January 27^th, 2021

Dear Family and Friends of The Arc:

Last week, the Governor announced that the orange and yellow zone restrictions have been lifted in Monroe County. COVID-19 case rates have declined in parts of the state since the holiday spike, and Cuomo says it’s safe for restrictions in upstate regions to be lifted for now. What does this mean for The Arc of Monroe? At this point in time, our day hab programs will still remain closed, but we are working on a preliminary plan for a staggering reopening similar to what we did before. We do not have a timeline in place for this yet. Lifting these restrictions also impacts those people we support who work at ArcWorks, as the location no longer operates in an orange restricted area. We are working on a preliminary plan for slowly reopening that facility as well. There are many factors at play such as transportation and the fact that we are in the process of transitioning ArcWorks from a site-based pre-vocational program to a community-based pre-vocational program.

It has been a very busy last couple of weeks here at The Arc, as we have been thrilled that we were able to host two clinics to administer the COVID-19 vaccines to people we support within residential and staff members who support them. By the end of this week, we hope to have provided the first dose of the vaccine to 350 people. This has taken an incredible amount of work from our staff who have coordinated the clinics and provided extra encouragement to those that we support as we safely transported people within our homes to our Lambert Campus to receive the vaccine.

We continue to advocate for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities supported and served in community-based settings to be placed with priority to receive the vaccine. We encourage you to send a message to all state and federal representatives that all people with I/DD should receive Phase 1 vaccination priority. To add your voice to this important initiative, follow this link, provide your information, and the letter will be sent right to your representative's email.

Since January 13^th, we have had 6 people we support test positive to the Covid-19 virus, and 5 staff members throughout The Arc of Monroe who have tested positive. We continue to be able to offer rapid testing at The Arc of Monroe utilizing our medical team. This has allowed us to administer the test and provide results within minutes so that we can begin contact tracing immediately to stop the spread of the virus.

Here at The Arc of Monroe, we have been continuing to provide community-based pre-vocational programs. Each week we will be highlighting one of these programs and providing a glimpse into what life has been like for people since COVID-19. To read a recent blog about the LifePrep@Naz program, click here. On Thursday, Feb. 4th, from Noon to 1pm, we will be hosting a virtual info-session highlighting the MCC Experience program which allows participants to attend college classes, participate in vocational internships and enjoy a vibrant, campus social life. To register, click here.

The Arc of Monroe continues to offer “Check-in Fridays” Virtual check-in for people we support. We want to provide a place where people can vent, talk, and ask questions about their rights and responsibilities in following COVID restrictions and vaccines. This will be a place to educate people on what is going on, and will also be a great way for people we support to connect with others outside of their home while learning about what changing guidance and policies mean to them. This is open to everyone who receives services at The Arc of Monroe, regardless of the program area. Starting on 1/29, the link to attend the check-in will be:  https://zoom.us/j/93709336251.

We thank you for being a part of The Arc family. If you have any questions, please send an email to covidcommunications@arcmonroe.org.

Tracy Petrichick
CFO and Acting President/ CEO
The Arc of Monroe

Dear Family and Friends of The Arc:

I hope you were able to enjoy the holiday season and that you have a renewed sense of hope that we have turned the corner to brighter days in 2021. We are thankful that there is a new way to combat this virus in the way of a Covid-19 vaccine. This week, we have been distributing information to our staff about vaccinations, as our direct care staff fall within the criteria of Phase 1A for distribution of the vaccine.

As we await the coming phases where people we support within the OPWDD framework become eligible to receive the vaccine, the CDC (Center for Disease Control) is guiding The Arc of Monroe in the distribution of the vaccine. We will begin offering the vaccine to people in high-risk categories within our residential program at clinics being set up at The Arc of Monroe starting on Tuesday, January 12^th. We will continue to offer this vaccine to people we support as directed by the CDC.

To learn more about the Covid-19 vaccine, you may go to:

CDC https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/vaccine-benefits/facts.html
MAYO CLINIC https://www.mayoclinic.org/coronavirus-covid-19

This is a very useful video about the facts about COVID-19 vaccines for direct support professionals that we shared with our staff:
https://nadsp.org/webinar-covid-19-what-dsps-need-to-know/?mc_cid=170f1faf45&mc_eid=71153b2c3e

Since December 29^th, we have had ___ number of people we support test positive to the Covid-19 virus, and ___ staff members throughout The Arc of Monroe who have tested positive. We continue to be able to offer rapid testing at The Arc of Monroe utilizing our medical team. This has allowed us to administer the test and provide results within minutes so that we can begin contact tracing immediately to stop the spread of the virus.

We realize that these times can result in mental and physical stress on people. I want to remind you that we offer health services to anyone who is eligible for OPWDD services. This includes social work and psychiatry at our Article 16 Clinic at 2060 Brighton-Henrieatta Townline Road, or through Telehealth. We also offer occupational therapy, physical therapy, speech therapy, and nutrition. To receive more information, reach out to our Operations Treatment Coordinator at (585) 271-0661.

Tracy Petrichick
CFO and Acting President/ CEO
The Arc of Monroe

Dear Family and Friends of The Arc:

I am writing to you as the new acting CEO of The Arc of Monroe. The Executive Management Team and I will continue to carry on the work that Barbara Wale has established since the beginning of the pandemic and will continue to keep our number one priority on the health and safety of the people we support on our staff.

Many of us have questions about the vaccine for the COVID-19 virus. On December 11, 2020 the Governor and the NYS Department of Health (DOH) announced that the COVID-19 vaccine would be available to individuals and staff living and working residential facilities certified by the Office for People With Developmental Disabilities (OPWDD) as part of the initial phase of the COVID-19 vaccination program in New York.

Limited amounts of COVID-19 vaccine will be available during the first phase of the COVID-19 vaccination program in New York. The New York State Department of Health (NYSDOH) is developing a prioritization and allocation framework based on guidance from the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP).

The Arc of Monroe has begun prioritizing the list of people we support who would be offered the vaccination first. Letters of consent are currently being mailed to all people we support and families within our residential program. While we do not know when the vaccination will be approved, we are preparing for the best case scenario that it will be very soon, and we are able to start administering as soon as possible.

Simultaneously, we are also seeking information for when the vaccine may be available to other people we support in other programs and in the community, as well as to our staff.

We have created a section on our COVID-19 web page about vaccines where you can access information such as FAQs, information sheets, and videos about the vaccine. https://arcmonroe.org/covid19/

We will continue to provide information as soon as it is available to us. If you have questions, please send an email to covidcommunications@arcmonroe.org.

Since December 22^nd, we have had two staff members test positive to COVID-19 and four people we support. All contract tracing has been completed, and the appropriate quarantine or isolation guidelines have been put into place within our residences to contain the spread of the virus.

I wish you and your loved ones good health as we close out 2020 and look towards brighter times in the year to come.

Tracy Petrichick
CFO and Acting President/ CEO
The Arc of Monroe

December 22^nd, 2020

Hello Family and Friends of The Arc:

Because of an uptick in positive COVID-19 cases, The Arc of Monroe has suspended all certified day programs, effective today, December 22^nd, until further notice. We feel this is in the best interest for the people we support and staff to stay safe and to contain the spread of the coronavirus.

These include:

• Ballantyne
• Community Arts Connection
• Community Connections
• Community Exploration
• Fairport / Henrietta
• Lambert
• Silver Linings

At this point in time, all other programs and support areas will continue to run as is. This includes:

• Health Services
• Community-based Services (Comm Hab, Respite, Health Homes)
• Community pre-vocational services (SELF @ the Strong, LifePrep@Naz, MCC Experience, Culinary Career Prep, and Adult Project SEARCH)
• Supported Employment (Job Path)
• ArcWorks  (business only, not program)
• 2060 BHTL

Our residential and day hab staff are working very closely as we all come together to keep people we support safe. We have taken additional safety precautions, including the mandatory use of face shields in addition to masks for all staff in residential. Our nursing team continues to be able to administer rapid testing to people we support and our staff. This allows us to act more quickly to stop the spread of the virus. We are hopeful that the vaccine will be available soon, and we are actively seeking answers about when that may be and how it will be rolled out. We will be sure to notify you when more information becomes available.

If you have any questions, please email covidcommunications@arcmonroe.org

We were able to spread a little holiday cheer these past couple of weeks with caroling and delivering cookies to some of our residential homes. We are grateful for these little pockets of joy amidst a difficult time.

As this is my last week here at The Arc, Tracy Petrichick will be acting CEO, and you can now turn to her for leadership. She has been “in the trenches” with this agency throughout COVID and has been a fierce warrior.  In addition to her 15 years, Tracy has spent with this agency providing excellent leadership, guidance and stability. I am confident I am leaving the agency in great hands.

I will miss all of the people we support, their families, staff, and colleagues very much. My best parting gift to everyone? For all of you and your loved ones to stay safe and healthy. It’s something we say often this time of year. It could not be more sincere a message this year. With that, I wish you adieu and farewell.

Warmly,

Barbara Wale
President/CEO
The Arc of Monroe

Hello Family and Friends of The Arc:

As the holidays approach, I wanted to share with you many opportunities for Holiday Spirit at The Arc of Monroe. This email includes music that you can listen to and ways that our community can help lift the spirits of people we support in our residential programs. All of this information has also been shared with our staff so that they can involve as many people as possible.

In lieu of our traditional holiday concert series at Ballantyne, our Music Specialist there lined up a couple of virtual holiday music opportunities for everyone in the coming weeks. On Tuesday 12/15 AND Friday 12/18 at 10:45am, the orchestras at Churchville Chili High School have put together a special Zoom program JUST for us at The Arc of Monroe

I'd like to invite any of you to join in, no need to have a camera or be on video, you can just log in from a regular computer and watch.

Here is the Zoom Link:

MEETING LINK
Topic: Chelsea Wahl's Personal Meeting Room
Join Zoom Meeting
https://cccsd-org.zoom.us/j/7602186230
Meeting ID: 760 218 6230
Passcode: saintsorch

We also have a long standing relationship with the Belles and Beaux Bell Choir from Bethany Presbyterian Church.  They have recorded a concert and uploaded it to YouTube for us to watch at any time.

https://youtu.be/pYfcmgOWQcw

Another way to spread holiday cheer is to offer to bring cookies or a snack basket to those who live in residential homes supported by The Arc of Monroe. If you would like to do so, please visit https://arcmonroe.org/holiday-spirit-at-the-arc/

We share in these socially distanced, safe joyful activities amidst living through the pandemic.

Last week, we were approved to do our own testing of people we support and staff by our nursing team. This step allows us to get rapid results and take any necessary steps such as quarantine or isolation. We are also now requiring that any staff member working in residential in a quarantined or isolated house be required to wear a face shield in addition to wearing a mask. With the rise in cases across New York State, we knew that our numbers at The Arc of Monroe would increase as well. We continue to be diligent about reminding staff to use universal precautions at work and at home.

We are encouraged by forthcoming vaccines and know there are many months to endure before this virus becomes less of a threat. New information comes in every day, and we don’t know what this might mean for shut-downs across the county. In the meantime, we continue to persevere and work together to contain the spread of this virus, with the people we support at our center.

Thank you for being in this together.

Barbara Wale
President/CEO
The Arc of Monroe

December 7^th, 2020

Hello Family and Friends of The Arc:

As it is drawing near the end of 2020, I’m sure we are all reflecting on the year. Each and every one of our lives has been affected in different ways. We have also become unified in our determination to contain the spread of this virus. This could not be doing this without every single one of us, doing our parts, and extending ourselves even more than we thought we could. I wanted to take a moment and honor everyone who has worked collectively throughout this difficult year.

Our families have been understanding and supportive and finding creative ways to stay in touch with their loved ones when it became too much of a risk for them to go in and out of homes for visits. They have taken on additional responsibilities at home in providing care there as well. Community members and donors have been incredibly generous in assisting with resources and financial contributions to provide personal protective equipment and cleaning supplies. We cannot thank you enough for being with us during this time.

While drawing close to our loved ones at home, the staff at The Arc of Monroe left theirs to stand together with those we support in their homes. They became heroes overnight, doing everything they could to keep the people we support stay safe and to contain the spread of the virus. We could not be prouder of our team at The Arc of Monroe for pulling through these past six months, and for truly living out our core values: perseverance, ingenuity, empathy, integrity, excellence and camaraderie.

With the uptick in COVID-19 numbers across Monroe County, we realize the numbers at The Arc of Monroe will also increase.

In some instances, we may have to put a house in quarantine or isolation.

• House which is mandated isolation means that a person who resides in the home has tested positive for COVID-19 and the residence is placed under isolation
• House which is quarantine means that a staff assigned to and has worked in the house has tested positive and has come into close contact with individuals who reside in the house
• House which is precautionary quarantine means that a staff assigned to and has worked in the house has come into contact with someone (i.e. family member) who has tested positive; and the staff member is to be tested with results are pending.

Please note, the only scenario that is mandated by the Department of Health (DOH) is mandated isolation. Out of an abundance of caution, The Arc of Monroe also mandates quarantine or precautionary quarantine. We believe these additional measures are part of what keeps people safe, along with continually following the universal safety precautions:

• Practice social distancing, at least 6 feet apart from others.
• Use masks, and ensure that they cover your nose, mouth, and chin.
• Wash hands often using soap and water for 20 seconds, especially before eating
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose & mouth
• Clean & disinfect frequently touched objects & surfaces
• Wear gloves when performing tasks those we support, cooking and disinfecting/sanitizing

Aside from COVID, The Arc of Monroe does have much to celebrate. Everywhere throughout the agency, we see inspiring stories of people we support, successful events held with camaraderie, people thriving within programs with new virtual learning opportunities. I wanted to share with you our annual MonArc newsletter. You can view this by going to https://arcmonroe.org/2020-monarc-newsletter.

Sincerely,

Barbara Wale
President/CEO
The Arc of Monroe

November 24^rd, 2020

Hello Family and Friends of The Arc:

Over the last couple of months, The Arc of Monroe has been developing a plan in the event that COVID-19 cases started to surge. With the Governor’s announcement yesterday that some zip codes with Monroe County have entered the orange zone, The Arc of Monroe is enacting plans throughout the agency to reduce risk and contain the spread of the coronavirus.  I wanted to share this with you, as it relates to all services.

The following changes will take effect on November 30^th, 2020:

• The certified day program at Community Arts Connection will be moved to Lambert.
• The certified day programs at Ballantyne, Fairport and Lambert will continue to be open.
• Certified vocational programs at ArcWorks will be suspended; services will be provided virtually to people we support. ArcWorks will continue to operate as an essential business.
• Community Hab will continue to operate.
• Arc Deli will be providing take-out and offer a limited menu.
• Self-Directed and Health Homes will provide services 1:1 or via Tele-Health.
• Community-Based Prevoc will be able to continue; capacity will reduce to 10 including staff.
• Job Path will continue to support people who are working in the community.
• Arc Health Services will continue to operate as-is with a mix of Tele-Health and in-person.
• RNs/LPNs for the time being will be able to go between sites

Unless a house is under quarantine, visits to and from the houses will continue to be allowed at this time. This is an especially critical time, and it is imperative that we are strict about following guidelines to ensure the safety of everyone. If you are planning to visit your loved one within an Arc-supported residential home, or to take someone home to enjoy Thanksgiving together, please be sure to discuss with residential managers. They will go over all guidelines that everyone must follow, including regular temperature-taking and COVID screening questions and trackers.

During these coming months, we encourage you to stay connected as much as possible through the use of technology. All of our residences have been provided with ipads so that people may schedule virtual visits.

During this time of Thanksgiving, I am mindful of the sense of unity that our community has shown and the sacrifices we have made over the past eight months.  While the number of people at our Thanksgiving tables will be less this year, we know that it is because of our selfless actions that our families, friends and neighbors can stay healthy. It is how we keep our health care system in-tact and our ability to sustain much-needed services at The Arc of Monroe.

If you would like to bring a little joy to a home over the next few months, consider making or buying a meal or have it delivered to one of our residential homes. You can also bring snacks or desserts! To sign up, https://arcmonroe.org/dining-out-at-home.

Thank you very much for being in this together. If you have any questions, please email covidcommunications@arcmonroe.org.

Barbara Wale
President/CEO
The Arc of Monroe

November 13^th, 2020

Hello Family and Friends of The Arc:

As you know, I have been preparing to retire as President & CEO from The Arc of Monroe at the end of this year. The Arc of Monroe Board of Directors is working with a new search firm and search committee to make this selection. We do not anticipate that this position will be filled by the time that I retire. With this, effective January 4^th, 2021, The Arc of Monroe’s Chief Financial Officer, Tracy Petrichick will be the acting CEO for The Arc of Monroe.  Tracy will be working very closely with me and other members of the Executive Management Team to ensure solid leadership through this transition.

Our leadership team has carried us through the last eight months, and will continue to do so as we head into the future with the uncertainties ahead of us with the pandemic. With that, I segue into more information as it relates to more information coming from New York State.

The Governor and the NYS Department of Health (DOH) have begun to identify geographic areas with higher than average rates of COVID-19 transmission, referred to as “hot spots,” “clusters,” and “micro clusters.” The risk of transmission is characterized by three colors (red, orange and yellow) and the level of mitigation management is increased as geographic areas demonstrate higher rates of infection and move along the continuum from yellow to orange to red.

Much of Monroe County is currently in the yellow zone.

We are mindful of the ever-changing nature of COVID-19 and how we respond as an agency. We continue to take guidance from OPWDD, the DOH and the CDC, as the Governor makes designations on geographic COVID-19 clusters. OPWDD will notify providers operating programs within the designated area to ensure that the provider is aware of the high rate designation and is taking all appropriate precautions.

Although we are at the low risk level at this point, the Arc leadership is in a constant mode of planning, as we consider precautions that may include: enhanced testing, program suspension/ reduction, or visitation suspension. We will continue to keep you notified of any changes.

Over the past week, we had one person we support and two staff members test positive to COVID-19. We immediately began the contact tracing and activated the COVID response guidelines to ensure quarantine as necessary.

As we are headed into the holidays, we have reminded all of our staff members about travel guidelines and size limitations for gatherings. We are thankful that our families extend beyond whose who we are accustomed to spending time with over the holidays, as we work alongside the people we support and our co-workers, ensuring the health and safety of the entire community.

Sincerely,

Barbara Wale
President/CEO
The Arc of Monroe

September 30th, 2020

Hello Arc Family & Friends,

Regretfully, I am writing to notify you that two people who work for The Arc of Monroe at a location outside of residential have tested positive for COVID-19. Anyone who may be at risk of exposure within that program and their families have been notified. The infected persons will not return to work until receiving clearance from county health officials.

A note of clarification from the Monroe County Department of Public Health (MCDPH): exposure can occur when an infected person is within six feet of another individual for more than 15 minutes, and one or both of them are not wearing masks. Because masks are mandatory and have been worn, as well as social distancing guidelines followed, the risk of exposure is very low. We continue to work with MCDPH and the Department of Health on every case and follow their protocols.

The following safety guidelines have been and continue to be followed across all of our sites:

UNIVERSAL PRECAUTIONS

• Practice social distancing, at least 6 feet apart from others.
• Wash hands often using soap and water for 20 seconds, especially before eating
• Use masks & avoid touching your eyes, nose & mouth
• Clean & disinfect frequently touched objects & surfaces
• Wear gloves when performing tasks those we support, cooking and disinfecting/ sanitizing

While this news can be upsetting, please be assured we are doing everything we can to ensure the containment of the virus throughout the agency.

If you have any questions, please feel free to email covidcommunications@arcmonroe.org.

Barbara Wale

Hello Arc Family & Friends,

I hope this letter finds you and your loved ones well. It has been almost four months since we needed to temporarily close many of our services. During this time, it has been our number one priority to ensure the health and safety of everyone that we support. As we begin to reopen our day habilitation, community, and employment services, we are taking guidance from OPWDD and the Department of Health. It brings us much joy to see faces that we have missed for so long. I wanted to provide you with some updates to each of the services that The Arc of Monroe provides.

As you know, The Arc of Monroe continued to support over 200 people in our residential homes since the beginning of COVID-19. We were fortunate that our day habilitation staff were able to offer additional support, offering recreational, fitness, music, movement, arts and crafts activities throughout the day. These were also available through Teams meetings so that people throughout the agency could participate. People were very creative with Disney days, pizza parties, trips to parks, and even fishing excursions.

The third week in July, we were delighted to start opening our day habilitation services at Lambert, Fairport, Ballantyne, Community Arts Connection and Community Connection for people who reside within the community or within external IRAs. We will continue to increase capacity as people we support and their families are comfortable. We continue to follow strict health and safety guidelines that include deep cleaning and sanitizing to ensure that all tables, workstations, meeting rooms, doorknobs, and bathrooms are cleaned regularly, several times per day. All employees are required to have their temperature taken each morning and are required to wear masks.

Our Day Habilitation services Arc Transportation is once again coordinating van rides to work.  All vans are cleaned and sanitized before and after each ride and all drivers wear masks.  Drivers take the temperature of each person before they can ride on the van, and the number of people on each van is limited in order to maintain social distancing.

ArcWorks has been, and continues to be, an essential worksite, and has been operating with precautions for the past several months. Additionally, we plan to have approximately 50 people supported returned to ArcWorks’ production floor by next week. They received extensive training on their first day and on-going daily around safety protocols, expectations, and general work practices that have changed.  The energy is high! People are glad to be back.

Our employment readiness programs taking place on our college campuses will look different. At MCC, all classes will be virtual this Fall and probably the Spring, but our ability to provide work experience is still viable with all safety measures in place.  Our LifePrep@Naz program is scheduled to begin on campus starting with orientation August 4th. Culinary Career Prep will begin the week of August 3^rd, with one to two people returning to the Deli.  We have evaluated the space at Golisano Autism Center and E-health and have been serving at E-health for the past few weeks with takeout.  We need to work through a few physical plant issues, then plan to determine opening date for GAC and Ehealth with people supported.

We have continued to support people through Health Services through Tele-Health, and now offer in-person physical therapy, social work & counseling. We are continuing to accept referrals for all clinic services including OT, PT, Speech, Nutrition, Psychiatry, and Social Work.

Health Homes Care Management continues to be in operation and provide services face to face at this point.  Community Habilitation has been providing supports all along, moved to 1:1 with travel, and now supporting 2 to 1 with all safety measures in place. Recreation has slated to begin in person for very small groups, with significant safety measures in place as of August 8^th, and has been providing virtual rec activities as well.

 Job Path has continued to Support People throughout the COVID-19 Pandemic. Our Employment Specialist have provided services in a variety of ways to ensure that everyone is receiving the individualized supports they need. Supports have been provided through online meetings, phone calls, and face to face job site visits when allowed. Job Path has also been holding a virtual Job Club to help people stay connected and continue to work on employment readiness skills. As people are starting to return to work Employment Specialist are working with them to learn all the new workplace rules/regulations now in place.

Over the last few months Adult Project SEARCH continued to meet for class online each day, to continue to focus on soft skills for employment. As of July 27^th, we are back meeting face to face, we have had to change our hub location to the Job Path building to accommodate social distancing, and our current group is finishing out the last internship at BJ’s Wholesale Club. We are currently interviewing for our next Cohort which we will be starting in September. We are working diligently to identify a new host business for the coming Project SEARCH year.

SELF at Strong continued to meet daily online for the last few months, continuing to work on soft skills for employment. As of July 27^th, SELF has returned to face to face services at the Strong Museum of Play. Things have been going well in our first few days as everyone is adjusting to the new ways. Our training room has been set up for appropriate social distancing and interns are currently going through the Museum’s COVID training prior to starting back out on their internships.

As you would imagine, it has taken a significant amount of planning and teamwork to get all of these programs back to up and running. We are grateful to say we have done so successfully while also reporting that we have had no more positive COVID cases of people we supported since early on, who are all making improvements in their recovery. We have not had a staff test positive in a couple of months, and anyone who had has returned to work at this point.

We continue to acknowledge the severity of COVID-19 and have not let up on our strict protocols and safety guidelines. We do while ensuring that the people The Arc supports are being given the opportunity to live fulfilling lives, with opportunity for independence. Please visit us on our social media platforms to stay updated and to see pictures of people we support through our various programs. If you have any questions, or if you would like to receive weekly email updates, please send your email address to covidcommunications@arcmonroe.org.

Thank you for weathering the storm together as we turn towards brighter days ahead.

Barbara Wale
President/CEO
The Arc of Monroe

Hello Arc Family & Friends,

It has been a couple of weeks of change excitement, as some of our programs have experienced some movement towards reopening. I wanted to share that information with you today.

As always, it has been our priority to ensure the health and safety of everyone that we support. We have taken the guidance from OPWDD and stringent safety guidelines when starting to reopen our day habilitation, community, and employment services. These include deep cleaning and sanitizing to ensure that all tables, workstations, meeting rooms, doorknobs, and bathrooms are cleaned regularly, several times per da. All employees are required to have their temperature taken each morning and are required to wear masks.

Our Day Habilitation services at Lambert, Fairport, Ballantyne, Community Arts Connection and Community Connection have opened for people who reside within the community or within external IRAs. We will continue to increase capacity as people we support and their families are comfortable.

Arc Transportation is once again coordinating van rides to work.  All vans are cleaned and sanitized before and after each ride and all drivers wear masks.  Drivers take the temperature of each person before they can ride on the van, and the number of people on each van is limited in order to maintain social distancing.

ArcWorks has been, and continues to be, an essential worksite, and has been operating with precautions I nplace for the past several months. Additionally, we now have approximately 33 people supported returned to Arcworks production floor.  They received extensive training on their first day and on-going daily around safety protocols, expectations, and general work practices that have changed.  The energy is high! People are glad to be back.

Our employment readiness programs taking place on our college campuses will look different. At MCC, all classes will be virtual this Fall and probably the Spring, but our ability to provide work experience is still viable with all safety measures in place.  Our LifePrep@Naz program is scheduled to begin on campus starting with orientation August 4th.

Health Homes Care Management continues to be in operation and provide services face to face at this point.  Community Habilitation has been providing supports all along, moved to 1:1 with travel, and now supporting 2 to 1 with all safety measures in place. Recreation has slated to begin in person for very small groups, with significant safety measures in place as of August 8^th, and has been providing virtual rec activities as well.  Culinary Career Prep will begin next week with one to two people returning to the Deli.  We have evaluated the space at Golisano Autism Center and E-health and have been serving at E-health for the past few weeks with takeout.  We need to work through a few physical plant issues, then plan to determine opening date for GAC and Ehealth with people supported.

Job Path has continued to Support People throughout the COVID-19 Pandemic. Our Employment Specialist have provided services in a variety of ways to ensure that everyone is receiving the individualized supports they need. Supports have been provided through online meetings, phone calls, and face to face job site visits when allowed. Job Path has also been holding a virtual Job Club to help people stay connected and continue to work on employment readiness skills. As people are starting to return to work Employment Specialist are working with them to learn all the new workplace rules/regulations now in place.

Over the last few months Adult Project SEARCH continued to meet for class online each day, to continue to focus on soft skills for employment. As of 7/27 we are back meeting face to face, we have had to change our hub location to the Job Path building to accommodate social distancing, and our current group is finishing out the last internship at BJ’s Wholesale Club. We are currently interviewing for our next Cohort which we will be starting in September. We are working diligently to identify a new host business for the coming Project SEARCH year.

SELF at Strong continued to meet daily online for the last few months, continuing to work on soft skills for employment. As of 7/27 SELF has returned to Face to Face services at the Strong Museum of Play. Things have been going well in our first few days as everyone is adjusting to the new ways. Our training room has been set up for appropriate social distancing and interns are currently going through the Museum’s COVID training prior to starting back out on their internships. Everyone is happy to be back!

I realize today’s update was quite lengthy. As you would imagine, it has taken a significant amount of planning and teamwork to get all of these programs back to up and running. We are grateful to say we have done so successfully while also reporting that we have had no more positive COVID cases of people we supported since early on, who are all making improvements in their recovery. We have not had a staff test positive in a couple of months, and anyone who had has returned to work at this point.

We continue to acknowledge the severity of COVID-19 and have not let up on our strict protocols and safety guidelines. We do while ensuring that the people The Arc supports are being given the opportunity to live fulfilling lives, with opportunity for independence. Thank you as always for your support. We hope you enjoy seeing the pictures below of people starting to return to The Arc!

Barbara Wale
President/CEO
The Arc of Monroe

Hello Arc Family & Friends,

We all continue to receive information from the news, the governor’s office, and other sources about services opening up for people with disabilities. While receiving this information, we turn our attention back to our core, which is to maintain the health and safety of the people that we support. This dictates every move that we make within operations as we begin to put processes in place. As you can imagine, this is a very complicated process.

Some of these variables include transportation, carefully evaluating how many people are allowed on the vehicle at one time, adjusting routes to be able to get people to and from programs on a staggered schedule, and proper sanitization between each of the exchanges. Drivers need to be able to check temperatures of people getting on the vehicles and follow a screening process to ensure that anyone we transport is symptom-free, and that people stay healthy.

Within day services, we need to look into stages of re-entry into program at a reduced capacity, supporting those in the community first, while we continue to provide day hab programming inside of our houses in residential. We need to ensure that we have an adequate supply of personal protective equipment and cleaning supplies at each location.

Each location has been very busy preparing well thought-out plans for the continuation of programs, while overlaying the OPWDD requirements that have been set forth. I have been very impressed how our management has looked into every viable option and provided solutions to minimize the risk of transmission of the virus. These are currently being submitted to OPWDD to be reviewed.

As we are finalizing these plans, we have reached out to the people supported in our day hab programs who may be able to return when we do reopen, likely at 25% capacity to start. We realize that there are many others to are anxious to return to programs, and we thank everyone for their patience while we work towards the stages of increased capacity. We receive new information every day, and with that comes changes to our structuring. We will continue to provide you with information as it becomes available. If you have any questions, please reach out to us at covidcommunications@arcmonroe.org.

Thank you for your patience and in supporting The Arc as we continue to ensure the health and safety of all of those we support and our staff.

I hope you enjoy the photos below and some of the activities we have been doing in our residential homes including Disney Day, picnic and lawn games at the park, and an ice cream party!

Sincerely,

Barbara Wale
President/CEO
The Arc of Monroe

We have made modifications to our visitation guidelines, effective July 8th, 2020.

The following guidance is applicable to all residential facilities certified or operated by the NYS State Office for People With Developmental Disabilities (OPWDD) and is based on the most current Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and NYS Department of Health (DOH) recommendations for prevention of the spread the novel coronavirus of 2019 disease (COVID-19).

• Visitation is encouraged to occur outdoors if weather permits, with masks worn by all parties when social distancing cannot be maintained;
• Visitation exercised inside the facility shall only occur in a designated area, determined by the management staff prior to visit, where disinfection, social distancing, and separation from other residents can be safely implemented;
• Visits may occur in single bedrooms, ideally. Visitors must remain in the resident’s room through the visit except when directed by staff to leave;
• We prohibit the use of the family’s vehicle for rides in the community;
• We realize that some people require additional support (e.g., ambulation needs, wheelchair needs, and/or safety needs etc.) when going for a walk/stroll. In situations where a person would need this extra support we will make an exception to social distancing expectations provided all parties are wearing a mask.
• Visitation remains prohibited anywhere except within sight of the residential facility and shall not include sitting in a non-agency vehicle or leaving the premises unmonitored by staff.

Prior to the Visitation:
1. A designated location on the property/inside the house will be identified for family and their loved one to visit:

• Shelter (e.g., back deck, front porch etc.) (if possible);
• As far away from the exterior entrance/exits as possible;
• Comfortable seating (at least 6 feet apart) (if possible);
• If desired, a short walk in the neighborhood may also take place for family
  and their loved one to visit while maintaining social distancing and wearing a
  mask. Staff is to accompany these walks.
• Visitations are required to be scheduled with at least 24-hours’ notice to allow for adequate planning. Social distancing and wearing a mask is required for visitors.

Performing COVID-19 pre-screenings of family’s/family members are required prior to visitations:

• Have you had any COVID-19 symptoms during the prior 14-days?
• Are you experiencing a fever (e.g., a fever equal to or greater than100°)?
• Are you experiencing any other COVID-19 Symptoms (e.g., cough, shortness of breath, difficulty breathing, chills, repeated shaking with
  chills, muscle pain, headaches, sore throat, new loss of taste or smell)?
• Are you experiencing any illness or other symptoms
• Have you been exposed to any COVID-19 Risk(s) (e.g., being around anyone who had symptoms of COVID-19 within the last 14-days visit
  etc.)?
• Have you traveled to any of the NYS DOH named high risk
  countries/states within the past 14 days?
• No more than one family visit may occur at one time (no more than one
  person in the home can have a visit at the same time);
  No more than 2 family members per family at a time (e.g., parents,
  siblings) during visit;
• Visitation should be no longer than 45 minutes and is required to occur
  between the hours of 9am-9pm;
• Bathroom facilities of the site will not be available;
• We prohibit visitation taking place in a families’ vehicle;
• The visit should not be used to share a meal. However, a small snack
  (e.g., coffee, or favorite snack etc.) is acceptable. The food is required to be single serve or in a separate container to avoid sharing foods/beverages

Hello Arc Family,

I hope that you have been enjoying this beautiful weather and had the chance to safely connect with one another outdoors. As we entered Phase 2 last week, we were all happy to get haircuts and to be able to attend regular doctor appointments. And as of today, Phase 3 is taking effect. We look forward to even more opportunities for safe interactions in the days to come, but we are awaiting guidance from OPWDD on when some of the restrictions will be lifted for people with developmental disabilities.

We have wonderful news to share, that we have had no positive cases of COVID throughout The Arc of Monroe in almost 4 weeks. We also have no houses in quarantine or in isolation. We are so very grateful to have contained the spread of the virus and to keep everyone safe. This comes as a great relief to us, as we have turned the corner to better days.

Over the past week, many of you have scheduled visits to come and see your loved ones living in residential. We hope that you have enjoyed this time. For additional details on visitation guidelines, click here. Our amazing staff continues to offer fun activities and engagement with people we support. Take a peek at the photos below! We are also hosting three weekly virtual dance, Zumba, and comic book club gatherings. People across the agency have been able to participate, and it has brought such joy to everyone.

Outside of residential, we have been busy with phasing people back into a new sense of “normal,” as we are slowly starting to transition people back into our main office at 2060 BHTL. People working from home are now greeting one another in the break rooms and being so happy to see them again! Because all of our day hab staff are working in residential homes, we have been able to continue the high level of activity with music and dance, Zumba and movement, health and wellness, and arts and crafts. Because ArcWorks has remained an essential businesses, our staff continues to provide much-needed work putting together medical materials used for the containment of the COVID virus. Our ArcDeli has also remained open, including pick-up service.

Last Friday, we celebrated the graduation of four students from our LifePrep@Naz program, and next week we will celebrate the completion of three students’ completion of the MCC Experience program and three from our Project SEARCH® program. Their commitment and dedication has been tremendous! We await the reopening status of our college-based provoc programs at MCC and Nazareth, as outlined by the college. Our Adult Project SEARCH® and SELF at the Strong programs are dependent upon the DelMonte Hotel Group and the Strong Museum of Play’s reopening. We also await state guidance on the reopening of any of our programs. People we support through our Job Path program have been able to continue work, with the support from employment specialists.

Thank you for your continued support of The Arc of Monroe. If you have any questions, please email covidcommunications@arcmonroe.org

In this together,

Barbara Wale
President/CEO, The Arc of Monroe

Starting on June 8^th, we will be allowing loved ones to visit people living in houses supported by The Arc.

While there are new practices forthcoming regarding lifting some of the restrictions we have all been abiding during COVID-19, The Arc of Monroe will continue the need to take direction from OPWDD and the Department of Health regarding family visitations in our residential homes. Health and safety of the people we support as well as our dedicated staff will continue to be driving factors in accommodating the visits that we know you have all been missing and long for. We know this has been difficult, as we recognize the need for connection with family members and friends. We are looking forward to balancing the requirements of the DOH, OPWDD and the safety measures we need with ways to allow families to visit with their loved ones.

Effective June 8^th (and until further notice), we have implemented a new process to allow visitors within our Residential program. As you know during this pandemic, things change on a daily basis and in some cases within hours, and we will keep you posted as best we can if this process needs to change.

• Seeing a loved one may only take place outside; no visits will be approved within the home
• Outdoor gatherings may include no more than two family members and your loved one will be accompanied by a staff member.
• Visits can be 30 minutes (or less), in good weather and must be scheduled in advance due to availability of staff and accommodating all requests; please schedule your visit with the house manager.
• Please bring your own cloth face covering or mask. It must be worn over the nose and mouth and must be worn at all times. Unfortunately, we cannot provide one for you.
• In preparing to see your loved one, please discuss with them the importance of staying at least six feet apart. You will not be able to hug or otherwise touch your loved one. We know this will be very hard for some. We will also work with your loved one to explain the importance of wearing a mask and social distancing.
• Sanitize your hands when you arrive at the house, as you cannot enter the home even to wash your hands or use the restroom.
• Call the house upon your arrival to let them know you are there and ready to see your loved one.

It feels as though we have turned the corner towards better days. We share in the celebration that the house where people we support who tested positive to COVID-19 has come off of isolation, and everyone is progressing towards better health.

We have been grateful for the camaraderie that is forming throughout the agency, as new bustle of activity within our homes. I'd like to share some fun photos with you from Memorial Day. People all over the agency have been enjoying the change in weather and time spent together outside.

Thank you for all that you do to support The Arc. We greatly appreciate you.

As always, if you have any questions or comments, please email covidcommunications@arcmonroe.org.

Barbara Wale
President/CEO
The Arc of Monroe

May 15^th, 2020

Dear Arc Family,

We hope that you are well and are taking time for yourselves to enjoy some fresh spring air!

As we enter into the weekend and are glad that the Finger Lakes Region is now in Phase One today, we are mindful that now, more than ever, we cannot let our guard down. All who are going back to work are now opening up their homes to more exposure. The Arc of Monroe is continuing the same safety protocols as we have been. We are only allowing essential staff into residential homes, and residents are restricted from going into the community. This includes friends and family. We realize this is a difficult, for people we support and their loved ones; yet it is important that we contain the spread of the virus. We continue to wear masks and keep at least 6 feet between others, and we encourage all of our community to do the same.

While our focus and communication has primarily been on residential services, today I wanted to provide you with updates on the other services that we are currently running at this point. We have been grateful that we can continue to provide these to the people that we support.

Clinical Services

Arc Health Services continues to provide extremely valuable services to the individuals we support. Social work, Nutrition, Speech therapy, and Psychiatry services are continuing their ongoing therapy services utilizing telehealth. Physical Therapy and Occupational Therapy services are being provided safely in person on a limited basis. OT’s and PT’s who cannot provide their hands on therapy are continuing to follow up indirectly with individuals to monitor their needs. The clinic even has social work groups running to allow people to be even more connected. We are providing services for 500 people and for some, this weekly check in with their clinician is the only support they have. Clinicians continue to provide their excellent, person centered care in a time when it is needed most. The outstanding dedication of our clinicians to ensure the well-being of those who are struggling at this time is an incredible asset to the agency as well as the community!

Employment Services

Job Path has been developing opportunities for people to participate in small group virtual job clubs focused on helping them keep their employment skills sharp and to help them stay connected. In spite of so many layoffs, several people we support remain employed in essential jobs and a few people have been hired into businesses that are currently operating i.e., Price Rite, Walmart, Top’s, McAlpin Industries, Kimco and Rochester Regional Health.

Community Services

Community Habilitation continues to provide services on a part-time basis to people supported. The team has been creative in its use of telehealth, telephonic, and in-person strategies, taking all required safety precautions of social distancing! This has enabled the Community Support Professionals to stay in touch with people living in the community who need ongoing support – whether it’s making sure there is food in the house, medications are being taken, or meeting social needs. 

Family Support Services has continued full-time providing Family Reimbursement services. This allows families to cover costs for expenses that they normally might not be able to afford – everything from classes, supports, or medical and adaptive equipment not covered by insurance. 

Our FIs (Fiscal Intermediaries) and Support Brokers continue to provide Self-Direction services to enrolled people supported and their families. They continue to connect with care coordinators and provide self-hire respite/community habilitation services if people and families are willing and in need of services. As with our Community Habilitation program, our team has been creative in finding effective means of connecting with people supported and ensuring that needs continue to be addressed.

Our Health Homes care managers have been working at 100% and moving full-speed-ahead! With so many people facing medical issues, their services have been crucial. The team continues to work under Department of Health guidelines to ensure people enrolled are engaging with their PCPs and attending to their physical and mental health needs.        

Day Habilitation and Pre-Vocational Programs

Currently, we are waiting for more information and guidance from New York State and OPWDD as to when we may be able to open our Day Habilitation services and our Pre-Vocational services (Adult Project SEARCH, ArcWorks, Culinary Career Prep, LifePrep@Naz, MCC Experience, and SELF at The Strong). At this point, we are not sure which phase our programs fall into. This said, we have begun conversations about how our services may run in the future. If you are struggling and need additional support at home, please reach out to your Day Habilitation Manager.

If you have any questions or would like to leave a comment or a note, please feel free to email covidcommunications@arcmonroe.org.

I'd like to end my email by sharing with you some photos of the "May the 4th be with you" festivities and Nurse's Week. We are so grateful to all of them, all of our staff, and all of you, who continue to weather this storm together!

Warmly,

Barbara Wale
President/CEO
The Arc of Monroe

Dear Arc Family,

I hope you have been well, and have been enjoying the sun and warmth as we smell the spring flowers, hear the buzz of lawn mowers, and see people outside for walks. Here at The Arc, we have been doing all of these things, and being thankful, even when COVID-19 has posed its challenges.

As we come together to fight this unprecedented pandemic, I am continually impressed by the resilience, professionalism and dedication of all of our staff. In this uncharted territory, I find strength in the dedication and conviction of the caregivers I have the privilege to work alongside all of them. In the face of this pandemic, we will continue to serve the needs of our community, and we will not waver in our commitment to those we serve.

This week is Nurse’s Week, and we are so thankful to our RNs, LPNs, and Medical Liaisons who are so committed to the health and safety of the people we support! We are confident our positive COVID numbers are so low because of what they are doing!

I am grateful to the community’s outpouring of support for the many acts of kindness that have been demonstrated in supporting the Arc of Monroe. Some of which include making homemade masks, making meals and donating PPE equipment. It is often in times of crisis that our humanity, resilience and compassion shine brightest.

May is Mental Health Month, and although raising awareness to the importance of mental health has always been important to our agency, it seems even more prevalent and relevant to stress even more, right now, as we live and work through the challenges, changes, and impact COVID-19 is having on us all.

I’d like to share with you one activity that we are doing throughout the month, called Meaningful May. It includes 31 actions to look after ourselves and each other as we face this global crisis together. Click here to download the calendar.

If you haven’t already seen them, please check out the videos that our staff have put together, that anyone can do from home. You will find the following on our YouTube channel: Pound Fitness video; Movement & Stretching videos; and Zumba video.

In our homes, people have been enjoying planting, sending and receiving letters from pen pals, and making chalk drawings in our driveways. Below are some photos taken in our residential homes over the last several weeks.

I hope that you are staying well. If you have any questions, or would like to send a note of appreciation to our staff, please email covidcommunications@arcmonroe.org.

We are strong. We are resilient. We are in this together.

Thank you,

Barbara Wale

President/ CEO
The Arc of Monroe

Good Evening Valued Staff,

As we come together to fight this unprecedented pandemic, I am continually impressed by the resilience, professionalism and dedication of all of our staff,  Without their selfless commitment to serving others, we would not be able to weather this crisis.

I would like to recognize and thank the many departments across our agency for all they are doing during this pandemic, Arc Works, Employment Services, Community Habitation, Transpiration, Facilities, Human Resources, Finance, Family Support, Behavior Support, Health Homes, Self-Direction, Quality/Compliance, IT, Training/Education, Clinic, Outreach and Enrollment, Communication/Foundation, Administration.  Your continued commitment and support to ensure that our day to day operations remain our top priority is mazing and makes us stronger together.  I am humble and thankful for all of you.

The pandemic poses the greatest risk to the most vulnerable members of our community; which includes many of the people we support. There are hundreds of front line staff within our organization supporting our residential program and community programs who are doing heroic work to help the people we support remain safe and well. Their efforts are more critical than ever and they need our support.  I would also like to extend my deepest thank you and appreciation to our operational leadership team.  Your hard work around the clock goes unnoticed and I am forever grateful for the work you are doing to ensure that our day to day operations remain consistent and whole.

I also send my prayers and positive thoughts  to the people we support at Crossroads and several of our staff who have tested positive these past few weeks. Please know that we are all thinking of you and hope that you feel better soon.

Despite these dire circumstances, I remain optimistic and proud. The staff at the Arc of Monroe, from our diligent direct support professionals, our leaders and to our expert medical team, are all working incredibly hard to ensure we are doing everything in our power to care for the people we support.  Your early actions and quick flexibility gave the Arc of Monroe the best chance to manage this crisis. I am especially impressed by the ongoing collaboration, because it shows how much we are capable of accomplishing together. This work is highly valued and deeply appreciated, both within our walls and beyond.

In this unchartered territory, I find strength in the dedication and conviction of the caregivers I have the privilege to work alongside all of you. Providing outstanding care and hard work across our agency in a time like this is exactly why we chose careers in human services. In the face of this pandemic, we will continue to serve the needs of our community, and we will not waver in our commitment to those we serve.

I am grateful to the community’s outpouring of support for the many acts of kindness that have been demonstrated in supporting the Arc of Monroe.  Some of which include making home made masks, making meals and donating PPE equipment.  It is often in times of crisis that our humanity, resilience and compassion shine brightest.

Please continue to be safe and do your part to protect each other, the people we support and your families.  If you have any flu-like symptoms such as fever, cough, sore throat, body aches or shortness of breath, please stay home.  When you are not at work please continue to follow social distancing and follow universal precautions.  I know that as human services workers we have a tendency to ignore symptoms, and work through them, so that we do not let the team down. This is the time that I implore you not to do so.

Thank you for your commitment and dedication to the people we support and families that depend on us during this challenging time.

To my fellow colleagues,

COVID-19 is impacting everyone around the world and every aspect of our daily lives: our social interactions, our family life, our communities, and, of course, how all of us work at The Arc of Monroe.  I want to share my deepest thanks to each of you for the creative and collaborative ways you have stepped up to support the Arc of Monroe during this crisis. It’s times like this that remind us that each of us has something to contribute and the importance of coming together as a community. Please know that the senior leadership team and I are thinking about you and prioritizing the health and safety of the people we support, you and your families first and foremost. We are meeting and working each day on how we can best support you during this time. And it’s been so gratifying to see how you are pitching in to help.

It is in times of great disruption and uncertainty that our ability to stay grounded in our sense of purpose and remain true to our identity is of the utmost importance. I’ve reflected on this as I’ve seen the great work across our agency and around our community in the past several weeks.

We are steadfast in our mission to empower every person to do their very best. No one entity is going to solve a challenge like this alone, and it’s going to take every single person working together to turn the tide on COVID-19. During this extraordinary time, it is clear that software has a huge role to play across every industry and around the world. Our responsibility is to ensure that the tools we provide are up to the task.  We’re seeing many people in our agency adopt Microsoft 365 platform tools including Teams to enable our employees to work remotely, while staying productive, collaborative, and fostering a sense of community. We are seeing staff working with people we support to learn the technology to be able to connect with family and friends. This is so important to stay connected.

We are in uncharted territory. Much is unknown, and I know how unsettling and uncertain this feels. Like many of you, there have been times over the past weeks where it has felt overwhelming and all-encompassing for me. I worry about the health and safety of my family, my co-workers, and friends. I see the struggle in our local community, and around the world, the empty streets and restaurants, and I wonder when our social fabric will be restored.

One truth that brings me comfort is just as this virus has no borders, its cure will have no borders. We are all in this together. For me, the best way I’ve found to get past this anxiety is to focus on what I can do each day to make a small difference. Each of us, wherever we are, has the opportunity to do the same – take an action driven by hope, a small step that makes things a bit better. And if everyone does something that makes the world a bit better, our collective work will in fact make the world a lot better, for the people we serve,  the people we love, for our communities, for our society.

I am proud every day to work at Arc of Monroe and count all of you as my colleagues, together we are stronger.

Stay safe and healthy,

Mike Zazzara
Chief Operating Officer
The Arc of Monroe

I hope you and your family are doing well.  

I wanted to give you a glimpse of what we have been doing at The Arc of Monroe over the past week. On Saturday, March 14th, the first confirmed case of COVID-19 was announced in Monroe County. On Sunday, public schools were closed, and Governor Cuomo announced that New York State was declared a state of emergency. While awaiting guidance from New York State and OPWDD, The Arc of Monroe decided to move ahead with suspending our day habilitation, community habilitation, pre-vocational, and recreational programs until further notice. Since then, The Arc of Monroe has turned its attention to support the 204 people living in 30 residential homes.  

Last week, our operations team was in full force making sure that we had protocols in place for the safety of those we support and those that support them. Our Education and Training department provided a half day refresher for employees that worked in other areas of our operation, so that they would be able to provide support to our residential homes. Our direct support team from day hab programs have been able to bring fun, creative ways to stay active and busy into the homes. They are enjoying music and art lessons, crafts, board games, pajama days, and baking challenges from one house to another. To stay active, our recreation specialists have been visiting with badminton rackets and balloons, bowling, and exercise routines. Our behavior team has been supporting our residents and staff through emails, phone calls and video chat when possible by providing tools such as social stories to help educate everyone on what is going on and why it is so important to stay home.  

We have embraced technology to create routine and keep people connected, instructors from our pre-vocational services SELF at the Strong and Adult Project SEARCH will be offering some online learning opportunities for the people in those programs. The school-based teachers from LifePrep@Naz and MCC Experience are making online learning that they are presenting to the school-aged students available to the adults should they want to participate. Staff from Job Path have continued to provide support to people working in essential jobs in the community. In addition, Job Path staff are supporting our residential program and working at ArcWorks. ArcWorks continues to run as an essential business, as such, is helping to provide manufacturing products needed for COVID-19 and the critical needs in the community.  

Clinicians are now offering their services through TeleMed. This time can be especially difficult for people we support. Now more than ever, we want to be sure people are aware that we offer social work services, and no PPD is required.  

Specialists at our day habilitation programs have been creating videos to keep in touch with people who normally attend program. You willl start to be seeing more and more YouTube videos and Facebook posts with art, music, and dance snippets. 

We would love for you to share any ideas about how we can help stay connected during this time of uncertainty. Please feel free to email covidcommunications@arcmonroe.org with these ideas or with general questions.  

Sincerely,

Barbara Wale
President/CEO
The Arc of Monroe