June 1, 2020 Parent and Caregiver Group Virtual Meeting on June 5

Parent Network of Western New York is hosting virtual meetings for parents and caregivers of people with developmental disabilities. These meetings will take place on Fridays, June 5, 12, 19 and 26, from 1 to 2:30 p.m. This online event provides a welcoming environment for parents, family members and other caregivers to meet, share experiences, ask questions and receive support.  More information can be found on the  Parent Network website .  Please share with anyone who may be interested.

May 26, 2020 Parent and Caregiver Group Virtual Meeting on May 29

Parent Network of Western New York is hosting virtual meetings for parents and caregivers of people with developmental disabilities. These meetings will take place on Fridays, May 29 and continuing in June, from 1 to 2:30 p.m. This online event provides a welcoming environment for parents, family members and other caregivers to meet, share experiences, ask questions and receive support.  More information can be found on the  Parent Network website .  Please share with anyone who may be interested.

May 22, 2020 A Message from OPWDD Commissioner Kastner

Please review the following message from the Office for People with Developmental Disabilities. Dear Friends and Colleagues, OPWDD understands how challenging and disruptive the temporary suspension of day services, home visits, community outings and other outdoor activities has been for the people we support and their families during the COVID-19 global pandemic response, but probably most unsettling is the inability to visit your child or other family member. OPWDD provided guidance to our residential provider partners back in March which directs them to make every attempt to provide families with opportunities to maintain contact with their loved ones. Below are just a few of the best practices we encourage all residential providers to engage in to allow more meaningful contact during this unprecedented time: Develop a face-to-face video call program using programs such as Skype, Facetime, Google Meets or Zoom  Arrange in-person through the window calls or visits with family and friends  Develop a family call program where activities or social work staff call families regularly with clinical updates  Establish an ambassador program that makes support staff available to answer phones and connect family members to nursing staff  Hold weekly webcasts from the leadership to answer live questions from families  Provide daily updates from the leadership of the facility on the facility’s web page  Modify the facility’s web page to include COVID-19 information and communication resources  Provide written communication via email and US Mail with regular updates surrounding the facility’s COVID-19 response plan  OPWDD continues to encourage residential facilities to keep the lines of communication with residents and families open. We remain in constant contact with the NYS Department of Health on best practices and we hope to be able to provide expanded safe visitation guidance and guidelines related to the resumption of programs very soon, as regions across the state slowly begin the process of reopening. Moving forward, our number one priority will be to continue to ensure the health and safety of the people we support as we make the transition to a “new normal.” You can sign-up online to receive the latest updates from OPWDD  via email or check the OPWDD website frequently for information relating to COVID-19 .  Sincerely, Theodore Kastner M.D, M.S. Commissioner

May 18, 2020 Parent and Caregiver Group Virtual Meeting on May 22

Parent Network of Western New York is hosting virtual meetings for parents and caregivers of people with developmental disabilities. These meetings will take place on Fridays, May 22 and 29, and June 5, from 1 to 2:30 p.m. This online event provides a welcoming environment for parents, family members and other caregivers to meet, share experiences, ask questions and receive support.  More information can be found on the  Parent Network website .  Please share with anyone who may be interested.

May 14, 2020 People Inc. Offering Informational Sessions for Families in June

People Inc. agency management will host a series of conference calls to provide operational updates, projected plans and answer questions for families of the people we support. These calls are being made available only to families that we currently serve. Please join us: ·         Residential Services: Tuesday, June 2 at 6:30 p.m. ·         Day and Employment Services: Wednesday, June 3 at 6:30 p.m. ·         Community and Respite Programs: Thursday, June 4 at 6:30 p.m. Families can send questions in advance to Kaitlyn Coles at  kcoles@people-inc.org . Phone lines are limited. To RSVP, email  kcoles@people-inc.org  or call 716.817.7400. Upon registering, you will be provided with a confirmation and information about joining the conference call.

May 11, 2020 Parent and Caregiver Group Virtual Meeting on May 15

Parent Network of Western New York is hosting virtual meetings for parents and caregivers of people with developmental disabilities. These meetings will take place on Fridays, May 15, 22 and 29 from 1 to 2:30 p.m. This online event provides a welcoming environment for parents, family members and other caregivers to meet, share experiences, ask questions and receive support.  More information can be found on the  Parent Network website .  Please share with anyone who may be interested.

May 5, 2020 Parent and Caregiver Group Virtual Meeting on May 8

Parent Network of Western New York is hosting virtual meetings for parents and caregivers of people with developmental disabilities. The meetings will take place on Fridays, May 8 and 15, from 1 to 2:30 p.m. These online events provide a welcoming environment for parents, family members and other caregivers to meet, share experiences, ask questions and receive support.  More information can be found on the Parent Network website .  Please share with anyone who may be interested.

April 27, 2020 Parent and Caregiver Group Virtual Meeting on May 1

Parent Network of Western New York is hosting virtual meetings for parents and caregivers of people with developmental disabilities. The meetings will take place on Fridays, May 1, 8 and 15, from 1 to 2:30 p.m. These online events provide a welcoming environment for parents, family members and other caregivers to meet, share experiences, ask questions and receive support. More information can be found on the  Parent Network website . Please share with anyone who may be interested.

April 22, 2020 Family and Caregiver Group on April 24

Parent Network of Western New York is hosting another virtual meeting for parents and caregivers of people with developmental disabilities. Rick Banner, director of Advocacy and Person-Centered Services at People Inc., will be the guest speaker, discussing use of technology and outreach during this difficult time. The meeting will take place on Friday, April 24, from 1 to 2:30 p.m. More information can be found on the Parent Network website . Please share with anyone who may be interested.