Transition Program: New Skills, New Space, Just for Teens
Marty works with Lead Teacher Lauren Mucha.In two large, bright classrooms on Morse Avenue, ten of PACTT’s 18- to 21-year-old students learn job skills, practice daily living activities, venture out into the community and work on functional academics. PACTT Learning Center’s Transition Program is up and running in these newly leased, renovated storefronts, a short walk from the main school building in Rogers Park.
In previous years, PACTT bridged the gap between the high school and adult vocational programs by allowing students to spend time at each facility. The new Transition Program is a separately designated program approved in 2009 by the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) for the purpose of boosting special education students’ vocational and community interaction skills while they are still of high school age. In designing the program, Principal Paula Jablonski and Lead Teacher Lauren Mucha focused on the principles of self-determination, community participation, vocational skills, independent living skills, communication skills and socialization. Those goals are supported through an increased funding level which makes the program’s 3:2 student-to-staff ratio possible.
A grant from the Special Kids Foundation provides students with additional support for community activities and expanded vocational opportunities. So far, four of the students leave the classroom and immediate neighborhood at least once a week to work in paid or volunteer positions. Jon G. restocks printer paper, resupplies bathrooms and waters plants in an office, with assistance from his job coach and a picture schedule. Meanwhile, Eric J. restocks the company’s refrigerator and shreds documents. Lauren Mucha hopes “to get all of our students in jobs in the community and get them to a level of independence where some of them won’t need 1:1 job coaches." She said, "We want them to be in a good place to start in an adult vocational program and be ready for the world of work.”
Throughout the day, students change classrooms for different subjects, leave and return from a job or a community activity with teachers, as well as spend time at the Vocational Program facility with their older peers a few doors down Morse Avenue. The result is that each class in the three work periods and two living/leisure periods of the day is composed of different students and staff. And each day holds a variety of opportunities and challenges determined by the individual’s abilities and preferences. In line with the program’s goal of fostering self-determination, students chose their own electives and clubs at the beginning of the year.
Some of the choices were Current Events, Cooking, the Cleaning Club and two exercise classes: Toning with Tim and Courtney’s Crunch Crew. But everybody loves to go shopping so the most popular activities are always the excursions to Sam’s Club and other stores. The teens shop from a list of supplies needed for their classrooms and cooking programs, and also purchase items to restock the vending machines at the Learning Center. Lauren Mucha says the varied schedule “is teaching them flexibility in a comfortable way and giving them another important skill set to take into adulthood.”
State Fiscal Crisis Worsens
Illinois is the worst state in the nation for late payments to nonprofit human service providers, according to a new report released in October by the Urban Institute. Illinois also ranks in the bottom nationally in two other key indicators of program quality: inadequate funding that fails to cover the cost of services and unilateral changes by government to contract terms mid-stream. Illinois is failing its most vulnerable residents by continuing to under-fund programs and delay payment cycles on monies owed to human service providers. This refusal to live up to its contract obligations in a timely manner creates massive cash flow and budgeting problems for organizations like PACTT that are relied on by the state to provide important and critical services to developmentally disabled Illinois citizens.
“Unfortunately, this is just further evidence that Illinois’ system for human services is broken and needs to be fixed,” says Laurel O’Sullivan, Vice President of Public Policy, at Chicago-based Donors Forum, a statewide membership organization working to strengthen philanthropy and the nonprofit sector. “There’s no honor in balancing the state’s budget on the backs of human service providers.”
In spite of these challenges, PACTT continues to deliver model programs to individuals with autism. These comprehensive services are making a huge difference in the quality of life of PACTT students and residents. State legislators and officials should stop using the disabled citizens of Illinois as political pawns, and muster the will to serve and protect our most vulnerable citizens.
PACTT Joins Forces with Other Chicago Agencies
PACTT has been privileged to participate in forming a collaborative group to better serve individuals with development disabilities. In 2009, The Coleman Foundation, the largest private funder of adult disability services in Illinois, helped to bring PACTT together with other Chicagoland social service agencies to form Intersect for Ability to address the unmet needs of an underserved population.
Currently, factors such as inadequate funding, isolation, lack of consistent standards of care and an unstable and poorly trained workforce have made sufficient services rare and difficult to access for individuals with developmental disabilities and their families. With Coleman’s leadership and financial support, Intersect for Ability partners have created programs to address three problem areas: employment, staff training and retention, and life stage transitions. In addition to collaborative programming, network members engage in program evaluation, shared leadership, program development, and in exploration of varied funders and strategies to improve efficiency and enhance quality.
The Intersect for Ability network includes 10 agencies that serve persons with developmental disabilities in the greater Chicago Metropolitan area. The Hope Institute for Children and Families, located in Springfield, provides managing partner support. The Institute for Legal, Legislative and Policy Studies at the University of Illinois Springfield provides evaluation support with funding from the Coleman Foundation. Other agencies include: Barbara Olson Center of Hope, Clearbrook, Easter Seals Metropolitan Chicago, Elim Christian Services, Helping Hand Center, Little Friends Center for Autism, Misericordia Heart of Mercy, Park Lawn Association, and Seguin Services.
In October, PACTT hosted a meeting of network participants in our new Vocational Program facility in Rogers Park. So far, this innovative collaboration has enabled us to participate in grants and other opportunities which were not otherwise available. We look forward to continued involvement as Intersect for Ability works to better meet the needs of the individuals we serve.
On the Job at Rock Bottom
Matt takes down the chairs at Rock Bottom.First thing in the morning, the Rock Bottom Brewery and Restaurant at State Street and Grand Avenue is relatively quiet. Deliveries arrive through the door to the alley. Chefs prep the day’s menu items in the kitchen. And workers from PACTT’s Vocational Program prepare the dining room for the lunch-time crowds that arrive every weekday.
Nicole loads and carries buckets of ice to the drinks station and assembles nozzles on the soft drink dispensers. Meanwhile, Matt or Walker lifts dining chairs down from their night time positions and squares them up to the tables, ready for use.
Matt works three days a week, and Walker two, but Nicole works five day per week and has worked at this restaurant for 10 years. “They do a really great job,” says their employer, Jennifer Thompson, Rock Bottom’s General Managing Partner. “Everything is always done the way it is supposed to be. I never have to recheck it.” Each table’s salt and pepper shakers and sugar caddies are emptied and refreshed on schedule. Menus are wiped clean and properly placed. With a smile, Jennifer Thompson reports, “They set up the restaurant better than the rest of my staff can! Whenever (PACTT workers) are out for a week, or a month, we have to bring in all our own staff. I have to manage differently.”
PACTT Job Coach, Tim Dixon says, “I just shadow them and help out if they need help.” He thinks the hardest part of the job is leaving when the work is done. “They want to stay! They see new faces, see new people and have interactions with the other staff members. There are smiles on their faces when they get their paychecks. And they are learning skills they can use in the future to be as independent as possible.”
Even though the workers from PACTT complete their tasks before the restaurant doors open for business, they have a positive effect on everyone there. “I love, and the staff loves that (the employees from PACTT) come here,” Jennifer Thompson says. “When we’re training new servers, most are blown away by the fact that we reach out. The staff really likes that they get to be part of it.”
If your business is interested in more information about PACTT’s vocational program, please contact Lisa Fegert at 773-465-5469.
Teaching Team Goes Global
While in India, Heera helped to train this girl's teachers.PACTT teachers and therapists have traveled the city, country and globe to provide resources, conduct trainings, and share their experiences with the world beyond PACTT’s doors.
Across town, PACTT Occupational Therapist Lillian Tarnow has presented two annual guest lectures for Wright College’s Occupational Therapy Assistant (OTA) program. The lectures provide information on autism diagnostics, sensory integration, and independent living skills as well as advice on how to work within a school system. Lill hopes to expand her lectures to include follow-up visits and projects based on real-life PACTT scenarios. “I bring extra attention to a growing area of need,” Lill said. “The more information we can get out there about autism, the more help it will be for our students and families.” Lill’s presentations to Wright students are based on a lecture she and PACTT’s Speech Language Pathologist, Heera Chandani, presented at the American Speech and Hearing Association (ASHA) national conference in Chicago in November 2008. At the ASHA conference, they shared strategies for collaborative treatment between speech and occupational therapists.
In April 2010, PACTT teachers Sarah Aldrich and Lauren Mucha presented a poster session at the national Council for Exceptional Children (CEC) conference in Nashville, TN. The topic of the session was “Community Employment for Students with Severe Autism,” and discussed the components of a successful transition program with an emphasis on community employment.
Heera Chandani, PACTT’s Speech Language Pathologist, traveled to India in December 2009 with AACTION Autism, a humanitarian organization dedicated to expanding global autism awareness, education and training. Heera became involved with the organization after meeting Have Dreams’ Christopher Flint, who is also part of the AACtion program, at a PACTT structured teaching in-service. Flint, Heera and two others made the trek together to Delhi and Bengaluru (Bangalore) last winter. For two weeks, the group helped local schools and families to access funding, build classrooms, create structured teaching programs, and more. Heera says that she would love to continue to reach out to these underserved areas. “One of the main reasons I got into special ed in the first place was seeing the limited resources in Dubai and India, especially for individuals with disabilities” she said. “I’ve always wanted to go back and help provide those much-needed resources.”
Pictured here: PACTT supporters Dan Cronin, Tom OConnell, Kevin Collins, and Augusto Andrade.
PACTT's 2010 Golf Classic
The 9th Annual PACTT Golf Classic was held Monday, Sept. 13 at the fabulous Beverly Country Club on the South Side of Chicago. Nearly 70 people came out to support the educational, residential and vocational programs at PACTT. The weather more than cooperated as the PACTT golfers enjoyed a beautiful fall day on one of the finest courses in the Midwest.
Following the spectacular round, an exciting $100,000 “Shoot for PACTT” event took place on the 10th hole adjacent to the clubhouse during the cocktail hour. The top 10 golfers from the regular afternoon round each took one shot at a hole-in-one on the par three 175-yard hole. Although no aces were scored to benefit PACTT, a good time was had by all before enjoying a terrific buffet dinner in the clubhouse with awards for team and individuals as well as other flag events. Thanks to all our loyal golfers!
For more golfer photos and the top swings from this year's Golf Classic, click here.
A Note From the Board of Directors
The year 2010 has been one of challenge and change for PACTT. In light of our difficult fiscal position, caused largely by the significant economic downturn and the state budget crisis, we are grateful to be able to report that PACTT continues to operate all of its programs and has opened a new Transition Program for our teenagers. Our staff continues to provide the highest quality of support to our children and adults, allowing them to live, learn and work within a community that appreciates each and every individual success and collective accomplishment. We can never adequately thank our staff for the excellent work that they perform every day. Their dedication and compassion for the individuals we serve inspires me and all our Board members to help PACTT meet every challenge to fulfilling its mission.
The Board’s challenge is twofold. First, we will continue the work we are doing to maintain our current programs. Second, we will be proactive in planning for the long-term sustainability of the critically important services we provide. To this end, the Board has appointed one of its members as Interim CEO in order to strategically evaluate the organization, explore PACTT’s position in the marketplace of services, and enhance relationships with funders. Lanie Adair has served in this position as a volunteer since June 4th and continues to inform the board on strategic opportunities in areas of management, revenue generation, fundraising and potential partnership with other agencies.
At the end of our fiscal year in July, the Boards of Directors of PACTT Learning Center and of PACTT Foundation elected to merge into one entity. The result is improved communication and coordination between fundraising efforts and the programs they support. Additionally, the Board is preparing a structure to increase opportunities for parents to support the organization as well as to more widely acknowledge the volunteer and fundraising work that so many of our parents already do.
In 2011, the Board will continue its efforts to protect and support PACTT’s mission regardless of the challenges we face. Our primary responsibility is to ensure that our programs continue to operate for the benefit of the people we are privileged to serve.
-- Jerry White, PACTT Board Chairman