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News 12 Staff

629spotlightnj2_2024-06-29-09-56-35

As you can see by this beautiful logo. We are putting the focus on Jessie House in South Orange here on spotlight New Jersey. Audrey Winkler is the executive director, Shali Jenkins is joining us here in this segment. She is the Day Habilitation manager. Welcome to you. Thank you. First of all, explain what your title is all about. Well, I run the day to day operations of our Day Habilitation program. Uh Rehabilitation runs Monday through Friday from 9 to 3. We are the pathway to independence, bridging gaps from individuals who live in the community, maybe recent graduates from high school, someone who's retiring uh from work and wanted to come to just have socialization or individuals who are still honing and learning life skills. That's what we do at the day had and you all wanted about the programs and services that Jesy House offers. We do, we have a 360 degree approach to how we work with our clients. We have everything from recreation and leisure activities to case management. We teach daily living skills. We have work readiness and employment engagement. We have clinical and behavioral services. So we really touch many parts of our client's life with our 360 degree approach, right? And then with the rehabilitation, um we are like I said, bridging the gap to all of those departments, I like to joke to say that they have is the first stop on the JSB train. They have is the first stop. And within the day, we currently have three separate programs running. So as I explained transitions, which is um our young adult group, recent graduates, 21 to about 3030 who are um still transitioning into adulthood. We also have um aging in place. Our individuals who are a little bit more settled in their life and are just really looking to connect with people so that they're not home, you know, doing nothing after maybe retirement or everyone is out working and they need a place to go. So this is where they come, where they meet their friends, they go on trips, they do knit all different types of activities. And we also have our day program um that is geared towards teaching more reinforcing skills uh such as maybe reading, learning how to write your name. Also going on trips, trips is a big thing in all of the programs. Community integration and inclusion is something that we use the South Orange um area for teaching these skills. Um It's a great place to have our program. We love to be there. Uh You'll see us out and about learning how to budget uh shopping at the stores and just having a great time.

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We are talking about the programs and services they offer at Jesse House in South Orange, Audrey Winkler is the executive director, Shali Jenkins is the day Habilitation manager. And you also offer athletics and other programs. Tell me what you do. We have a wonderful athletics and fitness program where we do training 1 to 1 in group training. We're also the largest team from Essex County for Special Olympics. Our clients, we just had the summer games and they were wonderful. We participated in over 16 sports throughout the year at Special Olympics and many, many of our clients just love that camaraderie and winning medals and being very athletic. So we've been doing that for decades, but the program has really built up over the last two years and we're really doing well in that program. Now, in our last segment, you all mention something about retirement, clarify what that means at Jesse House. So adults with ID D um age decades earlier than the neuro typical population. And so what we see in older adults of forties or 50 year olds, uh many will see in 70 or 80 year olds. And so our um aging in place programs and our aging in place clients, we provide them care and services. Um far earlier than the neurotypical population. We have a very robust residential services program of a lot of clients living with us in our buildings throughout South Orange. How many buildings do you have? We have 12 buildings right now and how many residents? So we have 50 residents of all ages, of all ages. And the nice thing about our residents is that they cater to all ages, as you said, uh we have uh the residents which you start there. So we kinda have that as like the the college experience. If you will, all of our young adults that come, they start there at the residence and then from there, you know, the hope is that they continue to build their skills through um with their DLS counselors and case management as Audrey said earlier so that they can one day either live on their own or uh move into one of our shared homes. We don't have group homes. We have shared homes where everyone works together to make sure that their needs are met. They work together as a family. It's in a family style setting and our clients just love it. What's it like for the clients once they arrive? What do they do? What steps do they follow to get acclimated? Well, in the rehabilitation program, uh we have trial days. Uh So with the trial days they're able to try each group, right? You may wanna say, well, you're 21 you belong with transitions but not all the time. Does that occur? So, to get acclimated, our residents, our clients are very, very friendly, the ones that are participating now. So it doesn't take that much for new clients to get acclimated. Sometimes I will admit they're a bit overwhelmed at the welcome party that's there waiting for them. You know, everybody cheering and um uh encouraging them to participate. Uh what they can expect when they walk in is support, meeting their needs. Uh Whether it's through their case manager myself, as a manager, we have floor facilitators, DLS, counselors. It's a team approach uh that we have to address 360 whole life for the individual.

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630spotlightnj4_2024-06-30-09-35-38

I'm talking with two ladies from Jesy House in South Orange, Audrey Winkler is the executive director. We also have client Deborah D joining us in this segment. Welcome, Deborah. Good to have you. Thank you. How long have you been at Jesse House? I've been at Jes me since October of 80 1988. What's it like for you being there? Well, it's wonderful because if I didn't have Jessie, I just be sitting in my room doing basically nothing because there's really nothing to do in my old neighborhood and, and I need to be with friends. I love going to the cafe and hanging, hanging out and doing all the great activities that they have. And I've learned a lot over the years how to budget my money, how, how, how to think about making planning for meals. And I get help with my laundry because I'm legally blind. So it's hard for me to see some of the stains on the clothes, but everybody takes care of everybody there. And this is why you're running the Go big campaign so you can continue providing these services, right? So the Go Big initiative is really wonderful. Because we need to continue to care for our clients and there are urgent needs. So there's three areas to go big that are important. Um Our young adults, uh we need to provide residential opportunities for our young adults. Um They go through our day program, they come for our activities, recreation and fitness, but they really wanna learn independent skills. Um The second is affordably priced housing. Uh We're in South Orange which has escalating rents and we have to take care of our own. So we're providing affordably priced housing. Um And the third is taking care of our older adults, our aging in place program for our older adults in the community. So this go Big initiative will have a residential component. It will also be our core services. Our clinical and behavioral staff will be there, our vocational team will be there. So we will all be able to provide, provide services for our clients within these two buildings of go big Deborah. What's it like for you? Interacting with the staff? What's everybody like? Well, I love the staff. The staff are really caring and they're very helpful and they look out for us and, and, and they're always there to help us and I don't know where I'd be without all of this great support and what will go big. How will go big help you go big will help me because I wanna stay in the community that I've lived in for over 34 years and I wanna be able to get services because I'm gonna be 60 this year. No way you don't even look at. Thank you. Wow. Happy birthday. That's not till December. But I see as I'm getting older, I see them slowing down and things are not as easy as they used to be. And Deborah says that's why she's excited about going into the aging in place program.

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Right now, we are talking with the clients of Jessie House in South Orange, Deborah D, Christine M and Will G I'm glad to have all of you all sitting together. Great being here. You're welcome. Shall we start with? Will tell me when you came to Jesse house and what it was like and what it means to you when the years ago I like coming there and get me, keep my nose clean, my nose clean. Meaning gives me, gives me the drama. Oh, you keeps you out of drama. So were you a wild child? Former, formerly? Not anymore? Not anymore. So what do you do at Jes Me House? They teach you on the straight and narrow. I do a cafe volunteer with Karen Mason and people like that, they're helpful. And then I see a therapist too that helps and all of this has been good for you. Yes. And what about you, Christine? Well, with me, I do a whole lot of stuff. See, um certain fest. I go to um Smith Olympics. I had uh went to, I went to the College of New Jersey. Come back of um come back and having 1/4 medal. Congratulations. And you said you go, girl, how did you get into that? Well, here's the thing. Well, amazing of coaches learn how to coach us and um, bots like, like a talent bo bowling to me and I bowl and once you get the hang of it, once you get the hang of the ball and the Rina, everything. Smooth sailing. How long have you been at Jesse House since the end of the month, end of the month? And what brought you there? Well, my sister's best friend know about it and then, now I went in and see what it looks like. And, um, see friends I joined, eeep, that's w I gauging the wi um place and I joined um, the activities, like going out to places they go to a lot of, um, like trips, staying overnight trips. I bet that's a lot of fun. And for you too, Debbie, what's fun for you? Well, I love the art stuff. I'm a fiber artist so I take the fiber arts class and right now I'm learning how to make. I've been learning weaving and now I'm making woven cats, cats. Yeah. They're little stuffed cats and I weave them on a loom and, and then I sew them together and stuff them and I embroider their features and, and, and then you use something called the Knitting Nancy to make the tails

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We are talking with three clients at Jessie House in South Orange, Deborah D, Christine M and Will G. Now Deborah, you were telling me about the fiber art that you do explain that. Well, I take fabric and we cut it in the shape of like a dog or a cat and, and, and then I stuff it and I sew, I, I sew around with the whip stitch. I make the tails and, and then I go to build the bear and I get the barkers and the meow and I put them in so so that your dog or cat can speak to you. I like that, speak to you. What else is important that you do there at Jes me that you like. Well, I, I learned to live independently and I get all the support that I need because living independently is very important to me and being able to go to the cafe and do all the wonderful different activities they offer it, beats sitting at home and speaking of sitting at home, you are dealing with a new resident c program. Christine a new residence you were talking about, tell me about that Well, it's like, um, it's like going like growing out of your parents or your siblings home. That means your up, step up, um, step of your life. Like your, um, graduation of moving out of your parents or your sister's house or brothers and sisters, siblings. It means you reach out. Oh, living by yourself. Oh, you'll be so happy that they do. You DNL skills, cooking, cleaning, uh, making sure everything is tidy up. You don't want nothing. No mess. Exactly. Exactly. In your place. You William adore your trainer. He's a good trainer. Tell me about him. He helps us exercise with weights and bikes and treadmills and stuff like that. We, at community dinner on Friday every week, community dinners. How long have you two been working together? A long time. Long time. So, when you get together, what kind of routine exercises, weights exercises, talking and visiting? Catching up. How did you two know that you connected like that? We had to bring, he's, he's met and met him for a while. He's, he's wonderful and exercise is good to you. Good for you because lowers disease, risk of diabetes and other diseases you don't want. So, what word would you all use to describe how you feel about Jesse altogether? What would you say? What word? Family? Perfect. Definitely family joy. Love it.

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Executive Director Audrey Winkler and day rehabilitation manager Shaleice Jenkins joined News 12’s Della Crews to discuss how the organization helps their clients lead fulfilling lives.

Spotlight New Jersey: JESPY House in South Orange

Executive Director Audrey Winkler and day rehabilitation manager Shaleice Jenkins joined News 12’s Della Crews to discuss how the organization helps their clients lead fulfilling lives.

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