How can someone be everywhere at once? Chantal Joseph, Respite Supervisor, has worked in developmental disability care for nearly 40 years, starting her career as a DSP. You can sometimes find her at our Friday Night Dance Respite service or … Continued
Camp Loyaltown Summer 2023 is almost here! We expect to have over 400 campers and 150 counselors joining us this summer. Session 1 kicks off on June 18 with our final session ending on September 10. As the season quickly … Continued
In the coming weeks, Citizens Options Unlimited (Citizens) will begin welcoming residents into their brand-new group home in Bayshore. The all-women’s residence will become home to six housemates, four of whom have been living together for years. Eileen Williams, Erica … Continued
Laughter and music could be heard from down the hall, as Shaquasha “Quay” Irby, a Medical DSP at the Rainbow Commons ICF made her rounds to check on residents. A drawn out “Quay” came from the living room as Chrissy, … Continued
Across New York State, a profound staffing crisis is underway with 1 in 5 DSP positions vacant and retention rates plummeting. In response, Citizens Options Unlimited is taking a leadership role leveraging statewide and local partnerships to strengthen the direct … Continued
On April 3rd, sister-advocate Ali Carbone published her first memoir titled What Are You Looking At?. Following the Carbone family from adolescence to adulthood, the memoir explores Ali’s personal experience as the sibling of three brothers with autism; Michael, Anthony, and … Continued
This week, the New York State Office for People with Developmental Disabilities (OPWDD) came down from the state capitol to visit Citizens Options Unlimited and partner agency AHRC Nassau. We kicked off an action-packed validation week with a Person-Centered Excellence … Continued
A mother’s love is unique. Sometimes, it might look like huge, themed birthday parties or tins of blueberry muffins, while other times, it might be as simple as spending time together. For a mother of a child with an intellectual … Continued
Respite/Recreation Highlight Smiling wide and clapping her hands, Gloria Snyder eagerly awaited her turn in Virtual Connections. The program starts out the same each time: from 4–5 p.m., each attendee takes a turn performing a song as part of their … Continued
Residential Highlight Bonnie Lerhinan knew what she wanted – a job that would bring her joy and a paycheck. This accomplishment took a little over four years, a network of coordinated supports and services to get there, but today she … Continued