The Mission of the Cerebral Palsy Associations of New York State is to advocate and provide direct services with and/for individuals with Cerebral Palsy and other significant disabilities, and their families, throughout New York State in order to promote lifelong opportunities and choices for independence and quality of life:
- By providing State wide leadership, support and coordination
- By providing constructive influence and access to the processes of government change, policy making legislation, and regulations affecting the organization and constituencies
- By providing person-centered, accessible and comprehensive quality services that are driven by individual needs
- By actively engaging constituents and their families in advocacy and policy-making decisions
There are several keywords and paraphrases in these procedural statements that make reference to CP of New York State's commitment, their continued efforts to grow and achieve, and their efforts to improve the care and comfort of those whom they serve. These terms also seem to involve the New York State Elks Association's Major Projects Partnership with CP of New York State to help those less fortunate than ourselves.
Words and phrases such as: individual needs, advocacy, support, access, quality services, choices, inclusion, life long opportunities, person-centered, accessible comprehensive choices for independence – these terms all describe the varying roles that the Home Service Director plays in the life of a person with disabilities and his/her family.
For the past 60 years (since its founding in 1946), CP of New York State has striven to put 'People First" – to provide unqualified help in the many areas stated above – for all people with disabilities. This "person centered and patient first" approach is a sacrosanct rule of CP of New York State, no policy supersedes it.
CP of New York State has worked (and continues to work) long and hard to do away with the "institutional" approach of by gone days and work through a community-based procedure to help people with disabilities and their families. The result is that the individual and his/her family now have a voice in the decisions that impact their lives on a daily basis. Who is in the forefront of this operation? The Home Service Director.
As you read this article, CP of New York State, through its 24 affiliates, is providing services for more than 88,000 people with disabilities. Seventeen thousand are employed - and many, many more – including several Elks Lodges are involved in volunteering at these agencies.
No person with a disability is ever turned away. In fact, this concept has caused CP of New York State to develop programs to meet the needs of those with autism and other developmental problems. Autism is a growing problem in our country – and CP of New York State, as ever is there to help.
CP of New York State is also in the forefront of delivery health care to those with disabilities – and the community in general – through the Article 28 and Article 16 clinics. In many areas of our state, these clinics are the only dental provider that will accept Medicaid. It is another of CP New York's basic tenets that people with disabilities AND Medicaid recipients deserve the same health care services as are available to other New York Staters.
The days of the institutions – like Willowbrook – are gone. Community-based living in smaller settings is the trend of today – and the wave of the future. These significant accomplishments of CP of New York State are happenings we can all be proud of. Elks Care and Elks Share as we work hand in hand with CP of New York State.
The role of the Home Service Director is one of the vital strands that bind CP of New York State together. The New York State Elks Association Major Project is the solid foundation upon which the program of the Home Service Director rests.