HUDSON VALLEY, NY – The Access: Supports for Living Foundation Inc. presented its Vision of Hope Awards on November 17th to three exemplary community leaders: Elizabeth Rowley, President and CEO of the Community Foundation of Orange and Sullivan; Louis Heimbach, Chairman of Orange Bank and Trust Company, and LEGOLAND New York (a division of Merlin Entertainments PLC). The Vision of Hope Awards were celebrated by nearly 500 guests at Access’s annual gala, held at Anthony’s Pier 9 in New Windsor.
”Through their contributions to the strength and vitality of the Hudson Valley, our honorees help to build dreams and inspire hope, ensuring that all people have the chance to live the healthiest and fullest lives possible,” said Amy Anderson-Winchell, LCSW, President and CEO of Access: Supports for Living.
The evening included a performance by Zylofone, joined by surprise guest stars from the community. A live auction, hosted by President and CEO of Focus Media and Access Community Leadership Council member, Josh Sommers, raised funds for Access’s Healthy Families Program, an evidence-based program that teaches positive parenting and promotes bonding between parents and children to combat child abuse and neglect.
Access: Supports for Living was founded 55 years ago by a group of families who believed in a bright, positive future for their children with disabilities. Today Access touches more than 10,000 lives annually and provides services to people with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities, Behavioral Health needs, and Children and Families facing challenges. Access summarizes its worldview in four words: Rewarding Lives, Healthy Communities. The Access: Supports for Living Foundation supports the work of Access through ongoing and annual fundraising events. More information is available at accesssupports.org or by calling 845-692-4454.
Middletown, New York. – The Access: Supports for Living Foundation is pleased to announce the formation of its Community Leadership Council and recently held the inaugural meeting. The mission of the Community Leadership Council is to assist the Access Foundation in proactively creating community connections to support Access in furthering its mission to help people in the Hudson Valley live the healthiest and fullest lives possible. This group of prestigious and respected community influencers are champions of Access and the communities in the region, and have consistently demonstrated deep passion for ensuring people live happy and healthy lives.
“As Access celebrates its 55th year of support to the community, it’s incredible to think of all we have accomplished as we have grown and challenged ourselves to continue to evolve so that all people have the opportunity for rewarding, meaningful lives in healthy communities. Our success has been guided and supported in many ways by many people, including members of the Community Leadership Council,” said Amy Anderson-Winchell, LCSW, President and CEO of Access.
Nick Preddice, Vice Chairperson of the Access: Supports for Living Foundation, was part of the team that initially conceptualized the Community Leadership Council. “Members of this group lead incredibly busy lives, and their time is in great demand. We know, however, that one meeting can change a community. The connections we make through the Council will make sure that those who need us, find us.”
Access: Supports for Living was founded 55 years ago by a group of families who believed in a bright, positive future for their children with disabilities. Today, Access is mission-driven to help people live the healthiest and fullest lives possible and supports more than 10,000 people each year through services for people with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities, Behavioral Health needs, and Children and Families with a range of challenges and opportunities. Access summarizes its worldview in four words: Rewarding Lives, Healthy Communities. For more information, call 1-888-750-2266.
Middletown, New York. – CARF International announced that Access: Supports for Living Inc. has earned accreditation for a period of three years for its Community Counseling Centers: Union Center Middletown and Kaplan Family Center in Newburgh, Personalized Recovery Oriented Services in Middletown, New Windsor, Rhinebeck, Poughkeepsie, and Millbrook locations, as well as the Mobile Mental Health Teams it operates in both Orange and Ulster Counties.
This accreditation decision represents the highest level of accreditation that can be awarded to an organization and shows Access’s substantial conformance to the CARF standards. Organizations receiving Three-Year Accreditation have put themselves through a rigorous peer review process and have demonstrated to a team of surveyors during an on-site visit that its programs, services, and administration are of the highest quality, and are measurable and accountable.
CARF is an independent, nonprofit accrediting body whose mission is to promote the quality, value, and optimal outcomes of services through a consultative accreditation process that centers on enhancing the lives of the persons served. Founded in 1966 as the Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities, and now known as CARF, the accrediting body establishes consumer-focused standards to help organizations measure and improve the quality of their programs and services.
“The people we serve deserve the guarantee that we are providing the highest quality care measured against some of the most stringent international standards. I am awed, but not surprised, by the teamwork and commitment; expertise and innovation that has brought us here – having earned a three-year accreditation across nine programs at Access. It is a remarkable achievement, the highest recognition, hard-earned, and well-deserved”, said Amy Anderson-Winchell, LCSW, President and CEO of Access.
Daniel Hulse, long-time member of the Access Board of Directors, shared these sentiments to the Access staff at a recent event honoring their achievement. “Every day, you show up with the drive and determination to support people with incredible complexities to live healthy and full lives. The proof of that work, your dedication to it, and commitment to the people you support to find independence, recovery, and hope is evident in earning a three-year accreditation from CARF.”
Access: Supports for Living was founded over 50 years ago by a group of families who believed in a bright, positive future for their children with disabilities. Today, Access is mission-driven to help people live the healthiest and fullest lives possible and supports more than 10,000 people each year through services to people with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities, Behavioral Health needs, and Children and Families with a range of needs. Access summarizes its worldview in four words: Rewarding Lives, Healthy Communities. For more information, call 1-888-750-2266.
HUDSON VALLEY, NY – Access: Supports for Living Foundation Inc. announces its Vision of Hope Award honorees to be celebrated at the 2018 Gala. They are Elizabeth Rowley, president and CEO of the Community Foundation of Orange and Sullivan; Louis Heimbach, chairman of Orange Bank and Trust Company; and LEGOLAND New York (a division of Merlin Entertainments PLC). The theme of the event, to be held on Saturday, November 17, 2018 at Anthony’s Pier 9 in New Windsor, is “Building Dreams. Inspiring Hope.”
The Vision of Hope award honors an individual or organization whose value and concern for human life, eloquently demonstrated through their leadership, accomplishments, and commitment, serves as an inspiration to others. Together and through their commitment to build the strength and vitality of the Hudson Valley, these honorees help to build dreams and inspire hope for all individuals, ensuring that all people have opportunities to lead healthy and rewarding lives.
“Our community is fortunate to have such outstanding leaders, steadfast in their commitment to improve the quality of life for all of us,” commented Amy Anderson Winchell, LCSW, President and Chief Executive Officer of Access: Supports for Living. “This year’s theme, Building Dreams. Inspiring Hope.,truly encompasses their work and vision for the future.”
“This year’s Gala will be a great celebration of the work of two individuals who are dedicated to the Hudson Valley and an organization that enhances its economic development while creating magical experiences – in the lives of children of all abilities and their families through their foundation, Merlin’s Magic Wand” said James Monroe, Chairperson of the Access: Supports for Living Foundation Board of Directors.
Todd Kelson, Chairperson of the Access: Supports for Living Board of Directors added, “The entire Access Family looks forward to recognizing these exceptional community leaders whose efforts are making meaningful contributions to the lives of individuals and families who live and work in the Hudson Valley.”
This year’s festivities begin at 5:30 pm at Anthony’s Pier 9 in New Windsor with cocktails and stationed and butlered hors d’oeuvres. The celebration will include an electronic silent auction. The cocktail party will be followed by dinner and program, dessert, and an after party celebration with dancing to the live music of the Jon Bates Band.
Sponsorship opportunities will be available at various levels and a commemorative journal is also planned. Additional details for the Access: Supports for Living Foundation Gala are available at www.accesssupports.org/gala2018 or by calling 845-692-4454, ext. 7127.
Access: Supports for Living was founded over 50 years ago by a group of families who believed in a bright, positive future for their children with disabilities. Today Access touches more than 10,000 lives annually and provides services to people with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities, Behavioral Health needs, and Children and Families with a range of needs. Access summarizes its worldview in four words: Rewarding Lives, Healthy Communities. The Access: Supports for Living Foundation supports the work of Access through ongoing and annual fundraising events.
Middletown, NY – Access: Supports for Living Inc. is helping Hudson Valley residents in the fight against opioid abuse, says the organization’s President & CEO, Amy Anderson-Winchell, LCSW. A medication-assisted treatment program (MAT) is now available at Access’s Community Counseling Centers in Middletown and Newburgh.
MAT at Access is an integrated program combining physical and mental health care with medication, such as Suboxone, to overcome cravings and the other physical effects of addiction to opioids, allowing people to focus on recovery.
“At Access: Supports for Living, our mission is to help people live the healthiest and fullest lives possible. The Medication Assisted Treatment Program at Access is, at its heart, an extension of our decades-long support of people with behavioral health needs to find and sustain recovery. In doing this, the benefits spread deeply, improving health, wellness, and well-being of the communities where we live and work.”
The program is overseen by Access’s Medical Director, Dr. Lanre Somorin, who is triple Board Certified in General Psychiatry, Addiction Psychiatry, and Addiction Medicine. “Medication Assisted Treatment is an effective therapy for treating opioid abuse,” said Dr. Somorin. “It treats addiction as a whole-body illness, which it is, and it requires whole-body treatment to achieve and sustain recovery.”
For more information about the MAT Program at Access or to make an appointment, call 1-888-750-2266.
Access: Supports for Living was founded over 50 years ago by a group of families who believed in a bright, positive future for their children with disabilities. Today Access touches more than 10,000 lives annually and provides services to people with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities, Behavioral Health needs, and Children and Families with a range of needs. Access summarizes its worldview in four words: Rewarding Lives, Healthy Communities.
Middletown, NY – Access: Supports for Living Inc. President and CEO, Amy Anderson-Winchell, LCSW, today announced the promotion of Katariina Hoaas, LCSW, to the position of Chief Clinical Officer and the additions of Naim Korca, RN, BSN, as Chief Program Officer and Angela Woods, MBA, FAB as Vice President of Transformation.
“Access is committed to being a vital resource for our neighbors in the Hudson Valley. We are a dynamic organization working in a quickly changing field. Having the best and brightest leadership team is critical to continuing to provide high-quality supports and services at the greatest value now and in the years to come,” said Amy Anderson-Winchell. “Bringing Naim Korca and Angela Wood’s talents, experience, dedication to the agency, as well as promoting Katariina Hoaas to the role of Chief Clinical Officer, represents Access’s dedication to realizing our mission of building rewarding lives and healthy communities.”
Katariina Hoaas, LCSW, joined Access nine years ago. As Chief Clinical Officer, she provides strategic leadership and business development to Access’s Community Counseling Centers, located in Middletown and Newburgh, Personalized Recovery Oriented Services in Dutchess and Orange Counties, Supported Housing for people in recovery from behavioral health conditions in Orange and Sullivan Counties, Mobile Mental Health Teams in Orange and Ulster Counties, Child Welfare, Foster Care, and Case Management Services, and clinical services for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Ms. Hoaas has led Access’s implementation of integrated primary and behavioral health care programs and the addition of OnTrackNY, an innovative, intensive, evidence-based practice developed by Columbia University to intervene at the first episode of serious mental illness in young adults 16 to 30 years old.
Naim Korca, RN, BSN, will be serving as Chief Program Officer. His primary responsibilities will include oversight of services for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities and nursing. Mr. Korca joins Access from the Bon Secours Charity Health System where he served as Administrator of Behavioral Health Services. Prior to that, he was Director of Behavioral Health at Catskill Regional Medical Center. A native of Kosovo, Naim’s education in medical school was cut short by the war in the late 1990s. With authorization by Executive Order of the Kosovo Government and Military High Command, Mr. Korca began practicing medicine in the Kosovo Armed Forces. He brought his talents and passion to the United States more than a decade ago.
He holds a Bachelor of Science in Nursing and is a Six Sigma Black Belt, fluent in English, Albanian, Serbian, and Croatian.
Angela Woods, MBA, FAB, has more than 25 years of experience as a leader in healthcare delivery. She joins Access as Vice President of Transformation. Ms. Woods most recently served as Deputy Chief Operating Officer at NYC Health and Hospitals-Lincoln where she led the organization in process improvement netting more than $54.6 million in reduced operating costs, increased revenue, and recaptured time. Ms. Woods also serves our country as a Colonel in the US Army Reserve Medical Command where she has brought her knowledge and experience to bear by improving operational readiness, decreasing patient transportation time, and reducing medical re-supply time from 72 hours to less than 24 hours. Previously, Ms. Woods served as Chief of Plans and Operations at the US Army Hospital in Berlin, Germany. For her service, she has been awarded a Bronze Star and three Meritorious Service Medals.
Access: Supports for Living Inc. was founded more than five decades ago by a group of families who believed in a bright, positive future for their children with disabilities. Today, Access: Supports for Living Inc. is an $86 million, mission-driven organization that touches more than 10,000 lives each year across nine counties in the Hudson Valley providing services for people with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities, Behavioral Health issues, and children and families facing challenges, such as those in Foster Care. Access provides independent, integrated, supported housing opportunities in Orange and Sullivan Counties for people with special needs, including those with a history of homelessness. Access’s industrial operations arm, Access Business Solutions, produces a number of products and, through a partnership with 3M™, manufactures hearing protection products with distribution throughout the United States including to its largest customer, US Department of Defense. Access Business Solutions also provides Total Facilities Management, including custodial and landscaping and award-winning food service operations. Profits from Access Business Solutions help support Access’s work in other areas. Access’s mission: Rewarding Lives. Healthy Communities. is our commitment to helping people across the Hudson Valley live the healthiest, fullest lives possible.
MIDDLETOWN, N.Y., and ST. PAUL, Minn. — June 27, 2017 — Access: Supports for Living and 3M™ Personal Safety Division have expanded their partnership to begin production of the full line of 3M™ PELTOR™ earmuffs for the military, law enforcement and commercial segments. Access employs severely disabled individuals, including disabled military personnel and veterans, to help with the assembly and packaging of hearing protection products.
Access: Business Solutions, a division of Access: Supports for Living, is ISO 9001 registered for the manufacture of hearing protection products, primarily for the Department of Defense. Access: Business Solutions first partnered with 3M in 2011 to assemble and package earplugs, and will now include 3M PELTOR, the brand of choice for top-quality hearing protection and communication solutions. With the addition of the 3M PELTOR earmuffs, and the launch of its new website, store.accesssupports.org, Access: Business Solutions is now a one-stop shopping solution for hearing protection and 3M PELTOR communication needs, as well as a leading distributor of 3M Personal Protective Equipment (PPE).
“This expanded partnership with 3M helps Access: Supports for Living accomplish its mission to help people live the healthiest and fullest lives possible, including creating more opportunities to employ disabled military personnel with jobs,” said Amy Anderson-Winchell, LCSW, president and CEO of Access: Supports for Living. “Access: Business Solutions is customer driven and strives to create meaningful employment opportunities that promote independence and inclusion toward our ultimate goal of creating rewarding lives and healthy communities.”
3M hearing protection includes technology that helps combat sharp impulse noises at close range, sudden impact noise from flash diversionary devices that can temporarily disorient the senses as well as loud surrounding noises that prevent or interrupt team communication and situational awareness. Trusted by the audiology community, law enforcement, the military and commercial segments such as construction, 3M hearing and other protective equipment is used by a wide variety of industries.
“3M is proud to work with Access: Supports for Living, an agency with a simple goal—to support the families and communities of New York’s Hudson Valley Region by helping them thrive,” said Doug Moses, U.S. marketing manager for Protective Communication Solutions for 3M. “We are committed to the future as we innovate today to support the people of the Hudson Valley in the coming years. As the role of not-for-profits changes and communities are asked to strengthen support for people with vulnerabilities, Access is the resource the entire Hudson Valley can rely on.”
About Access: Supports for Living
Access: Supports for Living is an agency with a simple goal – to support the families and communities of the Hudson Valley by helping people live the happiest, healthiest and fullest lives possible. We are committed to the future as we innovate today to support the people of the Hudson Valley in the coming years. As the role of not for profits changes and communities are asked to strengthen supports for people with vulnerabilities, we are the resource the entire Hudson Valley can rely on. Visit store.accesssupports.org, to learn more about the ways in which Access continues to be a solution for the Hudson Valley. For services and information on ACCESS programs call 1-888-750- 2266, seven-days-a-week, 24 hours a day.
About 3M
At 3M, we apply science in collaborative ways to improve lives daily. With $30 billion in sales, our 90,000 employees connect with customers all around the world. Learn more about 3M’s creative solutions to the world’s problems at www.3M.com or on Twitter @3M or @3MNewsroom.
3M PELTOR is a trademark of 3M Svenska AB, used under license in Canada.
Contacts:
Patricia Archiere Access: Supports for Living 845-673-7127 parchiere@@asfl.org
Middletown, New York. – Access: Supports for Living is pleased to announce its implementation of a 12-month Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner Residency Training Program. The program, which is currently accepting applications, will begin in September 2017 and provide intensive training for new psychiatric nurse practitioners in a high performance community behavioral health model in Access’s clinically complex safety-net environment. Access: Supports for Living has partnered with the Community Health Center, Inc. (CHCI) in Middletown, CT to administer this program.
The residency program, which will run out of the agency’s Middletown location, begins with an orientation to Access: Supports for Living, the neighborhoods in which the training sites are located, and the health problems of the target population. Katariina Hoaas, LCSW, Senior Vice President of Clinical and Program Services oversees the program and joins Dr. Lanre Somorin, who will serve as one of its preceptors, in leading the initiative.
The Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner Residency Training Program will provide the new psychiatric nurse practitioner an unparalleled experience working with a diverse population of patients with assorted conditions who may benefit from treatment for a variety of behavioral health issues from problems with coping with stress to victims of trauma. Experienced healthcare providers will work side-by-side with residents as they treat patients in the various behavioral health care settings at Access. The mentors will support residents in advancing their skills of delivering behavioral health care specific to the uninsured and underserved populations.
“We are pleased for the opportunity to begin this program, especially in Middletown, New York” said Dr. Lanre Somorin, Access Medical Director. “New York is suffering from a shortage of psychiatric services to address the mental health and addiction needs of the community. This program offers the unique opportunity to provide quality psychiatric services to those in need, and at the same time build a workforce of professionals that will serve the mental health needs of the community for years to come.
According to Katariina Hoaas, the goals of the Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner Residency Training Program are:
Increase access to quality psychiatric care for underserved and special populations
Provide new Psychiatric Nurse Practitioners with a depth, breadth, volume and intensity of clinical training necessary to serve as psychiatric nurse practitioners in the complex setting of the country’s Community Behavioral Health Centers
Improve the skills, confidence, productivity, and job satisfaction of new psychiatric nurse practitioners who choose to work in underserved community settings
Increase the number of Psychiatric NPs ready to serve in leadership roles in community health settings.
Two residency slots are available for the 2017-2018 class. The application deadline isMay 30, 2017. The residency class begins Sept. 1, 2017-August 31, 2017. For more information or to apply, visit our website at http://accesssupports.org/work-with-us
Access is dedicated to supporting the families and communities of the Hudson Valley and has been evolving services for people facing the challenges of disability and mental illness for over 50 years. Access: Supports for Living is an agency with a simple goal – to support the families and communities of the Hudson Valley by helping people live the happiest, healthiest and fullest lives possible. We are committed to the future as we innovate today to support the people of the Hudson Valley in the coming years. As the role of not for profits changes and communities are asked to strengthen supports for people with vulnerabilities, we are the resource the entire Hudson Valley can rely on. Visit www.accesssupports.org, to learn more about the ways in which Access continues to be a solution for the Hudson Valley. For services and information on ACCESS programs call 1-888-750-2266, seven-days-a-week, 24 hours a day.
HUDSON VALLEY, NY – Access: Supports for Living Foundation Inc announces Vision of Hope Award honorees for its 2017 Gala, “Access Celebrates Leadership in Transformative Healthcare Partnerships”. On Saturday, November 18, 2017, friends will gather at Anthony’s Pier 9 in New Windsor to honor four of the Hudson Valley’s healthcare leaders who have demonstrated extraordinary leadership in developing partnerships to positively impact healthcare transformation and have impacted the essence of Access: Supports for Living’s Mission: to help people live the fullest and healthiest lives possible – Joan Cusack-McGuirk, President & CEO, St. Luke’s Cornwall Hospital, Anne Nolon, President & CEO, Hudson River Health Care, Linda Muller, President & CEO, Cornerstone Family Healthcare, and Beth Alter, LCSW-R, Director, Behavioral Health Diversion Services, Dutchess County Department of Behavioral and Community Health Division of Mental Hygiene with our Vision of Hope Award. Collectively these four leaders continue to focus on addressing the innovative changes in healthcare that most impact the Hudson Valley region, ensuring that all people, regardless of their abilities or circumstances, have opportunities to lead healthy and fulfilling lives. Access invites the community to join others on November 18th for a night of honoring these leaders as well as celebrating healthy communities.
Assemblywoman Aileen Gunther will serve as this year’s Honorary Chair and Darcie Miller, LCSW-R, Commissioner, Orange County Departments of Social Services and Mental Health, Orange County, Joseph Todora, MSW, LMSW, Commissioner of the Division of Health and Family Services and Director of Community Services, Sullivan County, and Margaret Hirst, LCSW-R, Acting Commissioner of Behavioral and Community Health, Dutchess County, our Regional Commissioners will serve as Honorary Co-Chairs.
“Access is honored to add these exemplary leaders to the list of Vision of Hope Awardees at their 2017 Gala- “Access Celebrates Leadership in Transformative Healthcare Partnership” on November 18th. Access is thrilled to recognize the impact of their contributions through the transformative work they do in partnership with Access and other healthcare providers. These four women have demonstrated extraordinary commitment to the Hudson Valley region and the communities they serve. All of these leaders are known for their steadfast commitment to delivering superb healthcare service to everyone. Their collaborative efforts are successfully impacting the health and wellbeing of the people of the Hudson Valley.” commented Amy Anderson-Winchell, LCSW, President and Chief Executive Officer of Access: Supports for Living.
“This year’s 2017 Access Gala will be a great celebration as we honor four extraordinary women from our community who through their work, exude commitment to improve and transform healthcare in our region. We look forward to another wonderful evening to support the Access: Supports for Living Foundation. We are pleased and honored to be presenting Joan, Anne, Linda and Beth with this prestigious award recognizing their contributions and partnership in the Hudson Valley.” said James Monroe, Chairperson of the Access: Supports for Living Foundation Board of Directors. Todd Kelson, Chairperson of the Access: Supports for Living Board of Directors added, “The entire Access Family – Leadership, Staff, and Board of Directors – looks forward to recognizing four outstanding community members whose efforts have made a meaningful contribution to the lives of individuals and families who live and work in the Hudson Valley. The spirit of innovation and enthusiasm these leaders bring to bear each day improves the quality of life for every person they serve. We are honored to present our Vision of Hope Award to these deserving individuals.”
This year’s festivities begin at 5:30 pm at Anthony’s Pier 9 in New Windsor with cocktails and stationed and butlered hors d’oeuvres. The celebration will include an electronic silent auction that will highlight the many attractions of the Hudson Valley (scenic photos, restaurants, lodging, real estate, wineries, breweries, distilleries, antiques, specialty shops, and community resources). The cocktail party will be followed by a sit down dinner and a formal program, dessert, a live auction and an after party celebration with live music by the Jon Bates Band and dancing. Sponsorship opportunities will be available at various levels and a commemorative journal is also planned. Additional details for the Access: Supports for Living Foundation Gala and “Vision of Hope” Award Dinner are available at www.accesssupports.org/gala2107 or by calling 845-692-4454, ext. 7127.
Access: Supports for Living is an agency with a simple goal – to support the families and communities of the Hudson Valley by helping people live the happiest, healthiest and fullest lives possible. We are committed to the future as we innovate today to support the people of the Hudson Valley in the coming years. As the role of not for profits changes and communities are asked to strengthen supports for people with vulnerabilities, we are the resource the entire Hudson Valley can rely on. Visit www.accesssupports.org, to learn more about the ways in which Access continues to be a solution for the Hudson Valley. For services and information on ACCESS programs call 1-888-750-2266, seven-days-a-week, 24 hours a day.
(above) Joan Cusack-McGuirk, President & CEO, St. Luke’s Cornwall Hospital
(above) Anne Nolon, President & CEO, Hudson River Healthcare
(above) Linda Muller, President & CEO, Cornerstone Family Healthcare
(above) Beth Alter, LCSW-R, Director, Behavioral Health Diversion Services, Dutchess County Department of Behavioral and Community Health Division of Mental Hygiene
