Dear Staff,

With the celebration of National Direct Support Professional Recognition Week, we want to take a moment to honor all of our amazing DSP staff. We recognize your commitment, dedication and unwavering service to carry out our mission each day, and we thank you.

This recognition week is one we look forward to each year and we are pleased to be able to continue that tradition. Each of our DSPs have already received, or will be receiving a gift this year in gratitude for the important work you do each day. You ARE the heart and soul of everything we do to support people of all abilities. We thank you for your continued devotion and we are grateful you are part of our ACLD family.

This month we are observing National Hispanic Heritage Month here at ACLD, and in this edition of The Limelight we have a reflection from one of our ACLD Directors on “What does National Hispanic Heritage Month mean to you?”

We are happy to announce that when ACLD celebrates its 65th anniversary this year at the Enviable Life Ball, that the fundraiser will honor the dedication, commitment and unwavering service of the ACLD staff, who will be recognized as this year’s Leadership Award recipients. Read below in this newsletter for more information on how the workforce is being honored that evening.

In this edition of The Limelight, you will also find out who the winners of the Candle Business Naming Contest are, read a Question and Answer section of yesterday’s Town Halls with CEO/President Rob Ciatto, see photos of summer fun at our programs, read employee spotlights, and other news from across the agency.
 
Sincerely,
 
Rob, Gerard, Anne Marie and Kim
 
Robert Ciatto, President / CEO
Gerard DiMuro, Vice President of Administration
Anne Marie Sime, Vice President of Adult Services
Kim Leonard, Chief Financial Officer
Direct Support Professionals Recognition Week!
Happy Direct Support Professionals Recognition Week to all of our amazing DSPs!

Direct Support Professionals are the backbone of our agency, and they are in the field everyday delivering the services directly to the people who turn to us for support. They enable the children and adults in our programs to live enviable lives by giving them the support they need to do what they want to do, and to go where they want to go. Simply put, without them, our mission would not be possible.

Please enjoy the video below of photos of our DSPs throughout the past year.
Here's some shots of our Program Without Walls delivering this year's Direct Support Professionals Recognition Week gift to DSPs in our community residences.
In celebration of DSP Recognition Week, ACLD chose two eligible winners each day this week to receive a $50 TD Gift Card. See below for the winners from Monday - Thursday. Keep an eye out for an email about today's winners.

Monday 9/12/2022
Barbara Dorval – Baldwin
Nimishabin Patel – PWW Commack
 

Tuesday 9/13/2022
Dwight Reynolds – SLF
Mathilde Gene Fede – Per Diem
 
 
Wednesday 9/14/2022
Tyshawn Eason – 837 Bethpage Day Program
Shayd Armstrong - Phelps


Thursday 9/15/2022
Jessica Bernard – Spur Drive
Lisa Marie Donnelly - Vocational
What does National Hispanic Heritage Month mean to you?
Aimee Keegan, Director of Development and Community Relations

"National Hispanic Heritage Month gives me an opportunity to reflect on how my culture has helped to shape who I am. My parents are from the Dominican Republic and Bolivia and they instilled in me a great pride for our traditions brought over from their respective countries, while assimilating into a new culture here in the States. Hispanic Heritage Month gives each of us an opportunity to celebrate the accomplishments of Hispanic men and women who have had an impact, and to recognize our beautiful, varied and diverse cultures. We are a very passionate, loving, hardworking people who have much to be proud of and to celebrate.

When I was growing up, the Hispanic experience was reflected in celebrities like Gloria Estefan, Rita Moreno, Chita Rivera, and of course the 80s band Menudo. I can recall a groundbreaking PBS show called “Que Pasa USA” that was America’s first bilingual sit-com and accurately depicted life in America. But it wasn’t until the “crossover” of musicians like Selena, Ricky Martin, Celia Cruz in the late 1990s that you really saw Hispanic culture intertwined more in typical American life. Of course, we grew up hearing stories about civil rights leaders like Cesar Chavez and Dolores Huerta as well, but it was not the same. Today we have so many wonderful examples of Hispanics who have made an impact on many other sectors like Justice Sonia Sotomayor, astronaut Ellen Ochoa, playwright Lin Manuel-Miranda, authors Julia Alvarez and Isabel Allende. We are reflected in more industries that we have ever been before, and it is an opportunity during Hispanic Heritage month to seek out the inspiring people who have blazed a trail for all Hispanics to follow."
Children's Services Spotlight
The first smiling face anyone sees when they enter the front doors of The Kramer Learning Center is the school’s amazing Bilingual Receptionist Severina Popa.
 
Over 30 years ago, Severina accompanied a friend of hers who was taking her daughter to The Kramer Learning Center to be evaluated for services. While there, the speech evaluator at the school began talking to Severina about the need for bilingual staff due to the growing Spanish speaking population in the area. Severina was intrigued by the idea, and after subsequent conversations with the school and staff, Severina was asked if she would join Kramer as a Bilingual Teacher Assistant, and she accepted!
Having started at ACLD in 1991, Severina is one of only a handful of people who have been in the program since the 1st year of the school’s building. She served as a Bilingual TA for her first 15 years here, and then almost 16 years ago the position of Bilingual Receptionist was created, and she happily applied for and filled that role.
 
Severina says that she loved working so closely with students in various classrooms over the years as a TA, and is proud to have assisted so many families in the development of their children. In her current position though, her impact is just as strong. Every parent in the school relies on Severina, and all of the phone calls to the school have to go through her. At any given moment, you could witness Severina handing multiple lines at once and answering every question that a parent has in either language.

Severina says “This is a job that gives you so much satisfaction. It’s so rewarding to see the progress of every child, and to hear parents at the end of the year say ‘My son or my daughter have improved so much’. I am very happy to have helped so many families over the past 30+ years, and am proud to have built relationships with them as well. These families need to be able to communicate about their child’s care confidently, and being able to help them in this journey is priceless.”
Candle Business Naming Contest Winners!
Congratulations to the winners of the ACLD Candle Business Naming Contest, and thank you to all of the employees who participated!

All three winners below will receive an Amazon Gift Card, and the Grand Prize Winning entry of Candle Works will be the name of the business!
Grand Prize $100 Amazon Gift Card
Candle Works – Kenyada Abdul-Wahab
 
2nd Place $50 Amazon Gift Card
Enviable Light Candle - Douglas Cook
 
3rd Place $50 Amazon Gift Card
Scented Dreams – Shari Brown
This new business started by ACLD will be set up on the Bethpage campus and will create jobs for adults with autism, learning and developmental disabilities.

Keep an eye out for updates this year on when Candle Works will begin operating and selling candles!
Kenyada Abdul-Wahab
Shari Brown
Douglas Cook not pictured
Town Halls this week with Rob Ciatto
President/CEO Rob Ciatto hosted this quarter's Town Hall meetings yesterday September 15th and today September 16th to give staff an opportunity to have dialogue about important issues facing the agency and our industry.
 
If you were not able to attend, you can view a Q&A list below of some questions from the Town Halls.
Questions & Answers
Q Will there be a holiday bonus in store for us?
A We try every year to give out an end of year bonus. Last year we were lucky enough to do this, and just this summer we were able to give out a bonus to those who did not qualify for any of the monies from the FMap (federal funds). We are still assessing the budget for the remainder of the year and we will try to do what we can this year.

Q Where are the vaccine and COVID 19 monies?
A We still have not received the COVID Hero pay (COVID-19 Service Payment) and the Vaccination Incentive money from the State. We are waiting on OPWDD to disburse the funds to the agency so we can distribute it to eligible staff.

Q How do we get a differential pay in our house?
A We are always looking at the changing needs of the homes and assessing if modifications have to be made. Specific programs receive differential pay based on needs of the people supported. If you feel your house should qualify, please reach out to your program director and we can look to assess the site.

Q Will there be a holiday party this year?
A We know how important the holiday party is to our staff and how much fun everyone has at it. We currently have a resolution before the ACLD Board to hold a holiday party in December. As soon as we have more information, we will let staff know.

Q Why do new hires make more money coming in then existing employees?
A The salary structure is not set up for new hires to be paid more than existing employees, however, our compensation structure may offer employees in certain roles more money based upon experience and education. For example, in August of 2022 a salary review was completed for employees in positions for a DSP, DHS and PCA. The new salary scale had taken into consideration experience with ACLD and degree status. If you have questions about your current salary, please reach out to HR Director, Alex Cohen at 516-822-0028, 135 to review or Joseph Cipriano at extension 203.
ACLD Staff to be honored at Enviable Life Ball
As ACLD celebrates its 65th anniversary this year, the Enviable Life Ball will reflect the anniversary and honor the dedication, commitment and unwavering service of the ACLD staff, who will be recognized as this year’s Leadership Award recipients.
 
We are happy to announce that we selected 20 staff members from all different programs and departments to attend this fundraiser. This diverse group of employees have been formally invited, and will accept the Leadership Award that evening on behalf of the entire ACLD workforce.
 
The Enviable Life Ball, held on October 13th from 6:00 pm - 11:00 pm at the Garden City Hotel, is the largest fundraiser of the year, and the money raised at this event is crucial to ACLD's ability to grow and improve our programs.
 
This year, the Enviable Life Ball will also honor New York State Senator John Mannion, who is the Chairman of the New York State Senate Committee on Disabilities, as our Advocacy in Action recipient.
2022 Leadership Award
Honoring the dedication, commitment and unwavering service of The ACLD Staff
Facilities Management BBQ
Last Friday afternoon our Facilities Management department had their first team BBQ since before the pandemic. The team set up a grill and tents in the back of the Bethpage campus and Director of Facilities Management Frank Pepitone cooked steak, burgers, hot dogs and sausage.

This was a much deserved hangout for these incredible employees, and we thank them for all they do to keep all of our programs and buildings safe and operational every day.
Graphic T-shirt Day
Last month The Organizational Care Committee organized an Employee Engagement Day for Graphic T-shirt Day, and staff and people supported from around the agency dressed in their favorites graphic tees.
Direct Care Corner
Say hello to Charles Cafferata, a Lead Day Habilitation Specialist at the Glen Cove Bridges day habilitation program.
 
Charles comes to ACLD from the world of education, and utilizes his talents and creativity to come up with educational activities for the people we support and to make improvements to the site’s operations. This year, he delivered presentations on Juneteenth and Presidents Day for the men and women at Glen Cove, and everyone enjoyed his teaching style and learning more about the days. In his time here, Charles has found ways to streamline paperwork used on a daily basis, and created grab and go sheets for staff that helps with taking down information more accurately. He also creates the weekly transportation schedule and ensures that it is done fairly and systematically.
Bridges Team Coordinator Lynne A. Schnell says “Charles is amazing to have as my right hand and I always feel like my site is in safe and capable hands when I am not there. He continually shows creativity, perseverance, patience, and kindness towards the people supported at Glen Cove.” Schnell goes on to say “Our group of men and women love Charlie and know they can always count on him to listen and assist them whenever needed. The staff here look up to Charlie and rely on his sense of humor and experience to make it through some difficult days.”
Administrative Corner
Meet Katie Rahner, Administrative Services Clerk in the 807 building on the Bethpage campus.

Katie has been with ACLD since February 2009 and is an asset to the various departments that she works with throughout the building. The Center For Learning (CFL) relies on Katie consistently to prepare copies of the New Hire Orientation booklets for our new employees. She also provides the CFL with training booklets for AMAP and SCIP Trainings. Another department Katie works with is the Finance - Entitlements department, in which she assists in the individual mailings to the people we support.
Katie also assists our RewearAble business by entering data into RewearAble’s customer database. RewearAble Operations Manager Rosmaliz Valdes-Romero says, “Katie is very helpful and independent, and her work is exceptional. Her contribution is critical to us being able to keep track of our repeat customers”.

Thank you Katie for always tackling all of your job responsibilities with determination and diligence, and we are lucky to have your support in the administrative building.
Learn About the Organizational Care Committee
Click here to download the flyer below as a PDF for an easier read
Cooking Up Culture
Day Hab Luaus
Aloha! Two of our Day Habilitation Programs had their annual Luaus this past month. The Bethpage Choices program partied on August 26th, and had DJ Rick back for another dance party and limbo. This party was also livestreamed to other programs around the agency so everyone could take part in the music and fun!

Bridges Levittown celebrated last week on September 9th, and everyone came in with their best Luau outfit and had a sumptuous Luau feast. Some of the food was kalua pork, teriyaki chicken, jerk chicken and rice! And what's a Luau without some fresh fruit like pineapple, coconut, mangoes and watermelon?
Graduations Recap
As we begin this school year, we want to congratulate all of the young minds who either graduated from, or moved up at our Kramer Learning Center and The Alan and Ellen Spiegel Children's Center last month!

As always, the schools had beautiful ceremonies and the students performed songs and dances for their families before receiving their diplomas and certificates.

After a short break, the incredible staff at both preschools are back at it and we wish everyone the best of luck this school year!

Enjoy a video recap of the graduations below.
Festival Fun
Our Sejon community residence had a blast at the Sayville Summerfest last month on the weekend of August 5th. The residents and staff enjoyed the food trucks, carnival games, music and rides. The pictures speak for themselves.
BBQ Time
It was a beautiful sunny day at our Program Without Walls annual barbeque at Belmont State Park last month!

Thank you to all of the PWW staff for making this day a success, especially our Direct Support Professionals, Avery and Liz, for cooking all of the delicious food!
Milestones
Congratulations to Katie Rahner, Administrative Services Clerk in the 807 building on the Bethpage campus, on her engagement to her boyfriend Brian last month. Her co-workers surprised Katie with balloons and cupcakes to celebrate.
Congratulations to Annette LaRosa, Special Education Itinerant Services Teacher on successfully establishing a 6-week summer program at the Bay Shore-Brightwaters Library for children in Universal Pre K.

Annette visited and introduced herself to the Library Director, explaining that given her profession and experience, she can work with children using visual and verbal learning redirection strategies at the library. The Director gave special introduction to Annette at the circulation desk and the Children’s library, and gave her approval to use a space for this work.

Annette reports that throughout the summer, she has been approached by library patrons who saw her performing her work, and has offered to give them short tutorials on her techniques and strategies so they can use them with their own children and grandchildren as well. Amazing work Annette!
Employee Referral Program
Don't forget about the EMPLOYEE REFERRAL PROGRAM! You can now earn up to $6,750 when you refer people to work at ACLD. See the flyer below for details.
Well Spark
We are now working with Emblem Health and WellSpark Health to provide our covered employees and their spouses with a FREE chronic disease management program called Help 364.

To learn more about this program, please click on the button below for a flyer, or check out a quick video HERE!
Temporary Employee Procedures for COVID-19
The “Temporary Employee Procedure for COVID-19” have been updated based upon new guidance from Center for Disease Control (CDC). Please use the attached document and discard any older versions.

The current document has a revision date of 9/8/22 and the changes are indicated in a highlighted yellow color. The document is posted on Microsoft Teams and ADP workforce Now. A supervisor can also print out the information as well. 
 
If you have any questions, please contact the Human Resources Department for help.
Tuiton Reimbursement Reminder
Please note that the deadline for submitting tuition reimbursement forms to the Human Resources Department is the end of this month.

Email Human Resources at reisnerm@acld.org with any questions you have.
Safety Corner
Help the people we support find employment
Do you know of a job opening in your area that would be a good fit for the men and women we support who are seeking employment in the community?

If so, please send an email to the Vocational Services department at Millerl@acld.org.
Discounts for ACLD Employees
Did you know that by being an employee of ACLD, you can take advantage of exclusive discounts at different businesses such as Splish Splash, Verizon, P.C. Richard, Six Flags and a lot more?

You can also register as an ACLD employee on PlumBenefits.com to get even more discounts on vacations, entertainment, online shopping and other services. Use company code ac0825520 to register.
Anniversary Milestones - September 2022
5 years
Kwame Ampere Direct Support Professional, West Hempstead
Sanderia Jeter Direct Support Professional, Russell Gardens
Geovanny Louis Direct Support Professional, Bethpage 857
Sabrina Mack Direct Support Professional, Bohemia
Venetia Miller Direct Support Professional, Straightpath
Alfonso Salzedo Maintenance Worker, Bethpage 857
Stephanie Smith Direct Support Professional, Lynbrook
10 years
Louis Hoffstaedter Maintenance Worker, Bethpage 857
Maka Thomas Residential Manager, Seaford
25 years
Roseanne Tast IEP Coordinator, Kramer Learning Center
35 years
Linda Eisen Assistant Principal, Spiegel Children's Center
Welcome ACLD New Hires - August 2022
MaryAnn Adams Teacher Aide, Kramer Learning Center
Michelle Collica Speech Language Pathologist, Kramer Learning Center
Emily Davies Special Educator, Kramer Learning Center
Matthew Diah Direct Support Professional, Bethpage 857
Rose Dor Direct Support Professional, Dix Hills
Beaute Dor Direct Support Professional, Chichester
Rachel Emrick Special Educator, Kramer Learning Center
Mowenta Etienne Direct Support Professional, St James
Lauren Gustaferri Behavior Support Specialist, Kramer Learning Center
Frantzy Jean Baptiste Direct Support Professional, Dix Hills
Bredy Jean Charles Direct Support Professional, Alice Court
Rashaun Jones Residential Administrator, Bethpage 857
Sophie Klemes Pre-Vocational Coordinator, Bethpage 857
Marie Lafontant Pierre Day Habilitation Specialist, Bridges Levittown
Joshua Logan Direct Support Professional, Nichols Road
Brittany Lombardo Direct Support Professional, East Meadow
Maria Medina-Umana Teacher Aide, Kramer Learning Center
Katherine Pancho Vasquez Teacher Aide, Kramer Learning Center
Jennifer Port Speech Language Pathologist, Kramer Learning Center
Tamara Reimbeau Receptionist/Secretary, Kramer Learning Center
Donna Richards Day Habilitation Specialist, Levittown Strive & Day Hab
China Sexton Direct Support Professional, Westwind Dr
Selbert Small Maintenance Worker, Bethpage 857
Ruth Tammany Social Worker, Kramer Learning Center
Bernadette Timothee Day Habilitation Specialist, Bethpage 837
Kenia Torres-Chavez Special Educator, Kramer Learning Center
Christina Turigiano Prevoc Counselor, Bethpage 857
Shout Out Board
Don't forget to give a SHOUT OUT to recognize someone at your location for something special they did for you, your department or a person we support.
Bright Idea Box
The Organizational Care Committee is always looking for new ideas and suggestions from all of YOU to continue to make ACLD one of the best places to work, and for children and adults to receive supports and services.

Now it is easier than ever before to share your bright ideeas. Just click here and your Bright Ideas will be sent directly to the Organizational Care Committee. A representative from the committee will respond to you promptly, and if your idea is implemented, you will earn a $25.00 gift card!
Submit YOUR stories for the "Limelight"
Each month we include stories in this newsletter about YOU and all of the amazing staff here at ACLD!

BUT WE NEED YOUR HELP to find out about these stories. Please send us anything to include such as:

  • A story about how you or someone else went above and beyond to help the people we support, organized any fun or educational activity, or did anything to further our mission in any way

  • Information on any staff member or team who you would like to see spotlighted for their exceptional work.

  • Information or news useful for staff across the agency. Anything important or fun.

  • Proud moments for you or your family (Personal or professional milestones, awards, weddings, educational degrees or works in the community)

  • Employee Engagement day photos of you and your team.

  • Or anything else you can think of!

DON'T be shy about submitting stories - we need new ones every month!

DON'T worry about writing it perfectly. Just give as much information as you have.
"the limelight" is an initiative of the
Communications Committee
and is produced by the
Development and Community Relations Department.

Jonathan Dolan, Editor. For questions, comments or suggestions, please email dolanj2@acld.org 
Thank you to all who have submitted information
and photos. Keep them coming!
We welcome your comments and suggestions.