SUS Olympics & Family Fun Day

The first ever SUS Olympics and Family Fun Day, held Friday, May 20th at the Riverbank State Park in Manhattan, was a HUGE success! Athletes from SUS’ developmental disabilities programs competed in several track and field events throughout the morning, unfortunately the afternoon basketball tournament was cancelled due to rain. “The Opening Ceremony Marchwas spectacular and a great way to start the day. I knew our staff and consumers were creative, but the banners were beyond what I was expecting. Each part was well run – from the check-in, to the first 400 M marathon, to the arts & crafts area,” said Louis Cavaliere, Senior Vice President, SUS Developmental Disabilities Services.

The following people came in first and second place respectively for each event: 400M- Michael A.; 100M-Carlos P. and Luis M.; 50M-Luis M. and L. Rodney C.; 25M- Malcolm J. and Evans S.; 4×4 Relay- Team of Asmaa H, Steven G., David A. and Luis M. Most importantly, everyone (family members, consumers, staff) had a great time.

Thank you to all of the organizers, athletes, families and volunteers. A special thank you to Johanna Cepin & Jeff Sealy for leading and organizing the event. We’re looking forward to next year.

Watch Video of this event

For more information about SUS’s Developmental Disabilities program click here.

Serving Our Returning Vets

Paul Rieckhoff, Executive Director and Founder of IAVA, Donna Colonna, CEO, Services for the UnderServed

Services for the UnderServed (SUS), with investment firm BlackRock as host, convened a roundtable discussion on Monday, May 16 to address the issues facing our returning veterans. The roundtable brought together representatives from the public and private sector to determine how they can better work together to advance the design, funding, implementation and care coordination of high-impact, cost-effective veteran programs. Among the issues discussed were: the high level of homelessness, unemployment, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), suicide and depression, criminal justice, family reintegration and a service system that is at best currently fragmented, if available at all.

“We need help. We need the support of all types of folks, from finance, from government, from business together focused in on these men and women who served,” said Paul Rieckhoff, Executive Director and Founder of Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America I, who served as the Keynote Speaker.

Participants in the symposium included: New York City Council SpeakerChristine Quinn, representatives from the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs, the New York City Mayor’s Office of Veteran Affairs, HELP USA,Service Women’s Action Network, Bristol Myers Squibb Foundation,New York Community Trust, American Corporate Partners, The Doe Fund,The Jericho Project, Corporation for Supportive Housing, andEaster Seals. Veterans from SUS as well as IAVA also shared their experiences with veteran programs and the challenges they faced in obtaining care and benefits of which they were entitled.

Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) was scheduled to attend and introduce new legislation, the Pro-Vets Act that calls on the Veterans Affairs Department to be more proactive in informing and providing veterans with the services they’re entitled to receive. Unfortunately, air traffic delays prevented her appearance.

“These men and women went there to protect us, and we as a community have to take that responsibility and respond in an effective and meaningful way,” said Yves Ades, Senior Vice President, SUS. Services for the UnderServed stated that they will continue this discussion through future roundtables.

To read more from Fox News click here.

Art & Wellness at Montrose

The second place winning painting.

The Mental Health Division at SUS hosted an Art and Wellness Reception on May 11th at the Montrose residence in Brooklyn. The reception featured remarks from SUS staff members Nadjette Natchaba, Gloria Bedoya and Thomas Alveraz. Several consumers also shared with the crowd “What Art and Wellness Means to Me”. Residents, staff and guests were treated to a complimentary wellness screening.

The artwork was displayed throughout two floors of the residence, and prizes were awarded to first through fourth place. Please browse the photos to see the winners and judge the artwork for yourself.

Job Readiness & Career Fair

In 2009 when SUS opened our first apartment building in the Bronx for individuals with mental illness, SUS sponsored a community day in the neighborhood. It was a huge success and introduced SUS and other services to the residents of the Morris Heights community.

In our two years of being part of the Morris Heights community, we realized that there was a need for Job Readiness and Employment Skills Development. We partnered with the local Bronx Community Board #5 and WABC-TV to host a Job Readiness & Career Fair.

On Tuesday, May 10th, approximately 200 people came to the Job Readiness & Career Fair. Understanding the community needs, many of the booth hosts provided materials on training opportunities and job applications. Given that many of the individuals had never written a resume, SUS’ Human Resources Department staff led workshops on the basic elements of a resume, job interviews and appropriate dress for interviews.

Computers were available for individuals to search for jobs on-line and to create and print out resumes. Some participants took part in mock job interviews where they received feedback on how to talk about their marketable skills, though they may not have much of an employment history.

By the end of the day, hundreds of individuals gained new skills, learned about new training opportunities, and felt more confident about their future employment possibilities.

Watch video of this event