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POINT Program

POINT Program. P ursuing O ur IN dependence T ogether HC 2010 May 20, 2010 Steven Yellen, LMSW Westchester Jewish Community Services. POINT Program. History Who We Serve Program Design Funding Challenges. POINT Program. Family-initiated program whose vision included:

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POINT Program

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  1. POINT Program Pursuing Our INdependence Together HC 2010 May 20, 2010 Steven Yellen, LMSW Westchester Jewish Community Services

  2. POINT Program History Who We Serve Program Design Funding Challenges

  3. POINT Program • Family-initiated program whose vision included: • Supporting adults with special needs, enabling them to live, work, and socialize independently • Creating and maintaining a strong community of friends • Collaborating with the primary service agencies

  4. Where Families Started • Potential members were enrolled in or recently graduated from post-secondary programs • Diverse group of young adults, with a variety of issues—but all capable of living independently with some support and did not wish to live in a group home

  5. Initial Family Goals • Identify partner organization(s) for whom serving individuals with disabilities was a key part of their mission • Select an urban setting • Ensure integrated living arrangements • Identify government programs/resources

  6. Initial Family Activities • Talked to anyone who would listen • social services agencies, affordable housing groups, educational institutions, interested individuals • Organized parent committees for maximum effectiveness • Identified potential partners who • Understood our population • Had a presence in potential locations • Were excited about working with families to create a ground-breaking program

  7. Initial Results/Achievements • Selected White Plains as location • Got engaged with WJCS and JCCA • Identified housing • Worked with “the Js” to hire program director • Participants arrived in August 2008

  8. Start-up Success Factors • Group of parents with similar mindset -- focused on creating a program that maximized independence • Parents working together and independently to develop the vision and bring it to fruition • Incredible good fortune to have connected with compatible partner organizations • Extensive planning and communication to reach target of August 2008 and allow for a relatively seamless transition from parents’ planning to agencies’ ownership and execution

  9. Who We Serve • 18+ years old with developmental or learning disability   • Able to live independently with supports • Stable health and psychiatric status • No history of aggressive or criminal behavior • Disclosure of any use of alcohol and/or drugs • Willing to work or be involved in education/similar program • Able to pay the program fee and other expenses (individual or family) 

  10. Pioneer Participants • Spring 2008 -- JCCA screened about 20 young adults; accepted 15 participants • Many from tri-state area, but several from further away • 14 men, 1 woman • Mild intellectual deficits, learning disabilities, or autism spectrum disorder • 80% OMRDD eligible

  11. Current status 24 participants - 1 participant left in July and 10 admitted Seven currently accepted and awaiting roommate matches and others being screened Employment: 13 Benefits: ISS - 9, Service Coordination - 23, Res Hab – 20 About two-thirds of group is OMRDD eligible

  12. PROGRAM DESIGN

  13. Program Services • Weekly activities for small groups of participants • Bi-weekly individual apartment visits (e.g. roommate issues, organization of apartment, time, appointments….) • Monthly community-wide meetings for additional socialization, skills training, and education • Quarterly special activity • Emergency support-24/7 staff triage and back-up

  14. Program Staff Staff • Full-time program director, 1 full time program specialist, and 1 part-time program specialist • Enrichment staff-part-time, time limited activities • Arts/Sports-Grant funded by UJA-Federation of NY • Theater for Action-Grant funded by a family foundation

  15. Res Hab Life skills trainers enhance participants’ adaptive and independent living skills • 1 to 1 assistance focusing on adaptive and independent living goals • 2 - 10 hours a week with each person • OMRDD funded or private pay

  16. Service Coordination • Support participants’ application and management of benefits and supports • OMRDD, social security, food stamps, Medicaid… • Develop service plan for each participant • Regular meetings with participant and family • Referral and advocacy • Follow up and monitoring of services • OMRDD funded or private pay

  17. Vocational Services • Members are expected to be employed or involved productively during the day • Collaborate with VESID and community providers to assist in obtaining employment and training • 80% of pioneer participants are employed full or part time

  18. Funding • Original vision was a public and private partnership, blending funding from both sources • Program received start up grant from UJA to fund initial expenses • Families pay an annual program fee to cover staff and program activities • Participants arrange for and control housing and are responsible for all costs, unless eligible for ISS • Some participants have accessed OMRDD funding streams (e.g. Res hab, MSC, and ISS)

  19. Family Involvement • Parent committee structure continues • Steering Committee as leadership group • Smaller, focused committees (communications, enrichment, finance, government benefits, housing, recruitment) • Full family and agency meetings/events three times a year

  20. First Year’s Success • Parent and participant surveys in June 2009 provided outstanding results • Employment rate is much higher than the general rate for people with disabilities • Growing emphasis on volunteerism • Emergency system has successfully managed a handful of situations • Group activities have been very successful and well-attended • Implemented structure and communications for ongoing agency/family collaboration • Excellent synergy among JCCA / WJCS / families to enhance program

  21. Challenges • Recruitment efforts • Integration of new participants and building community • Integration of new families • Growth • Space • Diversifying housing • Securing funding and benefits for participants

  22. Challenges • Enhancing each participant’s independence • Volunteerism • Identifying and securing funding and benefits • Agency role and parent role • Refinement of agencies’ roles • Evaluation

  23. POINT is more than Housing POINT promotes independence POINT promotes community POINT promotes volunteerism POINT is a collaboration among Parents Agencies Participants Funders

  24. Additional Information WJCS website: www.wjcs.com POINT@wjcs.com 914.761.0600 ext. 175

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