Life’s WORC is a not-for-profit agency offering an array of support to individuals with developmental disabilities. It was founded in 1971 and now includes 36 group homes in Queens, Nassau and Suffolk, serving young children, adolescents, adults and the elderly. Their mission is to provide services that facilitate an independent and productive life experience for individuals with developmental disabilities, mental retardation and autism.
Life’s WORC takes a “Person-Centered Planning” approach, whereby they take an individualized look at the person as the center of planning a program to help them live a full and “enviable life”to help them reach their goals.
In addition to Life’s WORC Residential Services, the Day Habilitation Program provides vocational training, socialization and life skills to ambulatory adults 18 and over. They also provide an At Home Residential Rehabilitation Program to support individuals who live alone or with family and need assistance developing independent living skills.
Life’s WORC recreation programs offer community-based recreation activities for children and adults with disabilities, including trips to museums, shows, sporting events and restaurants. The Creative Arts Therapy program provides music and art therapy to those aged three to 15 with autism and developmental disabilities. There is also a Making Connections Socialization Program for kids aged five to 12 and diagnosed with autism to develop play and socialization skills.
The staff at Life’s WORC operates under five core values: responsibility to the individuals they support, quality, creating and maintaining a team, staff development and recognition and communication.
“Our five values are woven into everything we do: recruiting staff, motivation, using best practices. What makes us different is our values-based system. We have such a healthy workforce with positive interaction,” said Maryann Greco, Senior Director of Clinical Services.
All staff members undergo rigorous training when first hired, then throughout the year. Every two years, Life’s WORC does an anonymous survey to generate an agency report card to find ways to improve. In the past two years, Life’s WORC was named one of the Best Places to Work for in NYC by Crain’s Business Weekly and one of the Best Companies to Work for in NYS by the National Association of Human Resource Management.
To learn more about Life’s WORC, log on to www.lifesworc.org or call 516-741-9000, Ext 271. – Catherine M. Lozada
