The annual Gala honored CEO Doug Muetzel in 2024, celebrating his 25 years of mission and service with Wesley Family Services.
The party began with a cocktail reception before WTAE’s Shannon Perrine welcomed everyone to the ballroom for dinner and the program. More than 500 guests made the gala the most highly attended in its history.
READ MORE: The initial story was covered by the Pittsburgh Post Gazette.
Maya Horton’s favorite thing about her home in Wesley Family Service’s Pioneer Apartments is peace.
“It’s very peaceful. I have my peace,” she said. “That’s what I like about living here in this building. I go home to a peaceful environment, and I feel safe in my home.”
Horton was the third person to sign a lease to live in Pioneer Apartments in downtown New Kensington when it opened in November 2020. She saw its construction start when she would drive past the Fourth Avenue site from her previous home in Arnold to go to the former Shop ’n Save in New Kensington.
The background check was thorough, she said, but, “It was worth it.”
Between 80 and 100 people live in Pioneer’s 36 apartments, which include one-, two- and three-bedroom units. While there is turnover, the building is typically full, with a waiting list at times, Wesley Family Services CEO Doug Muetzel said.
The uniqueness of the facility now extends to its roof, where a solar energy system has been installed to provide power to the common areas of the building’s residential side.
The 104.5 kilowatt solar energy system, installed by local developer EIS Solar, is expected to produce about 110,800 kilowatt hours and reduce the facility’s utility bill by 78%. EIS estimates the system will save Wesley Family Services about $700,000 over 25 years, or $28,000 per year over that time.
“It can be argued that education and healthcare are the roots from which all progress grows.
In Pittsburgh, the 953 staff and clinicians behind non-profit Wesley Family Services and its more than 50 programs tend to a garden of about 20,000 people of all ages and needs a year, through therapeutic care and support services for those with mental health concerns, intellectual and developmental disabilities, seniors and those within the justice and foster care systems.”
Wesley Family Services Vice President of Research, Quality and Compliance Robin Kelly as well as Foundation board member Sandra Lewis were among the honorees for the 2023 New Pittsburgh Courier Women of Excellence Awards.
Some Wesley Family Services counselors have found a new space to offer transformational care in a school setting.
Recently, Cornell School District in Coraopolis introduced two wellness rooms for elementary and high school students to focus on mental health and after-effects of the pandemic.
READ MORE: The original story was posted on KDKA.
Every day, Christopher is dropped off at Wesley Family Services at 8 a.m. He hangs up his bookbag, puts away his lunchbox, and checks in with staff in the program area. Afterwards, he retreats to the sensory room for some time to himself, before turning his focus towards drawing and drafting comic strips for the rest of the day.
For Tricia, who is also a part of the Autism Workshop program, the day is entirely different. She takes her alone time in the early afternoon, but uses the morning to complete math and reading worksheets.
The Adult Day Autism Program launched in April 2022, after staff at Wesley recognized the need, in part, due to socialization challenges brought on during the pandemic. It is an extension of Wesley Family Services’ already-established Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (IDD) programming, which provides vocational training, job support and other educational resources.
Adult development training at Wesley’s IDD program relies on monthly curriculum. However, that curriculum is based on socialization, and those with autism may need alternative support systems.
The Adult Day Autism Program bridges that gap for those 18 and older with an autism diagnosis by adapting curriculum to individual’s fortes and interests. While the main program is often very active, the autism program allows for breaks throughout the day.
Utilizing the Healthy Relationships Curriculum, participants are taught a combination of communication and life skills. Activities range from building with blocks, to arts and crafts, to physical activity. There is a designated sensory room available at any point in the day to utilize calming techniques.
A unique facet of the Adult Day Autism Program is not just tailoring schedules to better support needs, but also providing space and development for individual goals.
“The program is structured to cater to each individual’s strengths, through activities like art or physical movement,” said IDD Day Program Manager Erin Rodriguez. “But we also recognize that every person may need something different, at different times of the day, to achieve their goals.”
The flexibility and individuality are, by design, a microcosm of Wesley Family Services care model, Quality Whole Person Care*. It is a concept that Vice President of Transition – Age and Adult Services Heather Duncan knows well.
“Here, we don’t think in terms of ‘one size fits all’,” she said. “Quality Whole Person Care paves the way for the development of programs like the Adult Day Autism Program to provide specialized care.”
And- just like the curriculum itself, the end goal is flexible – and different – for everyone. Participants will not “age out” of the program, but are welcome to stay until they choose a different path.
“For some people, the goal may be to continue in our in-house program,” said Rodriguez. “While others may want to transfer to the vocational program, pursue community involvement or volunteer opportunities. We can support them in that pursuit and transition, as well.”
> For more information, please go to https://www.wfspa.org and fill out the form on the “Contact” page.