Grow with Us - Rochester Open Interviews May 17

People Inc. is partnering with Ibero-American Action League Inc. to host an Open Interview event on Tuesday, May 17 from noon to 6 p.m. Join us to discuss a range of exciting career opportunities supporting people with intellectual and developmental disabilities and others. The event will be in the Ibero Building at 817 East Main Street, Rochester, NY. Spanish and ASL interpreters will be available during the event.

Honoring Our Nursing Staff During National Nurses Week

May 6 to 12, 2022 is National Nurses Week, a time to recognize the contributions of nurses all around the country. At People Inc., we have an incredible team of nurses who deliver compassion and strength to the people we support on a daily basis.  A presentation was recently created to honor members of our nursing team. Thank you, nurses, for the amazing work you do!

Transition Services Virtual Expos – May 24-26

People Inc. is proud to be one of the agencies presenting at three upcoming “Transition Services Virtual Expo 2022” sessions sponsored by Person Centered Services from May 24 to 26.

Participate in a Survey for Families/Caregivers of People with IDD through May 16

Input from Family/Caregivers of People with IDD Needed on New York’s Response to COVID-19 The Developmental Disabilities Advisory Council (DDAC) is compiling a report on New York State’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic. In an effort to solicit feedback from as many providers as possible, the DDPC has developed a survey for parents/caregivers and people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). Please share this message with families you support: We know that people with IDD and family members faced unique challenges during the pandemic. We want to hear about your experiences, during the earlier days of the pandemic, so that the New York State Office for People with Developmental Disabilities (OPWDD) and other state agencies can be better prepared, should another public health emergency occur in the future. The New York State Legislature has charged the independent DDAC with preparing a report assessing New York’s response to COVID-19 relating to people with IDD. The Developmental Disabilities Planning Council (DDPC) is assisting the DDAC in the preparation of the report. This report will include an evaluation of policies, procedures, and programs that were implemented from March 2020 through April 2021 to determine the impact on safety for people with IDD. The report will also include feedback from stakeholder groups including self-advocates, family members/caregivers, providers, CCOs and underserved communities. Survey for Families/Caregivers of People with IDD One of the important components of this report is a survey for family members/caregivers of people with IDD. As a family member/caregiver of a person with IDD, your voice is critical to making sure our report accurately represents the experiences that people with IDD and family members faced during the pandemic for the time period of March 2020 through April 2021. It is also essential that a wide variety of family members from various parts of the state and an array of backgrounds respond to the survey so the DDAC and DDPC get the clearest picture of the impact of the state’s actions.  The survey is about 10 minutes long. It is completely voluntary and anonymous. You are free to skip any questions that you do not wish to answer. If you are interested, view the survey here . It will be open until Monday, May 16. Thank you for your participation in this important effort.

Virtual Training for Care Coordinators Announced for May 26, 2022

People Inc. invites interested Care Coordinators to join us on Thursday, May 26, as we host our monthly virtual “ Lunch and Learn ” workshop from noon to 1:00 p.m.  The topic of “ Afternoon Respite Services ” will be presented by Adam Perry, program director at People Inc. Some of the discussion will focus on: For the people you work with, which Afternoon Respite Services are available? Who qualifies for Afternoon Respite services? How do you apply for Afternoon services and what is the process that follows? These are just some of the topics that will be addressed during this session. We look forward to your questions and active participation during this workshop! Registration is required. Please contact Suzanne at  585.719.3424  or  suzanne.mcclarin@people-inc.org  by the end of the day on Tuesday, May 24. You will receive the link for the training by email.

Rochester Weekday Summer Respite Accepting Applicants

Calling All Families and Care Coordinators: Registration is open for this Monday to Friday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Respite Program in Gates, NY, open to OPWDD eligible people ages 11-21. This People Inc. Respite Program provides a safe and fun environment while Parents/Guardians are at work, attending appointments, running errands or taking some time to relax. People who participate in the program will engage in daily activities, including but not limited to: Card/Board games, Nintendo Wii, movies, bean bag toss, ladder ball, outdoor games in a grassy area and basketball. Making the most of the summer, participants will be going to such places as: Movies, ice cream, The Garden Factory, mini golf and shopping trips. People Inc. also has a membership with the nonprofit farm Homesteads for Hope, where program attendees can plant/maintain a vegetable garden, go fishing on the Erie Canal and participate in educational farm-related activities. Martin the Standard Poodle is the program’s resident canine and is a certified therapy dog trained to help the participants relax when they are having a tough day. Please note: The agency is not able to provide transportation to or from the 1860 Buffalo Road location in Gates. Advance registration is required. Families can request that their Service Coordinator contact People Inc. Admissions at admissions@people-inc.org or 585.441.9300 . For information on the program, contact us at 585.719.3413 .

Feel Good News: Featuring Paralympian Mike Schultz 

People Inc. was thrilled to host Paralympian and Author Monster Mike Schultz for a presentation and book signing on Tuesday, March 29, 2022, at its new People Inc. Health Services Building in Buffalo, NY! Schultz shared some details about his experiences and read excerpts from his book, Driven to Ride: The True Story of an Elite Athlete Who Rebuilt His Leg, His Life and His Career. The memoir is co-authored by journalist and Buffalo, NY native, Matt Higgins, and covers sports, business, Schultz’s experiences with injury, recovery and triumph, as well as working together as a team with his wife Sara Schultz.    A series of videos were created to highlight Schultz’s presentation, as well as our People Inc. Rehabilitative Health Services . Check out the videos:  A People Inc. Interview with Mike Schultz  Services at the People Inc. Health Services Building  Mike Schultz Discusses Safety for Kids   Mike Schultz Reads an Excerpt from “Driven to Ride” 

Paralympic Silver Medalist Mike Schultz and Author Presents First Book Event Hosted by People Inc.

Schultz Joins Buffalo Journalist and Co-Author Matt Higgins What: From Injury to Paralympics Champion: Meet Athlete and Author Mike Schultz - Paralympic Silver Medalist Mike Schultz and Author of “Driven to Ride: The True Story of an Elite Athlete Who Rebuilt His Leg, His Life, and His Career” returns from the 2022 Beijing Paralympic Games with first book event to be held in Buffalo, NY, hosted by People Inc.  - Matt Higgins, Buffalo journalist and co-author of “Driven to Ride” to present - People Inc. will host a free author event to celebrate the newly-launched book on the inspiring story of an athlete, entrepreneur, father and Paralympic champion. Healthcare professionals are encouraged to attend. When: Tuesday, March 29, 2022, from 7 to 9 p.m. Advance In-Person Media Interviews: 6:15 p.m.  / Program with Speakers: 7:10 p.m. approximately  Where:  People Inc. Rehabilitative Health Services Building, 800 Hertel Avenue, Buffalo, NY  Rehabilitative Services, Suite 101 (Corner of Hertel and Elmwood Avenues. Parking on-site. Enter from Hertel Avenue, parking available in lot).  Who: Mike Schultz, 40, is a three-time Paralympic medalist, an X Games Champion ten times over in three different sports, an entrepreneur, an accomplished adaptive athlete in horseback riding, mountain biking, motocross, snocross, snow bike, snowboarding, wakeboarding and author to his newly-released book, “Driven to Ride: The True Story of an Elite Athlete Who Rebuilt His Leg, His Life, and His Career.” Learn more: monstermikeschultz.com “Driven to Ride” is co-authored by Matt Higgins, a Western New York native and an award-winning journalist, who has written about sports and adventure for two decades. He has written for the New York Times, The Village Voice, Popular Mechanics, Outside and ESPN.com. Higgins is a graduate of St. Joseph’s Collegiate Institute and Buffalo State College. Learn more: matt-higgins.com Why: “Monster” Mike Schultz is an athlete, innovator, speaker, author and Paralympic gold and two-time silver medalist. Schultz just finished competing in the Beijing 2022 Paralympics. Schultz is the founder of BioDapt, Inc. , engineering durable and versatile prostheses for athletes and military veterans around the world. Schultz is not one to give up and let an injury be the end of his competitive career. When a life-changing event happened, he set out to design and build prosthetic equipment that could withstand the rigors of his sports. Little did he know then, he would be helping others do the same. For the Beijing Paralympic Games, 26 athletes from 11 countries wore equipment that Schultz built, including the athlete who won gold. Schultz will share his story with event attendees. Books will be for sale during the presentation, with an opportunity for autographs. Registration is required, as space is limited. To RSVP, contact Lois Crane at lcrane@people-inc.org or call 716.817.7411. In 2008, Mike suffered a life-changing knee injury during a snowmobile competition resulting in the amputation of his left leg above the knee. Seven months later, Schultz was competing again and realized that the regular prosthetics could not handle the competitive, rigorous sports his body at one time could handle. He not only engineered a durable and versatile mechanical knee that utilizes a patented linkage system and a FOX mountain bike shock, he realized the need for advancements in high-impact adaptive sports prosthetics. Creating high-impact adaptive sports prosthetics became BioDapt, Inc. – the company Schultz founded in 2010 to help wounded soldiers, action sports athletes and amputees wanting to return to an active lifestyle. In 2018, Schultz was named to the U.S. Paralympic team. He competed in Snowboard Boardercross and Banked Slalom, where he finished the 2018 Snowboard season as the overall champion in both disciplines and the gold and silver medalist from Pyeongchang, Korea. An even more remarkable accomplishment, Schultz provided 15 athletes from six different countries with his prosthetic equipment – 11 medals were earned from athletes wearing BioDapt equipment at the 2018 Games. The U.S. team voted Schultz as the U.S. flag bearer for the 2018 Paralympic Opening Ceremony. In July 2018, Schultz won the ESPY Award for Best Male with a Disability.  Matt Higgins is an award-winning journalist and author who has written about sports and adventure for two decades. He is a veteran contributor to The New York Times, where his byline has appeared hundreds of times, including six stories published on page one. A longtime contributor to Outside, and a former correspondent for ESPN.com, his writing has also appeared in Men’s Journal; Popular Mechanics; The Village Voice; Sports Illustrated for Kids and The Buffalo News, where he began his journalism career in the Sports Department. He received a Knight-Wallace Fellowship in Journalism at the University of Michigan in 2017-18. Higgins is also the author of “The Insider’s Guide to Action Sports” (Scholastic, 2006) and “Bird Dream” (Penguin Press, 2014), which was longlisted for the 2015 PEN/ESPN Award for Literary Sports Writing. He is a former mentor in the PEN/AMERICA Prison Writing Program, and a founder of the beloved and defunct author series, Buffalo, Books & Beer, held in taverns around his hometown of Buffalo, NY, where he lives with his wife and their sons. Driven to Ride chronicles Schultz's improbable journey following a life-saving amputation. From a place of debilitating pain and depression, he tapped into the same sense of adventure that had once taken him to the top of competitive snowmobile racing and followed it to the pinnacle of an entirely new sport: adaptive snowboarding. As he launched himself into the world of adaptive sports, Schultz’s ambition was only tempered by his need for better equipment – prostheses that could withstand the vibrations of a moto-cross bike or the impact of rough terrain. Without any formal engineering background, his obsessive tinkering has presented yet another new path designing innovative prostheses for athletes and wounded military veterans. The book was released in January, prior to Mike earning a silver medal at the 2022 Winter Beijing Paralympic Games. People Inc. Rehabilitative Health Services provides a comprehensive team approach to address various needs, including specializing in plans for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. The team of experienced clinicians assist patients by addressing strength, movement, balance and coordination to help lessen pain and enhance lives, along with providing mental health services. Supports include: Occupational and Physical Therapy; Speech and Language Services; Social Work, Adaptive Equipment Assessments and Tableside Swallow-Function Evaluations, as well as a Wheelchair Clinic and Pressure Mapping Technology. People Inc., a multispecialty non-profit health and human services agency, provides programs and services to thousands of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, special needs, families and older adults throughout Western New York and the Greater Rochester region. Since 1970, People Inc. has assisted people to achieve greater degrees of independence and productivity. With nearly 4,000 employees, People Inc. is one of the region’s largest employers. To learn more, visit people-inc.org, follow People Inc. on Facebook and Twitter @PeopleIncNews .

People Inc. Announces March Virtual Training for Care Coordinators

The popular People Inc. Lunch and Learn is returning for 2022! Interested Care Coordinators are invited to join us on Thursday, March 24, as we host our monthly virtual “Lunch and Learn” workshop from noon to 1:00 p.m.  An overview of “Environmental Modifications (E-Mods)” will be presented by Casey J. Moore, project manager at People Inc. Some of the discussion will focus on: What is an E-Mod? How can it benefit the people I work with? What qualifies for an E-Mod? How do you apply for an E-mod and what is the process? Registration is required. Please contact Chip McDaniel at cmcdaniel@people-inc.org  or 585.719.3413 by the end of the day on Tuesday, March 22. You will then receive the link for the training by email. We look forward to your questions and active participation during this workshop! Please share this  flyer  with others who may be interested.