Message from our CEO

The celebration of any given year’s accomplishments is always tempered by the limitation of progress made, and by the degree of incessant challenges and pressures facing our path as we move forward.

As we reflect upon 2007, we are pleased to note that TRC was able to make some remarkable accommodations in meeting certain individuals’ complex needs with creativity and persistence. At the same time, we continued to pursue the development and establishment of new services.

The difficult but critical decisions made concerning the cessation of Primary Care services in Dunkirk, and the reinventing of services and intervention for children and youth, required a tremendous investment of determination and effort and was achieved without major negative consequences, thus paving the way for a more effective and prudent course of action going forward.

The systems and attention introduced to ensure standards compliance and quality improvement, particularly within the New York State Office of Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities (OMRDD) environment, did yield continued favorable results both with external and internal recertifications, reviews, audits, and assessments.

At the same time, we have come to the frank realization, more than ever, that all of our current State “systems” designed to meet the needs of individuals with developmental disabilities, or mental health needs, or other physical disabling conditions, have fundamental limitations that constantly challenge our ability to ensure our services and supports.

2007 experienced another banner year in the arena of employment and business opportunities. These were supported by effective and mutually beneficial relationships with a number of critical Community Rehabilitation Program partners in a number of other States. The uneven flow of contracting, materials requirement, and production schedules, on the other hand, contributed to significant pressures of operations and cash demand with Allied Industries, our employment and manufacturing division. This will necessitate our future attention and vigilance.

The careful and persistent investment in supporting our Workforce did produce as many positive results as it did evidence new and additional areas of concern and needed attention. Primary among these are the need to better train, support and assess the performance of direct-line supervisors; to implement a distinct differentiation and career ladder opportunity for direct support professionals; to accelerate the utilization and leveraging of available professional development technologies; and to materially simplify and support the complex demands imposed on our staff.

In 2007 we were able to complete a number of impressive capital projects, thanks mainly to OMRDD’s support and to the competent and dedicated efforts of staff from our Facilities Management and Financial departments. The completion of the Jones & Gifford Avenue front building; the renovation and plant improvement - inclusive of the new freight elevator tower, and shipping and receiving facility - of the Allied building; the renovation of the Senior Adult Day Habilitation area at the Recreation Center on Harris Avenue in Jamestown; and the renovation of the Supportive Apartments on Benedict Avenue to facilitate the establishment of the three new Individualized Residential Alternatives (IRAs), are major accomplishments that will provide new and inviting physical environments for residents, participants and staff alike for years to come.

Board officers, members and key staff also continued the delicate and crucial legal and operational activities surrounding the need to incorporate our organization in order to meet the present and future challenges that are attached to our mission. While th e progress appears at times interminable and typically daunting, this commitment challenges our organization at the very fabric of our current and future existence.

Financially, we were able to actualize major positive turnarounds in some critical areas, and especially with two areas traditionally burdened by unrecoverable operating deficits: Day Services and the Diagnostic & Treatment Center. Our Residential programs, however, continued their major lags in reimbursement, both within the ICFs as well as within the IRAs. Our reliance on Allied Industries was again significant by year-end, and it remains critical that we sustain the progress made in bringing all departments’ operations within their available reimbursement.

Emerging social and political trends at the Federal and State levels have continued to impact a number of environments and services connected with our mission and our organization, and we will need to monitor and assess related implications and to incorporate necessary adjustments.

Our connection and interdependence with our local community continued to evolve and grow. The Resource Center is most indebted to the families, volunteers, staff, partners in the governmental and private sectors, benefactors, and supporters that comprise the rich and diverse foundation that sustains our mission.

At the same time, it has been most satisfying and heartwarming to be part, for another year, of the experience of so many individuals with disabling conditions who have demonstrated their firm desire to grow, to contribute, to participate in community activities and initiatives, and to improve their lives, as they pursue their personal dreams and aspirations and as they enrich our lives and those of our community.

Paul Cesana

Comment

Paul Cesana is the Executive Director of The Resource Center and the President of TRC Foundation, Inc. Paul first worked for TRC as the Director of Clinical Services until 1981. After moving to Aspire, he was offered the position of Executive Director of Opportunities Unlimited of Niagara. In 1988 he returned to The Resource Center as its Executive Director. During his tenure, TRC's budget has grown from $17 million to $80 million annually; the number of employees has swelled from about 750 to more than 1,200; and the number of individuals who benefit from the services and supports that TRC provides to individuals with disabling conditions, their families and the community at large has reached more than 17,000. Paul invites everyone to support the work of The Resource Center and TRC Foundation by becoming a member. For a small contribution, you can experience the sense of warmth and satisfaction that comes from knowing that you really are "Making a Difference in People"s Lives.