Person Centered Care Services

Person Centered
Care Services.

DSP Week: Thank You from Andrew

Dear DSPs,

I would like to take this moment to thank you all for your due diligence and hard work during this unprecedented time. As we all must cope and adjust during this change, we will forever remember this point in our lives. DSPs have worked hard and dedicated yourselves to the true mission of what it means to be an employee of PCCS, by putting the people we support first. For this, I am grateful and proud to be able to work with all of you during this time. “We are one” and “DSP strong” are two phrases that will always be used when referring to you, not just through this time, but forever. Thank you again as we recognize you, the DSP, for all your hard work and dedication.

Andrew Brown,

Program Manager of Day Supports

DSP Week: Thank You, from Nicole F.

Dear DSPs,

In the 15 years I have worked in this field, I have never felt so honored to work along side ALL of you. Your daily drive, motivation, and sacrifice that you have made during these trying times has been amazing. With each beating second, you have changed the lives of those we support and have provided them with hope, dignity, and continue to assist them along the sidelines of their independence.

Your role is truly one of a kind, and is like a chameleon. You are a teacher, friend, family, nurse, and continue to ride the waves with the people you support as they come. You have ensured the safety and wellbeing throughout one of the wildest times in history. As a DSP, you deserve a medal of honor, an award for being a hero daily. We faced challenges and had to be creative during these times, but you all have adapted your own way of life in order to lift up the lives that you support on a daily basis.

So, you see, the role of a DSP is anything but an easy one; however, it is beyond meaningful. Change and uncertainty can be uncomfortable, but discomfort make us stronger and more resilient. I am confident in this; we will become stronger and more resilient. You have stepped up at a time when most people would have stepped away. I cannot thank you all enough for your dedication.

 

All the best,

Nicole Forgione

Community Living Specialist

Juneteenth: A Message From Our Executive Director

To my colleagues,
June 19th —Juneteenth also known as Freedom Day, commemorates the end of slavery in the United States. This year and each year hereafter, we will pay tribute to this historic moment in American history and declare this day as an annual company holiday and paid day off.
This is a day for all of us to reflect on, to learn from and connect with one another to move forward, together. To build communities of belonging and acceptance. To make change and reimagine communities. To reconfigure humankind.
PCCS is committed to having conversations to address racial inequity and systemic racism. We believe through these conversations and taking action, together, we can be a supportive network for one another. A network in which we celebrate diversity, inclusion and justice.
As the leader of this organization, I am listening and learning from all of you each and every day on how to do better for the community we live in and share in.
You know, listening to Bruce Springsteen growing up in the late 70’s and early 80’s, inspired me to establish this not for profit, Person Centered Care Services, (PCCS). I realize many of you may not even know who Bruce Springsteen is. Well, he is one of my heroes, hope you have one too. Based on Springsteen’s music and lyrics, his stories…this organization and its mission was created to ensure the voices of the lonely, the broken and the marginalized are heard and continue to be heard and to fight for their right to live. Growing up in a prominent white Italian household, well, I grew up around a lot of negative language, imagery, thinking and actions. I grew up with prejudices and with lots of privilege. As I got older, I knew I didn’t want to be around these negative and prejudice ways of thinking and being. So, I distanced myself from my family and many friends. It was around this time that I became comfortable and open with my identity as a gay woman. I made new friendships and I would like to think I changed the thinking of my family. Although, every once in a while, I have to give them a nudge.
The music and words of Springsteen run through me and are the framework of this organization. As years went by I became more of an activist in the community and I went on to learn and work for a Masters Degree in Disability Studies. This learning experience enriched my thinking and connection to the disabled community and social justice. Over the past few years, I have focused on the intersections of disability and how disability intersects with race, class, gender identity, sexual identity and religion…etc…
One of the most important tenets of the PCCS mission is to “create social change within communities”. Together we strive to be involved and connected with the issues facing our communities today and for the future. We are fueled by Our Core Values – suPPort, eQuity and aCCeptance.
It took me quite some time to figure out my story and it took me even longer to share it with all of you. I hope that you will connect with it, share it and maybe it will give you strength to find your story. When you do, go tell it.
cRis marchioNNe
founder/executive director 6/2020

#PeopleAtPCCS: Andrew Brown

As we begin to transition back into our new normal, one program that had to quickly pivot their foundation was our Day Supports. Coming from a background of case management and human services, Andrew Brown, Program Manager, is using his skills of communication, common sense, and most importantly, relatability, to help helm the ship into new waters, and all the opportunities it affords.

“I love engaging people,” he says about the role, and that appreciation helps him overcome the challenges inherent in the program. Our Day Habilitation has been without walls, pairing a group of people we support with two staff and bringing them into the community to tackle goals, volunteer, learn new skills, and more. This, combined with participants who have a variety of backgrounds and home lives, makes consistent communication across all channels necessary. Despite being an obstacle, Andrew’s ability to relate to his staff, people he supports, and his genuine interest in giving them his all, makes it not only easier, but worth it. “Any way you can assist, even to help the families,” he says, can help bring real change to our members, achieving goals, and finding resolutions to their personal challenges. That brings an added benefit: “No day is ever the same!”

Day Hab has transitioned to new options such as telehealth, and Com Hab in Lieu of Day Hab, where Andrew supervises his staff in more personal, one to one pairings, limiting concerns of exposure in the current pandemic. “We’re still here to support people,” he mentions, both in terms of the program continuing to run, as well as the underlying ethos of our agency. He promotes creativity and of course, communication, to find new solutions and to make sure the services continue to run to those who need it most. He acknowledges newer problems they face, such as consistent changes as the field as a whole finds its footing in these uncertain times, but he’s confident they can figure it out, together; he states the biggest asset in his department by far is teamwork. Together, he feels that they can overcome whatever may present itself, and continue to bring inclusion, joy, and positivity, to our members, and their families.

An Open Letter From Our Director of Community Supports

Our Director of Community Supports, Jaclyn, penned an open letter to not only her ISS / Com-Hab staff, but all of our Direct Support Professionals.
Dear PCCS Direct Support Professionals, 
Thank you. Thank you for your courage, your bravery, your sacrifices, and the support you provide to help people achieve their goals and become more independent. When the pandemic first began, it  was a scary time for everyone and something we could have never imagined. It  was especially scary for the people we support. We did not know what to expect as an agency. One thing we knew we could expect, is for our Direct Support Professionals to continue to show and prove your commitment to your role.
The transition during this pandemic has been anything but easy. Some of us are now working remotely, some of us are utilizing telehealth services or other means of communication with the people we support, some of us are putting our masks and gloves on, carrying our hand sanitizer and reporting for work, ensuring the people we support are educated on the pandemic and all safety measures are met. We have staff assisting in picking and dropping off PPE, staff reassigned to other departments to provide support, staff insuring people have enough food and medications. We are all learning new ways to host meetings and communicate with each other as effective as possible. All of this while of course we have our lives outside of PCCS to juggle.
The role of being a Direct Support Professional comes with many titles in between the lines. As a DSP you are an advocate, a mentor, an ally, a teacher, a student, a coach and the list can go on and on. Every day you can expect to be different than the day before, however the outcome remains the same, each day you are making a positive impact on someones life.
We are all in this together, learning new ways to provide support from home, social distance, ensure health and safety of the person we support, ourselves and our family members. The role of a DSP is anything but an easy one however it  is beyond meaningful. Change and uncertainty can be uncomfortable, but discomfort make us stronger and more resilient. I am confident through this, we will become stronger and more resilient.
With that, please make sure you are taking care of yourselves physically, mentally and emotionally. The PCCS team is here to support you. Once again, THANK YOU.
Jaclyn Tocco
Director of Community Supports

#PeopleAtPCCS: Nicole Forgione

“When people think of a disability, people think of it only in one way,” says our Community Living Specialist, Nicole Forgione. The stigma against people with disabilities and what they can accomplish in life leads to a level of uncertainty about services we provide, especially one like ISS: a program that helps people with disabilities find independent living. “They just need someone who believes in them.”

Nicole has been at Person Centered Care Services for six years, running our ISS department, after over fifteen years in the field of disabilities. Coming to our agency was no issue with Nicole; she mentions how she adapted quickly to the idea of person-centered approaches after being person-centered herself. “[In previous jobs], I would ask, why can’t they do X, what if they don’t like Y, how can we do Z, and really help the people we support get to where they need to go?” This practice would help her tailor the ISS department to suit every individual need; no two people are alike and no two apartments are, either, and Nicole pairs a 20 hour Com Hab worker to most cases, finding a good fit to help their goals.

It isn’t always easy: Nicole cites two major hurdles, accessibility to apartments and neighborhoods, and clarity of what the program entails to the greater community at large. Many people have (often negative) preconceived notions on having people with disabilities in their neighborhood, and landlords don’t realize the benefits of having an ISS supported apartment, and the longevity our members have as tenants. This is combined with the obstacles of the current health pandemic, and having to reconsider the needs of their members:  any are just as confused as we are about the rules and restrictions stemming from it.

However, the rewards are innumerable: what keeps her going is seeing people who have lived in nursing homes, have been in homeless shelters, in group homes in which they’ve been told they’ll never live independently. She’s worked with our agency to not only help those who are part of the program, but also spread advocacy efforts to educate people that anyone can do anything, from any point in their lives. Now she has survivors of brain surgery, college graduates, and more, among her ISS roster.

That success drives her to want even more for the department: “I want my legacy to be in this program, to make sure the department is doing it’s best and all it can do to help.”

What Is A DSP?: Direct Support In Health Crises

In these strange times we’re finding the world in, the respect for people who work in the health care field has grown steadily, as they continue to risk their health and safety by performing their essential duties to society. Nurses, doctors, and many other health care workers work diligently while many Americans stay at home to flatten the curve of this epidemic we find ourselves in. In our gratitude to these medical professionals, we also must honor the duties the direct support professionals serve for the population of people with disabilities. But what is a DSP?

A Direct Support Professional is defined by Wikipedia as “…people who work directly with people with physical disabilities and/or intellectual disabilities with the aim of assisting the individual to become integrated into his/her community or the least restrictive environment.” To say that, though, doesn’t define the value of direct support, doesn’t portray the range of roles they play daily, especially in a public crisis such as this, doesn’t speak of the people behind these roles.

While much of the country stays home to combat the health crisis, one DSP leaves his two month old baby to help someone we support learn to cook healthy meals.

While there are Instagram Live dance parties for everyone to have a good time at home, another DSP works overnight to ensure people in our residences are safe at home and can sleep peacefully.

While we pour over the news to learn more about the new reality we live in, yet another DSP leaves her own family to ensure the people we support get the medication they need, and in some cases, the skills in order to take those medications themselves to further their independence.

While we scour our own apartments to ensure our personal safety, our DSPs are going to homes to ensure their safety.

Direct Support Professionals are our friends, our neighbors, our brothers, sisters, cousins, family members, members of our community, and in these difficult times, they are doing what they do best. They are advocating for people we support, they are teaching valuable life skills, they are ensuring their safety and support, they are leaving the comfort of their homes and families to help those who need more assistance.

When we give our thanks, when we advocate for more funding for our agencies to give back to the DSPs and staff in the midst of a confusing, scary crisis, these are the people we talk about. Our family.

To help us in this time of need, you can donate here, and continue to support those who support a vulnerable population in trying times, those with disabilities.

A Message To Our Direct Support Professionals

3/17/20
a message from cRis marchioNNe, executive director
I send this out to all Direct Support Professionals who are bravely waking up each day facing these strange unfamiliar times. It is you who put aside fears and your own circumstances to ensure the health, safety and well-being of the people you support.
I came into work today, and I saw quite a few of you patiently waiting to be reassigned to a person’s home or to support someone living on their own; I saw concern and care in your eyes. I saw passion in your communication with others. I saw how important it was to express what tools and information you will need for the day. I emphasize for the day, as all of us do not know what will happen tomorrow. We are all learning how to live ‘one day at a time’.
Our World is changing. We are learning new concepts such as social-distancing and we are learning to engage with one another in different ways such as telecommuting and relying a lot more on technology. Yes, these are challenging days, I will say these days are scary. However, there is one thing I know for sure. I know, all of us know, it is evident we can count on Direct Support Professionals to act and respond, to be there for one another and the people you support. I know each of you believe in and value the ‘wait for me when I fall behind’ way of life. And I want you to know, each Direct Support Professional, myself and my colleagues we are here for you.
Every day, I am in communication with government, with representatives from the New York State Office for People with Developmental Disabilities receiving updates on service delivery methods and working with our colleagues at other agencies to share information, exchange ideas and to ensure we have plans to be prepared for what lies ahead. My colleagues and I are working with policy-makers to ensure program operations are not disrupted, to ensure we remain whole and sustainable. All of us are working in new ways to ensure we continue to support all of you in your meaningful role of supporting people with an intellectual or developmental disability.
I am certain all of us will get through these strange unfamiliar times, together. Together, we will learn from this experience, we will learn new ways of engaging with one another, supporting one another, communicating with one another. These are hard times, but it is in times like these we learn, grow and make progress. Together, we are innovators working resiliently to find ways to support one another and keep each other safe. I personally thank you for your support, caring and service. I am grateful for each and every one of you.
I wish all of you peace, love and hope…
cRis

An Intern’s Perspective: “They told me there is love here and you feel it.”

When we talk about inclusion, support, and passion, that message resonates with us for the people we support, as well as our friends and coworkers who become closer to family. Even our interns are welcomed to the fold, building bonds with both people with disabilities, and our team, sharing a drive to support our cause. One of our interns, Lori, penned an open letter, discussing her time in PCCS and the impact it has made on her:

 

 

“I first met Cris Marchionne when she was Professor of mine at CSI. I took her class called Social Work Disability Studies. It was a class that was an elective and I was getting ready to join the Social Work program.  I loved her passion she had for her job. She talked about PCCS and working with the people she supported. I learned the words “Person Centered approach” and what it meant.  When she told us “ At any moment we can all become disabled, an accident can make you have to use a wheelchair and now you’re disabled”, this was such an eye opener to me. The words were so true, and it stuck with me.

When the opportunity came up for me to do my internship at PCCS, I jumped at the chance to interview.  I was thrilled to be accepted by this agency.  I was so nervous when I came for new hire training in July 2019.  I wasn’t sure what to expect since I hadn’t worked for a company in years.  I loved the training.  I loved how the agency wanted you to have information to better support the people who use the agency.  I was nervous for CPR, but even that I survived and embraced it.

When I finally got to start, I was given materials to read, and webinars to view and learn.  I embraced the training that was given to me and soaked it up.  I love that PCCS offers training of all kinds to their employees. They want you to have the tools to help you do your job.

As I went about doing various tasks, I was given to work on I learned more and pulled from my previous work experience to get things done.  I always try to give 110% to all that I do.  One of my favorite parts of my internship has been my interaction with Day Hab. I love when I get to go and sit with this bunch of people.  They are just good-hearted people and they always enjoy when I come to their group.  I was given the task of working on workshops for them.  I had the joy of making a money management workshop using monopoly, workshops about bullying, Sign Language and few others.  I don’t need anyone to tell me I did a good job, because I feel it when I have these interactions. Besides this I have done a little bit from a few different areas. From auditing, to working on a checklist with ISS, to intake assessments.  I have done many things here and all have been enjoyable.

My saddest thing right now is that my days as an intern are ending. I seriously hope I get a full-time job at PCCS so I can continue the work that I have started here.  The people that work here feel like a family.  The directors, and all employees are all very approachable.  The people we support are loving and enjoy their time here as well.  It was a pleasure one day when I asked the people, we support how PCCS was compared to other agencies. They told me there is love here and you feel it.  How special is that? Who wouldn’t want to work with people that share and support people with love first?”

#PeopleAtPCCS: Doreen Smith

Supporting people with disabilities is something near and dear to so many of the employees in our field, and often it’s a very personal mission to help and advocate for those who need assistance. One of our Employment DSPs, Doreen, took her experience with a disabled child and made it a career.

Doreen has been with us for almost 2 years, though her journey began long before; she had volunteered for Autism Speaks, as well as became a registered Behavior Technician at Proud Moments. Her and 8 fellow moms of people with disabilities came together to create SI Autism Warriors, a non-profit group that funnels donations directly into staging multiple events during the year, welcoming anyone with any disability to attend. This is on top of her side business of making chocolates for the last 15 years!

The source of her inspiration? Her son, who was diagnosed on the Aspergers, on the Autism Spectrum, at the age of 3. Her and her husband stood together to help afford their son any and all possibilities, while their family stepped away from them out of fear and embarrassment. They haven’t spoken since.

Doreen doesn’t let it bother her, though. “It’s their loss,” she says, proud of who her son is. He is 17 now, playing ice hockey since he was 5, and attends a culinary program at Tottenville High School. Doreen has been supportive of her son doing anything he puts his mind to, and never limits him. Their strength carries both ways; she remembers crying when she had to discuss the differences between him and neurotypical children, and he replied, “But autism makes me who I am.”

Coming originally from a background in Wall Street (“I hated it after a few years”), her career path and passion for advocacy and support brought her down the aforementioned positions to find an ad with an agency called Person Centered Care Services. Doreen took a position with Com Hab, which she loved, and later made the transition to Career Supports, where she helps a variety of young people get prepared for the job market. She loves the creativity involved, and the times where she makes a real impact: she remembers fondly seeing a person she supports dapper and dressed to the nines, prepped and ready for his job interview. “Now I have a reason for getting up every day.”

Where does she want to go from here? She’s becoming more involved in our outreach team, joining the Gala committee to help make this year’s the best yet. And work itself? “I told [my boss], I’ll drag myself on my hands and knees if I have to; I love it here.”

 

Do you have a child, relative, or someone you know with a disability who needs help entering the job market? Find out more in our Career Supports department. Want to make an impact in the disability field? Apply for a position in our agency, or join our Disability Ally Initiative!