AHRC Nassau

From The Desk Of The CEO

Dear Parents, Families, Members and Supporters:

I'd like to take a moment through this special newsletter to share program information, aimed at offering valuable resources and services to our community.

AHRC Nassau has grown since its founding almost 75 years ago and has remained true to its promise to meet the needs of children and adults with developmental disabilities throughout their lifetime. To better fulfill our commitment, AHRC Nassau carved out services and created two wholly separate organizations: Brookville Center for Children’s Services (BCCS) and Citizens Options Unlimited. Each of these three organizations is dedicated to their respective missions with AHRC Nassau providing executive management and administrative support.

In working this way for the past 12 years, what we have experienced has been truly remarkable – relationships don’t end; they transition and deepen. In leveraging our respective programmatic expertise, we are strengthening relationships that support the child of today and the adult of tomorrow.

Many families have shared, especially after the pandemic, that they did not realize certain services were available and wanted to know more about specialized supports. We hope this newsletter, by focusing on certain program areas, can serve to offer information, education, and assistance, meeting families wherever they are in their journey.

Yours in Partnership,

Stanfort J. Perry, CEO
AHRC Nassau
Brookville Center for Children’s Services
Citizens Options Unlimited

Planting Seeds for the Future: BCCS Students Prepare for the Wheatley Farms Harvest Festival and Beyond

Brookville Center for Children’s Services provides evaluations, preschool and school-age special education, home and community-based services, vacation respite and recreation and manages a children’s residential program.

Soon hundreds of visitors will enjoy a pumpkin patch, carving station, and other festive fall activities at the upcoming Wheatley Farms Harvest Festival on Saturday, Sept. 30, from 9 a.m.–4 p.m. in Brookville.

Earlier this summer, students throughout BCCS’ Children’s Education Center were learning hands on at Wheatley Farms, planting the very pumpkins that will be harvested this fall. Thirty classes of students, ranging in age from preschool to 21 took part in the planting, while connecting with horticultural staff at Wheatley Farms.

A child smiling while holding a planting pot with a sign sticking out from it with the words

“Everyone likes to create impact. When the students return from their August break, they re-visit the pumpkin patch and begin the transition from summer to fall and all it has to offer,” shared Denise Gaughan, Director of the Children’s Education Center.

Wheatley Farms is located next door to the Children’s Education Center with opportunities for the students to take part in hands-on learning, including transitional curriculum for adolescent students sure to grow in 2024 and beyond. Gaughan continued, “It’s an amazing opportunity for our students.”

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Men from AHRC’s Cedar St. House Catch Waves in Long Beach

AHRC Nassau provides residential and day habilitation services, supportive employment, vocational training, residential respite, community habilitation, family supports and guardianship services in Nassau County.

How I Self-Direct: Meet Christina Paz

Citizens Options Unlimited provides residential, self-direction/fiscal intermediary services, family supports, respite (including Camp Loyaltown) and recreation in both Nassau and Suffolk.

All her life, Christina Paz, 28, from Huntington Station, has dreamt of working for the F.B.I. She hopes that finally having Self-Direction staff will help her to begin a career in criminal justice.

“I wanted to combine my two loves – criminal justice and computer technology,” Christina said.

The former Manhattan native has Cerebral Palsy and uses a wheelchair. With a goal of increasing independence while navigating her community, Christina applied for Self-Direction through Citizens Options Unlimited two years ago.

What is Self-Direction? Anyone who is eligible for OPWDD services and enrolled in the Home- and Community-Based Services (HCBS) Waiver can choose to self-direct their services. Self-Direction allows people the opportunity to hire their own support staff. A person can choose if they want an agency to help them to self-direct or if they would like to manage their own budget and staff with help from a Fiscal Intermediary and Support Broker.

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A Summer Season to Remember at Citizens' Longstanding Respite Program

With over 400 campers and 150 counselors, Session 1 kicked off on June 18 and our final session will wrap on September 10.

Counselors and staff have made their way from all over the country and the world to our very special place in upstate New York! A shout out to counselors from Scotland, Jamaica, and Mexico! We are thrilled to welcome back many returning counselors — some whom will be spending their 7th season at Camp.

Check out our photo gallery and learn more about this season’s exceptional counselors on the blog.

“Fun in the Sun” Staff Appreciation Day 2023 Was a Success

One day, each year, the agency campus at 189 Wheatley Rd. welcomes thousands of staff members from AHRC, BCCS and Citizens to reconnect with colleagues while spending time enjoying fun in the sun.

This year’s Staff Appreciation Day was held on Aug. 2 and featured activities from volleyball games to massages to tug-of-war to relay races to henna to virtual games and much more. Whether stopping for Mister Softee or a high five from a co-worker, the event was a heartfelt thank you to staff by staff (i.e., our Staff Appreciation Day Committee).

View More Photos Here

Read more on AHRC’s blog.

Celebrating Employee Milestones

On the evening of July 13, AHRC and Citizens Options Unlimited held their 2023 Employee Milestone Celebration. The dinner recognized employees working with the respective agencies for more than 25 years. For the first time since the pandemic, employees were invited to enjoy a dinner catered by Wheatley Farms and received a candle and soap gift.

Brookville Center teachers and staff will hold their own Employee Milestone Celebration in October.

Sibling Group Gets Together for Annual BBQ

Families and people supported by AHRC Nassau and Citizens Options Unlimited gathered for the Annual Sibling BBQ on May 25. The groups meet on average two to three times a year, with the next meeting set for September 28.

We sat down and spoke with Ali Carbone to reflect on what it means to be a sibling guardian and advocate for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD).

Q: How do you show up as a sibling advocate and how has this role changed since you have grown up?

I’ve always kind of shown up in my own way, like a mix of wanting. . . or trying to be official, like a parent. It was always important for me to know the details. I think maybe that’s what made me feel like a part of it all. So, I’d pay attention to all the admin and the services. I wanted to be involved in advocating for those situations. I’ve definitely been known to write a strongly worded email. But then also as a sister, I’ve always just been really protective of them in public. Hence the name of my book, “What Are You Looking At?”

I try to think of it as things shifting rather than changing when they moved into the group home. That helps it feel less heavy. ‘Cause that’s life, right? Typical people grow and evolve and shift.

That’s what happened when they went into the group homes. I wasn’t with them every day anymore but my role was the same when they were home.