DD Task Force Meeting

DD Task Force Meeting
Special Guest Speakers:
Sen. Pam Althoff and Rep. Mike Tryon
Please come for a lively discussion of this year's budget and how it will impact persons with disabilities. How can we, in McHenry County, make a difference?

DATE: Wednesday, July 14th
TIME: 6:00 PM
LOCATION: Shah Center in McHenry, IL
Please forward this flyer to your friends!

See you there!

Cindy Sullivan

Summer Picnic Schedule July 2nd, 2010

The EDS group is very excited to host the summer picnic again this year. The schedule of events is:

Inside

9:30 Uno

10:00 Tattoos

10:00 Ladder Ball

10:30 Bozo Buckets

11:00- 1:00 Lunch/Relax/Art

1:00 BINGO
1:30 Wii

Outside:

9:30 Basketball

10:00 Baggo

10:30 Big FOOT

1:00 Water Balloon Toss

1:30 Frisbee Hula Hoop

Bring Your 'A' Game to Work

We just finished up our unit on Bringing our 'A' Game to work.

The unit focused on 7 different 'A's that we should bring to work every day. They are:

1. Attitude: Always keep a Positive attitude at work.

2. Accountability: Your boss will be able to count on you.

3. Attendance: Always show up on time

4. Ambition: Work hard to reach your goals

5. Appearance: Dress for Success

6. Acceptance: We accept our bosses authority, our co-workers and the workplace rules

7. Appreciation: Show our customers respect and appreciation.

Summer Picnic

Its that time of the year again. The EDS group will host the Summer Picnic again this year.

The picnic will be on Friday July 2nd.

The Theme: Red, White and Blue!!!

Lunch will be provided.

Please Note EDS will NOT be going to MCC this day.

Nick Got a Job!!!

To Celebrate Nicks Success we are having a party for him at MCC, Friday June 11th.

We will play games and have a treat to honor Nick and his success!!

We are very proud of you Nick!

Meet and Greet June 30th

Hello to all Pioneer Center family, guardians and friends,


I would like to take the opportunity to introduce myself. My name is Kim Nygaard and I am excited to be the new Director of Developmental Disabilities. I am a licensed clinical therapist (LCPC) and also an addictions specialist (CADC). I began working in the social service field by working with DD in special recreation. I worked for NWSRA for 4 years as program staff and then became Site Director for Day Camps for Moderate MR, autistic, and Severe/Profound population. I have also worked as a SASS (Screening, Assessment and Support Services) counselor for Lake County. I have also held multiple positions at Streamwood Behavioral Health Systems over 13 years, including therapist, clinical coordinator for DD/MI adolescent residential program, administrative coordinator and Chemical Dependency Director. I have also worked at Breaking Free, a not for profit outpatient substance abuse program based in Aurora as Program Director of Clinical Services. I have substantial experience working with multiple populations including children, adolescent and adult, as well as those with issues of mental illness, developmental disabilities and substance abuse.

I would like to invite all to a Meet and Greet on

Wednesday, June 30th
6:00 at Pioneer Center.

6:00 to 6:30 Cookies and coffee.
6:30 to 7:00 Introduction and Question & Answers



I look forward to meeting and speaking with you.

Sincerely,


Kim Nygaard LCPC, CADC
Director of Developmental Disabilities
Pioneer Center for Human Services
1-815-759-7030
knygaard@pioneercenter.org

MCC New Room for the Summer

For the summer months EDS classes will be meeting in Room E105 Monday Wednesday and Fridays from 10:-12:45.

Bob Got a JOB!!!!

So in true EDS fashion, we want to celebrate.

Bob has chosen to go to McDonalds for lunch.

When: Tuesday June 15th, 12:00

Where: We will take a bus to McDonalds, everyone can order their food and then come back to Pioneer or go to a park (weather permiting) to eat.

What: Everyone should bring their own money for lunch. If you do not wish to buy, you can pack your own lunch this day.

Any Questions call 815-759-7180

EDS Superstars

This past Wednesday the EDS group planned a Recognition night. The event was for us to thank the people that have helped us to get to where we are today. We handed out thank-yous to our support people. At the event we also had the chance to meet other peoples friends and family. We also said Farewell to one of our EDS clients. We served great food, which we shopped for ourselves. We gave tours of our building to the guests. We showed the Customer Service skit that we filmed earlier in the week.

All in all the event was a BIG HIT. We are already talking about doing something similar in the future.

Welcome Wendy!

I am pleased to announce that as of Monday March 15th EDS, Bridges and the Pathways program have a new Program Manager.

Please join me in Welcoming Wendy Weikel to the position!

Wendy can be reached at 815-759-7180 and wweikel@pioneercenter.org.

Back to MCC!!!!

Thank you for your patience with the transitions here in EDS!

We will be returning to our regular MCC schedule the week of March 29th.

Here is our schedule:

Monday Room E217

10:00-12:45

Wednesday Room A 213

10:00- 11:00

11:00- 1:00 Room A113

Friday Room E217

10:00-1:00



(Please note that Friday April 2nd Pioneer Center is closed for Good Friday)

MCC

Due to recent staff changes and shortages EDS will not be having classes at MCC until further notice. All Classes will be held at Pioneer Center.

Thank you for your patience and support during this time.

Enjoy Spring Break!!

Spring Break is March 22nd-26th at MCC.

EDS will NOT be having classes at MCC during this week.

All classes will be held at Pioneer Center.

If you have any further questions please call 815-759-7180

Thank you!

Book Fair March 18th

The Book Fair is coming, so mark your calandars

March 18th

10:00- 2:00

Pioneer West

Life Skills Unlimited, INC

http://learnlifeskillsnow.com/index.html

For those who missed the McHenry County Task Force Meeting last night, you missed the presentation by Robin Rhode from Life Skills Unlimited, INC. Life Skills Unlimited, Inc. is dedicated to teaching practical, functional life skills to individuals who want to develop a more independent lifestyle while living in the least restrictive environment possible. They specialize in assisting people with mild developmental and cognitive disabilities but anyone seeking an improved life situation can benefit from our services.

Quick Notes:
1. Programming takes place in the client's home and in the community.
2. Programming centered around individual plans and specific curriculum based on learning style is generated.
3. This program is private pay, think of it like paying a tutor.

For more information, check out their website.

NEW County Transportation! DID YOU REGISTER??

Back in December we posted aboutthe new County Transportation service!!!

Please know this is an expansion of service, it is not replacing any current existing service. It is a pilot program between several cities, townships, and organizations in the County – and hopefully will expand in the future.

You will not be losing any current level of service. What this expansion does is enable transportation between cities – like Woodstock to McHenry – which Dial-A-Ride currently cannot offer. There is also an expansion on weekend and evening hours.

It simply gives more opportunities for everyone. Some FAQ’s
Frequently Asked Questions
When Does Service Start? Service begins on February 13, 2010.
How much? All one-way trips on this new service are $3.00. There are no discounted fares.
What time? Take trips between 6:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m. Monday through Friday and between 9:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. on Sunday.

Will my existing dial-a ride service change? Existing services will remain the same. This is a new, expanded service and does not change existing dial-a-ride services in Crystal Lake, McHenry, Woodstock and McHenry Township.

How do I sign up? To use this service, you must register.

GO TO: www.McHenryCountyDOT.org to egister.

Call Sarah Lutz at 815-334-4985 with questions about registration or the service.

For questions or comments about this service, call 815-334-4985. Please leave a message and someone will get back to you as soon as possible. An online form is also available. Click here to access the online contact form.

EDS is selling Valentines Cards and Pretzels

The EDS group is selling Valentines Cards for $0.50 each.

We will also be making Chocolate Covered Pretzels rods to sell.

If you are interested in buying anything please let us know!!

The proceeds will go in the EDS Client Council fund.

Personal Power Players

On March 4th, 2010 a group of performers called the Personal Power Players will be here to perform a skit for us. They are a group of self-advocates from Central IL that have found their personal power. The skit was written by a self-advocate. There will be a question and discussion following the skit.

When: March 4th, 2010 1-2:30pm

Where: Training Rooms B and C in Pioneer West

Volunteer Fair at MCC

When: Wednesday February 10th, 10 am-1 pm

Where: MCC Commons area

What: The EDS group will be attending this fair to find out about possible volunteer opportunities. The group has talked about how it is important to Dress for Success this day to make a good first impression on the people at the fair.

We will have our regular lunch and classes after attending the fair.

McHenry County Task Force Meeting

The speaker this month will be Robin Rhodes, from the Life Skills Unlimited, INC. out of Cary, IL. You can find out more information at their website: http://learnlifeskillsnow.com/


When: Wednesday February 10, 2010 6:00 pm
Where: MCC Shah Center, 4100 W Shamrock Lane, McHenry, IL 60050

W-2 Statement

W-2 statements are now available for pick up. Please see Britt if you haven't gotten yours yet! Thanks!

MCC Canceled FRIDAY JAN 8TH

EDS will NOT be going to MCC tomorrow Friday January 8th, due to the weather.

We will have class at Pioneer Center and clients can report there.

We will resume our regular schedule on Monday.

Thanks!

EDS staff