Welcome to the inaugural edition of Connecting Quarterly, our new quarterly newsletter designed to share updates, program news, and advocacy information for the families, guardians and advocates related to our intellectual disability residential programs at Strawberry Fields.
For those I've had the pleasure of meeting in person or speaking with, your stories and experiences continue to inspire and drive my commitment each day. For those I've yet to meet, I am Karen DeSimone, Director of Intellectual Disability Services. My journey with Strawberry Fields began 25 years ago as a direct care professional.
Please know your journey, questions, and insights shape our programs. Do not hesitate to contact me at 814-234-6023 or via email at kdesimone@sfionline.org for any reason—whether to discuss our services, share your stories, or seek guidance.
I also wanted to take a moment and share a helpful resource—the PA Family Network. The Network is a part of Pennsylvania's Community of Practice: Supporting Families throughout the Lifespan. The Network has advisors located across the state, and all are people with disabilities or family members. Through peer-peer workshops, mentoring services, and system navigation, the goal is to help families learn what they need to know and do across the lifespan to develop the supports and services needed to achieve an Everyday Life for the WHOLE family.
To explore the wealth of resources and support available through the PA Family Network, please feel free to reach out:
Call: 1-844-PA-Family Email: PAFamilyNetwork@visionforequality.org Visit: https://www.visionforequality.org/programs/pa-family-network/ Follow: @PAFamilyNetwork across all social media platforms
Don't miss out: Keep scrolling to learn about the latest program updates and advocacy news.