Saratoga Bridges is very proud of its hard working, conscientious staff!  We celebrate them with a variety of activities every September during Direct Support Professionals Week and at our Employee Recognition event to praise their achievements and exemplary service.  Both opportunities give us a chance to share our utmost gratitude for their dedication, compassion, understanding, kindness, patience and flexibility!  The Employee Recognition Day features a catered meal, games, prizes and a presentation of awards that include certificates and monetary awards including:

2022 Excellence Awardees:

Rebecca Atkinson – Assistant Residence Manager 2 – Finley Road

Sam Chabot, Employment Specialist – Alpha Career Options

Audrey Della Ratta, Direct Support Professional – Wilton Day Program

Fay Fagnant, Family Support Direct Support Professional

Yolanda Gill – Residence Manager – Locust Grove Road

Lynn Haggerty, Behavior Specialist 2 – Residential Program

Michael Kanaby, IS Assistant System Analyst – Network Systems – IS/IT

Steven Lloyd, Bus Driver – Transportation

Tammi Skellie, Secretary/Receptionist – Alpha Day Program

Stacy Williams, Director Support Professional 3 – ACE/WOW Program

Rookie of the Year – Ariel Reynolds, Director Support Professional 2 – Moe Road

Years of Service:                   

35 Years

Heather Franke

Jacqueline Roberts

30 Years                                                           

Lynn Haggerty

25 Years                                                           

Barry Allen

Kristin Briggs

Lisa Fisher

Evelyn Marzloff

Lisa Randall

20 Years                                                           

Chastity Johnson

Marcia Manning

Shannon Milack

Gregory Taylor

Patricia Westbrook

15 Years                                                           

Marjorie Brown

Annemarie Caruana

Justin Desautels

Margaret Klein

Mary Mattison

Winifred Pino

Debra Rodd-Cavallo

Walter Wallen

10 Years                                                           

Angela Carr

Lynn Dipasquale

Jennifer Dunn

Kurt Freeman

Andrea Jordan

Michael Marino

Laura McClements

Nathan Perry

Charles Shaffer

5 Years                                                         

Sefth Berry

David Dumas

Kathryn Gilboy

Koren Lasher

Erin Martinelli

Susan Matthews

Lisa Mitchell

Cindy Novak

Julie Marks

Mark Roberts

Sloan Russell

Jason Russell

Alexa Starr

Matthew Tedrow

Carl Wright

Safe Driving Awards

Robert Harrington – 28 years

Philip Ellsworth – 15 years

Melissa Rafferty – 11 years

Lori Kinisky – 8 years

Jackie Lewis-Goodman -7 years

Patty Boyle – 6 years

Ed Beam – 4 years

Joe Gabel – 4 years

Mike Marino – 4 years

Mark Roberts – 4 years

Robert Ellis – 3 years

Austin Gregory – 3 years

Steve Lloyd – 3 years

Joe Maloney – 3 years

Robert Nass – 3 years

Robert Bellamy – 2 years

The College of Direct Support Professionals

Sydney Mayo was our 2022 graduate of The College of Direct Support.  Sponsored by The New York Alliance for Inclusion and Innovation (NY Alliance), The College of Direct Support provides a validated and specialized curricula to enhance and develop a skilled Direct Support workforce throughout the United States.

Every graduate receives a Certificate of Completion from The College of Direct Support and will have their names listed on a permanent plaque located in the foyer of our Administration Building.

Leadership Institute

Saratoga Bridges Leadership Institute began in 2009 to strengthen our workforce, build internal leadership capacity, foster long-range individual growth, ensure stability and develop a group of highly knowledgeable staff.  highly knowledgeable staff.  Selected staff meet monthly with coordinator to receive training on the fundamentals of leadership.  The Institute provides an opportunity for the member to experience the agency mission and familiarize themselves with each department’s activities.  Their training focuses on topics that include supervisory strategies, communications, human behavior, self-analysis, presentation skills and others.  Working with mentors, the Leadership Institute members develop a project that will benefit the agency and the people they support.   The mentors guide the candidates until he or she is ready to successfully demonstrate their knowledge base to a graduation panel of executives and peers.  Upon graduating, they can become mentors for co-workers in the Leadership Institute program, serve on future graduate panels and use their training for agency-wide task forces and committees.

 

Direct Support Professionals Week

Saratoga Bridges has designated Direct Support Professionals (DSP) week each September. We acknowledge our dedicated workers who are often unrecognized. Along with the New York State Office of Persons with Developmental Disabilities (OPWDD), we celebrate staff who provide support to the people we serve every day, 365 days a year. Our team is responsible for the health, safety and emotional well-being of individuals they work with by encouraging them to live more meaningful, dignified and productive lives. Our DSPs. They promote inclusion and independence within the community.

Our celebratory week includes distributing gift certificates, Saratoga Bridges garb, Creative Endeavors artwork and more to recognize our outstanding employees. Also, we had staff featured on television, radio and newspaper articles.