The Arc of Monroe Welcomes New Senior Director of Job Path Employment Services

Staff Perspectives

The Arc of Monroe recently promoted Kathryn Davidson to Senior Director of Job Path Employment Services following the retirement of Tammy Reynolds who celebrated more than 40 years of employment at the agency. Davidson received a BS in Social Work from Nazareth College before working at The Arc of Monroe in a variety of roles for the last 18 years. Prior to her promotion, Davidson held roles as a Direct Support Professional in The Arc’s residential program, an Employment Specialist at Job Path, an Enrollment Coordinator, a Community Based Assessment (CBA) Manager, and Director of Transition Services at Job Path. …

Grant from NADSP and OPWDD Allows The Arc of Monroe to Offer Professional Development Opportunities

Employment, Staff Perspectives

The Collaborative of NY recently received a grant through a collaboration between the National Alliance for Direct Support Professionals (NADSP) and the Office for People with Developmental Disabilities (OPWDD) that allows member agencies to offer professional development through the NADSP E-Badge Academy. The Arc of Monroe is excited to announce that we are one of those agencies! Participation provides an opportunity for Direct Support Professionals (DSPs) to demonstrate their knowledge, skills and values as they earn NADSP E-Badge Academy electronic badges (e-badges). Direct Support Professionals provide so much more than just assistance with daily tasks. They advocate for people with …

Love Your Job! 3 Reasons I Love Working at The Arc of Monroe

Staff Perspectives

Love Your Job! 3 Reasons I Love Working at The Arc of Monroe Do you love what you are doing? Do you want to love what you do? Then maybe a career at The Arc of Monroe is for you. Here are 3 reasons Job Path Employment Specialist, Bob Moriarty, loves working at The Arc of Monroe. Why do you love working at The Arc? I am always impressed with the shared vision of all the employees at The Arc of Monroe. The sense of teamwork is incredible! What have you learned about yourself since working at The Arc? I have learned …

Dementia and People with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (IDD)

Health and Wellness

What is Dementia? Dementia is a general term for loss of memory, language, problem-solving and other thinking abilities that are severe enough to interfere with daily life. Alzheimer’s is the most common cause of dementia. Although it is well known that older people are at higher risk for Alzheimer’s disease and dementia, it is less well known that individuals with intellectual disabilities, especially Down syndrome, are also at high risk of the disease, and research shows that people with IDD have a prevalence of dementia. What are some signs of Dementia? Early signs may include changes in health, and in …

Arc of Monroe Welcomes New Senior Director of Programs, Services and Housing Development

Staff Perspectives

Welcome to Neil Cavalieri, The Arc of Monroe’s new Senior Director of Programs, Services and Housing Development! Neil comes to The Arc with seven years of experience in the disability field, including working as a Direct Support Professional (DSP) and Residential Habilitation Counselor, as well as in residential management, community habilitation, and fiscal intermediary services. He also worked for three years in senior care overseeing both private pay and affordable housing. One of the priorities that The Arc of Monroe and other disability service providers currently have is finding and/or creating accessible housing for people to age in place well. …

Arc of Monroe Welcomes New Director of Community Services

Staff Perspectives

Welcome to Don Sinton, The Arc of Monroe’s new Director of Community Services! Don comes to The Arc with more than two decades of experience working with people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD), both in the Binghamton and Rochester areas. For more than 20 years, Don worked at Stepping Stone Learning Center, an inclusive program for kids with and without disabilities in integrated classrooms. Don’s experience in the IDD field mostly comes from working with young children and teens up to 21 years of age. “In this position, I am looking forward to managing the people within it and …

Fairport Day Services Welcomes New Director

Staff Perspectives

Welcome to Dyanna Gregory, The Arc of Monroe’s new Director of Fairport Day Services! Dyanna joins the team with more than a decade of experience working with people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). Dyanna received a Bachelor’s Degree in Sociology, as well as a Master’s Degree in Human Service Counseling. She previously worked as a Direct Support Professional (DSP) at Lifetime Assistance Inc. here in the Rochester area, a Medicaid Service Coordinator (MSC), and a Program Coordinator at a day habilitation program in the Bronx. After taking some time to stay home with her kids, Dyanna says she is …

Love Your Job! 3 Reasons I Love Working at The Arc of Monroe

Staff Perspectives

Love Your Job! 3 Reasons I Love Working at The Arc of Monroe Do you love what you are doing? Do you want to love what you do? Then maybe a career at The Arc of Monroe is for you. Here are 3 reasons Residential DSP, Toshia Rolle-Thompson, loves working at The Arc of Monroe. Why do you love working at The Arc? I love learning about the people we support and just seeing their faces light up when they accomplish something. It makes them feel good, and that makes me feel good knowing that I helped them to accomplish their goal. …

Risks and Benefits of Soaking up the Sun

Health and Wellness

Our Wonderful (but also dangerous) Sunshine I think we can all agree that the sunshine we get is not enough. We live in Rochester, NY after all. According to science, beautiful sunshine-filled days afford us with many benefits. Did you know that our bodies produce Vitamin D when we are exposed to sunlight? Vitamin D helps our body maintain calcium, and we have stronger bones as a result. Vitamin D is also critical for our immune system, and with consistent exposure to sunlight, we can help strengthen it and reduce the risk of illness. It’s not just in our head; …

SUNY Brockport Student Reflects on his Marketing and Communication Internship

Staff Perspectives

Gavin Ellis, a SUNY Brockport student majoring in journalism and broadcasting with a focus in public relations, interned this spring at The Arc of Monroe. Here he shares what he learned and reflects on some of his most notable experiences at The Arc. As my time as an intern at The Arc of Monroe is coming to an end, it is important to take a step back and reflect on all of the wonderful experiences that I was able to be a part of, while also discussing some of the amazing individuals that I had an opportunity to meet. One …