A Message from the CEO, Denise Daviau (previously Denise Henry)
The end of the year offers a unique opportunity for us as an agency to reflect on the last year as well as look forward to the new one. This year SARAH Inc.’s dedicated employees worked diligently through the pandemic to successfully meet our agency goals, while reaching further towards new milestones. Together we have served more clients than before, partnered with new community members, and created new programs to help transform the lives of those in our programs.
This was all made possible by the work of our incredible employees, board of directors, community partners, legislative advocates, and of course all the friends and families of SARAH Inc. While we can’t predict what the next year will hold, I can guarantee we will continue to do everything we can to improve the programs and supports offered.
Thank you all for such a great year and I look forward to seeing you in the year to come.
Catch Up On All Things Happening At SARAH Inc.!
Reflecting on 2021...
Adult Services
SARAH Inc. Adult Services programs have been extremely busy over the last several months. Our Day Support Programs have been active in the community and were involved in a variety of local events throughout the year including The Old Saybrook Scarecrow Fest and The Helpful Harvest Food Drive. This food drive occurred in the weeks leading up to Thanksgiving; all three of our Day Support Programs in Westbrook, Madison and North Haven accepted and donated food and personal care items to The Connecticut Food Bank. These adults also participated in life enriching activities all year long such as creative Art Therapy classes, High Hopes Equestrian Therapy classes, Nutrition Classes, and more. In addition, there were some exciting trips to various places in the community. One of our memorable trips was a visit to Blessed Michael McGivney Pilgrimage Center (formerly Knights of Columbus Museum) in New Haven.
Supporting individuals so that they can engage in activities of daily living in the community is one of the focuses of our Community Supports program. In this program, SARAH Inc. helps individuals develop the skills and focuses that they utilize in their day to day tasks. Recently William has increased his independence through his trips to the grocery store. He now participates in every stage of this process from making a grocery list, finding the best sales, navigating the store, asking for assistance from store staff to find items if needed, utilizing the self checkout, paying independently and getting what he needs to make a delicious home cooked meal. We look forward to hearing more about the variety of meals William creates.
SARAH Inc. Employment Services groups have been engaging in the community, enhancing their career development and staying busy as well! We started an exciting new assessment site with PEZ in Orange, Connecticut. The crews come in and help The PEZ Vistor Center prepare merchandise and perform other various tasks assisting the production floor. Other adults in this program have practiced their interview skills, attended interviews, and several received jobs offers. All of our Employment Services crews are thankful for the ongoing support from our communities. Over the last year, we have gained 12 new community partners and have been able to offer several new opportunities to the adults in this program. We plan to continue fostering these relationships in the new year so that we can continue offering our high quality, customized services to provide SARAH supported workers with the skills they need to be successful.
But now we are here to ask you something! We are always looking for new community connections. The Westbrook Day Supports Program is in search of volunteer sites in their local area. These sites are places for the adults in the Day Supports Program to connect with others and spend their time making a positive impact around the communities in which they live.
Moreover, our Employment Services team is looking for two more assessment sites in Orange, Connecticut. In our last newsletter we shared about our recent expansion to Orange, we have a great group of adults that live and interact in that community. To help continue to grow this program, we are looking for connections familiar to the area to establish relationships with.
If you have any ideas for potential work community connections, please reach out to us immediately at scona@sarah-inc.org or call us at 860-399-1888 ext. 324.
KIDSTEPS
SARAH Inc. KIDSTEPS programs are designed to meet a child’s developmental needs. One of the most important aspects of trying to reach these goals is ensuring that the family members are actively involved and take what they learn during visits and incorporate them into their child’s everyday routine. This fall, one of our therapists has been working with Dominic and his family in our early intervention programs. We are working on a video series to show the work the family is doing and the activities that they are participating in together.
This first video, introduces you to Dominic and his dad, Rich. In this exercise, Rich incorporates his favorite activity into Dominic’s play – football. Dominic loves watching his dad’s excitement as he engages in his hobbies and passions. Notice that while they are playing Rich has a plan to get Dominic to give him the ball back. Rich pauses and waits for it, and Dominic throws it back to him. Rich turned this into what our teams call a “social game”. They play a game repeatedly and each of them has a job to do. The parents use this game to help Dominic expand his understanding of words, following directions, and other developmental tasks.
How to Request an Early Intervention Evaluation
To request a Birth to Three early intervention evaluation you can:
A) Call the toll-free intake phone number at Child Development Infoline 1-800-505-7000
B) Complete the online referral form on the Birth to Three System web site www.birth23.org
OR
C) Download the referral form from the Birth to Three Website and Fax your referral to 1-800-571-6853
If you would like a specific agency to provide the evaluation you must request them by name during the intake process. Otherwise, your child will be assigned to the program in your town that is next on rotation. Please contact Stephanie Cona at 860-399-1888 ext. 324 if you have any questions.
SARAH Solutions, 99% Effective Podcast
Listen to our latest episode of Ninety-Nine Percent Effective with guest speaker Laura Badecker. Laura is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapy and, in this episode, she talks through identifying often unnoticed signs of postpartum and prenatal mood disorders in women, men, and couples, and then gives helpful insight on finding support and resources that are right for you. Above all, our hosts and Laura remind us that many of these feelings we experience during the prenatal and postpartum stages are normal. You are not alone, the support you need is out there, and our goal is to help you find it.
Work at SARAH Inc.
The new year is right around the corner. If you or someone you know is looking for a new start or a new step in your career, take a moment and look at our current job openings! At SARAH Inc. we provide the highest-quality services to hundreds of children and adults in Connecticut.
Check out some of our open positions and let us know if you have any questions before you submit your application. We look forward to hearing from you!
Openings in our KIDSTEPS programs:
- Speech Language Pathologist – Glastonbury
- Social Worker – New Britain, Norwich
- Physical Therapist – Glastonbury, New Haven, New Britain
- Director of Autism Services – Westbrook
- Developmental Therapist – Madison
- Developmental Therapist (bilingual preferred) – Glastonbury, Meriden
- Board Certified Behavior Analyst – New London
- Developmental Therapy Associate (bilingual preferred) – New Britain
- Administrative Assistant (part time) – Westbrook
Openings in our Adult Services and Administrative Office:
- Direct Support Professional – North Haven
- Direct Support Professional (per diem) – Westbrook, North Haven, Madison
- Registered Nurse – North Haven
- Program Coordinator – Madison, North Haven
SARAH Inc. is a Connecticut 501©3 nonprofit. The work we do is essential for those in our programs and often underfunded. Over the last few months, we have held some fundraisers, but it is not too late to help us make a difference.
All donations to SARAH Inc. directly impact more than 1,600 children and adults throughout the state of Connecticut. We aim to constantly transform lives, offer the highest-quality supports, and continuously improve our programs. We can’t do all of this without the help of each of you. Please consider taking a moment to donate to SARAH Inc.
