Citizens Options Unlimited (Citizens) provides supports and services to over 1,300 children and adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities across Long Island. With a staff of nearly 900 full- and part-time employees, we provide self-direction and fiscal intermediary/broker services, family supports and education, respite/recreation, and residential services.

The organization is recognized as one of only four Compass agencies in New York State by the Office for People with Developmental Disabilities (OPWDD), and one of two with both a Compass designation and a Person-Centered Excellence Accreditation With Distinction through CQL | The Council on Quality and Leadership.

We look forward to sharing, in this and future publications, highlights in our community and meaningful moments of advocacy, accomplishment, and action.

This week, the New York State Office for People with Developmental Disabilities (OPWDD) came down from the state capitol to visit Citizens Options Unlimited and partner agency AHRC Nassau.

We kicked off an action-packed validation week with a Person-Centered Excellence Experience and Personal Outcome Measures Rally: Destination: My Life Discovered!

Auditors actively engaged our entire organization connecting with people supported, board members, management, and staff to determine whether Citizens operates in a person-centered environment focused on the goal of promoting and achieving valued outcomes for the people served.

Following many meetings and visits across the agency, Citizens is again one of four New York nonprofit agencies with Compass designation. Compass recognizes provider agencies that have progressed beyond minimal regulatory compliance and have achieved excellence in service delivery. 

We will continue to celebrate the people we support and share all the ways people embrace advocacy, establish decision making in their own lives, and promote dignity and respect!

A mother's love is unique. Sometimes, it might look like huge, themed birthday parties or tins of blueberry muffins, while other times, it might be as simple as spending time together.

For a mother of a child with an intellectual or developmental disability, it might also mean ongoing advocacy for your child and the disability community as a whole.

Yvon Novy is one of those mother's a powerful parent advocate and friend to many in Citizens Options Unlimited's community who are considered medically frail or have an increased need for medical care and an increased chance of health problems. 

Yvon helped to create the first-ever medically frail house in the Helen Kaplan Program ICF in 2010. This is where her son, David, lived for nearly 12 years, before his passing.

"She was instrumental in making sure this happened," Marta Garavito, Director of the Helen Kaplan Program ICF at Citizens Options Unlimited, said. 

On April 3, sister-advocate Ali Carbone published her first memoir titled What Are You Looking At?. Following the Carbone family from adolescence to adulthood, the memoir explores Ali's personal experience as the sibling of three brothers with autism: Michael, Anthony, and Luke, whom she refers to as "the boys."

"No one ever really talks about us, the siblings," Ali said. "Even though we're the ones who will be here, caring for our siblings, long after our parents are gone. Our perspective is always overlooked. How we feel, how our role in our family has affected us, and how that shows up in life outside of the homes we were raised in. The inability to put yourself first, or deal with emotions like a normal adult. The confusion and resentment, but the deep knowing that at the end of the day, this is the way it has to be."

Throughout the book, Ali touches on topics like self-identity, sibling guardianship, growing pains, moving the boys into a children's residential program, bullying from a community that doesn't understand disability, finding a way out of depression through a supportive community, and learning to let go.

Laughter and music could be heard from down the hall, as Shaquasha "Quay" Irby, a Medical DSP at the Rainbow Commons ICF made her rounds to check on residents. A drawn out "Quay" came from the living room as Chrissy, a resident at 915 Rainbow, needed a refill on her iced tea. She also wanted help changing the show she was watching on her iPad.

Shaquasha was lovingly given the nickname "Quay" by the people she supports.

Shaquasha, Medical Direct Support Professional (DSP), recently won Employee of the Quarter for the 4th quarter of 2022. 

Across New York State, a profound staffing crisis is underway with 1 in 5 DSP positions vacant and retention rates plummeting. In response, Citizens Options Unlimited is taking a leadership role leveraging statewide and local partnerships to strengthen the direct care workforce.

By the end of the month, Citizens Options Unlimited is expected to have 18 DSPs complete professional development training through the E-badge Academy Credentialing Program of The National Association of Direct Support Professionals (NADSP).

Citizens was one of 17 agencies chosen by NADSP, this fall, to provide approximately 2,500 direct support workers with training. Due to a grant from New York State's Office for People with Developmental Disabilities (OPWDD), affiliated agencies will not pay associated costs for credentialing over the next three years.

NADSP credentialing is available at three levels: DSP-I, DSP-II, AND DSP-III. Tiered bonuses accompany each completed level of certification, with Citizens offering an hourly wage increase to those who complete the DSP-III credentialing. The E-Badge program aims to improve workforce retention rates and overall competency of DSPs and frontline supervisors, according to the OPWDD.

"This will not only support our family of organizations to increase recruitment and retention efforts but also make a broader systemic impact on human services," Laura Franzen, Human Resources Assistant Director for Employee Services, said. 

While engaging our current workforce in professional development, Citizens also remains focused on the future. Citizens is currently working with the OPWDD and statewide partners to develop The DSP Pathways Long Island Project and engage educational institutions across Long Island, such as the State Universities of New York (SUNY), BOCES, community colleges, and high schools.

The project is funded by Workforce Development Grants from OPWDD, that are allocated from ARPA funds. The OPWDD is developing SUNY partnerships as well as a standardized Career and Technical Education DSP curriculum for high school students.

"The long-term objective is to elevate direct support personnel in their profession by affording certifications and college credits to further validate our industry and its important work," Bridget Cariello, Assistant Director of Project Development, said. For a little over three years, Laura Franzen and Bridget Cariello have been the agency leads on the development and coordination of The DSP Pathways Long Island Project.

Through The DSP Pathways Long Island Project, Citizens hopes to strengthen and develop career pathways for DSPs by creating a pipeline for students to become aware of direct care opportunities, join the field, and pursue DSP certifications.

The success of Citizens' initiatives was highlighted at the April 19^th NY Alliance for Inclusion & Innovation Annual Conference where, with over 80 state provider agencies in attendance, Citizens and partner agency AHRC Nassau were the only provider agencies asked to co-present a panel at the event. This opportunity aligned with the agencies' commitment to partnering with and mentoring other state providers to expand the pipeline.

As the statewide staffing crisis continues, this type of innovative thinking and new strategies are critical to proactively planning ahead. Citizens Options Unlimited and AHRC Nassau eagerly await final steps before announcing the official school pipeline program, which is expected to launch by September 2023.

Opening day for the Shoreham Sluggers was a success as residents and staff played an inclusive game of baseball on April 21. The parking lot outside Magnolia House at the Shoreham ICF was transformed for the event. Nearly 50 residents partook in the game. The Shoreham Sluggers aim to host one baseball game a month and begin competing against the other Citizens Options Unlimited group homes and ICFs.

A huge thank you to all the amazing volunteers from The Giving Tree Family that helped with spring clean-up at Camp Loyaltown, an upstate respite program of Citizens Options Unlimited! Last month, over 40 volunteers came together to assist with tidying the grounds and cabins. For the last twelve years, the Long Island-based nonprofit has been helping Camp Loyaltown prepare for a great summer season.

Camp Loyaltown summer sessions begin June 18 and ends September 10.

We cannot wait to see you there!

Join us on May 25th for our Sibling BBQ!

Join us on June 8th for Rose Ball!

Date: May 25th, 2023

Location: AHRC Nassau Brookville Mansion

Time: 6 p.m. - 8 p.m.

This event is for siblings with adult brothers/sisters, who receive services from Citizens Options Unlimited and AHRC Nassau, to come together to share our ideas and experiences.

Date: June 8th, 2023

Location: Oheka Castle, Huntington

Time: 7 p.m. - 11 p.m.

The Rose Ball seeks to ensure that regardless of budget cuts and changes in the economic and political climate, services for people with developmental disabilities will continue now and into the future.