I got off the 34th Street Penn Station and walked three long blocks to reach my destination. I didn't mind the walk, I just wanted to get there in time for my meeting. I left the elevator on the eleventh floor of the building and approached the front desk at YAI/National Institute for People with Disabilities (YAI/NIPD Network).

YAI/NIPD Network serves people with developmental and learning disabilities. Jennifer Shaoul, Senior Coordinator, Intake, and Coordinator of the Linking Individuals to Necessary Knowledge (LINK) department greeted me.

Shaoul described how the organization serves the community. "YAI/NIPD Network is comprised of seven independent 501(c)3 health and human service agencies that serve over 20,000 infants, children, adolescents, and adults with developmental and learning disabilities and their families." She added, "The organization's seven agencies are dedicated to providing individuals with disabilities with a range of community-based services, and opportunities to meet their needs." The YAI/NIPD Network provides services throughout New York City, Westchester County, Long Island, Rockland County and the Hudson Valley Region, New Jersey and Puerto Rico.

What is YAI/NIPD Network

YAI/NIPD Network's 41-page organizational booklet describes its agencies. The document includes the mission statement that reads, "Our mission is to build brighter futures for the people we serve and their families through state-of-the-art programs that help to build skills, expand opportunities, and enhance community living." In addition, there are several principles YAI/NIPD Network uses to help serve the community with pride:

• We believe that every person, at every age and level of ability, has the potential for growth.

• We hold that each individual is entitled to the same dignity, respect and opportunities as all other members of society, and that consumers, staff, families and friends are to be treated with respect and dignity.

• We are firmly committed to helping the people we serve achieve their full potential for individuality, independence, productivity and inclusion in their communities.

• We believe that our staff is our most important resource. We are therefore committed to promoting the involvement and participation of our staff in the management of the agency and to facilitating their growth through education, training and supervision.

• We recognize the importance of building and developing partnerships with consumers, families, our staff, friends, the corporate sector and government. We know that "together we are better."

• We firmly believe that information is power. Consequently, we are strongly committed to providing the people we serve, staff families and the professional community with the most up-to-date information and strategies to empower them.

• We believe that great accomplishments are achieved through teamwork and we encourage our staff to join us in creating an environment that is characterized by respect, effective communication, and a positive approach.

• Our management philosophy is "participatory management" and all staff members are encouraged to express their views directly, constructively, and positively to their supervisor and all other managers as they deem necessary without any fear of retribution.

• Above all, the YAI/NIPD Network is committed to the pursuit of excellence.

Service Provision and Latino Outreach

Shaoul described the range of services they provide, "We have programs for early childhood and pre-school; early prevention; family support including parent training, case-management, recreation, service coordination, skills training, after-school, camping/travel, crisis intervention, employment, healthcare, specialty care, home-care, mental health services and more."

The YAI/NIPD Network makes their services available to Latinos by hiring bilingual, bicultural staff who reach out to the Latino community. According to Shaoul, "We have many service coordinators, dentists, primary care doctors, psychiatrists, therapists and crisis managers who are of Latino descent and who speak Spanish."

In Puerto Rico & Beyond

Recently the International Institute for People with Disabilities of Puerto Rico began providing services to the island. A staff member who is originally from Puerto Rico wanted to bring YAI/NIPD Network services to his homeland. Shaoul said, "With our support and the contacts he made we now have a organization in Puerto Rico that provides employment, information, referral and recreation programs."

Shaoul said they do not plan to expand into other regions at this time. Said Shaoul, "We have grown a lot in the last ten years! We want to maintain the quality of service we are providing so we are not expanding right now."

After my interview with Shaoul concluded she offered coffee and water then a nice walk to the elevator. I left, knowing well the door will always be open to serve everyone.

For more information visit http://www.yai.org.

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