Merakey Allegheny Valley School

Merakey Allegheny Valley School (Merakey avs) has earned a stellar reputation as a leading provider of services for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (idd). Merakey avs provides nurturing environments, enrichment activities and community engagement programs while caring for the daily needs of those we support.merakey avs is a non-profit organization that provides a full range of services, supports, and living arrangements to more than 700 adults with varying levels of intellectual and developmental disabilities. Most of the people we support are diagnosed with severe or profound idd, have multiple physical disabilities and extensive medical complications. We care for some of our community's most vulnerable adults and provide supports for those with social, emotional and/or psychological needs.merakey avs has specialized programs that respond to the unique needs of the people we support such as: memory care, communication technology, sensory, and technology homes. An individualized/person-centered plan of care is developed for each person with the goal of achieving his/her highest level of independence, while enhancing their quality of life. Services range from physical, occupational and communication therapies to vocational training and employment support. Therapeutic activities and developmental training focus on sensory, environmental and pre-vocational skill development.merakey avs operates facilities including homes, campus living, apartments and life sharing programs in nine Pennsylvania counties: Allegheny, beaver, bucks, butler, dauphin, lebanon, mercer, montgomery, and philadelphia. Merakey avs has been providing care for individuals with idd since its founding in 1960. In 2008, Allegheny Valley School became an affiliate of Merakey, a nonprofit, tax-exempt corporation that serves as the parent organization of its nonprofit and for-profit affiliated organizations. In all that we do, we aim to provide quality programs and facilities to help individuals with idd entrusted to our care to live with purpose and dignity, and to provide opportunities and choices to help them grow and function at their full potential as independently as possible.guiding Merakey are the following:our purpose: putting our heart and soul into exceptional care.our vision: to be a nationally recognized provider of the highest quality health and human services.our core values: compassion, diversity, integrity, safety, trust and qualityat Merakey, we are committed to providing the highest quality services and a zero-tolerance environment for abuse of any kind for those within our care. That's why, we are partnering with praesidium, the national leader in abuse risk management and have received accreditation. Accreditation from praesidium demonstrates our commitment to meeting and exceeding the highest industry standards in safety and abuse prevention.facility improvementsmerakey avs takes pride in enhance quality of life for individuals with idd by providing environments that are safe, well-maintained, and responsive. Reconfiguring spaces and creating open floor plans promotes independence and greater access to activity engagement.technology/telehealth and national model workshopmerakey avs continues to expand access to technology to ensure that individuals can continue to engage meaningfully with family, friends, and the community while preserving health and safety. We support individuals fostering new and ongoing social relationships.merakey avs has increased access to telehealth which helps to provide exceptional care to the people we support and to provide access to the many medical providers needed to ensure they are provided with the best care possible. The development of the care center has decreased the need for emergency room visits as nursing staff are able to triage and access level of care needed remotely. Merakey avs (in eastern pa), developed a partnership with university penn dental in 2022. Merakey has also partnered with the national task group (ntg) and national alliance for direct support processionals (nadsp) to bring a national model workshop to Pennsylvania that will focus on best practices in caring for adults with idd at risk of or who have been diagnosed with alzheimer's disease or a related dementia. Workshops are scheduled for february 2023. Merakey avs and other community service providers are invited to attend these workshops. Training will include participants for the first two days, and an optional third day for those completing training to become ntg affiliated regional trainers.bringing passion back to our work forceusing the results of a company-wide survey about improving the employee experience, Merakey has and will continue to offer employee benefits including flexible payment options, programs that reduce the cost for personal care providers, a free learning platform to improve skills that support their current job role and more.understanding and working toward a more inclusive culture is a critical challenge in human services today. We have a passion to help people and to make the world a better place. Merakey avs has provided employees with off-site workshops geared toward how each of us can maintain our passion and energy in the workplace. Using an interactive format, we looked at the best part of our work, the best part of each of us, and shared stories of hope and joy. We learned to think about ways to stay energized and to learn new strategies to remain engaged. A new employee led, passion ambassador program encourages teams to incorporate trust and compassion in their workplace. Merakey avs also recognized the frontline medical team throughout Pennsylvania as the 2022 champions of Merakey avs. Made possible by a grant, we will be awarding 323 employees with 10+ years of service (as of 1/5/2023) who work directly with the people we support in the departments of residential, program, medical and social service/behavior specialists. This investment in our frontline workers is expected to make a significant impact in helping us show our gratitude, support, and commitment. In turn, we expect this to enhance the stability of our staff, which benefits the quality of care that our individuals receive.