Organizational Growth Within the Community: A Message from Joseph M. Pancari
Dear Friends,
In recent months, CP Unlimited has taken several steps forward towards growing our organizational presence within communities throughout New York City and Hudson Valley, as well as our relationships in State Offices devoted to supporting people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
As we move into the last quarter of the calendar year, I wanted to provide an update as to how the Agency is advancing our mission, facilitating partnerships, and elevating the standard of care for many of our most vulnerable.
In August, we organized an initial meeting with the Office of Persons With Developmental Disabilities (OPWDD) and presented a concept paper outlining important pathways to greater cooperation between the NYS Office of Mental Health (OMH) and their team, in service towards more comprehensive systems of support and processes for people with I/DD in residences and especially in transitional housing.
I am encouraged to share that we just had a follow up meeting, bringing together these teams for the first time with the mutual goal of providing more inclusive and diverse support options. Further, we were able to spotlight the pressing need for more flexible psychological and psychiatric supports, and how greater cooperation can motivate these constructive solutions. The Agency also advocated for increased co-training and proposed technological collaboration to help deepen knowledge and skills throughout the field.
Our focus on these areas is borne out of both the history of the organization and the real-time data provided by the work we do and the people we support. And our growing role as a convener and innovator is one that we are comfortable satisfying given our evolving responsibilities and expanding capacities.
None of this would be possible without the commitment of our team—the people in our residences, day habilitation programs, Article 16 clinics, and Central Office—working in tandem to create opportunities for people with I/DD to achieve fulfilling lives. The significance of our work is only eclipsed by the passion we bring to it.
Thank you for your support of CP Unlimited. I look forward to sharing more with you soon and wish you a productive and healthy fall season.
Sincerely,
Joseph M. Pancari
President & CEO
