Our Manager of Adult Day Services Tracy Wright has taken the past 2 years to bring art into the regular programs available through Community Day Supports. With the help of staff, interns and volunteers, multiple pieces of art have been created and sold through art exhibits or by commission. In today’s post, Tracy and her intern Mu-Chien Tsai explain how art programming is beneficial for adults with developmental disabilities.
 
What is art therapy?
Art therapy is a unique approach in working with individuals of all ages using trained clinicians. This type of therapy helps those involved to express feelings and thoughts, enhance self-esteem and self awareness, promote well-being, increase communication skills, and increase coping skills, just to name a few.
How are you implementing art therapy at Easterseals Crossroads?
Mu-Chien usually spends one or two sessions interacting and assessing his clients, writing down their strengths, limitations, needs, and possible goal(s). The materials and approaches will be adjusted and changed based on the clients’ needs, goals, and choices. From his perspectives, giving clients the opportunity to choose is very important because they already experienced a lot of limitations in their lives, and this would be a good opportunity for them to retrieve some freedom and their own voices. Sometimes Mu would combine the tasks with current events, like Christmas and Valentine’s Day, to increase the clients’ interests and motivation.
With the implementation of art therapy at Easterseals Crossroads, we have found that most of the clients within the Community Day Supports programs have expressed an interest in art. Art therapy has now grown into a full art program that includes art therapy, art classes and exploration, art shows and sales, and individual and group art sessions!
 
How many people participate in art program with us?
More than 35 clients have participated in formal art therapy sessions. Currently over 100 clients have participated in some aspect of art programming.
Have you come across any challenges with art programming, such as getting people involved who do not want to participate or adaptations that needed to be made due to a visual, physical or hearing disability?
It is normal to experience challenges working with individuals. As with everything we do, we focus on individuals’ abilities and strengths and build a program around the individual. We adapt the project to fit the needs of the group or individual. As an example, we have many who have limited movement in their hands or arms. Art can then be created with adapted art utensils using mouth pieces or foot pieces. Our popular adaptation of wheelchair art is when the wheelchair itself becomes a paint brush with simple adaptations allowing clients to create art by rolling on canvas.
 
What have been favorite art program projects?
We have had many art program highs in the last year. We have been commissioned for many art pieces by individuals and corporations. We’ve held several art shows and exhibits highlighting our clients’ pieces. One of our favorite projects has been creating pieces that have been used as greeting cards and special events promos.
 
How can the public get involved? 
We’re always appreciative of the donations of art supplies such as canvases, brushes, paints, clay, glue, mod podge, etc. If you are an artist yourself or just have a passion for art with some creative skills, we are always looking for volunteers to work and teach individuals and small groups. Finally, the easiest way to get involved is to come to an art exhibit and show your support.
 

The INDATA Project at Easterseals Crossroads is hosting a free full day training on the topic of assistive technology for people with brain injuries. Taught by our assistive technology clinicians, this training will offer an introduction to brain injury followed by individual sessions on assistive technology for physical, communication and cognitive impairments.
WHAT: Brain Injury and Assistive Technology Full Day Training
WHEN: Friday, March 27, from 9:00 AM to 3:30 PM (Lunch is provided)
WHERE: Easter Seals Crossroads 5th Floor Conference Room
Anyone interested in learning the assistive technology that is helpful for those who have experienced a brain trauma should attend. Vocational Rehabilitation counselors, assistive technology specialists, rehabilitation specialists, social workers, parents, educators, students,professionals and health care providers can benefit from training content.
CEU’s will be offered for this training to those who attend in person. Please register on the Eventbrite page for attending in person or online at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/brain-injury-and-assistive-technology-full-day-training-tickets-15603540610.
For questions or to request accessible accommodations, please contact Nikol Prieto at nprieto@eastersealscrossroads.org.

Today’s post was written by Becky Lohman who has worked at Easterseals Crossroads for over 15 years as a training specialist and a benefits liaison
I recently celebrated my 15th service anniversary as an employee with Easterseals Crossroads. Every day at work, I see firsthand the scope of services and feel the impact that our agency provides to adults and children with disabilities and their families. But, the work that we do as an agency was never more evident to me than last year when I was asked to help supervise preparing archived paper files of our consumers for digital imaging. The records would then be scanned and shredded at Crossroads Document Services, a division of Crossroads Industrial Services, whose production facilities are staffed primarily by those with disabilities.
As a computer trainer and IT staff member, I was very happy about “going digital.” It was the next logical step in our effort to become paperless. Most of our departments had already transitioned to using a secure Electronic Medical Records (EMR) database to track current consumer records and staff caseloads. We now would have a system to quickly access these archived records for our consumers, who often return multiple times for help as they progress through life.
So along with my colleague, Crista McIntosh, and six production workers who each had a disability, I quickly learned how best to remove staples from fragile, old computer or typewriter paper; smooth out wrinkled (sometimes coffee-stained!) pages; and keep a sharp eye out for paperclips, Post-it notes, or anything else that could cause a scanner to jam. I soon was wearing funny-looking rubber finger and thumb tips that allowed me to shuffle through thousands of pages a day. I even had to break down and buy a pair of reading glasses!
By the time the project came to an end, over 16,000 consumer records were prepared for the scanning process. As I was working through the last group of files, I took a moment to look around me. Surrounded by hundreds of cardboard file boxes stacked on wood pallets, I was overwhelmed by that swelling of warmth and emotion that you feel inside your heart.
Every file we had prepped–some with hundreds of pages of notes and reports, others with just a few sheets of documentation–has its own story. One that Easterseals Crossroads helped to write over the years. These just weren’t pieces of papers stuck inside brown cardboard boxes. I was surrounded by people’s hopes and goals; setbacks and pain; triumphs and struggles; and most important their ABILITY to overcome.
Whether on paper or in digital format, there’s just no way to truly record what Easterseals Crossroads has done and the chapters we will continue to write with our consumers, their families, and the community

Today’s post was written by Sara Croft
Curtiss Quirin, Chief Operating Officer of Crossroads Industrial Services, has recently been appointed to the SourceAmerica Board of Directors to serve as Easter Seals’ National Nonprofit Agency representative.
SourceAmerica (formerly NISH), a national nonprofit, is the leading source of job opportunities for a dedicated and highly qualified workforce – people with significant disabilities. For nonprofit agencies, SourceAmerica provides legislative representation, engineering and technical support, and research and development projects. Their network of over 550 community nonprofit agency partners provides training to people with disabilities, assists them in identifying employment options that most of us take for granted, and then enables them to be successful at work.
Meet Curtiss Quirin
Curtiss Quirin has been the Chief Operating Officer of Crossroads Industrial Services since 2009 and is an executive with more than 25 years of experience leading many types of operations. During his career at General Motors, Delphi and Stanley he was permitted a wide scope of autonomy in the fields of Manufacturing, Sales & Marketing, Finance and Supply Chain Management. He lived and worked in Europe for four years, bringing a multi cultural experience.
His Lean experience comes from Toyota production training with both Toyota Sensei’s and working at the NUMMI assembly plant. Factories that he managed were suppliers to Toyota, Honda, General Motors, and many aftermarket customers. His Battery plant in Anaheim, California was granted the Toyota Gold Supplier Achievement award three years in a row for 0 defects and 100% on time shipments.
Curtiss was featured in the 2007 Stanley Annual Report for significant improvements achieved as the Director of Operations for their Security Solutions Division.
He has an MBA, is a certified Green Belt Six Sigma problem solver and has published several articles on employee involvement and problem solving. Before joining Easterseals Crossroads, Curtiss was on the Goodwill-Indy board of directors. He currently serves on the board of directors for the Smart Partners Alliance (Indiana State Use).
Crossroads Industrial Services is a social enterprise. It is the operating division of Easter Seals Crossroads, with a mission to employ people with disabilities and to generate an income used to support programs and services for children and adults.
Crossroads has been in existence since 1939 and competes for commercial manufacturing and distribution opportunities on the basis of quality, cost and delivery. We are ISO 9001, FDA registered, UL approved, and a “prime” contractor to the Department of Defense. Crossroads has been part of the AbilityOne program since 1998 and has successfully completed many AbilityOne contracts. Crossroads achieved QWE “Gold” status in 2013.

2015 is proving to be an exciting year for Easterseals Crossroads and we want you to join in on the fun with us! Review the latest volunteer opportunities listed below and contact Tessa Barnard at tbarnard@eastersealscrossroads.org or 317-466-1000 if you are interested in participating.
NEW YEAR, NEW VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES
Search Engine Optimization for Crossroads Document Services
Crossroads Document Services, a division of Easterseals Crossroads, (located at Crossroads Industrial Services, 8302 E. 33rd Street, Indianapolis) is seeking a volunteer to help develop an e-marketing campaign. The focus would be on search engine optimization (SEO) in order to raise our profile in internet searches for document scanning services in Indiana. This is an extremely flexible opportunity for someone who is internet and computer savvy.
Sertoma Club of North Downtown Indianapolis’ Valentine’s Day Rose Sale
Volunteers are needed on Thursday, February 12, from 4:30 to 8:00 p.m. at Easter Seals Crossroads to assist the Sertoma Club of North Downtown Indianapolis while they prepare roses for the 2015 Rose Sale benefiting Easter Seals Crossroads. Volunteers will remove bottom thorns from roses, fill water tubes, and insert stems into water tubes along with style vases and boxed roses and trim baby’s breath and leather leaf. Additional volunteers are needed anytime between 8:00 AM and 5:30 PM on Friday, February 13 at Easter Seals Crossroads.
Provide Child Care During Parents’ Night Out
We are looking for volunteers to assist the staff of Parents’ Night Out, which provides respite care for family members and primary caregivers of children with special needs ages six months to twelve years old. Respite care enhances personal and family health by providing necessary physical care and recreational activities to the children while offering parents and caregivers a well-deserved break. Parents’ Night Out takes place at Easterseals Crossroads every Friday night. Volunteers report at 5:30 pm with dinner provided and the children are there from 6 pm – 10 pm.
GETTING MORE INVOLVED
Are you interested in joining a voluntary organization that directly benefits Easterseals Crossroads? Check out these two great options!
Crossroads Guild
The Crossroads Guild was organized in 1955 to partner with Easterseals Crossroads to help the children served reach their full potential, and to enrich and make a difference in their lives with compassion and respect for differences in abilities through volunteer service, staff support, promotion of Crossroads’ values and services, the education and socialization of Guild members, and fundraising. Meetings take place on the third Tuesday of every month at Easterseals Crossroads or a point of interest that is determined annual. Often these meetings are held in conjunction with an interesting topic that may include a trip to another location and/or a speaker, along with a luncheon. The Crossroads Guild hosts an annual Family Fun Day, creates crafts to sell as a fundraiser at the Christmas Gift & Hobby Show, and volunteers at CampAbility, a summer day-camp for children at Easter Seals Crossroads. Please contact us for more information about the Guild, who invite you to have a heart, lend a hand, help a child!
Sertoma Club of North Downtown Indianapolis
Headquartered in Kansas City, Missouri, Sertoma is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization dedicated to meeting the needs of communities through volunteer service. Annually, Sertomans raise more than $20 million dollars for local community service projects throughout North America. Dedicated to “SERviceTO MAnkind,” the North Downtown Indianapolis club annually supports several local organizations and programs through volunteer and fundraising efforts. Easter Seals Crossroads is the primary charitable organization and is supported through an annual Valentine’s Day rose sale, Indianapolis Indians and Indiana Pacers fundraisers, volunteerism through their special events and more. Through weekly meetings and working together with others interested in helping the community, friendships and networking opportunities develop and flourish. Lunch meetings are held every Thursday at 12 noon at the Scottish Rite Cathedral at the corner of North and Meridian Street; lunch is included.
If you are interested in learning more about Sertoma and how you can get involved, visit their website or contact Carlos Simpson at info@sertomaindy.org.

Red Nose Run, Snowman Stomp and Frostbite 5K are just a few of the fun runs happening in and around Indianapolis this December, and we would like for you to be there as a Crossroads Champion!
Crossroads Champions are individuals, families or teams who have an interest in running local races for a great cause. Easterseals Crossroads will pay the registration fee for the race you are running if you raise a certain level of donations through an online fundraising page.
HERE’S HOW IT WORKS
1) To participate, runners sign up on FirstGiving, an online fundraising platform, to create a profile. Upload an image of yourself or your team of runners and write a short bio that explains why you are running as a Crossroads Champion.
2) Contact us discuss which event you are running. A goal for donations will be set based on the cost of registration to the event.
3) Ask your friends and family to donate to Easterseals Crossroads through your online fundraising page. If you reach your goal, we will pay your registration fee and offer you cool perks such as an Easterseals Crossroads t-shirt, access to special events and more.
That’s it! Crossroads Champions can participate in fun runs, races and events throughout the year. Last year, 6 people raised almost $4,000 through the Indianapolis Monumental Marathon by creating a FirstGiving page and running on behalf of Easterseals Crossroads. Imagine what we could do with your support!

Are you familiar with assistive technology? There are many different types of devices and software to aid people in becoming more independent, but where should you start? The INDATA Project is presenting Assistive Technology 101 for anyone interested in learning the basics. Topics discussed include assistive technology for vision, physical and learning impairments conducted by the clinical assistive technology staff at Easterseals Crossroads. In addition to the devices, INDATA and the Indiana Protection and Advocacy Services group will offer guidance on funding.
WHAT: Assistive Technology 101
WHERE: Easterseals Crossroads 5th Floor Conference Room
WHEN: Friday, January 23, 2015, from 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM (Lunch is provided)
Who should attend: Anyone interested in learning the basics of Assistive Technology. Vocational Rehabilitation counselors who are new to the field or need a refresher on Assistive Technology, social workers, parents, educators, students, professionals and health care providers can benefit from training content.
Visit the Eventbrite page to register and view the agenda athttps://www.eventbrite.com/e/assistive-technology-101-tickets-14475214757.

Today’s post was written by Sara Croft
If you missed the opportunity to hear Silouan at the 2013 Battlemind conference, this is the chance for you to learn more about PTSD and depression. Silouan educates audiences with workshop presentations as he shares details about his personal journey overcoming diversity. Crossroads Veterans Services is proud to present Focus on Veterans: A Military and Veterans Series of Events on December 3 featuring Silouan Green.
Silouan Green was serving as a US Marine when he experienced a tragic jet crash that left him with a host of complications and medical conditions. Post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, suicidal impulses, and long-term pain left him with a decision: to continue down the same, devastating path, or live free.
Green decided to build a motorcycle and a guitar, sell off everything he owned and the day he was disability discharged from the US Marines Corps, he took off on a two-year, 30,000 mile trek. He met his wife on that trip and since then has been married for 16 years and now have 8 children.
Silouan has created The Ladder UPP life skills program based on his own recovery and has worked at Walter Reed, with the US Marines, the Army, the National Guard, Willow Creek Community Church and various other groups, organizations and mental health professionals.
“Maybe you know what it’s like to be falling down the rabbit hole with nothing in sight but a black hole. Maybe you are a college student who went to school because that is what you are supposed to do, but you don’t really like what you are studying and you are worried you won’t get all that you want out of life. Maybe you are in a career that provides money and security, but you are unfulfilled and fearful you’ll look back on life someday with regret. Maybe you’ve undergone severe trauma in your life and the pain and fear paralyze you and each day is just a long slow nightmare. Maybe you are muddling through life and you are sick and tired of feeling empty. I want you to live free. I want you to find what I found on the back of a motorcycle – identity, purpose and most of all, passion.” – Silouan Green
On Wednesday, December 3 from 9:00 AM – 11:00 AM, Silouan Green will present a workshop at Easter Seals Crossroads to share details of his personal journey overcoming diversity. This is a free event but seating is limited. Please RSVP at veteranserivces@eastersealscrossroads.org or call 317.466.1000 x2018.

Are you receiving or gifting a new tablet or computer to someone his holiday season? If so, have you thought about what to do with the older device that may no longer be needed? The INDATA Depot has a waiting list of individuals with disabilities in Indiana who are in need of refurbished computers.
Each year, the INDATA Depot refurbishes hundreds of laptop and desktop computers. Each donated computer is cleaned from the inside out by removing any old personal data, adding extra RAM, a recent version of the operating system and other specs as needed.
Donation computers should have: 2GB of RAM, be no more than five years old, a dual core processor, a minimum hard drive space of 80 GB and have a DVD-ROM or DVD-RW drive. Monitors. keyboards, mice and speakers are not required with the computer donation but encouraged.
Recipients of the computers are individuals who live in Indiana and have a documented disability. They have applied to receive a computer for school, work or independent living, but many are on a waiting list as the donations do not match the need.
To donate a computer, contact the INDATA Depot at 317-466-1000. Corporate donations of more than one dozen computers may schedule a time for the Depot to pick them up.

Today’s post was written by Sara Croft
Could you run a 5K, 13.1 miles or 26.2 miles? What if it was the coldest day of the year so far? These individuals not only completed their runs in very cold weather, they spent months before the event fundraising on behalf of Easterseals Crossroads.
2014 marked the second year of a partnership between our organization and theIndianapolis Monumental Marathon, which took place on Saturday, November 1. Thousands of people packed the streets of downtown Indianapolis to participate in this race, and five of those were there to support Easterseals Crossroads.
Using FirstGiving, an online fundraising platform, these individuals created pages to express why they were logging miles for children and adults with disabilities. Here are the results:
Advisory Board member Dean Weseli says “Easterseals Crossroads is a fantastic organization and Indianapolis’ largest resource for those with disabilities, special needs, and challenges. Through the support they provide, individuals are able to experience more independence and greater dignity in their everyday lives. As an Advisory Board member of Easterseals Crossroads, I am proud to be affiliated with such an organization.” Dean raised $1,085 with his campaign!
Executive Administrative Assistant Sara South says “Easterseals Crossroads provides services that help people with disabilities enjoy greater independence and dignity, and it’s also a great place to work. I am proud to be a part of this great team.” Sara raised $1,000 with her campaign as was the very first person to set up a page and reach her goal!
Crossroads Guild member Ginny Rabbit-Jenkins has a long history associated with our organization. In 1936, Mrs. William Gavin, her grandmother, founded what is now Easterseals Crossroads after helping a club of 12 teenagers with disabilities form for socialization. “Many years later, I hope people see my grandmother’s traits of volunteerism, honor, duty and compassion for others in our community were firmly instilled in me.” Ginny raised $916 with her campaign!
IT Manager Rick Krakora has ran in the Indianapolis Monumental Marathon for two years now. Rick played varsity soccer in high school and currently coaches is son’s soccer team. Recently, Rick gave the first kick at an Indy Eleven game supporting Easterseals Crossroads. Rick raised $350 this year!
Adult Day Services Special Events and Activity Coordinator Gina Schultz solicitation donations for her FirstGiving page, but sadly she injured her foot a few weeks prior to the big race day. Gina has played soccer for years in school and has been active ever since. Her bright personality always brings a smile to your face when you talk to her and she has made quite the difference with Community Day Supports. Gina raised $155 with her campaign!
Accounts Payable Bookkeeper Cindy Sanders started running to focus on fitness and health two years ago. Since then, she has participated in numerous 5K’s (sometimes twice in one weekend), hiked through parts of upper Michigan and recently completed her first 13.1. Cindy raised $150 with her campaign!
We would also like to thank the 37 volunteers who worked the expo and water station on our behalf. Without thousands of volunteers, the event would not be able to take place. Thank you to everyone who joined us as a volunteer, race participant, and fundraiser!
Please join us in thanking these participants for supporting Easterseals Crossroads by running the Indianapolis Monumental Marathon! We hope to see you next year on Saturday, November 7!