URMC / Strong Center for Developmental Disabilities / About Us / Five-Year Plan / Community Services

Community Services

GOAL: Provide Community Services and Education to promote self-direction, healthy living, inclusive communities, and self-advocacy in a culturally and linguistically competent manner.

Education Objectives

C1: People with intellectual and developmental disabilities will be maximally included in their educational environments and in their transition into the adult world with the appropriate supports and services.

C1a: The Community Consultation program will consult with additional schools and after school programs on the inclusion of students with autism and behavioral difficulties.

Year 1: Will increase contracts by 10%
Years 2-5: Will increase contracts by 5% each year

C1b: We will consult with school districts, especially Rochester City Schools, to move initial transition planning to middle school years.

Year 1: Will move transition planning to 8^th grade for districts with whom we have a contract
Years 2-5: By year 5 districts will have moved initial transition planning to 6^th grade

C1c: The Rochester Regional Center for ASD will provide ongoing trainings throughout the year to regional educators and administrators and community members on supporting students with ASD and related disabilities. Trainings will focus on evidence-based strategies to support the behavioral, social, emotional, and academic well-being of students with IDD.

Year 1: Provide 5-10 trainings
Years 2-5: Provide 10-15 trainings annually

*To be conducted in collaboration with disability self-advocates and families

C1d: Given concerns about teacher burnout in special education, we will provide regular trainings to educators on mindfulness and compassion fatigue, with the goal of both reducing burnout and encouraging authentic interactions between educators and students with IDD.

Year 1: Provide 3 trainings to at least 3 school districts
Years 2-5: Provide 5-10 trainings annually, to at least 5 school districts

*To be conducted in collaboration with teachers

C1e: Continue to provide training in best practices related to preparation for transition to gainful, post-secondary opportunities to relevant stakeholders, including school district staff, BOCES, families, state officials and provider agencies.

Year 1: Provide trainings to 100 people
Years 2-5: Provide trainings to 100 people annually

Employment Objectives

C2: Provide services and supports to increase competitive, integrated employment of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities

C2a: Serve as the NYS Project SEARCH Coordinator, providing technical assistance and support to existing programs and prospective programs. Explore how adult Project SEARCH can support the state’s greater efforts to transition adults out of more segregated settings into competitive, integrated employment.

C2b: Continue to support and provide technical assistance to NYS’s ACCES-VR and OPWDD in their effort to move sheltered workshop employees to competitive employment by providing technical assistance, as requested.

C2c: Expand the Employment Discovery Network pilot, a program that supports young adults to prepare for and acquire competitive integrated employment opportunities.

Year 1: Develop 3 new sites
Years 2-5: Develop 2 new sites per year

*To be conducted in collaboration with disability self-advocates and families

C2d: Serve in a leadership capacity in a taskforce designed to decrease poverty and increase inclusive, competitive employment for people with disabilities living in the city of Rochester. This initiative will partner with the Rochester Monroe Anti-Poverty Initiative (RMAPI), the Chamber of Commerce, local schools, provider and state agencies.

C2e: Support agencies’ efforts to implement customized employment, particularly for individuals with challenging behaviors and individuals dually diagnosed with IDD and mental health.

Year 1: Conduct and analyze needs assessment regarding customized employment with DD agencies, people with disabilities, and businesses
Year 2: Develop local training curriculum on customized employment
Years 3-5: Conduct trainings and provide consultation to 5 agencies and 5 businesses per year

*To be conducted in collaboration with disability self-advocates and families

C2f: Pilot a workplace development proposal that focuses on training and supporting businesses in the hiring and retention of individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. This will include trainings to businesses related to effective natural supports to shift some of the emphasis of the support system to the business community instead of provider agencies.

Year 1: Develop and pilot the program with 1-2 businesses
Years 2-5: Expand program to 3 new businesses a year

Health Objectives

C3: Caregivers of individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities will be supported in their physical and emotional well-being.

C3a: Annual mindfulness-based intervention will be provided to caregivers of individuals with IDD through participation in brief (4-8 session programs). *Need identified through family advocates

Year 1: Run 2 mindfulness groups with 30 caregivers of people with IDD.
Years 2-5: Run 3-4 mindfulness groups annually, with a cohort of 15 caregivers per group

*To be conducted in collaboration with families and caregivers

C4: Promote best practices aimed to increase family engagement outcomes in the early intervention program

C4a: Early intervention providers, county officials, and parents will receive training on family-centered practices identified by learning collaboratives as part of the State Systemic Improvement Plan.

Year 1: Hold 10 webinar training sessions for early intervention providers, county officials, and parents

C5: Improve community services to be responsive and accessible to the needs of people with IDD

C5a: Provide at least two community education activities per year directed to individuals with IDD and their circles of support to increase health literacy and self-management of health and wellness.

*To be conducted in collaboration with disability self-advocates and families

C5b: Provide interdisciplinary clinical diagnostic and support services to approximately 4000 children and youth with IDD each year.

C6: Improve services for people with IDD and their families to reduce health disparities

C6a: Provide education and support to health care providers to increase knowledge and importance of family experiences through initiating meetings with families and health care providers.

Years 1-5: Conduct 3 meetings per year

*To be conducted in collaboration with families

Recreation Objectives

C7: Provide services and supports to increase inclusive recreation and leisure opportunities for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities

C7a: Provide 20 mobile sensory kits to YMCA camp programs throughout Greater Rochester in Year 1. The sensory kits will include items that engage touch, sight, sound, and smell, and support the sensory needs of children and youth in recreational contexts.

C7b: Provide 10 mobile sensory kits to the City of Rochester Department of Recreation and Youth Services, to support the sensory needs of children and youth in their summer camp programs in Year 1. Replace as needed.

C7c: Participate in the implementation of a citywide neighborhood play day each year, by providing supports on including individuals with IDD. This effort is led by HealthiKids, part of Common Ground Health, a regional health systems agency.

C7d: Develop training for family and caregiver advocates on engaging with recreation providers and organizations and advocating for inclusion within those spaces. Training will be led by parent partners who have experience with advocating in recreational spaces and can share lessons learned.

Year 1: Develop training and pilot with our CAC parents
Years 2-5: Provide 3 trainings per year