuals with physical and developmental disabilities; including an Autism program. Ages 8 and up. Applications can be found online at www.nysh.org .For more information, contact Natalie Fabris at 212.533.4020 x612.
PRESENTATIONS
Marvin Pinnock and David Square, UCP/NYC
UCP of NYC Staff provided an overview of the Share Lending Library, TechWorks demonstration centers and the Augmentative Communication Services under the umbrella of TechWorks, Technology Resource Centers.
Technology Information and Referral
UCP/NYC’s Technology Resource Specialists are available to answer you assistive technology questions. These include information on specific products and services, the costs, and how and where to obtain them. Important information about potential funding, eligibility criteria and fair hearing procedures is also available. Our Libraries contain hundreds of product brochures, catalogs, and videos. You can request a search by phone, fax, or email. In addition, UCP/NYC can offer assistance in contacting local support groups, as well as regional and nation associations.
Techworks Demonstration Centers
The best way to learn about assistive technology products is to come in and try them out! You can “test drive” many products at out two New York City-based TechWorks Technology Resource Centers – one at 122 East 23rd Street in Manhattan and the other at 175 Lawrence Avenue in Brooklyn.
The Manhattan and Brooklyn locations also serve as the home base for SHARE (Samuel Hausman Activities Resource & Education centers), a unique resource for parents of children with disabilities. SHARE makes available a team of professionals to consult on service and technology needs.
TechWorks offers hands on use of adapted toys and switches; adapted computers and peripherals; wheelchairs and inserts; augmentative communication systems; daily living devices; home and work place modifications; environmental control units, adapted telephones, and more.
Lending Library
You can borrow on a short-term basis, some of the adapted toys and switches, environmental control units and other equipment that UCP/NYC has available for loan. We also lend books, magazines, DVDs, and audio and videotapes from our extensive library. The resources of the lending library are geared to individuals of all ages, including children birth to three who are eligible for Early Intervention services.
Equipment Exchange Program
Staff can assist you in accessing new and used assistive technology equipment made available through individual donation listed on a statewide directory, TRAID-IN, administered by the New York State Commission on Quality of Care and Advocacy for Persons with Disabilities. Call us to make use of this valuable resource.
For more information, call TechWorks Technology Resource Centers
United Cerebral Palsy of New York City
techworks@ucpnyc.org
212.979.9700 x709
TTY: 212.253.2690
Presentation by Eric Schnur, Sales Consultant, Special Needs Products from Flaghouse – Jennifer Shaoul introduced Eric as a sales representative for Flaghouse. Flaghouse has a catalog and a business selling adaptive toys and equipment for individuals with developmental disabilities. Eric who is a sales representative located in New Jersey, brought a box of toys for staff and families to test out various products. Eric also reviewed the catalog with us, and highlighted certain items that would be of interest to the persons we serve. Eric also offered a discount on any products purchased in the next several weeks. The group had fun trying out toys and discussing who would benefit most from these products.
Erics’ contact information is (201) 329-7547, or eric.schnur@flaghouse.com
Review and Evaluation of the 11.29.12 Manhattan DD Council Family & Professional Resource Fair
Jennifer Shaoul and Amy Bittinger lead a discussion reviewing the Fair held on 11.29.12. Overwhelmingly, the feedback was very positive. We had the largest number of attendees – 626 totals – including 282 family members. This was the largest number of attendees and family members.
Margaret Puddington completed a very thorough review of the 165 evaluation forms that were handed in. Overall, the Quality of the Fair was rated as:
- 98% Excellent
- 61% Good
- 2% Neutral
- 0% Poor
Please see the attached evaluation summary. Fair Eval 12 REV (2) Margaret’s review of the survey summary was thorough and comprehensive and the group acknowledged her for all of her work.
Other comments from the group included:
Set up went very smoothly; Very well organized; Raffles were great and we were able to give more money than ever; Need a better sound system in the future; Food area needs to be kept cleaner.
In general, the consensus of the group was that it was the best fair held to date.