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This article was originally published in the Tribune Review.
By Kevin Smith
Tribune Review

Herb Hughes of New Kensington sees the positives of working on the Pioneer Apartments project in New Kensington.

It’s close to Hughes’ home, and the project by Wesley Family Services aims to inject life into the city’s business district.

The $18.2 million apartment building is being built on the site of a former parking lot, between 10th and 11th streets and Fourth Avenue and Cherry Alley. Mistick Construction is handling construction, and the apartments are on target for an Aug. 1 opening.

Stephen Christian-Michaels, chief strategy officer of Wesley Family Services, said the building will house 36 two- and three-bedroom apartments, with rent ranging from $200 to $800 a month, and nine apartments will be equipped for people with disabilities who qualify for federal Section 8 housing.

Wesley has received 185 applications for the regular apartments and 25 for the handicapped-accessible ones, according to Christian-Michaels.

Wesley Family Services also will move all of its staff from its New Kensington and Tarentum offices into the building. That will mean the move of between 80 and 100 employees to start. The plan is to expand that to 125 in the next seven years.

At Pioneer Apartments, Wesley Family Services will offer programs and services to the building’s residents and local residents.

Pioneer Apartments is funded largely through two tax credit programs — new market tax credits from the nonprofit Corporation for Supportive Housing and low-income housing tax credits through the Pennsylvania Housing Finance Authority. It also received grant funding from the Richard King Mellon Foundation and the Federal Home Loan Bank of Pittsburgh, as well as a no-interest loan from the housing finance authority.

Christian-Michaels said area workers were guaranteed jobs when the project was announced.

There are now more than five workers with ties to the Alle-Kiski Valley on site each day, according to Christian-Michaels.

“It’s beneficial to the project and having these local workers here is beneficial to the community,’’ Christian-Michaels said. “Mistick has done a great job getting all these people hired.

“We started this on May 26. It was a rainy June, but we have had perfect weather this winter and we should be right on target.’’

The effort to hire local workers and improve New Kensington has not gone unnoticed by Hughes.

“It’s long overdue to see a project like this in New Kensington,’’ he said.

Tuesday was Hughes’ third day on the job. He recently graduated from Triangle Tech, where he was trained in general contracting, drywall, plumbing and electrical work.

Another recent Triangle Tech graduate, Adrian Bell, grew up in New Kensington until ninth grade. He graduated from Kiski Area High School and now lives just past the Lincoln Beach neighborhood of Upper Burrell.

“It’s just five or 10 minutes away,’’ Bell said. “Having the ability to get a job here will help my career.’’

Wendell Green, also of New Kensington, is working with the plumbing crew.

“It’s a nice opportunity for us,’’ Green said. “You can get out, and it’s close by and easy to get to.’’

New Kensington Mayor Tom Guzzo said this is what was envisioned when the project came together. He said the addition of jobs was critical and fits in with the work being done by the Penn State New Kensington “Corridor of Innovation,’’ Knead Community Café and the Voodoo Brewery.

“It’s important to employ people here in New Kensington,’’ Guzzo said. “And it’s important to hire people from not only New Kensington, but from throughout the Alle-Kiski Valley.”

This article was originally published in the Tribune Review.
By Tony LaRussa
Tribune Review

The North Hills School District will host a Town Hall meeting March 19 that will focus on the dangers teenagers face from vaping.

The program, which runs from 6:30 to 9 p.m. in the North Hills Middle School auditorium, will feature a panel of experts from law enforcement and the medical community.

The schedule includes presentations from the Ross and West View police departments, District Judge Richard Opiela and other experts.

Allegheny Health Network pulmonologists Dr. Briana DiSilvio and Dr. Meilin Young will discuss the dangers of vaping and how it pertains to lung health.

Maggie Conrad of Wesley Family Services will do a presentation titled “A Stash Room Experience” that explores the places teens typically hide vaping devices and paraphernalia.

This is the third year the district has convened a town meeting to discuss issues of importance to the community. The first two town halls in 2018 and 2019 focused on the opioid epidemic.

The middle school is located at 55 Rochester Road in Ross Township.

This article was originally published in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
By Kate Giammarise
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

With the topic of employment for people with disabilities high on the agenda, 2,000 people are expected to convene next week at an annual disability and mental health summit in Downtown.

The gathering March 3 at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center is organized by state Rep. Dan Miller, D-Mt. Lebanon; this is the summit’s seventh year and it is expected to be much larger than previous gatherings.

“Each year, the needs and issues continue to grow,” Mr. Miller said.

Many sessions will focus on the topic of employment for individuals with disabilities. But the more than 40 discussions will also include state human service officials giving information and updates on mental health resources, sessions for caregivers, sessions on understanding the intersection of mental health and addiction, and information about navigating the state’s Medicaid program.

There will also be a focus on the Americans with Disabilities Act, which this year marks its 30th anniversary.

“There are many, many people who don’t know that history … it’s important that people realize and remember that the ADA is one of the most important pieces of disability legislation ever passed in this country,” said Nancy Murray, president and chief executive officer of The Arc of Greater Pittsburgh/ACHIEVA, who has been involved in planning for this and prior conferences.

A bipartisan panel of state lawmakers will also be discussing policies on disability and mental health.

“This is not about politics,” said Rep. Natalie Mihalek, R-Upper St. Clair, who will co-chair the legislative panel. “This is about the people of Pennsylvania, and certainly some of our most vulnerable citizens.”

Ms. Mihalek was speaking at a news conference last week about the event.

“I think it is a great one-stop shop for people getting lots of different kinds of information,” said Mary Anderson Hartley, project director for Western Pennsylvania Disability and Action Consortium, who will be speaking on a panel about housing.

The event is “community-driven,” with programs that aim to give the information people are seeking, she said.

The event is free for attendees. Sponsors include Highmark, Gateway Health, The Staunton Farm Foundation, Community Care Behavioral Health Organization, FISA Foundation and PNC Financial Services Group.

The summit has taken place in prior years at Beth El Congregation of the South Hills in Scott, but it has outgrown that space, Mr. Miller said.

The planning and content development of the event is run through Mr. Miller’s office, but the fundraising is not, he said. The Jewish Healthcare Foundation serves as a fiscal agent.

State legislators often host gatherings for their constituents — meet-and-greets, paper shredding events, concealed carry permit events, or senior or veteran-focused resource fairs.

But the scale of this event is much greater.

“There’s nothing else like it,” said Bill Patton, a spokesman for House Minority Leader Frank Dermody and the House Democratic Caucus.

Mr. Miller has invited all of his House and Senate colleagues to attend, and the event has inspired another disability-focused event in the eastern part of the state, Mr. Patton said.

“He’s been careful to do it the right way. It’s very policy-focused. It’s not a tool for political promotion. He’s well-connected with advocates and experts and able to leverage that into getting everyone together at one time,” Mr. Patton said.

More information is available at http://www.disabilitysummit.com/

This article was originally published in the Pittsburgh Patch.
By Eric Heyl
Pittsburgh Patch

ROSS TOWNSHIP, PA – North Hills School District will host a town hall on the dangers of vaping next month. The event will occur March 19 from 6:30-9:30 p.m. in the North Hills Middle School auditorium.

District families and members of the community are invited to join school district officials, Ross and West View police and District Judge Richard Opiela for an evening of education about vaping and health-related concerns associated with younger populations.

Allegheny Health Network pulmonologists Dr. Briana DiSilvio and Dr. Meilin Young will discuss the dangers of vaping and how it pertains to lung health during their presentation “Vaping and Lung Health.” Maggie Conrad from Wesley Family Services will explore and discuss the places teens typically hide vaping devices and paraphernalia in her presentation “A Stash Room Experience.”

Doors will open at 6:30 p.m. to allow attendees to visit with vendors including emergency response services, drug and alcohol recovery services, counseling and therapy services and behavioral health services. The presentations will begin at 7 p.m.

This is the third year North Hills is hosting a town hall. The first two events in 2018 and 2019 focused on the opioid epidemic.

This article was originally published in the Tribune Review.
By Bob Bauder
Tribune Review

People with disabilities or mental health problems can access support organizations and attend informational seminars during a summit in March at Pittsburgh’s David L. Lawrence Convention Center.

Admission to the Disability and Mental Health Summit on March 3 is free. It runs from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. and features more than 40 informational sessions on topics of interest and a resource fair with more than 230 service providers and advocacy and support groups.

“The main point is to help people with resources in designing their future,” said state Rep. Dan Miller, D-Mt. Lebanon, who is hosting the event. “We want to increase opportunities across the board and find other ways too to decrease stigma. The focus is on employment and stigma.”

This is the seventh year that Miller has hosted the summit. He chose the convention center this year in recognition of the 30th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act and because of increasing attendance.

About 500 people attended the first summit and the number increased to around 1,500 last year, he said. About 2,000 people have signed up for this year’s summit, he said.

More than 20 local businesses, foundations and organizations donated $125,000 to fund the event.

This article was originally published in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
By Jeremy Reynolds
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

 

Jennifer Bruno doesn’t take her daughter Cassie to many public events. She gets tired of people gawking.

“You can’t offend us if you just talk to us, but most people just stare,” she said.

Cassie, 14, is visually impaired and autistic. Sometimes she yells loudly, when she’s overwhelmed or tired. While Ms. Bruno keeps Cassie’s life social and active with events specifically for children with autism, it can be stressful to take her to public, family-friendly occasions that parents of neurotypical kids wouldn’t think twice about.

Events like the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra’s Holiday Pops Concert, one of the best attended holiday concerts in the city, aren’t on the agenda. At least, not until this year. On Saturday, the symphony hosted its first sensory-friendly Holiday Pops, transforming Heinz Hall into an inclusive, welcoming space for an afternoon of music for the whole family.

“Coming here hasn’t been stressful — this is wonderful,” Ms. Bruno said at the concert while Cassie vocalized to pre-show Christmas tunes. “I absolutely will be back.”

Typically kids, adolescents and adults with autism take in information differently than their neurotypical peers. They can be easily overwhelmed by the senses, noises, visuals and smells. The loud music and the crowds and flashing lights at traditional concerts can overwhelm someone with autism such that they need to leave.

At Saturday’s concert, narrated and directed by conductor Daniel Meyer, kids roamed the aisles, clapping when they felt like it or vocalizing to sing with the music. The lights stayed up to help with focus, some of the louder moments in the holiday selections were toned down. The symphony provided quiet spaces for listeners who needed a break from the noise, and the PSO provided pre-concert activities like singalongs and fidget tables to help ease folks into the experience.

There were curbside assistance for listeners with mobility issues; hearing aids and an American Sign Language interpreter for those with auditory issues; Braille programs for the visually impaired; and several dozen volunteers on hand to assist families.

In one hallway, musician James Rodgers sat softly demonstrating the mechanics of a bassoon to children and parents. The soft sounds of a cello floated down from the balcony, where Santa Claus hung out to take photos after the performance.

The Pittsburgh Symphony’s foray into sensory friendly programming isn’t new, as the orchestra rolled out its first program in 2015 after working for more than two years with community organizations such as Welsey Family Services, Autism Connection of Pennsylvania, Western Pennsylvania School for the Blind and many others.

Occupational therapist Roger Ideishi, also a professor at Temple University in Philadelphia, also helped design the concert format, and now the orchestra programs one sensory friendly experience a season. Saturday’s concert drew around 1,200 people to Heinz Hall.

This year, the symphony has been working to adapt pops programming like its Disney pops concert in March and the December Holiday Pops concerts to provide the same opportunity to kids with mental, physical or social disorders as their neurotypical peers enjoy. Orchestras around the country ranging from the Boston Pops and the Nashville Symphony to the Minnesota Orchestra and the Richmond Symphony are adapting Pittsburgh’s sensory friendly experience for their own communities.

“About 14% of the population has some kind of visible or invisible disability,” said Suzanne Perrino, senior vice president of learning and community engagement at the Pittsburgh Symphony.

That’s more than 40,000 people in Pittsburgh alone. The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that 1 in 59 children will be diagnosed with autism.

“We heard that we’re not currently reaching this audience, that families can’t attend as a unit and they leave kids with disabilities at home. We wanted to offer something to change that,” Ms. Perrino said.

She explained that “sensory friendly” means focusing first on families and second on welcoming anyone who’s worried about being judged for reacting to the music in a different way.

Families started wandering into Heinz Hall about an hour before the 2:30 p.m. concert began, familiarizing themselves with the facilities, learning exit routes, checking to see if their children wanted to experience the concert or whether the space might be overwhelming that day.

Many listeners seemed excited and beamed throughout the performance, singing along with the symphony during Christmas carols and waving cheerfully at Santa when he jollied himself onto the stage. Others seemed a bit overwhelmed, and some parents would leave the concert and return or head home a bit early. The symphony offered a full refund to any family who couldn’t stay, no questions asked.

“This is like therapy for us parents,” said Amy Hart, mother of Sophie, 10, before the concert began. “Normally everybody just stares at us. Here, everybody gets it.”

Ms. Hart and Ms. Bruno are friends, and they’re both clients of Wesley Family Services, which began sponsoring the PSO’s sensory friendly performances this year. Wesley provided training to the orchestra staff, ushers, box office and musicians earlier this year to prepare everyone for the performance. Wesley Family Services also offers a creative arts therapy program, which Ms. Bruno credits for helping Cassie to begin vocalizing.

“Cassie’s got some pipes!” Ms. Hart said.

Another concert attendee, Garrett Willner, said he was thrilled to be hearing the orchestra. Mr. Willner, 20, has autism, and he said he loved playing the piano, particularly Journey covers and tunes by The Beatles.

“I’m so excited for the Christmas carols,” Mr. Willner said, fluttering his hands lightly in anticipation.

Pittsburgh has demonstrated a progressive approach to providing inclusive spaces for the disability community.

The Pittsburgh Cultural Trust staged a sensory friendly version of Disney’s “The Lion King” in September. (Mr. Willner attended — he said he enjoyed it.) The Carnegie Science Center, Pittsburgh Ballet Theater, The Andy Warhol Museum and others offer sensory friendly variants of some of their programming.

Also, Pittsburgh International Airport is one of only a handful of airports around the world to offer a sensory friendly room to ease the difficulty of traveling for families. Inspired by an airport employee’s heartfelt letter suggesting that the airport provide a space for traveling families with autism or other special needs, Presley’s Place opened earlier this year.

Ms. Perrino said the orchestra is working to incorporate universal design practices in the rest of its programming. Universal design is about creating an environment that can be accessed and understood and enjoyed by as many people as possible regardless of their age or abilities. Since the orchestra began its foray into creating sensory friendly experiences, Ms. Perrino said, the education and community programs and pops programs are incorporating some of the changes.

At the moment, the PSO only programs one sensory friendly concert per season, but that may increase in the coming years as the program continues to evolve based on community feedback.

“We want this to become a new tradition,” Ms. Perrino said.

And as for Ms. Bruno and Mr. Hart, they said they and many parents welcome people speaking to them in public and asking questions.

“You really can’t offend us,” said Ms. Bruno, who raised more than $23,000 for the Team Cassie Fund at the Pittsburgh Foundation to raise awareness, acceptance and inclusion for children with autism.

“But please don’t stare — offer to help if something seems to be going wrong. Ask us questions. Come say hello!” she said.

https://www.post-gazette.com/ae/music/2019/12/23/Pittsburgh-Symphony-Orchestra-PSO-sensory-friendly-autism-holiday-concert/stories/201912220131