Here's What's Happening this Fall at Humanim

News . Events . Impact

HEADLINES

Humanim was honored to receive the Rise to the Challenge grant from Howard County Executive Calvin Ball this Fall, which will allow us to meet the service needs of community members during the pandemic. Humanim’s Interim President & CEO, Cindy Plavier-Truitt, shared: “COVID-19 has been a trigger for stress, fear, anxiety, and feelings of vulnerability. For individuals who live with disabilities, we know the detriments of pandemic related stressors and isolation can be even worse. With the generous support from the Howard County Rise To The Challenge Fund, Humanim will continue to pivot our service delivery model increasing access to and use of technology for Howard County residents we serve and their families. We greatly appreciate the innovative thinking of our County Executive and his team for supporting new human service models in this era of social distancing and virtual learning.” We also want to extend our congratulations to the other 39 Howard County nonprofits who were fellow recipients of the Rise to the Challenge grants! Read more...

On November 19th at 4pm, the Maryland Chamber of Commerce will be honoring state influencers at #InspireMD for their dedication to making Maryland a better place to work and live. Humanim’s former President and CEO, Henry Posko, will be joining the ranks of leaders who have made substantial contributions to the community, alongside fellow inductee Redonda G. Miller, M.D., President of The Johns Hopkins Hospital. This virtual event is free to attend! Join us for an inspiring evening honoring Henry and other Maryland leaders. Register to Attend.

iHome's Greenfields Community Living Project held its groundbreaking ceremony this Fall. The innovative project creates sustainable and affordable housing models for community members experiencing psychiatric or developmental disabilities, and includes the construction of 3 Zero Energy homes (9 living units).  The net zero houses will provide affordable housing for low-income adults with disabilities, allowing them to live independently in their community while receiving home supports. This project is a collaboration between Humanim's iHomes and various partners, including The Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Foundation, Howard County Housing & Community Development, Maryland General Assembly (Howard County Delegation), Standard Energy Solutions, and US Department of Housing & Urban Development. Read More...

Humanim’s Administrative Assistant Career Training Program was recently presented with a BTU Partnership Award! This award highlights the positive impact created from the collaboration between Humanim’s Workforce Development programs and Towson University. The Humanim & TU Human Resources Partnership “Provides workforce training and employment pipeline opportunities—reinforcing TU’s commitment as an anchor institution. The program has allowed TU faculty and staff in need of temporary administrative support to quickly meet their needs while providing much-needed experience in the workplace. Over the past four years, temporary employees at TU have successfully moved into full-time positions, primarily at TU but at other anchor institutions as well. Currently, six TU offices have Humanim graduates in permanent administrative positions after completing their temporary assignments. Not only is TU benefitting from Humanim’s thorough and high-quality training program, but members of our community are getting life-changing opportunities with steady and consistent employment.”  Read More...

A big thank you to ClearMask – who recently donated over 4,000 face masks to Humanim! Clear masks are essential to communicating with our staff and consumers who are deaf or hard of hearing during the pandemic. Many of our Developmental Disability and Behavioral Health services clients have difficulty expressing their emotions, and ClearMasks help mitigate additional communication barriers by supporting lip reading and allowing program participants and staff to show their facial expressions, so they are able to build rapport. Humanim’s culinary social enterprise, City Seeds, also utilizes ClearMasks when they are making food donation and catering deliveries in the community, which helps them better communicate with customers and community members. Read More...

Last month, Governor Larry Hogan announced over $2.8 million in grant awards to create and expand apprenticeship opportunities! Humanim received $250k in funding from the Apprenticeship Innovation Fund 2.0, in order to convert our existing Direct Support Professional Apprenticeship Program to an apprenticeship program that can serve multiple employers who are serving individuals with behavioral and developmental disabilities. We extend our deepest thanks to the Maryland Department of Labor, Tiffany Robinson, and Governor Hogan for their commitment to strengthening the workforce through apprenticeship programs.

In recognition of #NationalApprenticeshipWeek, we'll be highlighting stories from our Direct Support Professional Apprenticeship Program - the only one of its kind in Maryland.  Humanim currently hosts both Youth and Adult Apprenticeship programs in Baltimore City and Howard County. Many participants excel in our DSP Ladder, a program created to encourage mastery of professional standards of practice, along with career advancement opportunities and pay incentives.

In 2019, Humanim partnered with the Maryland Department of Labor to offer a Direct Support Professional Apprenticeship Program.  As a registered MD Apprenticeship program, apprentices receive paid, on-the-job training within a variety of community-based settings, while earning professional certification through the National Alliance for Direct Support Professionals.  Follow the stories on our blog or social media!

NEWS & EVENTS

HUMAN IMPACT

“I would have died had it not been for Humanim. They got me a place to stay, helped me with my medication, and helped me get a job. I had communal support.”

Norman was introduced to Humanim through a referral to Humanim’s Residential Rehabilitation program. He had recently fallen on difficult financial times, was at risk for homelessness, and in need of assistance with managing his mental illness. As part of the Residential Rehabilitation Program, Norman began working one-on-one with a counselor to outline and work toward his rehabilitation goals, and with the help of his counselor, was soon able to obtain stable housing.

To support his other individual goals, Norman participated in several of Humanim’s other behavioral health programs, including the Psychiatric Day Program, where he was able to engage in social support from peers while learning ways to cope with his mental illness and work toward recovery. He also participated in services from Humanim’s Evidence-Based Practice Supported Employment (EBSE), which assisted him in improving his resume and learning interview skills. Through the help of EBSE, Norman soon secured employment at Weis grocery store.

Despite many challenges, Norman stayed committed to his goals and recovery process, and through his dedicated involvement in Humanim’s programs, was able to increase his independent living skills, social skills and career development. With stable housing and employment, Norman was able to transition from an intensive level placement to a general level placement. Recently, he received his housing voucher, empowering him to move into independent living, and he officially moved into his new place last April. His support team at Humanim couldn’t be more proud of his progress and determination.