People Inc. Awarded Matching Grant from KeyBank to Help Western New Yorkers with Developmental Disabilities and Special Needs

People Inc., WNY’s largest human services agency, receives $10,000 matching grant March 9, 2015 – People Inc. received a $10,000 grant from KeyBank with a one-year commitment to match donations that will further help individuals with developmental disabilities, special needs and seniors live more healthy, independent and productive lives. The grant is all part of KeyBank’s commitment to the Western New York community, and their partnership with the largest human services agency in the region increases the impact they can make.   “KeyBank believes in helping the community around us because we are a bank that’s not just focused on business,” said Gary Quenneville, president, Buffalo Market, KeyBank. “Through our partnership with People Inc., we can touch the lives of more than 12,000 individuals with special needs and developmental disabilities and their families.”   KeyBank is proud to be an advocate for individuals with developmental disabilities and has supported People Inc. for 25 years. Their first matching gift program for People Inc. was in 2014 to encourage new donors. KeyBank also participates in the organization’s golf tournament and the Supporting Member Appreciation Arts Event. In addition, as part of their capital campaign fulfillment, KeyBank sponsored a conference room in People Inc.’s Museum of disABILITY History. “We are thrilled to have a community partner who believes in our mission and what we do,” said Denise Paszkiewicz, an agency vice president and executive director of the People Inc. Foundation. “Supporters like KeyBank fuel our hope to create a future where individuals with developmental disabilities and special needs move closer to their life goals and dreams.”   KeyBank employs more than 900 people at all its Buffalo area operations, including its network of bank branches. Based out of Cleveland, the company provides investment management, retail and commercial banking, consumer finance, and investment banking products and services to individuals and companies throughout the United States and, for certain businesses, internationally. KeyBank’s grant will match People Inc. Supporting Member donations which are defined as recurring pledges of $10 a month or a one-time gift of $100 or more. To participate, click here . People Inc. is a not-for-profit health and human services agency providing programs and services to more than 12,000 people with special needs, their families and seniors throughout Western New York. Since 1971, People Inc. has assisted individuals to achieve greater degrees of independence and productivity. 

Museum of disABILITY History to Host Panel Discussion, Open Mic

Event focuses on contributions of writers with disabilities February 27, 2014: The Museum of disABILITY History will host “Out of the Shadows: Join the Conversation,” a unique two-day event which takes a close look at the lives and contributions of writers with disabilities.   On Friday, March 6, from 7 to 9 p.m., a reading and panel discussion will be held at the Museum of disABILITY History, 3826 Main Street, Buffalo. Writers with disabilities as well as those who cover disability in their work will discuss “crip lit” culture, what it means to them and how it empowers writers of difference. Speakers include: Sally Bittner Bonn, a Rochester-‐based mother and disability writer; Lisa Cunningham, educator and poet; Beth Geyer, local disability arts educator, playwright, editor/writer and artistic director of Unique Productions UP!; and Lizz Schumer, writer, reporter and editor. Admission is $6 and free for members of the Museum of disABILITY History. Also taking place at the Museum of disABILITY History is an open mic with local and regional writers on Saturday, March 7, from 1 to 3 p.m. Writers with disabilities will share their stories and contributions. Writer, reporter and editor, Lizz Schumer, will open conversation about the importance of writers with disabilities. Admission for this event is free.   Registration is encouraged for both events. Call 716-629-3626 to reserve your spot.   The Museum of disABILITY History, a project of People Inc., is dedicated to the collection, preservation, and display of artifacts relating to the history of people with disabilities. The mission is to tell the story of the lives, triumphs, and struggles of people with disabilities as well as society’s reactions. The Museum of disABILITY History, located at 3826 Main Street in Buffalo, NY, offers educational exhibits, programs and activities that expand community awareness.

Dining Out Event Supports Individuals with Brain Injury

A Nourishing Event in Support of Headway of WNY, Inc. February 24, 2015:  In recognition of March as national brain injury awareness month, Headway of WNY, an affiliate of People Inc., is holding a dining out event from March 2 to 4, with select area restaurants. Awareness and funds will be raised to ensure that individuals in Western New York with brain injuries and other disabilities have access to advocacy, resources and support systems so they may live as independently as possible. Participating restaurants include Betty’s, 370 Virginia Street in Buffalo, Fat Bob’s Smokehouse, 41 Virginia Place in Buffalo and Ristorante Lombardo, 1198 Hertel Avenue in Buffalo. There are specific dates for the participating restaurants. For a flyer with more information and to present to your server so a percentage of your check will be donated to support Headway of WNY, go to headwayofwny.org . Headway of WNY, a not-for-profit agency and an affiliate of People Inc., provides resources, support groups, recreational programs, training and educational programs to both survivors and caregivers of brain injury. Headway of WNY, Inc. is a volunteer support, advocacy and resource organization that was founded in 1985 by caring families and individuals who have survived brain injury and other disabilities.

The 3rd Annual AT EXPO 2015

BUFFALO, NY- The 3rd Annual AT EXPO 2015 (Assistive Technology Conference) Implementing Technology From SmartHomes to SmartSupports will be held on Thursday, May 14, 2015 at Millennium Hotel, 2040 Walden Ave. Cheektowaga, NY 14225, from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.  This AT Expo is being sponsored by People Inc., Parent Network of WNY, Early Childhood Direction Center (ECDC) and Learning Partners. Assistive Technology (AT) is any kind of technology, tool, device or service that can be used to enhance the functional independence of a person with a disability. A SmartHome is a home that incorporates cutting edge technologies to improve the quality and efficiency of service and supports for people with disabilities. This year’s annual conference: Implementing Technology From SmartHomes to SmartSupports, will feature keynote speaker, Greg Wellems, COO, IMAGINE! on Assistive Technology in the home and community. There will be two sessions on mobility and communication: The Mobile Technology Wave: How to Utilize Tablet Technology for Individuals with Limited Movement and To Engage in Functional Communication by Dr. Katrina Fulcher-Rood, Ph.D. CCC-SLP and  I’m not straight, so please don’t make me! Custom Seating Do’s and Don’ts! by Sheila Buck, B.Sc. (OT), Reg. The third session will focus on Developing Technology as a Core Service featuring keynote speaker, Greg Wellems. The AT Expo is for assistive technology users, their families, educators, clinicians, agency providers and administrators. The AT Expo will include an exhibit room featuring vendors and sponsors who will have an opportunity to speak about their technology products and answer questions throughout the day. The cost of this year’s AT Expo is $150, which includes vendor interaction and CEUs will be available for mobility and communication tracks. Lunch is included. For more information or to register, contact Tracey Kosmoski at tkosmoski@people-inc.org, 716.817.7484 or register online at: tinyurl.com/ATEXPO2015 or www.people-inc.org  

New Exhibit, The Lives They Left Behind: Suitcases from a State Hospital Attic at Museum of disABILITY History

Exhibit inspires dialogue about the treatment of those with mental illness  January 19, 2015: The Museum of disABILITY History will host the limited-time traveling exhibit, The Lives They Left Behind: Suitcases from a State Hospital Attic , with a grand opening event on Friday, February 27, at 6 p.m., at 3826 Main Street, Buffalo. In 1995, when the Willard Psychiatric Center, located in the Finger Lakes region of NY, closed its doors, an incredible discovery was made in the attic: hundreds of suitcases, untouched for decades, filled with the most important belongings of their former owners. This incredible collection of personal belongings was carefully removed and has become a tribute to the lives of those patients. Their stories are now told through this moving exhibit.  The history of mental illness is often forgotten or dismissed. The exhibit offers a patient-centered view of the history of psychiatry, while honoring the memories of those who packed the suitcases, and hopes to inspire dialogue about the treatment of those with mental illness.  The exhibit will be on display at the Museum of disABILITY History until April 11. The exhibit was created by The Community Consortium, an organization that works to promote the full citizenship and civil rights of people with psychiatric disabilities. The grand opening event is a fundraiser for the Museum of disABILITY History. Admission is $25, which includes wine and hors d’oeuvres. For more information, go to museumofdisability.org or call 716-629-3626. Reservations for the opening event are required. The Museum of disABILITY History, a project of People Inc., is dedicated to the collection, preservation, and display of artifacts relating to the history of people with disabilities. The mission is to tell the story of the lives, triumphs, and struggles of people with disabilities as well as society’s reactions. The Museum of disABILITY History, located at 3826 Main Street in Buffalo, NY, offers educational exhibits, programs and activities that expand community awareness. <!--[endif]-->

NEW DATE FOR RESCHEDULED WORKSHOP: Improving the Health of Young People: Integrating Mental Health Care and Primary Care in WNY Workshop

Register by February 28 February 9, 2015: If you are a primary care physician or behavioral health provider in Western New York, join us for a workshop on March 13, to learn how to best integrate primary care and mental health care as encouraged by New York State’s Delivery System Reform Incentive Payment Program (DSRIP). Registration is at 8:30 a.m., and the workshop is from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at the Ramada Hotel and Conference Center, 2402 North Forest Road, Getzville. The workshop was previously scheduled for last November, but was postponed due to inclement weather. Local experts in the field will present how to best integrate primary care and mental health care. The workshop will cover: how to improve quality of care, including mental health, for patients under age 27; training to improve mental health care; implementation plans; payment for combined services; creating the best care plans for patients; experience from local experts who have worked to integrate mental health care and primary care; and a regional approach to de-stigmatizing mental health care. Presenters and panelists will be from the Amherst Pediatrics, Compeer, Erie County Department of Mental Health, Horizon Health Services, Lake Shore Behavioral Inc., Mental Health Association of Erie County, University at Buffalo, VA Center for Integrated Health Care. The workshop is hosted by the Elmwood Health Center, an affiliate of People Inc. To register by February 28, go to elmwoodhealthcenter.org. For more information, contact Amanda Scates-Preisinger at apreisinger@people-inc.org or 716-374-0179. The workshop has been funded by the Peter and Elizabeth C. Tower Foundation. Founded in 1994, the Elmwood Health Center, an affiliate of People Inc. is a health care facility that provides a wide range of medical, rehabilitative therapies and counseling services for the general public. Specially designed services for individuals with developmental disabilities are provided. People Inc. is a not-for-profit health and human services agency providing programs and services to more than 12,000 people with special needs, their families, and seniors throughout Western New York. Since 1971, People Inc. has assisted individuals to achieve greater degrees of independence and productivity.

People Inc. Receives $1.5 Million in OPWDD Grant Funding

Agency receives five grants total, more than any other agency in the state   February 4, 2015: People Inc. has received a total of $1.5 million in funding from The New York State Office for People with Developmental Disabilities (OPWDD) to support five projects that address barriers to transforming the system of care for individuals with developmental disabilities. The OPWDD awarded 133 grants totaling $65 million to more than 103 organizations through a competitive Request for Applications (RFA) process open to New York State developmental disabilities providers, advocates and local governments. The grants range from $33,000 to $5.2 million and are funded through the New York Balancing Incentive Program (BIP) Transformation Fund.  Funding received by People Inc. will support five projects designed to remove barriers in the areas of housing, self-directed services and employment as follows: Family Care Project The Family Care program model, where providers open their homes and program participants live as part of the family, will play an increasingly important role in the future service system. People Inc. will partner with Lifetime Assistance Inc. to propose and pilot redesign of the program statewide to make it more attractive to provider families and participants and develop marketing strategies to raise awareness about the program.   Life Quality Coaching Project Transforming our system of care requires a more community-based, inexpensive, consumer-directed way of operating. This project will focus on better preparing individuals with developmental disabilities and their families so that they can embrace the imminent changes, and succeed with a different type and level of support. This project will deploy Personal Outcome Measures (POMs) and the Life Quality Coaching model, a “burst” service that provides short-term intense coaching to reach specific milestones of independence, to create a culture of transition and facilitate the integration of residential consumers into more independent community settings. People Inc. will collaborate with The Resource Center on this project.  Self-Directed Community Services Project Self-Directed Community Services is a choice-based program designed to promote independence as individuals with developmental disabilities and their families build their own circle of support. This collaborative project will focus on deploying technology to more efficiently process payments, timesheets and other administrative duties associated with self-directed services. Janus Systems Corporation will serve as technical consultant developing the full software solution to be piloted. Collaborating agencies include Lifetime Assistance, Inc., Aspire of WNY Inc., Community Services for the Developmentally Disabled, Heritage Christian Services Inc., Rivershore Inc. and The Resource Center.  Employment Project I To advance both Governor Cuomo’s Employment First Policy and OPWDD’s New York Plan to Increase Employment Opportunities, this project will expand three small business enterprises that are currently being piloted by People Inc. to capitalize on market opportunities and create competitive jobs for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities.  Employment Project II In line with OPWDD’s Employment-First philosophy, this project will focus on providing legal guidance for People Inc. and peer organizations across the state as it relates to self-employment and new business creation for individuals with developmental disabilities. People Inc. will partner with Capabilities Inc. on this project. All awards will be financed by the New York State BIP Transformation Fund. Projects were selected based on the quality of the application received as well as the size and scope of the project. The BIP Innovation Fund is designed to engage New York's broad network of providers, advocates, and community leaders in developing systemic improvements that address barriers encountered when providing community-based long term supports and services (LTSS) across all populations of Medicaid beneficiaries in the state.  People Inc. is a not-for-profit health and human services agency providing programs and services to more than 12,000 people with special needs, their families and seniors throughout Western New York. Since 1971, People Inc. has assisted individuals to achieve greater degrees of independence and productivity.

People Inc. Sharpens its Focus on Healthcare with New Executive Level Appointment

January 21, 2015: People Inc. recently expanded its senior leadership team with the appointment of Bonnie R. Sloma as senior vice president. In this newly created position, Sloma will oversee the agency’s healthcare business development in addition to healthcare quality standards as the agency continues to position itself for success in a changing managed care environment.  “People Inc. will be impacted by New York State’s efforts to restructure our state’s healthcare delivery system,” said People Inc. President & CEO, Rhonda Frederick. “We have a fairly significant healthcare operation through our Elmwood Health Center and our Home Health Care Services. We brought Bonnie on board to help us stay ahead of the curve through these changes. Along with her extensive experience in healthcare, Bonnie brings tremendous knowledge and leadership to this role and will help to strengthen our position in the managed care environment.” A 30-year healthcare industry veteran, Sloma joins People Inc. from Erie County Medical Center Corporation where she served as vice president of ambulatory and diagnostic services. In this role, she was responsible for the development of policies, procedures, new services and programs and quality oversight for the organization’s outpatient ambulatory and diagnostic clinics. “People Inc. is the largest organization in Western New York helping our most vulnerable community members, individuals with developmental disabilities and special needs, and senior adults, to lead healthier, independent and productive lives,” said Sloma. “The agency is a significant employer, a leader and innovator. I am incredibly fortunate to have the opportunity to serve an organization that has such an incredible mission and long-tenured, committed leadership team.” Sloma earned a bachelor’s degree in nursing from Niagara University. Active in the community, she serves on Niagara Community College’s board of trustees. She resides in Lewiston, NY, with her family. People Inc. is a not-for-profit health and human services agency providing programs and services to more than 12,000 people with special needs, their families and seniors. Since 1971, People Inc. has assisted individuals to achieve greater degrees of independence and productivity. The agency has 180 locations throughout Western New York and the Finger Lakes region and 3,400 employees.

Tourette Syndrome and Associated Disorders Workshop at Museum of disABILITY History

On Saturday, January 24, 2015, from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m., the Museum of disABILITY History will host a unique Dialogues on disABILITY Workshop called “Tourette Syndrome and Associated Disorders in the Classroom.” It will be presented by Susan Conners, M.Ed., president and founder of the Tourette Syndrome Association of Greater New York State.  The workshop will focus on a number of topics, including criteria for diagnosing Tourette Syndrome, associated disorders and their behaviors, impact on performance and behavior, as well as classroom strategies. The workshop is recommended for parents, educators and human service professionals. Continuing Education Units (CEUs) for occupational, physical and speech therapists will be provided, along with certificates of attendance.  The workshop is $40 for adults and $10 for students. There is an additional $20 fee for those interested in earning CEUs. A continental breakfast and lunch will be served. Those who wish to register are advised to do so early, as the workshop will be limited to the first 80 participants. To reserve your spot, complete the registration form available online at museumofdisability.org or call 716-629-3626 with payment information.  The Museum of disABILITY History, a project of People Inc., is dedicated to the collection, preservation, and display of artifacts relating to the history of people with disabilities. The mission is to tell the story of the lives, triumphs, and struggles of people with disabilities as well as society’s reactions. The Museum of disABILITY History, located at 3826 Main Street in Buffalo, NY, offers educational exhibits, programs and activities that expand community awareness.