Community & Family Support
Mission: To assist and support individuals with developmental disabilities to develop the self-determination to live as independently as possible and to participate as vital and contributing members of the Akwesasne community.
Medicaid Service Coordination
Community Building
Weekdays, 8 am to 5 pm & 24/7 on call
Phone: 518-358-2272
MSC is designed to help individuals with developmental disabilities strive for the highest quality of life and focuses on assisting each person to achieve his/her unique goals, desires and dreams in terms of having a home, a job, enjoyable leisure activities, access to community resources, friends, and medical and clinical services through various services and supports.
Respite Autism Project
9 Frogtown Road, Akwesasne
Weekdays, 8 am to 6 pm
Phone: 518-358-4254
The Autism Program is a new addition to Family Support. This program uses a combination of therapeutic methods for children between the ages of 3 – 11 with a diagnosis on the Autism spectrum. For families interested in ABA (Applied Behavioral Analysis), a staff trained in this method develops individualized programs for each child. In addition, a more experiential approach is incorporated with a focus on outdoor nature-based activities.
Family Support
420 State Route 37, Akwesasne
Weekdays, 8 am to 5 pm
Phone: 518-358-9481
Family Support Services, a program serving individuals with developmental disabilities, can help in times of crisis when a family member or loved one becomes ill, or when things get difficult at home for other reasons. Family Support Services can provide families with:
- Someone to call for support
- Information about OMRDD (Office of Mental Retardation and other Developmental Disabilities) programs and services
- Someone to explain the benefits the individual with developmental disabilities is entitled to
- Help arranging health care, education and recreational opportunities
- Referrals for counseling and training to enhance family stability and to help families plan for the future
- Transportation, special equipment or necessary home modifications
- Help caring for a family member with a developmental disability
- Family reimbursement for purchases of disability-related goods and services
- Support groups
Respite services provide temporary relief from the demands of care giving, which helps reduce overall family stress. This often enables families to better meet the needs of their loved one with a developmental disability. Respite can be provided in the home or out of the home, during the day, evenings or overnight. Respite services provide relief to individuals who are responsible for the primary care and support of an individual with a developmental disability. When a family member has to deal with such things as illness, emergency and vacation, respite services can ensure that the individual’s needs are met.
HCBS Waiver
420 State Route 37, Akwesasne
Hours of operation vary
Phone: 518-358-9481
The HCBS Waiver provides Group Day Habilitation and At-Home Residential Habilitation to individuals with developmental disabilities. Services provide opportunities to promote independence, encourage personal growth and enhance educational experiences. Guidance and assistance are provided by trained Habilitation Aides.
Individual Residential Alternatives (IRA)
41 Connors Road, Akwesasne, Phone: 518-358-4345
34 High Street, Ft. Covington, Phone: 518-358-2644
75 Pyke Road, Akwesasne, Phone: 518-358-2421
The IRA program manages three facilities that provide residential habilitation services to individuals with disabilities. These services are person-centered and designed to promote independence based on the needs of the person. Services include teaching basic household chores, such as cooking and cleaning, money management skills, teaching the skills necessary to be successfully employed, or appropriate socialization skills. We ensure that all health and medical needs are met, as well as provide transportation for appointments, employment, recreational activities or other needs as they arise. Our goal is to teach disabled individuals to be as independent as possible in all areas of their life and to enable them to eventually live on their own.
Individual Support Services (ISS)
420 State Route 37, Akwesasne
Weekdays, 8 am to 5 pm
Phone: 518-358-9481
The ISS Program provides financial subsidy to assist people with developmental disabilities in locating, leasing, or buying individualized living arrangements that are alternatives to traditional group living. Residential options include home sharing, independent living, HUD rental subsidy programs, low income home ownership programs, and other leasing and ownership initiatives.
These individuals may have limited financial resources, public assistance, food stamps, and SSI as their major sources of income. Our ISS Contract covers items such as rent, utilities, clothing, insurance, groceries, recreation, household furnishing and supplies or other areas of need. It is entitled to supplement the resources that each person may already have.
Sweetflag Supervised Apartments
419 Rooseveltown Road, Akwesasne
24 -hour on site assistance
Phone: 315-705-4792
The Sweetflag Supervised Apartments is a newly established residential program designed to meet the needs of our developmentally disabled individuals. This residential program is individualized apartments in which more independent and supervision is based on the person’s needs. Individuals receive Residential Habilitation services that provide individually tailored supports that assist with skills related to living in the community. These supports include adaptive skill development; assistance with activities of daily living (hands-on); community inclusion and relationship building; training and support for independence in travel; transportation; adult educational supports; development of social skills, leisure skills, self-advocacy and informed choice skills; and appropriate behavior development to help the individual access their community. Residential Habilitation also may include program related personal care, health care and protective oversight and supervision.
Supervised Apartments are designed to provide a home environment, and also to provide a setting where individuals with developmental disabilities can acquire the skills necessary to live as independently as possible.
Youth Recreation
420 State Route 37, Akwesasne
Weekdays, 8 am to 5 pm
Phone: 518-358-9481
The Youth Recreation Program Provides goal-based recreational activities to children with developmental disabilities from age 3-9. Activities are designed to encourage social development, continued learning, safety awareness and community involvement. Guidance and assistance are provided by trained Habilitation Aides. The program operates throughout the year.
Early Intervention Service Coordination
420 State Route 37, Akwesasne
Weekdays, 8 am to 4 pm
Phone: 518-358-9481
Mission: To provide confidential services to strengthen, support and protect Onkwehonwe and their families in all stages of life for seven generations by providing the knowledge and the tools needed to become independent and self empowered, incorporating traditional values, language and culture.
The New York State Early Intervention Program (EIP) is part of the national Early Intervention Program for infants and toddlers with disabilities and their families. First created by Congress in 1986 under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), the EIP is administered by the New York State Department of Health through the Bureau of Early Intervention. In New York State, the Early Intervention Program is established in Article 25 of the Public health Law and has been in effect since July 1, 1993.
To be eligible for services, children must be under 3 years of age and have a confirmed disability or established developmental delay, as defined by the State, in one or more of the following areas of development: physical, cognitive, communication, social-emotional, and/or adaptive.
The Early Intervention program offers a variety of therapeutic and support services to eligible infants and todders with disabilities and their families, including:
- Family education and counseling, home visits, and parent support groups
- Special instruction
- Speech pathology and audiology
- Occupational therapy
- Physical therapy
- Psychological services
- Service coordination (is offered by the SRMT Family Support Program)
- Nursing services
- Nutrition services
- Social work services
- Vision services
- Assistive technology devices and services
Service Coordination is an individually designed intervention which provides primary assistance to the waiver applicant/participant in gaining access to needed waiver and Medicaid State Plan Services, as well as other local, state and federally funded educational, vocational, social, medical and any other services. These interventions are expected to result in assuring the waiver participant’s health and welfare and increasing independence, integration and productivity. The Service Coordinator will assist the applicants/participants in obtaining and coordinating the services that are necessary to return to or remain in the community.
The Saint Regis Mohawk Tribe works in conjunction with Franklin and St. Lawrence Counties in providing Service Coordination services.
Early Childhood Development
25 Library Road, Akwesasne
Head Start 8:30 am – 4:30 pm & Childcare 7:30 am – 5:00 pm,
Phone: 518-358-2988
Mission:
For the Children: To provide a trained, qualified staff who offer children ample opportunities to explore and experience the world first hand through activities intended to develop, strengthen, and support all developmental areas, in a safe, nurturing environment, while incorporating traditional language and culture to ensure a strong sense of self.
For the families: To respectfully encourage and support healthy families through education and awareness of community resources.
The Saint Regis Mohawk Tribe’s Early Childhood Development Program is a licensed program which operates under one facility and is comprised of both Head Start and Childcare.
Our Head Start Program has the capacity to enroll 64 children who are 3 and 4 years of age. The ratios for Head Start are 1 staff per 7 children with 3 qualified staff per room.
Our Childcare Program can accommodate 14 infants, 20 toddlers and 14 preschoolers between 3 months to 5 years of age. Our Childcare ratios are by best practice 1 staff per 3 infants; 1 staff per 5 toddlers and 1 staff per 7 preschoolers.
In addition to this facility, parents have the option to choose Home-Based Childcare Services. Currently this portion of the program services 32 children from 28 families. Within the Home-based Child Care parents are able to choose between 1 Licensed Group Home, 4 Group Homes, and 1 Family Providers.
Tribal Vocational Rehabilitation (TVR)
Community Building
Weekdays, 8 am to 5 pm
Phone: 518-358-6125/6126
Mission: To provide vocational rehabilitation services to tribal members with disabilities who reside on or near the Akwesasne reservation, consistent with their individual strengths, resources, priorities, concerns, abilities, capabilities, and informed choices, so that they may prepare for and engage in gainful employment, including self- employment, telecommuting and business ownership.
The Saint Regis Mohawk Tribe’s Vocational Rehabilitation Program (SRMTVRP) was funded in October of 2000. SRMTVRP assist American Indian’s with disabilities that impede their chances of gaining and maintaining competitive employment. Our service delivery to eligible community members ranges from Malone NY to Massena NY. You don’t necessarily have to be a member of the Saint Regis Mohawk Tribe, as long as you show documentation of being a member of a federally recognized tribe.
Some of the services offered are; job placement, on the job training, assessments, vocational counseling, technical evaluations, and other services required for the consumer to become successfully employed or self-employed. How SRMTVRP differs from State Vocational Rehabilitation Programs is the Traditional Healing offered to our consumers who request this service. The State programs do not recognize traditional Healing as a service for Rehabilitation purposes.