� e Arc of Madison Cortland provides leadership in the � eld of disabilities, supporting people in every manner possible, and developing the necessary human and � nancial resources to allow all members of our community to achieve their potential.

Fall/Winter 2015

The Many Faces of The Arc

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Contact: (315) 363.3389

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The Arc of Madison CortlandOffi cers:

Randy Schaal - PresidentCharles R. Stevens - Vice President

Michael F. Bowe - Vice PresidentJoseph Zifchock - Treasurer

Deborah McGowan - Secretary

Board of Directors:Gary Gibbons Nancy JonesMaureen Louis Mary PatriciaCynthia Roach Edward Scoville, Sr.

Directors Emeritus:David Lewis Edward ShivePhyllis Little Wanda Ready

Eric Stickels

Executive Director:Jack C. Campbell

Assistant Executive Director:Barbara McDermott

Contributing Photographers:Vera Brady Janice BuneoJames Cooke Brett Robinson

Liz Rocker

Administrative Offi ce andMailing Address:

701 Lenox Ave., Oneida, NY 13421Phone: (315) 363-3389

Cortland Offi ce16 Crawford St., Cortland, NY

Phone (607) 756-2015Website: www.ArcofMC.org

Email: info@ArcofMC.org

Building Futures FoundationBoard of Directors

Charles Stevens - Acting President,Vice President & Vice Chair

Jennifer Basic - SecretaryMichael West - Treasurer

MembersJames Betro Jack C. CampbellBrian Hurley Douglas KalletKelly Karram Raymond LewandowskiCarol Neveu Brett Zielasko

Email:bff@madisoncortlandarc.org

Director of Development & PR: Christine N. Sears

Assistant Director of Development & PR:Shannon Richard

PR Clerk: Erica Ostwald

2 - The Arc of Madison Cortland - Fall 2015

As President of the Board ofDirectors for The Arc of

Madison Cortland, I would like to take this opportunity to thank all the staff, volunteers, and members of our community who have served, have family members who are currently serving or have served our country. Veterans are the backbone of this great country. It is because of their love of country and commitment to our freedom that provides us with the opportunity to live free. It is not lightly said when I say “Thank you” to all the past, present, and future veterans, men and women, who have placed or are placing their lives at risk to protect our freedom. Thank you.

Giving back is important to The Arc of Madison Cortland. I am so proud, that as an agency, we are able to share our talents with other not for profi ts. This fall, a group from The Arc of Madison Cortland vocational program volunteered at Clear Path for Veterans in Chittenango as part of a statewide effort through NYSID Works. It was a fall cleanup day and we were so pleased to be able to give back to an organization that helps veterans supporting their journey home.

Every board member that serves on the board of directors is a volunteer. The commitment to this organization is immeasurable. Our board is actively involved with oversight of The Arc. We visit residences, review fi nancial statements, meet with families, listen to individuals with disabilities, and advocate on a local, state, and national level. Every decision that is made is done so with due diligence. I want to take this opportunity to say how thankful I am to each member of the board of directors for sharing their expertise and dedication to The Arc of Madison Cortland.

The holidays are upon us and it is a time for family gatherings and celebrations. It can also be a very lonely time for those who do not have families or their family lives far away. There are people The Arc provides support to that are alone during the holidays. After the pies have been eaten, the candles lit, presents opened, and we all return to our daily routines I start to hear stories of this staff person, or that staff person, taking someone with a disability home with them to share a holiday. I also hear about the direct support professionals who work during the holiday and how they made the day special for everyone in their care. Is it the magic of the holiday season or is it the warmth of someone’s heart? It is The Arc of Madison Cortland and that is why I am a volunteer.

WE RESPECT EACH OTHER

From The President

From The Executive

Director

Sincerely,

JackJack CampbellExecutive Director

Happy Holidays to You All,

RandyRandy SchaalPresident

This newsletter will be the last of2015. It is so hard to believe that

the year is almost over. This is the time of year to refl ect and give thanks. I would like to share with you all that I am thankful not just during this time of year but throughout the entire year.

I am thankful for all the families, staff, self-advocates, and volunteers who have worked tirelessly on the process of pursuing CQL (Commission on Quality Leadership) accreditation. This process has taken over a year to complete and later this month CQL will be visiting our agency to review what we have completed and make suggestions of where we can improve. The accreditation process in not a process that is completed just the one time but it is a continued pursuit of excellence. It has been a huge learning experience for us all with the sole intent of creating an agency that focuses on person centered services and supports. We have been able to identify areas where we have been weak and immediately took action to improve on those areas. Overall, I am proud to say that the agency has done an excellent job of applying the person centered support and services philosophy. This philosophy has been our way of thinking for years and this process has provided us with validation that we are doing a great job.

I am thankful for all of the employees that provide a high level of care to the individuals who receive supports and services at The Arc of Madison Cortland. And, I am speaking of ALL employees; offi ce staff, business offi ce, maintenance, direct support professionals, therapists, everyone has an important role in the life of someone The Arc provides support and you are appreciated. Thank you!

There are so many success stories of individuals exceeding goals, learning new skills, and celebrating their accomplishments. One that you will read about in this newsletter is Michelle Wolfe, who received the highest recognition from NYSID (New York State Industries for the Disabled) and OPWDD (NYS Offi ce for People With Developmental Disabilities). She will be the fi rst to tell you that it was with the help of The Arc of Madison Cortland that she was able to have the willpower to turn her life around for the better. Michelle’s story of working hard to be successful is an inspiration to us all. Congratulations Michelle!

November is also a month that we recognize, honor, and especially give thanks to our veterans, those who are currently serving, those who have served, and those who gave the ultimate sacrifi ce. No matter what era we look at in history there is confl ict somewhere in this world. We are so proud of the men and women who choose to defend and protect our freedom.

I would like to give a special thank you to Pope Francis for his visit to the United States. The Pope demonstrated warm compassion for people with disabilities and often swept by dignitaries to reach a person with a disability and pray with them. No matter what your faith, one has to admit that those were touching moments.

In closing, I would like to thank all the volunteers and community members who support The Arc of Madison Cortland in a multitude of ways. Whether you are a volunteer board member, a volunteer that shares a talent with the day programs, or a donor, everything you do helps more than 1,000 people who The Arc provides programs and supports to in Madison and Cortland counties.

Thank you and I wish all of you a very happy holiday season.

Fall 2015 - The Arc of Madison Cortland - 3PEOPLE COME FIRST

If you would like to receive, “The Many Faces of The Arc” through the US mail please call 315-363-3389 ext. 1600 or 607-756-2015 ext. 1600, Email: Shannon.Richard@ArcofMC.org

A Brother’s Story - It Matters to Me by Robert Louis

My brother’s name is Sam. He’s almost eighteen years old and, to my amazement, already a senior in high school. He has lots of friends, loves swimming, dogs, and road trips, and works hard at school as well as his time volunteering for the library. He can be shy at times, but he’s also perceptive, kind, and deeply sincere. Sam is also, among the innumerable other facets that make him the unique person I’ve known all his life, autistic. This means, for one thing, that we haven’t necessarily shared all the same experiences that would be typical for brothers two years apart. Some features that one might expect from our relation-ship aren’t there, and many of those that do exist could well be wholly unrecognizable between two young men of our ages.

Better or worse? I’m not one to say, and I doubt anyone else could pin it down either. Sam and I have grown up together in a way that’s entirely our own. Our conversations are shorter, the topics different. Instead of talking about dating troubles or SAT scores, things come up like ceiling fans or a favor-ite car route. Bonding with him is not nec-essarily the easiest part of my life.

Growing up with Sam has often been hard-er than with many “normal” sibling rela-tionships. After our early childhood passed, there was increasingly less for us to share as we grew in different directions. When I was six, he was a great companion for a ride down the stairs in a sleeping bag or for treating a laundry basket like a ship on the sea of the kitchen fl oor. When I was ten, he was a presence I just wasn’t equipped to understand. I was old enough to be very different from him, and young enough not to realize how little that really had to mat-ter. That pattern persisted for a few years, and I wish it hadn’t. I’m sure I passed by more than a few chances to connect before, somewhere along the line, I realized that I was missing out on something that should and could be a much bigger part of my life.

It’s all too easy to forget the value and won-der of something one sees every day, espe-cially when that value comes with attached hardships. All the same, Sam can do things that no-body else I know can. He enjoys things with a purity of heart I just can’t match. Where I would hesitate, he simply does. Where I would over think, he listens to his feelings with real clarity and ease. Naturally as can be, he keeps a very open approach to how he sees the world. On the more practical front, his memory for road navigation is simply incredible- as far as central New York is concerned, if I have a phone that can reach him, a GPS is just redundant. I have my own

talents, but his remain something I admire and, per-haps, could stand to emulate a bit. More importantly, he’s my brother, and we’ve spent seventeen years together. I love him, even if I’m still learning how to express it. I can never recall a time when I haven’t felt rewarded by even a small effort to make a connection. We’re learning how to be brothers, both of us, and that tinges even the small moments of camaraderie with a sense of simple, for lack of a better word, rightness.

There’s a luxury I have here, one that’s worth men-tioning: time to learn. My parents never had that, and

they’ve risen to the occasion in ways that I suspect I’ll still be coming to understand for many years. Who Sam is has changed their lives in all sorts of ways, positive and negative alike. I, personally, cannot envi-sion a better handling of the situation- Sam receives all the same love and support and compassion that has allowed me to become the person I am. My mother and father have shouldered a heavy burden to make that happen, and carried it more than admirably. I am humbled every time I take a moment to realize just how signifi cant their effort is.

As much as my parents and extended family have given Sam, I know that, inevitably, there will come a time when they are no longer there to meet that chal-lenge, and that my brother’s needs will not simply disappear at that point. As an adult, his care will be more involved with systems outside the family, but he’ll always need our support in some sense. One day, that task is going to fall to me. That prospect is more than a little intimidating. I’m not sure just how I can or will rise to the occasion, but I know I will. Sam is worth all the effort I can make for him. As hard as it is to believe, he’s going to be an adult soon, and I’ll be at his side when he needs me. I won’t be alone, and neither will he- we have each other, and there are sys-tems in place to ease the burden, systems whose value I suspect I’ve only just begun to appreciate. I’ll face the same challenges as my parents, and that’s certainly on my mind as I work to fulfi ll my ambitions- any-thing from international travel to the simple reality of work hours can make care for someone like Sam tricky. I have no intention of letting any of this hold me back on either front, but somewhere along the line, it’s going to be an additional challenge, one I’ll have to work to overcome.

My situation is not unique. Thousands of people like Sam have families that love them and want to give them everything they can. As my mother puts it, any-thing that makes that easier is a pure good. It doesn’t take much to make a real step in that direction- from including Sam with dinner prep to organizing support for people with developmental disabilities across the state, any action, small or large, can make lives better. Luckily, there are many people who know and live up to that ideal. Those at NYSARC and numerous other associations work every day to make the everyday less of a challenge for people like Sam and our family, as well as, more importantly than ever lately, advocating for people with disabilities. Times may be challenging from a policy standpoint, but in my time working with The Arc, I’ve developed great respect for the people in Sam’s corner. Between the comfort of that fact, and my love for my brother, I have faith that, when my time comes, I’ll be able to live up to, and continue from, the foundation my parents have built.

Sam and Robert - today

Sam & Robert as kids.

4 - The Arc of Madison Cortland - Fall 2015 WE NEVER STOP LEARNING

Michelle Wolfe Received Highest Award From NYSID (New York Industries for the Disabled)by Jim Thompson

For all of us out there who dread change, a ten-minute conversation with Michelle Wolfe is a nice reminder that change doesn’t always have to be bad. Some-times, change can be very, very good.

Born in 1971 and raised in Syracuse along with her four siblings, Michelle attended Special Education programs and eventually graduated with an IEP diplo-ma. Michelle’s early life was diffi cult as she was the frequent victim of abuse. After she completed school, she had a child, married, and found herself in another abusive relationship. She eventually divorced and lost custody of her son.

Shortly after, Michelle moved in with a family member in Madison County. This turned out to be a mistake and Michelle found herself evicted from the home. Following one bad experience after another, everything began to change.

Michelle turned to The Arc of Madison Cortland for help. She found a new place to live, in a Family Care Home, enrolled in The Arc’s prevocational program, where she works on NYSID Preferred Source con-tracts with exceptional results. She didn’t stop there, working with supported employment at Alternatives Vocational Services, Michelle was hired as a cleaner at Oneida Savings Bank.

With her success on the job came an increased sense of confi dence and a connection to a community that

embraced her. Michelle found herself trying new things in all areas of her life. She joined The Arc’s Sunshine Choir. She joined a bowling league. She started regularly attending church, and became active-ly involved in the Community Garden on the church grounds. Michelle joined the local self-advocacy group Madison County Motivators, and soon found herself elected president. She quit smoking. She started taking pottery classes, and competed in Spe-cial Olympics. Michelle decided that she wanted to increase her independence and went out and got her Learner’s Permit. She started volunteering weekly as a transporter at the local hospital’s Extended Care Fa-

cility. The list goes on and on.

Michelle has transformed in the past few years from a “victim” with no place to stay to the president of a self-advocacy group working two jobs and fully participating in the life of her community. All who know her agree that no one is more deserving of the good things that have come her way. The changes in Michelle’s life aren’t just the sort of changes that dedicated human service workers can pick up on over time, they’re clear for all to see and Michelle deserves all the credit.

The Arc of Madison Cortland would like to congratu-late Michelle Wolfe on receiving the 2015 William B. Joslin Outstanding Performance Award!

l to r :Jim Thompson, Alternatives Vocational Services Manager, Jack Campbell, Executive Director, Michelle Wolfe, and Mike Hulland, Director of Alternatives Industry.

Michelle Wolfe, center, with Madison County Motivators celebrating her award.

Workshop Transformation TestimonyOctober 20, 2015 Syracuse ConcourseRecently, OPWDD held regional meetings to obtain feedback on the requirements for transforming sheltered workshops into integrated businesses. Jack Campbell, Executive Director of The Arc of Madison Cortland presented testimony. Below is his testimony he presented to the committee.

The federal and New York State government have decided that people with disabilities should have the same opportunities as everyone, to be a part of the community, have equal access to employment, live as independently as possible, and essentially have all of the same opportunities as everyone does. I would ap-plaud this but, correct me if I am wrong, I thought this was covered in our respective constitutions and current laws like the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Decisions to close or limit participation in a workshop setting, a supervised setting, or other more expensive option for service are being made by a narrow band of thinkers. Their mission is simply to reduce costs at the expense of what families and people with disabilities need not what they want as we far too often hear.

Unfortunately this small group of advocates has gar-nered the ear of government to push their agenda which aligns very similarly to the government’s agenda to save dollars at the expense of our most vulnerable. I have had numerous discussions with family members, and individuals with disability that worked or are cur-rently working in a workshop. They have expressed deep concern and feel that they are unable to advocate for themselves and their loved ones with disability for a variety of reasons such as; they have a small voice due to primary care giver responsibilities, work commit-ments, or simply an inability to voice their concern.

You are most likely wondering why any of this is important? OPWDD (Offi ce for People with Develop-mental Disabilities) and DOH (Department of Health) in conjunction with CMS (Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services) are proposing two options for pro-

viders to continue to provide sheltered workshop ser-vices by transforming into an integrated work setting. I urge everyone to carefully read and understand what the requirements of both options are that each shel-tered workshop provider such as The Arc of Madison Cortland will need to comply with to become an inte-grated work setting. To say the requirements will be diffi cult, in the best of circumstances, to comply with would be an understatement. To accomplish this in the time frames being proposed is, well, just unrealistic.

Is there another path? Yes! Providers need time to ad-just, families need a better understanding of what New York State is trying to accomplish, the rhetoric of in-dividualized supports, personal outcome measures and choice is not matching up with the actions families are experiencing.

In this instance of the 2 options being proposed for sheltered workshops to become integrated businesses I’ve heard from more families who have become so jaded with this transformation. The options are so diffi cult to comply with and that has families deeply concerned and afraid. Families are afraid that their loved one will no longer have the opportunity to work, a dignity issue. If they are able to work in a workshop setting how will they get to work? Currently transpor-tation is provided; under the new proposal, transporta-tion would be eliminated. You need to keep in mind that Madison County is a very rural county with ex-tremely limited if any public transportation. Families are afraid that they will have to give up their jobs to transport their loved one to work, or sell their homes to move closer. If under the new proposal their loved

one does not have the ability to work in the workshop then what? Will a family member have to give up their employment to care for their loved one at home? That is a very real concern for families.

I heard from a gentleman who has a developmental disability. For years he worked in the workshop set-ting and then decided to take a job in the community. In his words, “it was awful, I was treated poorly”. He worked for six months in a community setting and wanted to come back to the workshop where he was accepted and more importantly, people understood his disability. Due to the new regulations, he was unable to get his job back at the workshop. He says repeat-edly, “I don’t want to be dependent on social security, I want to work.” The CHOICE of where he wants to work was taken away from him.

I believe the proposed workshop transformation is designed to not be successful or limit the number of providers to be successful. We can’t help but feel that our government wants to be able to say, we gave pro-viders options, providers chose or were too inept to transform.

To put it bluntly, we the providers are being set up to fail at the expense of people with developmental dis-abilities.

I know this has been diffi cult for many people to listen to. I did my best to include the feelings, commentary and feedback from all family members who contacted me.

I applaud OPWDD, and in particular, the commis-sioner and Ceylane Meyers-Ruff for their courageous advocacy on this issue.

Fall 2015 - The Arc of Madison Cortland - 5PEOPLE COME FIRST

Camp Arco by Kim Ouderkirk , Habilitation Services Manager

Camp Arco is a program that provides the necessary supports for the children of Cortland County who have intellectual and developmental disabilities to at-tend the summer camp of their choice with their peers. This summer, Camp Arco supported nineteen children while they attended camp. The participating Camps were St Mary’s Camp, Child Development Center Camp, JMMcDonald Sports Camp, YWCA, Cortland Repertory Theater Camp, YMCA, Camp Owahta and Lime Hollow. Camp Arco allows for a positive experience for all children that attend a camp. The children are supported in developing friendships and learning new skills. Here is one of the success stories from this camp season.

A family was nervous about sending their fi ve year old daughter to camp at the YWCA due to the amount of special care that she would require. Camp Arco staff supported the little girl so she was able to par-ticipate in all activities and had a wonderful camp ex-perience at the Y meeting new friends. Staff reported that not only was this little girl having fun socializing with new friends but all the children in the camp were

drawn to her and were very eager to play with her and help push her wheelchair. The mother reported that the staff member working with her daughter was very diligent in making sure her daughter was able to ex-perience all the joys of camp as well as having her in-dividual needs supported. Mom said, “It was so good to see my little girl smile every day when she came home from camp.”

The Arc of Madison Cortland would like to give a very special thank you to Cortland Community Foun-dation and United Way for Cortland County for sup-porting Camp Arco.

NYSARC Trust Provides Grant for Recreationby Erica Ostwald, Self Advocate

On Saturday, September 12, 2015, ten staff and thirty-one participants, including me, went to the Corning Museum of Glass. We took two busses and it was a long ride to Corning.

When we arrived at the museum, we were taught how to sand blast a glass. Below are the instructions on how to make it:

1. Write your name on the small paper and put it in-side the cup.

2. Decorate the glass with stickers and tape. Every-where you put a sticker or a piece of tape, the cupwill stay clear. Where you don’t put the tape orsticker it becomes frosted with sand.

3. Put it in the frost machine/sand blaster. Very fi nesand grains are blown under pressure and sprayedonto the cup.

4. Peel the stickers, tape off the cup, and see the beau-tiful design that you made.

Everyone liked making the sand blasted souvenir. Brett Robinson said he liked designing his own glass anyway he wanted, and then seeing how glass is made in the sand blaster and taking it home with you.

We ate lunch at the museum cafeteria. There was a

large variety of food to choose from sandwiches to pizza to Chinese food to pasta.

After lunch, our group went on a self-guided tour of the museum. We saw different displays of glass on the shelves, a live dem-onstration on creating a glass hurricane vase, saw how glass is made, went through optic fi ber displays, and looked at stained glass windows. Of course, after the tour we went through the gift shop.

Brett Robinson said he gained a lot of experience on how glass is made in the museum, “ You don’t do it that often”. He also said there was a lot to see at the museum.

Floyd Dodson learned different glass blowing tech-niques and watched a demo on creating a glass vase.

After we toured the museum, we went back on the bus to take the long ride back to The Arc, but we enjoyed a dinner at A&W in Cortland.

Everybody liked the trip and would like to go on an-other trip like this again. This trip was made possible due to a grant from NYSARC Trust Services. The Arc of Madison Cortland received a grant for $8,000 from NYSARC Trust Services for the ex-clusive purpose of supporting recreational opportunities. Thank you NYSARC Trust Services

NYSID WorksVolunteers from Arc of Madison Cortland and NY-SID, spend the day cleaning up the grounds at Clear Path for Veterans in Chittenango as a way to show thanks to New York State for creating jobs for people with disabilities.

6 - The Arc of Madison Cortland - Fall 2015 WE ARE A TEAM

Years of Service Awards at AlternativesAlternatives work center held its Years of Service Awards. Receiving awards for 15 years of service: Elizabeth Carey, Michele Galdun, Eric Hazzard: 20 years of service, Deborah Bedell: 25 years of service, Amy Jo Graham: 30 years of service, Alberta Dawley: 35 years of service, Herbert Carr and Robert Gildersleeve, and receiving 40 years of service award: Donald Delaney, William Shalna, and Diane Warner.

Thank You to all of our Sponsors for Glow

in the dARC Golf Tournament!

It was an awesome event!The Bonadio Group

Oneida Savings BankFairfi eld Inn & Suites

Nye Auto Group

We would also like to thank the following for donating to the tournament:

AmeriCu Credit UnionHummel’s Offi ce Plus

Sky Chiefs Charitable Foundation Symphoria

Cazenovia CollegeBuffalo Sabres

Syracuse Crunch Hockey ClubPizza Hut

Cinderella’s RestaurantNew York Yankees

Tim Horton'sEnders Construction

New SkinzScott Russell – PGA Golf Pro

Former SU Basketball Player Jim LeeMatthew's Salon and Spa

HardenMy Cup of Cake

The Arc Spirit CommitteeRay & Christine Lewandowski

Ann & Joe BarbanoHennenberg Brewery

7 Oaks Golf ClubCazenovia Country Club

CasolwoodRuth Weydig PGA Golf Pro

Ashley TylerErica Ostwald

Jim CookeBuffalo Bills

New York GiantsGames Grills Etc.Shannon Richard

Nelson FarmsTriValley YMCAMarion Budnar

Senator David ValeskyWilbur Duck

Mazzello & Sons Carpet OneCampanie Wayland-SmithThe Gorman Foundation

MEID ConstructionCampbell Dean Funeral Home

Jack CampbellOneida Dental GroupThe Rubicon Group

Coolican McSweeneyRalph's CollisionMaureen Louis

The Arc of Madison Cortland held their annual golf tournament offering nine holes of captain and crew with three holes of glow in the dark golf after the sun set.

This year, self-advocates, Erica Ostwald and Ashley Tyler from The Arc of Madison Cortland played golf for the fi rst time and won not only an honorary golf award, but the hearts of everyone who participated.

Each hole surprised golfers with something fun ranging from a fully stocked cigar bar to a $10,000 hole in one cash prize!

Due to generous sponsors and donors, every golfer drove away with a prize, a memory of great fun and the an-ticipation of next year’s golf event.

A special thank you to everyone who participated, volunteered, donated or provided sponsorship at the 2015 Glow in the dARC Golf Tournament.

We look forward to twice the fun and seeing everyone again next year. To become involved next year contact Shannon Richard at Shannon.richard@arcofmc.org or 315-363-3389 ext. 1600.

To view these photos and more, visit The Arc of Madison Cortland’s website and locate them on our Facebook page, www.arcofmc.org.

Don Delaney honored for 40 Years of Service with Jack Campbell, Mike Hulland, and Fran Burnham.

Bill Shalna honored for 40 Years of Service with Jack Campbell, Mike Hulland, and Fran Burnham

Diane Warner honored for 40 Years of Service with Jack Campbell.

2015 Glow in the dARC Golf Tournament at Oneida Community Golf Club

Fall 2015 - The Arc of Madison Cortland - 7WE ARE A PART OF THE COMMUNITY

The Arc of Madison Cortland Now Offering Self-Direction and Broker ServicesThe Arc of Madison Cortland is now serving people in Madison, Cortland, Oneida and Onondaga coun-ties who are enrolled or are looking to enroll in Self-Direction Services. The Arc of Madison Cortland can provide Broker and Fiscal Intermediary services. OPWDD eligibility must be established and program approval obtained through the OPWDD Front Door process.

Self-Direction is a service offered through OPWDD that allows people with Developmental Disabilities to manage their own supports and services through Employer and/or Budget Authority. Individuals can create their unique mix of supports and services that refl ect their personal wants and needs. This includes choosing the staff, setting the salary, and selecting the organizations that provide the service needed.

In order to start a Self-Direction plan, an individual needs to identify a Planning Team, which at minimum includes a Broker, Service Coordinator and Fiscal Intermediary. The individual and members of the Planning Team will work to develop a Self-Direction plan that will focus on the person’s wants and needs. Based on these wants and needs, a budget will be de-veloped by the Broker. Brokers are available to assist with the initial Self-Direction start-up process and will then assist with management of the individual’s bud-

get on an ongoing basis.

Valerie Gorski is a certifi ed Self-Direction Broker with the Arc of Madison Cortland. In July 2014, Valerie com-pleted the OPWDD Broker Training Institute and went on to complete several ad-ditional trainings such as, Person Centered Planning for Brokers, Self Advocacy/Self Determination, and Developing a Self Directed Budget. Valerie is also a Medicaid Service Coordina-tion Supervisor. She has a total of 8 years experience in Service Coordination and has worked with people who have developmental disabili-ties for the past 10 years. For more information, contact Valerie at 315-363-3389 ext. 5395 or 607-756-2015 ext. 5395.

The Arc of Madison Cortlandis serving people

in Madison, Cortland, Oneida and Onondaga Counties who are enrolled or are looking to enroll in Self-Direction Services and need a Broker.

Self-Direction:• Self-Direction allows people with Developmental Disabilities (DD)

to manage their own supports and services.

• People with DD create their supports and services that refl ecttheir personal wants and needs. This includes: choosing the staff, setting the salary, and selecting the organizations that providethe service needed.

Broker Role:• To start a Self-Direction Plan, an individual needs to identify a

Planning Team, which at minimum includes a Broker, ServiceCoordinator and Fiscal Intermediary. The individual and membersof the Planning Team will work to develop a Self-Direction planthat will focus on the person’s wants and needs then a budgetwill be developed by the Broker.

• Brokers will assist with management of the individual’s budget onan ongoing basis.

Self-Direction Services

For more information contact:Madison County - 315-363-3389 ext. 5395 Cortland County - 607-756-2015 ext. 5395

Photography Classes at The Arc of Madison Cortland by Jim Cooke, Volunteer Photography TeacherPhoto by Jenny Dunlop

The 2015 photog-raphy classes have ended . This year marks the seventh year that these class-es have been offered at The Arc of Madi-son Cortland. Like prose, literature, poetry, and painting, the photographic images produced by the students provide insight into the souls of the contributors. These images are also special because when we discover their messages we also discover a bit of ourselves.

Having taught the photography classes that produce these images, I have learned that I am blessed to have wit-nessed our student’s discovery of these new found voices.

I am proud and honored to be sharing these voices and souls with our community.

Students in this year’s class are Aeryn Mitchell, Becky Nichols, Cris’tiana Scalzo, Jenny Dunlop, Jes-sica Bero, Julie Monrow, Michele Galdun, Mike Ab-bott, and Patty Vanderpool. ###Plans are underway to hold a photography exhibit in early 2016.

Musicians Honored at PicnicFor several decades, band members Barry Smith and Gary Sikes have been providing entertainment at Alternatives work center picnic. This year they

received a big thank you. Pic-tured along with them is Tim Cook. Tim’s dream of playing rock and roll came true as the band invited Tim to jam with them every year they performed at the picnic.

Barry Smith, Tim Cook, and Gary SikesTim Cook jamming with the band.

The Arc of Madison Cortland has a new web address

www.ArcofMC.org To email an employee use: fi rst.last@ArcofMC.org

For information email: info@ArcofMC.org

Please note the madisoncortlandarc.org will continue to work.

8 - The Arc of Madison Cortland - Fall 2015 WE ARE A PART OF THE COMMUNITY

Gifts Made in Loving Memory of

Amy Elizabeth NoffsingerMonica Dermody

Please Support Building Futures FoundationRaising a family is re-warding and challenging under the best of circum-stances. Imagine the challenges that families face when they have a child with a disability. Equally rewarding, how-ever, raising a child with a disability offers greater challenges and sometimes the future may appear un-certain.

That is why I am proud to be a volunteer and donor for Building Futures Foundation for The Arc of Madi-son Cortland. Building Futures Foundation is a public charity that helps to support programs and services for people of all ages with intellectual and other develop-mental disabilities at The Arc.

The Arc of Madison Cortland provides a wide array of services to individuals with disabilities such as Residential, Guardianship, Family Support Services, Day Habilitation Programs, Service Coordination, Self-Direction, to vocational programs and programs for senior citizens with disabilities. The Arc of Madi-son Cortland is an organization which was founded by local families nearly fi fty years ago and the mission continues to strongly support local families. In fact, The Arc of Madison Cortland provides support and

services to over 1,000 people in Madison and Cort-land counties. As good as The Arc is, funding for pro-grams is often inadequate and this is where the Build-ing Futures Foundation comes in to provide additional support to help people with disabilities by supporting programs at The Arc of Madison Cortland.

I know this time of year you will receive many letters asking you to give, give, and give more! Charities do this to provide the donor with the opportunity to do-nate before “tax season” arrives. I sincerely hope that among the numerous requests you receive this year that you will consider a gift to Building Futures Foun-dation. Please know that 100% of your donation will help people with disabilities in Madison and Cortland counties!

Thank you for your consideration. I hope that you will join me in making a gift this year. As we like to say at The Arc, “together, we are building futures.”

Sincerely,

Jennifer BasicJennifer Basic

Board Member

Kids Program – Cortland

Saturday Morning Children’s Program for Madison

Family Support Services Dinner Dance

and

Provided funding for Self Advocates to attend Self Advocacy Conference in

Albany

Together We Are Building Futures For People with Disabilities!

Building Futures Foundation Funded the

Following in 2015:

Save the Date for Holiday Concert:The Arc of Madison Cortland’s

Annual Holiday Concert featuring The SunShine Choir, Wind Dancers, and Mighty Fortress will be held on Tuesday, December 8, 7pm at St. Paul’s Church, Sayles St., Oneida.

Jennifer Basic