[NFBNJ] November-December 2017 Commission Edition
joe ruffalo
nfbnj1 at verizon.net
Tue Dec 19 15:05:43 UTC 2017
Greetings to all!
I have pasted and attached the Commission Edition for November/December 2017.
Please read and share with others as we celebrate the successes to raise expectations to live the life we want.
Congratulations to the administration and staff of the NJ CBVI and to the consumers that continue to grow as they transform their dreams into reality.
Let’s continue to work together to make a difference!
We care. We share. We grow. We make a difference
Joe Ruffalo, President
National Federation of the Blind of New Jersey
973 743 0075
nfbnj1 at verizon.net
www.nfbnj.org
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Commission Edition
The Monthly Newsletter of the NJ Commission for the Blind and Visually Impaired
December 2017 – Volume 5, No. 11
Daniel B. Frye, J.D. Pamela Gaston
Executive Director Editor
>From the Director’s Desk
We find ourselves in December, having almost reached the end of another calendar year. Our staff and consumers are largely concentrating on the festive season ahead. In that spirit, we have combined the November and December 2017 Commission Editions into a single, end-of-year release, which, in addition to catching our readers up on the events of the final two months of 2017, focuses primarily on the peace, joy, celebration, and reflective characteristics of the holiday season.
Please accept my best wishes for a wonderful and rewarding holiday, in whatever tradition or fashion you may observe it. The entire Commission community has worked especially hard this year, and I can cite multiple examples of our success. By the end of December, the Commission will, as usual, issue our Annual Report from our State Rehabilitation Council that will describe in considerable detail the 2017 strides of our agency. Unlike previous years, our State Rehabilitation Council annual report will share the accomplishments of our agency and its consumers largely through the art of storytelling, to highlight achievement and success in compelling and tangible ways, focusing not only on the final goal but also on the steps taken in pursuit of educational and rehabilitation-oriented successes. Given these achievements, I hope that you will—as the year comes to its conclusion—take time for yourself to remember the worthwhile work you have performed, and re-energize yourselves for another challenging and engaging year.
During this time of national social change in which we find ourselves, the giving, loving holidays that mark our calendars as the year fades should be particularly cherished. May we all use this season to affirm the importance of our inherent humanity, respecting the diversity of our world through acts of kindness, compassion, mercy, and generosity? With these principles in mind, I urge us all to act, animated by the underlying motives of delivering high-quality services to our consumers, promoting peace and joy among our personal and professional communities, and encouraging a respectful dialogue with everybody about what we might do to make this world in which we live a happier, healthier place.
November and December, despite the multiple holidays that these months host, have been incredibly busy times for me and our agency’s leadership, as we wrap up the work for 2017 and look forward to the professional obligations that promise to make 2018 another productive, hard-driving year at CBVI. In early November, I had the pleasure of delivering the closing keynote address at the Dare to be Remarkable: Ten Years of Progress conference, held at the headquarters of the National Federation of the Blind in Baltimore, Maryland. Almost 100 professionals in Vocational Rehabilitation assembled to discuss and strategize about what the national Vocational Rehabilitation community could do to improve services to blind, vision-impaired, and deaf-blind consumers, operating under the new policy realities of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA). I was pleased to support four CBVI managers and staff to attend the conference, with the expectation that they would bring back a reinvigorated spirit and numerous practical ideas to improve services at the Commission. Immediately on the heels of this event, John Walsh, Chief of Program Administration; Amanda Gerson, Coordinator of Vocational Rehabilitation and Transition Services; and I attended the semiannual conferences of the Council of State Administrators of Vocational Rehabilitation (CSAVR) and the National Council of State Agencies for the Blind (NCSAB) in Greenville, South Carolina. Both conferences were full of valuable presentations and information, ranging from detailed information on how to administer Pre-Employment Transition Services (Pre-ETS) programs to recommended strategies for preparing to be monitored by the U.S. Department of Education, Rehabilitation Services Administration (RSA). This last topic will prove particularly relevant for us at CBVI, as RSA officials announced during the CSAVR conferences that both Vocational Rehabilitation agencies in New Jersey will be monitored in calendar year 2018.
Earlier this year, CBVI’s leadership decided to develop a Blindness Learning Community (BLC) designed to cater to interested Community Rehabilitation Providers (CRPs) who specialize in providing services to persons who have intellectual or developmental disabilities. Wanting to deepen our ability to provide improved services to blind or vision-impaired consumers who also have these additional disabilities, CBVI partnered with our colleagues at the College of New Jersey (TCNJ) to provide a three-day blindness training course. After soliciting for interest, five CRPs expressed eagerness to participate in our BLC, where we devoted three days to sharing with these professionals information about blindness and vision loss, potentially enabling CBVI to provide better Supported Employment services to this sub-population of consumers, in conjunction with these well-trained CRPs.
During the last two months of this year, I have also invested considerable time in trying to connect personally with our staff. As promised, I have made my semiannual visits to our Newark and Freehold Service Centers, to share with staff, during an in-person meeting, much of what is occurring throughout CBVI. I look forward to scheduling the Cherry Hill and Atlantic City visits for early in 2018. Finally, on Thursday, December 7, I joined the statewide gathering of our Independent Living (IL) staff at the New Jersey State Library Talking Book and Braille Center in Trenton to discuss the multiple and unique programs that our agency administers to empower our consumers to realize maximum independence in their lives, at whatever stage in life that they find themselves. It is always a delight to join with our staff to share directly the work of our agency and receive input on how we can improve our services.
In conclusion, allow me once again to acknowledge how grateful I am to work among such a dedicated staff of professionals, who share a common belief in the capacity of blind, vision-impaired, and deaf-blind people to achieve their most ambitious goals and dreams. Please enjoy the holidays ahead, knowing that next year promises to be equally as professionally demanding and ultimately satisfying.
Daniel B. Frye
Executive Director
Learning Lunch Reminder:
As previously noted, during each of these monthly sessions, I will meet with five CBVI staff and a member of our Executive Management Team to receive feedback or suggestions on what the Commission might do that is new and exciting. Please indicate your interest in being part of such an up and coming forum by sending an email with the subject line “Learning Lunch” to my assistant, Melissa Brown, at Melissa.Brown2 at dhs.state.nj.us
(Image: Eight tiny reindeer with candy cane antlers)
Program Administration – John C. Walsh, Chief
Gratitude and Expectation: Thank You and Looking Forward to 2018
As we end another trip around the sun and look forward to a new year full of possibilities, I would like to take a moment to reflect back and offer my heartfelt thanks for all the fine work that was accomplished during the year. Your day to day work makes an impact on those we serve, so they can ultimately live the lives they want. We meet individuals every day who represent the full diversity of humanity, and each individual has his or her very unique problems, challenges and dreams for the future. We meet individuals who are in the midst of a major life crisis, who do not know how to take that next step, to those who clearly know their path in life but just need a helping hand and a bit of advice to achieve their goals. We assume different roles to further the work of the agency, but we all share one mission and vision, to assist each individual in pursuing their goals and achieving their highest potential, whether that is within their home and community, educational setting, or in the work force. The work you do is a great value to our society, as we endeavor to ensure that individuals with vision loss get an equal opportunity to experience all that is possible.
The agency has put a great deal of effort into developing an array of programs to further our mission, so that those we serve may achieve success. Some programs are offered in a short-term intensive structure, such as our summer programs for children and youth, as well as the newly created senior retreats, to allow for a period of time for an immersion within a learning community to acquire skills of independence and to change attitudes about what is possible. These programs push individuals out of their comfort zone and their perceived limitations, so when they return to attending school or looking for work, they feel a greater level of confidence and are energized to do the day-to-day hard work to pursue their dreams. These intensive programs supplement and complement our day-to-day itinerant efforts and are not meant as an alternative to the important work accomplished every day in home, schools, and work sites. Our collaborative endeavors serve to ultimately produce a collective impact for those who we have the privilege to assist on their life journey.
I am grateful for your partnership in achieving our objectives. It has been a real pleasure to be able to work with all of you in various capacities, and I greatly appreciate and value you as colleagues and friends. As we move into 2018 and beyond, I look forward to continued collaborations to facilitate ongoing improvements in our organization and the communities of service organizations by promoting positive change in our broader systems that we impact; with the ultimate goal of improving outcomes for those we serve. I wish you and your loved ones a wonderful holiday season full of love, peace, and joy!
Finally, I would like to extend my congratulations to Kevin Harris. Kevin has been selected to lead our Quality Improvement efforts in 2018 by earning a promotion to the position of Principal Community Program Specialist reporting to the Office of the Executive Director. In addition, Kevin Harris is co-author with Professors Weili Lu, Samantha Herrick, and Janice Oursler of the Rutgers Department of Psychiatric Rehabilitation of an article that has been accepted for publication by the peer reviewed “Journal of Employment Counseling.” The article, “Using Direct Skills Teaching to Improve Job Skills for Persons with Disabilities” will be published in a forthcoming issue. Kudos to Kevin!
Organizational Logistics – Ines Matos, Chief
December often brings a time of reflection as the current year comes to a close and a new one is right around the corner. This year has been very busy for the Organizational Logistics Unit. Our Technological Service Specialists (TSS) participated in many activities with other units such as EDGE (Employment, Development, Guidance, and Engagement), Business Relations and Independent Living in addition to participating in several annual programs such as SHARP (Student Hands-on Alternatives Re-enforcement Program), Work Skills and the College Prep Experience.
The TSS staff have also been involved in building a professional relationship with Princeton University where they contributed to the discussion of accessibility as part of a monthly staff development activity offered to the university’s employees. TSS also helped website designers understand what is necessary to develop fully accessible websites and demonstrated accessibility technology and devices at two events held to support Global Disability Awareness. These events provided the opportunity to engage with people who were not familiar with assistive technology and to answer questions about how it can be used to level the playing field for our consumers. The TSS unit also sponsored a successful vendor showcase in May and we are in the process of planning another which has already been scheduled for May 8, 2018, at the Joseph Kohn Training Center (JKTC).
The phone has been ringing off the hook on the CBVI Help Desk (973-648-4791) where we continue to support all staff with technical, hardware, software, networking, and data issues, including producing and monitoring 1800 service agreements for students receiving services through CBVI’s Blindness Education program. Through our work with the Meyer Center, 85 braille production systems have been placed in schools all over the state. Organizational Logistics also assisted in automating the American Printing House for the Blind (APH) submittal and consent processes.
We also were able to assist VR counselors in capturing new data on a host of new forms while reducing our 911 federal reporting errors to zero.
With our accomplishments of 2017 behind us, we look forward to the many new projects that await us in 2018.
We wish you all a very happy holiday season and a prosperous and healthy New Year.
Fiscal Operations – Edward Szajdecki, Chief
The end of the holiday season marks the halfway point of the State Fiscal Year (SFY). As staff in the Fiscal unit review account expenditures and file necessary reports, it is a good time to remind all staff with caseload responsibilities to review all outstanding authorizations in all program areas in order to use funds in the most effective manner for the second half of the SFY. Any authorizations that are no longer necessary because services or goods were not provided should be cancelled and authorizations where services or goods were provided should be certified for payment. Preparation of every authorization should continue to consider the most cost effective means to meet our consumers’ needs.
As always, please feel free to reach out to any of the Fiscal team members with any questions or problems using the CBVI-Fiscal at dhs.state.nj.us email whenever possible.
>From all of us in the Fiscal unit, a special wish to you all for a happy, healthy, and safe holiday season and New Year!
Vocational Rehabilitation and Transitional Services – Amanda Gerson, Coordinator
The Leading EDGE – submitted by C.P. McKenna, EDGE Employment Manager: CBVI consumer Thomas M. is a vision impaired high school senior from Jersey City. He’s currently in his second year of CBVI’s EDGE Program. EDGE (Employment, Development, Guidance, and Engagement) is an employment readiness program for vision impaired high school and college students that reside in New Jersey, managed by the Family Resource Network under the direction of CBVI. The program is designed to enhance self-advocacy and independence, while developing the skills necessary to become gainfully employed.
During the fall of 2017, Thomas voluntarily took on a new challenge. He was introduced to a new student who happened to be totally blind, by the school’s vice principal. This new student had relocated to NJ from another country just a week before school opened in September. Finding that his new schoolmate had never been introduced to the skills and/or resources that a person with a vision impairment relies upon for independence and success, such as orientation and mobility training, or Braille literacy, Thomas saw the opportunity to assist, and took the initiative.
He acclimated the new student to the shape and layout of the high school, doing a sort of informal orientation and mobility lesson. He introduced him to the concept of navigating by white cane, a skill previously unknown. Thomas contacted CBVI and spoke to his own TVI (Teacher of the Vision Impaired) and explained the student’s needs. Upon being alerted of the urgency of the situation by Thomas, the TVI arrived the very next day to begin work with the newcomer. That same day he was registered for CBVI services and expedited arrangements were made with an Orientation and Mobility instructor to begin weekly lessons.
Thomas then turned his attention to the newcomer’s complete lack of adaptive technology. Other than an iPhone, that, by using the function Voice Over, can read aloud word documents, the new student possessed none of the hardware or software necessary for his academic responsibilities. Thomas converted the student’s assignments in English, History, and Spanish from PDF format to WORD documents, which could then be read aloud by the iPhone. He also introduced him to other available assistive apps, such as Seeing AI and Be My Eyes, a program that can be used to convert print materials to speech.
Thomas was invited to sit in on the new student’s first few Braille lessons and had the opportunity to witness him mastering the alphabet. “When he read it, he would get it immediately. He’s a very adaptive student. Within thirty minutes of being shown something, he picked it up,” said Thomas.
Being a blind high school student is hard, I would know. Though I graduated in 1992, I still remember it clearly. Consider adding to this challenge the uncertainty of a new school and a new country. Thomas should be commended for being sensitive to the formidable challenges confronting his classmate as well as his willingness to step up to the plate to assist. He provided the guidance necessary to show the way forward, to greater success, and independence. It is an honor to have Thomas in the EDGE Program, his actions exemplifying the ideals upon which the program was founded.
Educational Services – Eva Scott, Director of Blindness Education
“Just knowing you don't have the answers is a recipe for humility, openness, acceptance, forgiveness, and an eagerness to learn.” (Unknown)
A few years ago, my daughter Mia gave me a bracelet that has a bead on one side that supposedly contains glacier ice from Mount Everest, and on the opposite side there is a bead that supposedly contains mud from the Dead Sea. The purpose in wearing this bracelet is to remind the wearer of a very simple but powerful message: “Sometimes you’re on top of the world; stay humble. Sometimes you hit a low point; stay hopeful.”
Working with our students and their families is both a humbling and hopeful experience. It is humbling to know that no matter what level of education an individual has achieved, that individual alone, is not able to find solutions to all of the challenges our students experience as they strive to achieve success in their lives. Those solutions require a committed team of people. It is with a deep sense of humility that I participate with our students, their families, their school teams, and my CBVI colleagues with the ultimate goal of fostering lifelong success in the students with whom we are privileged to work. As we witness students exit high school and move on to successful college and career experiences, I am hopeful for the students who follow because they too, will have the power of a strong team of individuals (including themselves and their families) to help them find the path to a successful life.
New Teachers in Blindness Education: Two new teachers were hired recently, and they are assigned to our Freehold Service Center:
Maria Bachman became a permanent TVI in early fall. She brings with her a wealth of experience teaching blind and vision impaired students. Her knowledge, skill, calm manner, and collaborative nature make her a wonderful addition to our Blindness Education staff.
Stephanie Serechia became a permanent TVI in October. Stephanie is an experienced classroom teacher who understands both the perspective of a classroom teacher as well as an itinerant teacher. Her background has helped her understand the importance of working collaboratively with classroom teachers.
I wish to extend a belated warm welcome to Maria and Stephanie.
The Annual Teachers’ Symposium: Our annual Teachers’ Symposium occurred on October 18th and 19th, at the Department of Children and Families Professional Center in New Brunswick. There were 268 classroom teachers in attendance during the two days. They came from all corners of New Jersey, and each teacher was provided with information relevant to their students. This year we were privileged to have in attendance on October 18th, Laura Morana, Acting Chief Academic Officer at the New Jersey Department of Education. Ms. Morana delivered an inspiring keynote address. On both days, our Executive Director, Dan Frye delivered an address that was both inspiring and insightful. All individual workshop presentations were conducted by CBVI staff including TVIs, O&M instructors, technology specialists, and transition counselors. Once again this year, there was a workshop for school administrators and child study team members.
The feedback provided by the classroom teachers and administrators who participated in this event was overwhelmingly positive. Based on their feedback and on the feedback from our presenters, I have already begun planning for the 2018 Teachers’ Symposium.
It is important to note that although this annual event is hosted by our Blindness Education Unit, it is a total effort of many staff members throughout CBVI including Independent Living, Vocational Rehabilitation, Assistive Technology, Management Services, and MIS. This year, because of the location of the event, there was even a Business Enterprises New Jersey operator who made lunches available for our participants and staff to purchase. My thanks to everyone whose hard work and dedication made this event a success.
The Annual Para-Educator Workshops: This year, as in past years, a group of Blindness Education teachers and IL instructors conducted full day workshops designed to provide professional development to para-educators who support our Braille readers in their school settings. These workshops were conducted on October 26, 2017, in two locations, the CBVI Cherry Hill Service Center and the CBVI Freehold Service Center. The participants were provided with hands on experience in creating and working with Braille materials as well as information regarding access to the general curriculum for Braille readers. There were 27 para-educators from across New Jersey in attendance, and their feedback regarding this event was overwhelmingly positive. My thanks to all CBVI staff who gave their time and talent to make this event a success in both Cherry Hill and Freehold.
Student Hands-On Alternative Reinforcement Program – SHARP 2018: As 2017 rapidly draws to a close, our thoughts turn to 2018. Our SHARP planning teams are beginning to gather ideas and prepare for SHARP 2018. This year’s program dates will be as follows: Session One (Grades 5 through 8) will be held from July 10th through July 26th , and Session Two (Grades 1 through 4) will be held from July 31st through August 16th. Once again, we are planning to have high school students from our EDGE program work as interns in SHARP. This past summer, our high school interns added value to the program because not only did they assist our teachers in the daily program activities, but they were positive role models for our younger students.
As in previous years, SHARP 2018 will highly focus on literacy and skills of independence but will also include more opportunities for our students to engage in community service activities. As expressed by some of our teachers, this will not only provide our students with the opportunity to learn while giving back, but it will foster the understanding that people who are blind, vision impaired and deaf blind are capable and valuable contributors to their communities. In the coming months, there will be additional details about plans for SHARP 2018.
New Technology Practice in Blindness Education: As we know, appropriate technology is essential to the success of our students. Technological devices and applications best serve the student when they are linked to goals and objectives intended to assist the student in accessing the general curriculum. To help assure that our students have the technology they need, our assistive technology specialists will now consider a wider variety of blindness/vision impairment related technological devices and applications when they assess our students. This new practice in Blindness Education is intended to provide our students with a greater variety of options for providing access to the general curriculum.
Holiday Wishes: I wish to extend to all readers of the Commission Edition, a happy holiday season, and I wish you much success in 2018.
>From the George F. Meyer Instructional Resource Center, submitted by Christine Hinton, Deputy Director of Blindness Education:
Happy Holidays to All CBVI Staff Members!
(Image: A snowflake on a blue background with the words Happy Holidays)
As the year 2017 comes to an end, The Meyer Center has achieved many accomplishments to improve services for children who are vision impaired. There are several new employees at the Meyer Center who have each proved themselves to be a great addition to our team. In the Major Equipment /Educational Aids Department, we have Susan Sexton and Jasmine Mercado and in the Large Print Department, we now have Iris Davis and Clarence Fullerton working to provide large print books for our consumers. We welcome and appreciate these additions to the Meyer Center Team.
Highlights of the Meyer Center’s efforts to improve services for both our Blindness Education colleagues and consumers include:
· The requests for Braille books in 2017 remained steady resulting in over 600 volumes being provided to CBVI consumers who use Braille as a reading medium;
· In 2017 approximately 500 volumes of large print books were provided to consumers;
· The Meyer Center’s electronic library, which houses both large print and Braille files, is now accessible through the internet so that teachers can access this information while visiting schools;
.
· There has been an increase in requests for products and assistive technology equipment. The Meyer Center launched two new projects to provide assistive technology devices that support CBVI students’ inclusion and independence in the classroom. The “BrailleNote Touch Pilot” was launched in the beginning of 2017. This device is a notetaker that provides Braille output through a Braille display with built in Google Apps that allow students to participate in the Google Classroom that is widely used in New Jersey schools. Also the” Matt Connect 12 Project “was also launched in 2017. This device allows students with low vision to magnify images and print at a near and distant view point and also has built-in technology to access the internet, download books, and scan documents.
As the Meyer Center Team looks toward 2018 with excitement for all of the possibilities available to students with vision impairments, we will continue to support the goal of ensuring that CBVI students have the ability to compete in the classroom and strive for excellence in their educational careers.
Independent Living & Clinical Services – Elizabeth DeShields, Coordinator
As the New Year approaches and the holiday season comes upon us, it is time to reflect, give thanks, and look forward to positive growth.
This past year IL staff continued to work tirelessly to serve consumers of all ages, by providing direct instruction, group lessons through specialized programs, collaborating with other units, and imparting knowledge of CBVI through community outreach. Project BEST provided eye screenings and referrals for continued services as required.
During 2017, the Closed Circuit Television System (CCTV) loan and distribution program, in partnership with the NJ State Library Talking Book and Braille Center (TBBC), has distributed 48 CCTV’s, and 78 individuals are currently benefiting from CCTV’s that have been loaned to them.
Our Assistive Support Programs for Independence Renewal and Education (ASPIRE) network has grown its membership to 48 support groups covering all 21 counties. Facilitator trainings continue to be held annually, and new groups are being developed for entry into the network.
IL has expanded its program to incorporate deaf blind services and assistive technology. Referrals to each of these programs keep us busy with the individual staff dedicated to these services having increasing caseloads. IL consumers are now being assisted with hearing exams, hearing aids, and hearing assistive devices. Assistive technology assessments and enhanced instruction are now being offered to deaf blind consumers.
The Library Equal Access Program (LEAP) has also expanded and is now offering computer and iPad lessons in eight different public libraries across the state. This program is made possible by the collaborative efforts of IL, Logistics, Assistive Technology, TBBC, and Advancing Opportunities.
Two Senior Hands-On Retreat Experience (SHORE) programs were held this year in the Northern and Southern Regions. Twenty consumers received a week of intensive IL instruction and left the program with more confidence, skills, independence and new found friends that some now call “family”.
Project BEST touched the lives of over 35,000 individuals by providing eye screenings to pre-school age children, migrant workers, adults at monthly fixed sites, health fairs and those with diabetic eye disease. The Project BEST staff referred individuals found to need additional CBVI services and follow up eye care. This program most often works with those individuals that are underserved or are most vulnerable.
I’m not the only one that thinks the IL and Project BEST staff do an outstanding job of providing services to our consumers as proven by a Customer Satisfaction Survey of older blind services conducted by the National Research and Training Center on Blindness and Low Vision. The target population was individuals age 55 years and older who are receiving CBVI IL services. Overall satisfaction of services provided was reported at 89%. A total of 87% of individuals reported that services provided by CBVI staff helped them remain independent in their homes.
I personally would like to thank all of the IL and Project BEST staff, itinerant workers, and assistants and support staff for demonstrating great dedication and teamwork. You rock! We have been on such a positive trajectory and I can’t wait for us to expand our services together.
Best wishes and happy holidays to all!
Joseph Kohn Training Center – Del Basha, Manager
The 2017 year was a productive and fruitful one at the Joseph Kohn Training Center. CBVI consumers from around the state and from all the different CBVI service centers attended the JKTC training program. Using a customized training approach, staff individually evaluated students and then created customized plans and class schedules. After completion of the training program, JKTC consumers attended college, vocational training, and many entered into employment.
Also during the 2017 year, some creative initiatives were implemented in JKTC, with support from the executive leadership of CBVI. For example, there was an opportunity to assess the best practices found in other blindness training centers. For this purpose, specifically the New Mexico and Minneapolis blindness training centers were observed. The invaluable information gathered from visits to those centers served as a critical learning tool. In addition to this trip, some other JKTC staff members had the privilege to attend a powerful seminar in Baltimore, coordinated by the National Federation of the Blind (NFB).
More recently, JKTC students were part of an especially creative instructional activity. In the finance class, which was launched just a few months ago, some students learned first-hand about a potentially lucrative investment option. The group went to and observed a county real estate auction. The event is open to the public and gives potential investors a chance to purchase distressed properties. At this auction, JKTC students learned about the process of bidding for and acquiring the properties.
Looking ahead to the 2018 year, there are other innovative plans in store for the JKTC. One idea is to have mobility lessons where students travel to New York City or to Philadelphia. The students would be tasked with researching details for the trip, using public transportation, and demonstrating their travel skills by visiting a variety of points of interest. One or more JKTC mobility instructors would accompany the students, but would only offer assistance when needed.
As the entire staff of the JKTC looks forward to the start of another fulfilling year, we wish you all a wonderful holiday and a happy new year.
Business Enterprises of New Jersey – Deacon Truesdale, Manager
2017 has been a year filled with the benefits of change and building relationships for the Business Enterprises New Jersey (BENJ).
In the past, training to enter into the BENJ program was held once a year at the JKTC. This year we incorporated the Hadley Business Enterprise Program Licensee Training which now allows incoming trainees to take part of the BENJ training online. The other part of the training is presented at three different sites, a cafeteria, snack bar, and a vending location. Several VR consumers have already begun their training with the Hadley online program, and several consumers have expressed an interest in BENJ.
The rules and regulations of the BENJ program were updated through the readoption of N.J.A.C. 10:97. The changes include the requirements for becoming a licensed manager and maintaining the license by participating in ongoing training and development activities, the scoring of interviews and a new subchapter that allows managers to seek out locations in the private sector. In the past few months there have been more locations opening up due to retirements and the new interview process has opened promotional opportunities.
Building relationships is an integral strategy for success in business. This holds especially true for BENJ as we look to expand the program. This year the BENJ annual meeting was held at the Hyatt in New Brunswick to which the BENJ committee chair invited several members of New York’s Committee of Business Enterprise Managers. The BENJ Committee has invited representatives of various vendors like Bar Fresh, Arizona, Red Bull and Vistar to meetings. BENJ has also participated in events held by the EDGE program and presented at community-based advocacy group events such as Eyes Like Mine, Inc. BENJ has been invited but also seeks opportunities to share information about the program as an option for career exploration, especially with young adults who are blind. BENJ has also partnered with the RSA Management group and the Bank of New York Mellon to open the first private sector location for the program. The program is also looking into the possibility of partnering with RSA Management Group and L.A. Fitness to provide vending services at the various health clubs throughout the state of NJ.
We are looking forward to the potential growth of the BENJ program during the coming year.
Staff Development – Kenya Whitehurst-Percell
During a recently attended training session, the facilitator asked each participant to share what they had gotten from it and if we had garnered any resources that would be beneficial in our individual work situations. This required me to do a quick assessment, and I realized that although I had heard some great ideas and met a couple of interesting people, I needed to improve in the area of networking.
Later, giving it more thought I recognized that when I enter a room filled with strangers, I often do not effectively use my time by connecting with others. I either talk with one person too much or not at all. I identified that I have a problem planting myself into a conversation that may have already started. Also my verbal and non-verbal social cues needed work. Many people know that social cues can either make or break a conversation. A few examples of social cues are: facial expression, posture, body language, gestures, and vocal tone.
I learned that carrying my oversized purse and although they may go nice with my outfit, wearing shoes that hurt my feet may result in my appearing to be exhausted, disinterested, or unapproachable. My body language did not convey that I wanted to connect with people and exchange information and ideas. I was missing out on receiving useful information through networking, because why? My feet hurt!
I did some research and decided for my own purposes, whether I am attending a social or work related event, to improve in the area of networking, I would:
· Make sure I arrive on time;
· Wear comfortable shoes;
· Ditch the oversized purse;
· Smile;
· Be cognizant of my body language;
· Introduce myself;
· Ask questions; and
· Share information about myself
Considering our consumers, I put myself in their shoes and imagined myself charged with the task of effectively networking without the benefit of visual cues and for some consumers diminished or no verbal cues. Sounds extremely challenging, however, we all know it is possible through our
interactions with both our colleagues and our consumers.
We all have the ability to really help people improve their lives and turn can’t into can if we stay focused on that goal and don’t let the weeds get in the way. When you are asked to attend training or identify training on your own ask yourself, how you can use not only the information, but also the overall experience to improve in your individual work situation and to ultimately better serve CBVI consumers. Begin each day with the understanding that making a difference starts with you.
It’s been a pleasure working with each of you on your professional development needs. I look forward to further assisting you obtain a successful training plan that provides value and substance for you and our consumers.
Make 2018 great!
Regional Updates
Southern Region – Jack Thompson, Manager
Submitted by Karen Markey: During the holiday season, it is important to be around family, friends, or pets and follow traditions that are important to us. Several SRO consumers were invited to participate in a group trip to Philadelphia to spend a day enjoying holiday related activities, including the Comcast Christmas show, Macy’s holiday display, and an adventure through the Reading Terminal Market.
Previous trips focused on reinforcing O&M skills recreationally with the assistance of an Eye Health Nurse (EHN) who would be available for any issues compromising the safety of a consumer’s health. This year’s excursion included a walk across the Ben Franklin Bridge where O&M instructors were able to informally assess and provide immediate instruction if warranted. The participants were provided an opportunity to meet new people, exchange thoughts, and share personal memories of past holiday experiences. New friends were made, telephone numbers were exchanged, and this development activity was both beneficial and enjoyed by all participants.
Northern Region – John Reiff, Manager
Sometimes, in the course of performing our work, we encounter a consumer in crisis and have to rearrange our priorities. We end up devoting a great deal of time to the circumstances of that one individual. That happened recently to Carolina Gonzalez who assisted a young mother with two small children who had suddenly become homeless. The situation persisted for a couple of weeks. Carolina and others pitched in during that time to make sure that this mother and her children had a place to stay. It was no small task. Thank you Carolina and everyone else including our Administration and Fiscal folks all of whom played a role.
The Newark Service Center has a new IL Supervisor. Her name is Jessica Elgamil. She began on November 27th and replaces Solange Curry who retired. We are thrilled to have Jessica on board. She has hit the ground running with the help of Margaret Stroud, Liz DeShields and others.
We also want to congratulate Jimmy Garcia, a 90% Aide at the Newark Service Center who, on November 13th, became a full time Aide with that office.
Best Wishes to You All!
(Image: A garland of holly with red ribbons.)
The Last Words
“The joy of brightening other lives, bearing each other’s burdens, easing others’ loads and supplanting empty hearts and lives with generosity becomes for us the magic of the holidays.” - W.C. Jones
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