The Village Life

In 1907, the New York State Board of Charities cited the need for the establishment of a facility to care for the "feeble minded and epileptics" in the southwestern part of the State. the State purchased 2,000 acres of rolling farm country in Thiels, a rural Rockland County hamlet, to build the facility. In 1909, the facility was renamed Letchworth Village in honor of William Pryor Letchworth, a noted philanthropist, humanitarian and advocate for the village's creation. Mr. Letchworth's vision was a break from the custodial institutions built during the nineteenth century. He opted, instead, for a "village" life that would provide education, training and vocations to children and adults with mental retardation and developmental disabilities. Believing that farm life would provide a meaningful existence to the "inmates" of the village, Letchworth's farms were worked by those residing at the facility. Throughout the 1930s, the farm produced over one million dollars worth of crops and remained active until the early 1960s.

Dr. Charles S. Little, the first Superintendent of Letchworth Village and a pioneer in the field of mental retardation, brought Letchworth Village to international attention as a model for the modern institutions of its day. Dr. George Jervis, a research scientist at Letchworth, achieved international acclaim for his discovery of the cause of Phenylketonuria (PKU), a form of mental retardation.

Building Partnerships with the Community

Jennifer Bryan, who lives in one of Jawonio's five condominiums in Rockland County, loves to pick flowers from the garden.

During the 1970s, amid the backdrop of the Willowbrook Class Action suit, Letchworth Village began to confront the issue of overcrowding by moving more and more residents with developmental disabilities into the community. From a peak of 5,000 residents in 1967, Letchworth worked steadily to reduce its institutional population until the last residents of Omega Cottage moved to their new home in South Nyack on March 28, 1996.

Today, the Letchworth Village DDSO encompasses four unique regions ranging from urban to rural -- Westchester, Rockland, Putnam and Sullivan counties -- caring for over 5,000 people with developmental disabilities in community homes with over 10,000 others receiving direct or supportive assistance. It has been to build partnerships throughout the year with parents, advocates, government and not-for-profit agencies that are committed to new ideas and challenges.

The services currently offered through the Letchworth DDSO embody the diversity of its population and the personal styles and culture of the region and its people. The following vignettes offer a glimpse of the unique partnerships it has built with the people its serves.

"Look, it worked!" Jennifer Bryan ( right) excitedly shares her work product with Jawonio staff member Jamie Arnstein (left).

Hawthorne Foundation -- Parents as Partners

The experiences of the Hawthorne Foundation, Inc. illustrate how OMRDD, a voluntary agency and a group of committed parents began a unique partnership and successfully secured a place in the community for their children with developmental disabilities who had "aged out" of New York's special education system.

Prior to moving to their new home on Lafayette Avenue in Cortlandt Manor in December, 1996, Paul, Annie, Shiela, Mike, Joey and Kenny all had spent an average of 17 years at the Margaret Chapman School, a residential facility. Coming from a school that had piloted an educational model based on the comprehensive application of behavior analysis, the residents turned their classroom experiences into reality and discovered what it means to be a member of a household and a community. Not only do they enjoy having their own rooms, but have learned the responsibilities -- such as making their own beds -- that go along with it. The group also enjoys bringing some of the items they make at their day programs to be sold at "Presently Surprised," a store in Montrose. The extra money will come in handy when buying holiday gifts this year for their friends and families.

Kenny Fabrezski (left) and Paul Grotto (right) take out the trash at their home in Cortlandt Manor.

Jawonio: A Neighborhood Friend

Another agency that has successfully navigated a changing environment is Jawonio, Inc. which offers community-based employment opportunities, early intervention, preschool and child care programs and educational programs in mainstream schools.

Ten years ago, Jawonio -- based in Rockland County -- had only one 20-bed intermediate care facility (ICF) on its campus. Today, it has two ICFs as well as 11 individualized residential alternatives (IRAs) in the community. According to Executive Director Paul Tendler, in several instances, community members who had fought the opening of homes, later used the same determination to show their support. "We change opinions and attitudes by actually being good neighbors ... we truly lead by example," he said.

Jawonio's homes provide a positive, person centered approach to helping people with severe physical and behavioral issues live successfully in the community. Its latest residential project is the first of its kind in the United States to be funded by the federal Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). With this support, Jawonio was able to purchase and renovate five condominiums in regular housing complexes. Jawonio's next planned HUD project involves building a garden apartment complex for people of all ages, socioeconomic levels and disability groups.