In order to maintain the health and safety of our staff, our consumers, our families, and our community, we are continuing our in-facility service suspension until May 26, 2020, because of the COVID-19 pandemic. At that time we will reevaluate our ability to make any changes with this decision.

While we have suspended in-facility services, that does not mean that we are not available for you, for your family and for our community. Many staff members are working remotely and can be contacted via email. If you do not know an email address of a staff member with whom you wish to communicate, contact our general agency email address and we will forward the message on.

Easterseals Crossroads is available for you. Count on us to continue to assist you with employment services and assistive technology solutions for home, work and school. Perhaps you are even an employer looking for qualified employees; we are still providing employment and technology solutions for employers in our community.

Recently one of our assistive technology staff members was able to provide a solution to help keep someone employed. A very anxious and concerned individual worked in a group home, but was struggling to find the right technology to see her computer screen. She contacted us and one of our employees was able to provide a remote intake to gather information and ultimately provide a solution. 

Thank you so much for this call. I have much anxiety right now with all that is going on. I never expected you to reach out at this time and certainly didn’t expect you to have a possible solution that might help. I just hope you know that this conversation is the best thing that has happened since the whole world got shut down.

– Assistive Technology Consumer

Easterseals Crossroads is available for your family. Count on us to provide pediatric physical, occupational and speech therapy, as well as autism and respite services.

One of our early intervention therapists had a very fun and creative telehealth session recently. Her appointment involved a young girl who is very excited about pigs; it just so happened that our therapist is a collector and equally charmed with pigs. She created a virtual scavenger hunt to find all the pigs in her house. This hunt elicited language, imitation, requesting and more. The girl’s mom used the strategies modeled in the scavenger hunt for a home activity with her daughter and reported that this was a huge success.

Easterseals Crossroads is available for our community. Our relationships with our partners, donors, friends, sponsors and volunteers allow us to strengthen our reach in providing services for individuals with disabilities. 

Project SEARCH is a collaborative transition program for final-year high school students. Along with our partners Community Health Network, MSD Lawrence Township, Indianapolis Public Schools, MSD Warren Township, Vocational Rehabilitation, and the IU Institute on Disability & Community, we provide training and employment solutions for students with significant disabilities. Students participate in a year-long training curriculum that includes intern rotations at Community Health Network hospitals.

This year’s classes were modified because of COVID-19, but interns are still participating in virtual classes with their peers and staff. During their class time they continue to work on employability skills. According to a recent class discussion, interns decided that turning a negative situation into a positive outcome could very well be the backbone that creates an individual’s character.

Employment readiness and employment are the desired outcomes of each Project SEARCH year, and this year is no different in that several interns have already achieved gainful employment as a result of their training period in Project SEARCH.

Please continue to follow us on social media and show us how you #StayGrateful!

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For the health of our staff and visitors, we are continuing to suspend our in-facility services through May 15, 2020, because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Our staff members are working from home when possible and many staff members are continuing to provide appointments through telehealth when this is possible.

If you need to contact a staff member, please do so through this form. Your message will be forwarded to the appropriate staff member and you will be contacted.

Please check back for updates.

If you would like to sign up for our newsletters, please complete this form.

Easterseals Crossroads has been a constant in the Indianapolis landscape for over 80 years. Established by a small group of parents to meet the needs of their children with disabilities, today Easterseals Crossroads offers an expansive variety of programs and services specifically designed to meet the needs of persons with disabilities throughout the life span.  Our services touch the lives of over 88,000 individuals;  we are the “go to” resource for people of all  ages, regardless of disability. That will not change.

Throughout our history, we’ve adapted our approach whenever the needs of people with disabilities have changed; with COVID-19, we have felt drastic changes within a matter of a few weeks. This pandemic has created upheaval for our community and those we serve.

• People who depend on our in-facility services such as adult day, early childhood programs and respite are temporarily struggling to make their days meaningful.
• People with autism who often depend on routine and stability as a framework for successfully achieving their goals have had their worlds turned upside down.
• Families of children with disabilities who rely on therapy services for continued healthy development are at a loss.
• Homeless veterans and job seekers with disabilities are finding it almost impossible to find employment and/or maintain current employment.

Now more than ever, Easterseals Crossroads is needed in this community. But we have been affected; we are facing challenges ourselves. Our staff does not have access to the traditional means of delivering services and are learning new ways through technology. Like many other nonprofits, our organization is taking a significant financial hit as we continue to support our employees so that they can be there for the people who need us.

• Our therapists are rapidly adapting to the provision of telehealth as a temporary solution for physical, occupational and speech therapy.
• Our direct support staff are providing in-home adult day services so that family members with essential jobs can continue to work.
• Our school to work staff are helping our students with disabilities stay on track for graduation and eventual employment.

Many of you have asked us what we need. It is critical for us to gather our community partners, our donors, our friends and our staff in an effort to continue to be the resource that any one of us could need at any point in our lives. Our world may have changed – and it will continue to change – but our purpose, dedication and adaptability will continue to evolve and respond. You can help!

• You can join in on our social media campaign #StayGrateful. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram and share! Let’s share the good news about how we are adapting, staying relevant and thriving.
• If you’re able, you can donate via our website so that our staff can be there for others in this time of need.
• And you can check on your friends and neighbors who have disabilities. Social distancing shouldn’t mean social isolation.
• Thank you for your ongoing support of this organization.

Let’s stay close across the distance, and let’s stay grateful.

In this very difficult time, we are so grateful to our staff members, our consumers and our community for working together to make service delivery possible for those who need us. This ever-changing environment has brought out the best in community creativity as we all explore alternative methods of service delivery including telehealth.

At this point, we have decided that it is best for us to temporarily suspend the provision of services at our Kingsway Drive and Thompson Road locations through April 30.

We are not closing and we are not ceasing the delivery of services. In many cases, our staff members are continuing to provide services in person or virtually as necessary. Our staff members are continuing to concentrate on those tasks that are possible working from home. We can still answer phone calls and emails; and we can respond to requests for information from our website and social media platforms. We are still here for those of you who need to contact us.

We are continually monitoring our situation and we will continue to update our community when new information is available. If you have any questions, please contact us.

As part of Disability Awareness Month in Indiana, INARF (Indiana Association of Rehabilitation Facilities) recognized our (outgoing April 3, 2020) President/CEO with the 2020 James M Hammond III Executive Leadership Award. This award is given to an outstanding executive or administrator in the human services industry. Patrick represents the outstanding entrepreneurial spirit, acumen, ethical demeanor and professional posture that the award embodies.

“Patrick has dedicated his entire career – spanning four decades – to improving the lives of people with disabilities. He is highly respected among his peers and known as a compassionate advocate and ally of all people with disabilities,’ said Bruce Schnaith, Vice President, Easterseals Crossroads.

We are revising and updating this message on an as needed basis.

The daily news about the Coronavirus (COVID-19) has been of utmost importance to us as an agency. We are – and have always been – concerned about the health and safety of those whom we serve and with whom we interact, as well as our staff and community. 

Because this is a rapidly evolving situation, we are following the information as it becomes available from our national organization Easterseals and from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). We recommend that our staff, consumers and all those who visit our facilities do the same. We are following the guidance from our state and national authorities, as well as our medical director, Chuck Dietzen, MD. As the messaging of these authorities evolves, ours will, too.

It is important to remember that we all play an active role in trying to control this unusual situation. We wholly believe that what we can do together will allow us to overcome this unprecedented pandemic.

At this point, our facilities are open and operating as normal with the following exceptions

• We have suspended rental of our conference spaces to community partners until April 17, at which point we will reassess the situation.
• We have suspended our respite programs including Parents’ Night Out, Parents’ Day Out, CHEER and Teen Night Out until April 17.
• We have postponed our autism support group meetings and awareness series until a later date.
• We have postponed all trainings and conferences scheduled through April 17.

We are doing the following for those individuals and families whom we see in our service areas

• We are utilizing temporal thermometers to check temperatures as individuals enter the building. Anyone with a temperature of 100.4 or above will be asked to return home and advised to consult with a healthcare professional.
• We are frequently cleaning and disinfecting areas and equipment including computers, toys and therapy items that are commonly used.
• We have reduced the visitors to our facilities by suspending rental of conference room space and suspending tours to new potential consumers.
• We have suspended community outings in those program areas that participate.
• We have suspended volunteer activities in all facilities.
• We are requiring our staff to be keenly aware of their own health and stay home if ill.

 Here is what you can do to maintain safety and health if you come to our facilities for appointments

• Stay home if you or any family member has tested positive for COVID-19.
• Stay home if you or a family member is sick or if you are uncomfortable keeping an appointment. Call us and we will reschedule your appointment.
• Avoid close contact with people who are sick or who appear sick. This virus is passed by contact or droplets in the air.
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth as this is how the virus spreads. 
• Cover your cough or sneeze with your elbow or tissue, then throw the tissue in the trash and wash your hands.

• Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, especially after going to the bathroom; before eating; and after blowing your nose, coughing or sneezing. If soap and water are not readily available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol.