Fall - Reena

Reena Annual Report Reena Annual Report
Residential Services Submitted by James Sejjengo, Resource Manager, Residential Services
The role of the Residential Services department is
to promote community integration, client dignity,
individuality, independence and learning
experiences in partnership with family, other agencies
and the community at large. The residential department
provides individualized opportunities for adults and
seniors with diverse skills and personal interests to
realize their full potential as contributing members of
their community. Further, the department and most
especially its staff ensure that all programs reflect and
promote Judaic values, traditions and culture.
In light of the above the residential department has
encouraged and supported individuals in our service to
enjoy vacations to places other than their own familiar
communities from two or more days in cottages or
hotels. In addition the department welcomed several
individuals from institutions that are now being phased
out by the Ministry of Community and Social Services.
With this welcome of formerly institutionalized
individuals, new community resources and avenues
were explored and led to some significant and successful
collaboration with other organizations. Our staff have
meshed well with the staff in these community
organizations in jointly recognizing how the impact of
their combined efforts can have on the smoother
transition of individuals into their chosen communities.
Support Intensity Scale Resource
Utilization Project
In the spring we took on the last
phase of the SIS Resource Utilization
Project for the Ministry with the help
of our Executive Assistant, Yoyo Yick. She
performed marvelously and with her
help and the dedication of our
supervisors we were able to meet our
target number of interviews 129 in the
span of a few weeks.
The department took on the additional
project of revising the Children’s Section
of our Program Policies. With ever
changing and new legislation there is a
constant need to update and revise all
our policies regularly. This task was large
and not always easy but with the
assistance of Carole Olaizola, one of our
support workers the work went
While there have been profound sad memories about
those departed from our midst over the past year, there
were also opportunities for our clients and their families to
reflect on what it means for an individual with a
developmental disability to be a respected member and an
associate of an identifiable and viable community. This
was especially so confirmed when a resident we had
known for barely two months passed away yet he was
given the most befitting funeral service to the amazement
of his own family.
Annual Life Plan
The majority of individuals we support are assured of and
given an annual life plan meeting during which time they
set objectives and goals they aspire for the coming year.
Many of the annual life planning meetings that took place
over the year were quite successful as evidenced through
the tremendously positive Reena Responsiveness Surveys
that families filled out in response to the services their
family member received and continue to receive from
Reena. In fact our staff welcome these surveys and
encourage every family member to complete them as they
help us improve our complex services.
The core residential department is comprised of a
resource manager, six resource supervisors, 117 front line
staff and two administrative assistants to support 105
clients in 13 group homes, several condominiums and
several Toronto Community Housing apartments.
smoothly and without major setbacks.
Finally our department took on the
job of coordinating the implementation
of the Privacy Committee with the
assistance of our two summer students,
Amy Mills and Ben Zynoberg. Amy
and Ben worked tirelessly all summer
to coordinate supplies to all the group
homes so that they may set up our new
model of storing documentation in
accordance with the most recent
legislation.
The next project on the horizon is the
re-opening of 404 Whitmore. Reena has
two apartments for four transitional
youths who are getting ready to move
in and take their first steps living
without the supports of a group home.
Reena Home on
Silkwood Re-opens
By Sigrun Grosman,
Resource Supervisor
In the past year we re-opened
up our home at 44 Silkwood
with five new Reena clients.
They come from different
directions and have varied
destinations. The clients, who have
a variety of needs, are all supported
by the great staff team at Silkwood
who have worked tirelessly for the
past year to ensure appropriate
programs and school access.
OPEN
Kolreena • September 2008 • 7