Spaulding Connection
Newsletter for the Spaulding Support Services Community
JP Morgan Corporate Challenge
Fall 2015
Foxenberg crossed the finish line in 17:19 minutes.
The agency’s team consisting of Karen Waelder,
Merrilee Gorton, Charlotte Fragale, Gabrielle
Schrader, Caroline Gettino and Stacie Johnson
completed the race with a team time of 2:49:30,
128th place in the Women Team division of 230
teams and 381st overall finish of 532 teams. Way to
represent ladies!
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Spaulding Support Services 2015
Golf Tournament Fundraiser
Spaulding Support Services
joins the Corporate Challenge
On June 9, 2015 Spaulding Support Services
joined 277 other companies to participate in the JP
Morgan Corporate Challenge; a 3.5 mile course at
Onondaga Lake Park. Every year JP Morgan
makes a donation from the entrants’ registration to
a worthy cause. This year the beneficiary was
Honor Flight Syracuse, whose mission is to
transport veterans from World War II and beyond to
Washington DC, at no cost to them, to visit the
memorials dedicated to their honor and sacrifice.
The donation will be specifically dedicated to the
October 3, 2015 Honor Flight Mission from Syracuse.
2015 was the first year supporting the JP Morgan
Corporate Challenge as an agency! Our Hospitality
tent was set up and our banner proudly identified
Spaulding Support Services. For those walking by
that did not know who or what we were brochures
were available and questions were answered by
Cris Kennedy, Brenda Jean Edge and Kristen Gentile. The weather was perfect for running or walking
the course; the rain from earlier that day had ended
just as race time approached. Veterans from Honor
Flight held the banner as the first runner Andrew
A big THANK YOU for all the support that was received for this year’s Charity Golf Tournament!
Our Tournament was held at Rogues Roost Golf
and Country Club on 6/27/2015 sponsored by ‘New
York City Supporters’ with thirteen Captain and
Crew Teams. Golfers met their teammates during
registration while grabbing a cup of coffee or water
bottle, picking up their welcome gift sponsored by
Couvert-Falcone Foundation, and checking out the
many raffle options. Golfers were able to take
some practice swings before locating their team
carts and heading for the West Course to take on
18 holes under optimum conditions, stopping at the
turn to enjoy food and a beverage before continuing
on. Golfers gathered afterwards to enjoy the Tournament Banquet sponsored by Reagan Companies
and to congratulate the winning team.
And the winners....
many people. Thanks to the staff at Rogues Roost,
the teams, sponsors, volunteers, donators and the
Planning Committee!
Winning Team:
Ed Moran, Jim Moran, Mark Popp and
Jason Holowinsky.
Contest winners:
Save the Date for 2016
Saturday June 25th at Rogues’
Roost Bridgeport.
We hope you will join the fun and
support the mission of Spaulding
Support Services
Longest Drive-Men’s- Greg Smith
Longest Drive-Women’s- Mary Alice Wylie
Closest to pin- Jack Rade (5”)
Putting Contest- Jim Kolbe
(with two consecutive holes-in-one)
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Spaulding Support Services
Family Picnic - July 22nd
Skins Winner- Wylie and Rade Team
enjoying moments together...
Contest Sponsors were Jim Kolbe, Violet Kolbe and
Valentine Gardens LLC.
Hole and Cart Sponsors were Marty and Eileen
Clark, Violet Kolbe, Mary Ellen Andrews, Gordon
and Susan Spooner, Mike Copanas, John Cluskey
from Dominick Falcone Agency, Ed and Sharon
Moran and Bell Tenant Champions.
Raffles were a success because of donations from
Saru Voleti, James P. Reagan Agency, Inc., Ed
Stabler, Jules Fenocchi, GE Matching Grants,
Leslie Tompkins, Marianthe Kane, Jim and Violet
Kolbe, Novara Living Trust, Tully’s Good Times,
Richard Naughton, Americar, OptiGolf, Valentine
Gardens LLC, Gordon and Susan Spooner, Katye
Askew, Karen Waelder, Lynn O’Shea, Linda Rade,
Angela Gonnella, Sylvia Fenn, Peggy Hayes, Sharon Moran, Diane Zacholl, Kelly Frawley, Katelyn
Shedd, Anne Gangemi, Joan Satterly, Bell Tenant
Champions, Caroline Gettino, Price Miller Associates, Joe Morini, Mike and Kathy Byrnes, Robert
Goodfellow Jr., Larry Gettino, and Jack Rade.
The 4th Annual Spaulding Support Services Charity
Golf Tournament was a success due to the help of
Peggy and John
Chad, Kelly and Ustina
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2015 Walk to End Alzheimer's
Syracuse, NY
A Tree Grows in HR!
When we saw that they were holding this walk, we
did not hesitate to do our part.
Spaulding Support Services’ Team 2015
Alzheimer’s Association Walk for a Cure.
Our agency raised $700.00!
Thank you everyone.
For many years the Alzheimer’s Association has
been there when we needed them. By providing
Spaulding Support Services with on-site training
free of charge when one of our individuals has
been diagnosed with dementia. The Alzheimer’s
Association offer several educational programs for
families and individuals facing Alzheimer’s, as well
as the community at large. These programs are
free of charge. Visit their interactive calendar to find
one in your area or view the program online ondemand at the Marty Manning Online Education
Center. In addition to these regularly scheduled
programs in the community, the Chapter presents a
conference for family and professional caregivers
each spring.
Thank you Maureen Huband a Direct Support Professional in our Com Hab Program for creating this
wonderful tree. Each branch represents a program
of Spaulding Support Services. On each branch
we will create leaves with the name of the staff who
work there. Please stop by and find your name!!!
Thanks again Maureen!!! One of our many talented
staff here at Spaulding Support Services!
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Open House
Spaulding Support Services held an open house in
September as an opportunity for people to visit the
agency’s new office location at 6520 Basile Rowe,
East Syracuse, NY 13057.
They also offer many other resources. Among them
are a specialized day program, an informational
hotline, support groups, and project safe return. For
more information please contact:
Central New York
441 West Kirkpatrick Street
Syracuse, NY 13204-1361
Phone 315.472.4201
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Tom Revoir, who receives residential services, took
a tour of the new office with Cris Kennedy, Human
Resources.
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New Additions ...
Employee News
New Employees
Brittany Damiano - DSP in
Community Hab and Spaulding
House
Cynthia DeLap - MSC
Baby Elianna and happy mother Lisa Messano
Lisa receives support from Spaulding’s Community
Habilitation program and lives in Syracuse.
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Genee Kirch - DSP in Community Hab
Shaqueshia Clemons - DSP at the Crystal House
Ashley Bivins - DSP at the Guest House
Margaret Piraino - DSP in Community Hab
Spaulding Support Services
2015 Annual Halloween Party
Was held on Friday, October 30th at St. Ann’s Parish Gym. This year’s event included a Photo Booth,
D.J., Dancing, Crafts, Donut Holes, Cider, Bottled
Water, Coffee, Pizza and Fresh Popped Popcorn.!
We’d like to thank St. Anne’s Church, Bach Photo,
Dusty Richard DJ Service, and Pies Guys Pizza for
their support!
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Holiday Fundraiser
Spaulding will be collecting
donated turkeys and funds
to help families who need extra assistance during
the holidays.
For more information you may contact us at the
main office – (315) 478-6210 - dial 0 for the operator.
This is a joint effort by the MSC program, Community Habilitation and Respite Services to help families we serve in the community.
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Promotions
Rebecca Heard was
promoted to the
Assistant Program Supervisor at Joslyn Court
Work Anniversaries from
July - December
5 year anniversary
Colleen May – DSP in Community Hab
Michael Graham – DSP at Joslyn Court
Narika King – DSP at the Guest House
10 year anniversary
Andrea Jones – DSP at Joslyn Court
15 year anniversary
Jenine Pulphus – Program Manager of the Crystal
and Guest Houses
30 year anniversary
Kim Shedd – Executive Director
On behalf of the Board of Directors of
Spaulding Support Services we would
like to extend our congratulations to
Kim Shedd, the Executive Director of
Spaulding Support Services, for her 30 years of
service to our agency.
In 1985 Kim began her employment at our agency
as the manager of the Genesee House under the
leadership of Bob Russell. As the agency grew Kim
became the Program Coordinator for the agency in
1988. In 1992 Kim became the Executive
Director, following in the steps of Bob Russell.
and rectifying them with appropriate strategies. Kim
serves not only as a leader in our agency but as a
valuable resource person outside the agency for
her wealth of knowledge in the area of the developmentally disabled.
We thank Kim for her 30 years of service and her
dedication to the mission of Spaulding Support
Services.
Under Kim’s leadership Spaulding Support Services has expanded its Medicaid Service Coordination to assist people to plan for and access desired
support and services for Medicaid eligible individuals. The Plan for Care Support Services expanded
for individuals living in their own home with family,
or in certified programs for those who choose not to
receive Medicaid Service Coordination. Direct Family Reimbursement Funding began to assist families
to care at home for a family member who receives
Service Coordination from the agency as well. Individual Support Services were initiated to subsidize
and support individuals living in their own homes.
Julie Frawley
President
Board of Directors
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Under Kim’s leadership our Respite services expanded at both Beattie Street and Crystal House
and welcome both developmentally disabled adults
and children who live with their families. These two
respite facilities offers short-term oversight, care
and recreational services for care-giver support.
My daughter has Down syndrome and we are busy
planning her 50th Birthday party. Though this is a
happy occasion I can’t help having this nagging
feeling of dread because when she was born all
those years ago we were told that she probably
would not reach the age of 30, well, she sure
proved them wrong! But now I am hearing from
parents of other children with Down syndrome that
their children are suffering from Alzheimer’s disease. Is this an inevitability? What should I do?
Community Habilitation was also initiated offering
oversight in acquiring, retaining or improving skills
necessary to reside in the community. This program is designed for individuals who live in their
own homes or with their family. Our Residential
Habilitation services also expanded under Kim’s
leadership. This service provides supervision and
skill development with household skills, personal
care, finances, medical care and community activities and involvement within certified homes in
Onondaga County.
Ask Wilhelmina
Submit your questions and Wilhelmina will provide information
to selected questions in this
column.
Dear Wilhelmina,
Worried Mom
Dear worried Mom,
As a leader Kim communicates a positive attitude
and has created an awareness in both the employees and clients of Spaulding Support Services of
their powers, contributions and self-worth. With the
ever changing rules and regulations in the world of
not for profits for developmentally disabled Kim
does an excellent job anticipating, problem solving
First of all, happy birthday to your daughter. While I
understand your concern, not all people with Down
syndrome get Alzheimer’s disease, though they are
at an increased risk because they carry an extra
chromosome 21 which includes genes involved in
aging. In people with Down syndrome, changes in
overall function, personality and behavior may be
more common in the early stages than memory
loss. Early symptoms might include:
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Reduced interest in being social
Lack of interest in usual activities
Decline in the ability to pay attention
Irritability, excitability or aggression
Sleep disturbances
Changes in coordination and walking
Although you can take a person for a professional
assessment by a dementia expert, it is difficult to
diagnose dementia in people with Down syndrome
because of the difficulty in assessing their thinking
skills and what changes may be going on. It is vital
to get clear, accurate documentation on their abilities and watch for any changes in their day to day
functioning, personality, social interactions, and behavior that could show an underlying decline in
their thinking skills...
If dementia is suspected it is imperative to rule out
all other causes of symptoms. These causes could
include thyroid problems, depression, chronic ear
and sinus infections, and sleep apnea.
If Alzheimer’s disease is diagnosed, there is help
available through formal networks (physicians, social workers, service coordinators, and support
staff) and informal networks (extended family, caregivers, respite workers, and residential opportunities) to help cope with the progression of the disease.
Best wishes to you and your family,
Wilhelmina
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Coming down the Pike
What’s new or happening at the
Federal, State or OPWDD levels.
How medical billing changes impact you.
You may not notice any changes in how Spaulding
Support Services provides services but changes
are happening for all providers billing for medical
services.
It's the biggest change to happen to the health profession in years and yet most people have not
heard about it. This is a government-mandated
change and has the potential to make you wait a
little longer for a doctor's appointment or delay your
insurance approval for a procedure you need. It is
anticipated to improve the quality of your medical
care moving forward.
The International Statistical Classification of Diseases, ICD, is the language that allows doctors’
offices and other agencies billing under medical
care services to communicate with health care
plans and government agencies. The move from
the ICD-9 codes to the new ICD-10 codes adds
120,000 new codes to this system. These codes
have been agreed upon by the World Health Organization and are to be used by all countries
world-wide.
The increase in codes will provide more data to
help the experts better understand health trends
and better anticipate outbreaks or gaps in care. The
codes are used worldwide so they are relatively
standardized no matter if you are in Syracuse or
Paris, France. Experts at government agencies
such as OSHA can use the information to better
understand how people get hurt at work, for instance, and could make changes to make the office
safer. Car designers will be able to look at the
number of right foot injuries versus left foot injuries
in car accidents and see if they should adjust that
part of the car to make the equipment safer; the old
system doesn't distinguish between the right and
left feet. With more specific codes in place, there
should be more information that will help doctors
and patients identify acute or chronic conditions as
well as manage and improve the quality of medical
care.
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Aging and how to prepare
Have you heard the saying ‘we’re
not getting any younger’?
Well it’s true OPWDD estimates that by 2025 the
average person served by OPWDD will be 50 years
of age. OPWDD’s mission is to address the primary
issues connected with providing this growing population with an optimum quality of life.
Preparation and Awareness is key to enhance
Quality of Life for this growing population and for
the families caring for the aging adult in their life.
Services and Providers are adjusting to the increased needs as people age within their current
care. New services are being developed as the
need grows. The federal government has initiated a
new waiver program call the Nursing Home Transition and Diversion Waiver (NHTD). This waiver will
be another option for people who qualify for Medicaid coverage of community based long term care
coverage. If an individual is already receiving services from a federal waiver program such as Office
for People with Developmental Disabilities/Home
and Community Based Services Waiver
(OPWDD/HCBS), Traumatic Brain Injury Program
(TBI), or Long Term Home Health Care Program
(LTHHCP) and wishes to be considered for participation in the Nursing Home Transition and Diversion waiver program she can contact an NHTD
provider such as ARISE to discuss the supports
offered but an individual can’t be enrolled in more
than one HCBS waiver program at one time.
For more information check out www.health.ny.gov
or www.opwdd.ny.gov
Other senior services you may not know are out
there:
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Person First Language
So I was working with this autistic guy the other
day...
Yeah, MY guys do this too.
My gal is going to the dance on Friday.
My people don’t like to go to the dance, but they
go….it’s good for them to get out.
Wipe your mouth; wash your hands put on your
seatbelt.
Stop worrying about that, it’s not important.
Senior Day Programs or Senior Center Integration
Services offer supports to participate in activities in
the centers or individuals may be directly involved
in the community through volunteer activities and
charitable organizations.
I promise…
Residential supports such as Supervised Group
homes for aging individuals, Integrated Group
homes serving both aging and younger people together, Supported Living, Enriched housing, Assisted Living, and Dementia care.
What?! You just went?
Give it to me, I’ll do it.
You can’t eat that.
Do you need to pee?
Wipe your nose…come here…I’ll do it.
Hey Anna Banana, how’s it going sweetie-pie
Senior supports also include the Senior Companion
program, Retirement Assistance services, Social
Day services and the New York State Office for the
Aging (SOFA) which offers resources to seniors for
transportation, information and referrals as well as
to grandparents raising grandchildren with developmental disabilities to navigate the legal, health
and education systems.
Kitchen’s closed…sorry.
Yea, you can go in his room, he doesn’t care….
You can’t go outside, it’s raining.
Handicapped bathroom?
Often times, even though no harm is meant, comments and language we use can be received as
disrespectful. It’s time we all try to be conscious of
our language when talking with and about individuals we support. We need to remember that we
would not like to be spoken to in a childlike way.
The people we support are not “our” people, not
“our” guys, or “our” gals. (It is, however recognized
these terms were never meant to be harmful) We
use terms that are antiquated, and perhaps used to
be accepted. I have heard from self-advocates that
it’s time to change our language and our thought
processes. It’s time to slow down and relearn our
manner of speaking. It does not come overnight.
Nicknames, indiscretion, promises not kept, and
ownership….all this is a thing of the past, and if we
all take baby steps and are mindful of how it
sounds to someone on the receiving end, we are
doing a kindness for all the individuals we care so
much about. Once we make a conscious effort to
use person- first language, it will be incredible how
quickly we change the mindset about disabilities…
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Getting Involved
Why I joined Spaulding …
From my earliest days I have had a fondness for
persons with limited abilities. My father’s sister who
lived with my grandparents was severely disabled.
Whenever I saw my grandparents my Aunt Zita was
always with them. Aunt Zita was a beloved member of our family. She came to live with us after my
grandparents passed on.
I grew up in Cortland and Homer. I attended
LeMoyne College for four years with no clear-cut
career goals in mind. Upon graduation I joined the
Peace Corps and traveled to India where I worked
for two years in agricultural extension. I decided
then that I wanted to work with children so, upon
returning to the United States, I began graduate
studies in education.
In 1971, I began my career as a teacher at the
ARC school in Syracuse. The school was segregated. As the American Disabilities Act of 1975
took hold, the student population was gradually
moved into the public school system. Many of their
teachers went along, myself included. I continued
teaching in special education classrooms for eleven
more years at Edward Smith Elementary School
and Nottingham High School where I also coached
soccer for several years. During those years the
majority of the children I taught were labeled autistic. My career shifted in 1989 when I became a
regular education teacher in inclusion classrooms
at Webster and Bellevue Elementary Schools. The
final eight years of my career were spent as an elementary school math specialist where my job was
to promote math and to assist other teachers to develop innovative math teaching strategies. I finally
retired from the Syracuse City School District in
2010.
About ten years ago another Board
member, Jim Byrnes, asked me to join
the Spaulding family as a Board member. I have served as the Board Secretary for most of my term. I am also a member of
the Corporate Compliance Committee and the Service/Program Advisory Committee. Spaulding
Support Services offers outstanding services to
disabled individuals and their families. I wish that
an organization like Spaulding had been around
while my Aunt Zita was alive. Because of her, I
know firsthand how difficult life can be for the families of persons with severe disabilities. The people
at Spaulding are the salt of the earth. We solve
problems together and enjoy each other’s company. I hope to stay involved with Spaulding for many
years to come.
Besides having a career that I enjoyed, I have been
blessed with a terrific family. Eileen, my wife of 43
years, and I live in the SU neighborhood with our
two cats. We are able to walk to many sporting
events at the Dome. We have a son and a daughter plus two awesome grandsons that we love
spending time with. My hobbies are gardening and
playing tennis.
Marty Clark – Board Member
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Recipe Corner
Today’s recipes are perfect for
the fall season
NO BAKE CHERRY CHEESE PIE
1 -9” graham cracker pie crust
1 -8oz. cream cheese, softened
1 – 14oz. sweetened condensed milk
Main Office Moved July 1st,
2015
The main office is now located at:
Spaulding Support Services
6520 Basile Rowe
East Syracuse, New York 13057
Our telephone number stayed the same:
(315) 478-6210 Phone
(315) 478-1575 Fax
1/3 cup lemon juice from concentrate
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 -21oz. cherry pie filling, chilled
In large mixing bowl, beat cream cheese until fluffy.
Gradually beat in sweetened condensed milk until
smooth. Stir in lemon juice and vanilla. Pour into
prepared shell. Chill 3 hours or until set. Top with
cherry pie filling before serving. Refrigerate any
leftovers.
SWEET POTATO CASSEROLE
3 cups sweet potatoes
1 ½ cups sugar
½ cup milk
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla
½ cup butter
2/3 cup brown sugar
EXTENSIONS…
The main office uses an automated telephone system. If you do not know the extension
you want to reach you may dial 0 for operator assistance.
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Mission: Spaulding Support Services is a non-profit human service agency committed to supporting people with developmental disabilities and their families
by providing services related to each individual’s
unique and evolving life circumstances.
Philosophy: We recognize that all people are inherently valuable and are entitled to supports and
services that promote their well-being.
If you are interested in learning more about how
you can get involved contact the main office at
(315) 478-6210. Spaulding Support Services
needs volunteers to serve on its Board of Directors,
to serve on committees and/or to help support the
mission in other ways.
1/3 cup flour
1 cup pecans, finely chopped
Check us out on the web
and on Facebook.
Mix sweet potatoes, sugar milk, egg and vanilla.
Place in a baking dish. Beat cold butter, brown
sugar and flour. Sprinkle over sweet potato mixture. Sprinkle chopped pecans over butter. Bake
at 350 – 375 F for 1-1 ½ hours or until slightly firm
in middle to touch.
Send your comments to us at:
____________________________________________
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[email protected]
Congratulations Tihona!
Spaulding Support Services
Newsletter
Editors:
Joan Fooks
Charlotte Fragale
Caroline Gettino
Pam Holly
Crystal Kennedy
Denise Morini
Saru Voleti
Special thanks to everyone who contributed material to
this Newsletter and to Debbie F and Angela W for layout.
If you have news and would like to contact us, please
call (315) 478-6210 or email
[email protected]
Tihona Lee is a NYSID 2015
Joslin Award Winner
for outstanding performance at
her job at Clarus Linens, Syracuse.
Tihona receives MSC from Spaulding
and Supported Employment from ARC
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~Old Friends Meet~
Jackie Saddler an employee currently working
at the Genesee House recently visited California
and took the opportunity to look in on an old
friend, Mary Swenson. As many may know Mary
used to live at the Genesee Residence and had
moved to California several years ago. Jackie
reports “Mary is happy , looks great and she’s
doing Fantastic! Mary played the piano for Jackie.
If you’d like to receive your future copies of the newsletter via email, please send your email address to
[email protected] with a request for an
electronic copy.
Please write Email Newsletter in the subject line.
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THANK YOU FOR READING