Special Olympics New York 2014 Victory Spring Games

Transcription

1 WINTER/SPRING/SUMMER 2014 GHO Mission Statement Special Olympics New York 2014 Victory Spring Games General Human Outreach (GHO), in the Community, Inc. established in 1992, is a non-profit agency that operates programs certified by the New York State Office for People with Developmental Disabilities (OPWDD) to provide quality services to enrich the lives of individuals with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities. Inside this issue: Best GHO at Special Olympics 1 Message from E.D. 2 GHO at Special Olympics 3 Korean Services at GHO 4 HIGHLIGHTS 5 Acknowledgements 7 Bulletin Board 9 Best Wishes! 10 The Special Olympics New York 2014 Victory Spring Games took place on Saturday, May 10, 2014, at Forest Park (Victory Field) Woodhaven Boulevard & Myrtle Avenue, Queens. Hundreds of athletes, coaches, and volunteers from 2 boroughs (Brooklyn and Queens) participated in the events. Team GHO competed in the Special Olympics 2014 Victory Spring Games with Vicki Chan, Assistant Executive Director of GHO; and Kinjo Tse, Director of Brooklyn Day Hab; and GHO volunteers cheering on the sidelines. Special Olympics organizers, volunteers, and spectators greeted Team GHO as they walked the track during the opening ceremony. Although it was raining heavily the night before the event and still drizzling during the early morning, the sun finally peeped out from behind the clouds, making the day perfect for competition, teamwork, and fun. (Continued on Page 3) 1

2 Message from the E.D. (Executive Director) WHY CHANGE? Recently, there have been a series of changes mandated by OPWDD, State and Federal government agencies. These changes were proposed to better address the needs of individuals with developmental disabilities and make costs for their care more manageable. GHO is making changes in accordance, and its strongest effort possible, to continue providing the highest quality of services and support to the persons we serve. These system changes date back to the 2011 New York Statewide Comprehensive Plan by Medicaid Redesign Team (MRT). This was a multi-year action plan for transformation of New York s Medicaid program to make it more beneficial and cost-effective to persons. Changes are carried out via the People First Waiver and the Section 1915 (b) (c) Waiver which require Centers for Medicare and Medicaid (CMS) approval. The People First Waiver gives individuals more flexibility and greater control of needed services and support. This is called Person-Centered services. Section 1915 (b) of the Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS) Waiver allows the State to establish a managed care organization called DISCO (Developmental Disabilities Individual Support and Care Coordination Organization) beginning October 1, Section 1915 (c) of the Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS) Waiver enables the State to provide a wide range of services and support which permit persons to live in their homes or community and avoid institutionalization. OPWDD submitted the renewal application to CMS on July 1, As a result, changes were made to community and day habilitation and self-directed services. In addition, Governor Cuomo signed the Employment First for New York on September 17, 2014 with a goal to increase the employment opportunities of people with developmental disabilities, give them meaningful activities, and register more businesses to hire individuals with developmental disabilities. Some of the changes GHO is making to better serve the community include more Self-Directed services, transition to managed care, and development of a supportive employment program for individuals that qualify. These changes are unavoidable. However, GHO is working to find the most innovative way to work with individuals, families, staff, agencies, advocates, and managed care organizations to provide services that best protect the welfare of the individuals we serve. Please feel free to contact us at Freeman Tsui Executive Director 2

3 Special Olympics New York 2014 Victory Spring Games (Continued from Page 1) Everyone was happy that the event was not cancelled due to inclement weather. The opening ceremony started at 10:00. All events began at 10:30 am with competitions in track and field, standing long jump, softball and bean bag throwing, dash & run, relay, adaptive walk, and pentathlon. Our individuals competed in the 50 meter and100 meter dash, 25 meter & 50 meter adaptive walk, softball and bean bag throwing, standing long jump. More than 50 volunteers were on hand to help with game set up, breaking down sports venues, distributing water, etc. GHO arranged general safety, health, and welfare for each individual and provided individuals and staff with delicious sandwiches of 4 different kinds (roast beef, turkey, tuna, and ham), various drinks, and snacks. All of which were thoroughly enjoyed! Our 36 athletes were excited about attending the events. They put forth their best efforts when competing with other athletes and were happy to receive their gold, silver, and bronze medals, as well as 4 th and 5 th place ribbons. Participants burst into joyous smiles as they ran across the finish line, were hugged and given high fives for their accomplishments. Our staff provided supports, gave constant encouragement, cheered, and helped our athletes be the best they could be. Our athletes learned to follow rules and directions. They also learned routines, motor skills, hand-eye coordination, and mastered skills when they participated in competitions. This event gave the athletes a sense of self-confidence, accomplishment, and social competence. They enjoyed the games and look forward to returning to the Special Olympics New York next year, and many more years to come. Jennifer Sun Director of Habilitation Services The Special Olympics New York 2014 Metro The Special Olympics New York 2014 Metro took place on Saturday, May 31, 2014 at Queens College. Hundreds of athletes, coaches and volunteers from across 5 boroughs (Manhattan, Staten Island, Brooklyn, Queens and the Bronx) participated in the events. Nine individuals from GHO (3 from 48th Street IRA, 2 from 216th Street IRA, and 4 from 134th Street IRA), accompanied by 9 staff, attended the Special Olympics New York 2014 Metro. Events included competitions in track and field, standing long jump, softball throwing, dash & run, relay, adaptive walk, and pentathlon. Our 9 athletes were awarded gold, silver, and bronze medals, as well as 4th and 5th place ribbons. Events like these help our individuals learn to follow rules and directions. They also learn routines, motor skills, and hand-eye coordination, while gaining self-confidence and social competence through Special Olympics participation. Jennifer Sun Director of Habilitation Services 3

4 GHO, Inc. Now Providing Services to Individuals with Developmental Disabilities in the Korean Community In 2014, GHO, Inc. expanded its services and support to individuals with developmental disabilities in the Korean speaking community. There has been an overwhelming response to workshops and trainings with an influx of subsequent referrals from schools, social service organizations, and hospitals. The following staff play a pivotal role in removing linguistic barriers and providing access to vital services for Korean speaking individuals with developmental disabilities in the New York Metropolitan area. Pat Liu Chang, MA- As the Family Support Coordinator at General Human Outreach in the Community, Inc., Pat Liu is responsible for outreach to individuals with developmental disabilities and their families. She is bilingual in Chinese and English and provides immediate support through information referrals, as well as direct assistance. Pat Liu has been advocating on behalf of individuals with developmental disabilities for more than ten years. Her outreach effort involves conducting workshops and giving presentations on the New York State Office for People with Developmental Disabilities (OPWDD) services. She frequently visits schools and non-profit organizations in the community. Her efforts continue to bring benefits to hundreds of individuals and families throughout New York City. Annie Kim, Medicaid Service Coordinator, has also been advocating for the disability community for more than a decade. She started out serving individuals with developmental disabilities in a small agency in the Korean community in 2003 and has experience specializing in child development (ages 7-8 years). Annie Kim majored in Special Education and is also bilingual in Korean and English. (Continued on Page 5) 4

5 GHO, Inc. Now Providing Services to Individuals with Developmental Disabilities in the Korean Community Sunghee Park, Outreach Coordinator, served as a former high school teacher in New York City for the past eight (8) years and is the proud parent of a child on the autism spectrum disorder. Her son s autism motivated her to help other parents whose children have special needs. Sunghee sees a shortage of developmental disability services among minorities, particularly the Korean community. There is a lack of individuals who understand the cultural implications and required cultural sensitivity, or are bilingual in English and Korean. Sunghee joined GHO, Inc. to expand upon her advocacy work for the Korean autism community and in her continuum of motivation for outreach to this population and their families. HIGHLIGHTS Lunar New Year 2014 Lunar New Year

6 Accomplishment Spotlight Tan Yu Liu Improved social skills Great attendance Excellent helper Increased clerical skills 6

7 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS SOPHIA WONG, MSC SENIOR SUPERVISOR WOULD LIKE TO CONGRATULATE THE MSC DEPARTMENT FOR THEIR OUSTANDING PERFORMANCE AND CITATION FREE OPWDD AUDIT! GHO s MSC Department Bottom row from left to right: Annie Kim, MSC Supervisor; Sophia Wong, MSC Senior Supervisor; Sandy Chen, MSC; Allen But, MSC Top row from left to right: Yu Cheung So, MSC; Nancy Hwang, MSC; Cecilia Au, MSC; Hui Han Huang, MSC; Yan Qin Hua, MSC; Derek Yeung, MSC (Continued on Page 8) 7

8 SPECIAL RECOGNITION AND THANKS TO OUR TERRIFIC DIRECT SUPPORT PROFESSIONALS! SPECIAL THANKS TO HOME DEPOT FOR THEIR IN-KIND DONATION TO BROOKLYN DAY HAB! 8

9 Highlights Persons participated in a variety of activities in spring, summer, and fall of Some special holiday events included a 4th of July Celebration, visiting a pumpkin patch for Halloween, and a formal Thanksgiving dinner! General Human Outreach (GHO), Inc Queens Blvd., Suite 2705 Kew Gardens, NY Phone: Fax: [email protected] Bulletin Board We re on the web! Supported Employment Program Launch at GHO! GHO is authorized to launch a Supported Employment Program (SEMP) in fall SEMP offers competitive job opportunities to individuals with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities that qualify. SEMP will include extended services in an integrated setting - with ongoing support services, such as job coaching, shadowing, travel training and transportation assistance, behavioral intervention and support, personal assistance and other supports, based on individual needs. If you are interested in SEMP, please contact Tanya Maxwell at [email protected] or October is National Disability Employment Month! odep/topics/ ndeam/index htm Disability Mentoring Day is October 15th! odep/programs/ dmd.htm 9

10 BEST WISHES FROM GHO FOR THE HOLIDAY SEASON AND 2015! 10