Respite Services

Respite is the opportunity for caregivers to take a break from the everyday stressors of caring for a developmentally disabled individual. CGSHB operates a one bedroom respite apartment located at 107 Payson Avenue, N.Y. N.Y. The respite program provides planned weekend care for two individuals from Friday evening at 6:00 P.M. to Sunday evenings at 6:00 P.M. on a scheduled basis. In addition, the respite program is open for ten full weeks coinciding with the Board of Education schedule of vacations, holidays and summer closure.

The consumers utilizing the respite services are appropriately paired for compatibility to maximize the respite experience. The consumers are paired based upon factors that include age, gender, likes and their medical and behavioral needs. The apartment is located on the second floor accessible by stairs, therefore individuals must be ambulatory.

Based upon the functional abilities of the individuals, the staff will develop a plan of recreational and social activities to take place during the course of their stay. Our trained staff will focus attention on assisting the individuals to further develop their independence; assistance and supervision is provided to ensure that each individual's self care needs are met. Our staff are trained in the area of medication administration, holding certification as Approved Medication Administration Personnel (AMAP). They are responsible for the administration of medications to those individual’s requiring this service.

Respite services with CGSHB are available to Manhattan residents. In order to be eligible individuals must be at least five years of age or older and be enrolled in OMRDD’s Home and Community Based  Services (HCBS) Waiver. The staff of the respite program will assist families with this process if necessary.