2020 Honorable Mention Recipient

Human Services and Employment Capacity Building

Organization

Keystone Independence Management

Hermitage, PA

Program

Human Services and Employment Capacity Building

Partners

Keystone Blind Association

Keystone Vocational Services

Beaver County Association for the Blind

Center for the Blind and Visually Impaired

Montgomery County Association for the Blind

2020 Honorable Mention Recipient

Human Services and Employment Capacity Building

Organization

Keystone Independence Management

Hermitage, PA

Program

Human Services and Employment Capacity Building

Partners

Keystone Blind Association

Keystone Vocational Services

Beaver County Association for the Blind

Center for the Blind and Visually Impaired

Montgomery County Association for the Blind

Human Services and Employment Capacity BuildingLaurie Staph,
President and CEO

Keystone Independence Management

3056 E. State Street
Hermitage, PA 16148

724.347.5501
Email

Since 1947, Keystone Blind Association (KBA) has been offering specialized services and support to help blind and visually impaired individuals build a brighter future. In 2000, after recognizing that other nonprofits serving this community struggle to fund their operations, KBA created Keystone Independence Management (KIM) to provide them crucial management and back-office services. By utilizing KIM services, outside agencies are able to downsize their costs and redirect their resources to programs that support their mission. At the same time, this forward-thinking business model provides KIM a source of additional revenue to grow its reach.

In 2002, KIM collaborated with Keystone Vocational Services and its partners to secure employment opportunities exclusively for individuals with vision loss or other disabilities through its Human Services and Employment Capacity Building program. This unique partnership-driven program seeks out federal and state contracts and other work that can be performed by individuals with disabilities. Employees earn market wages and benefits, and work in an environment that is competitive and fully integrated. The program also provides access to services to help KIM employees build a more independent and opportunity-filled future.

“Our group of agencies has learned how to effectively collaborate with each other and with community partners, leveraging our respective strengths to serve the greater good. Today, we are one of the largest combined employers of visually impaired and blind individuals in Pennsylvania,” said Laurie Staph, President and CEO of Keystone Blind Association. “We are proud of how our entrepreneurial approach has enabled us to further social change in a financially sustainable way.”

2020 Honorable Mention Recipient

Choose to Change

Organization

Children’s Home & Aid

Chicago, IL

Program

Choose to Change

Partners

Youth Advocate Programs

University of Chicago Crime Lab

2020 Honorable Mention Recipient

Choose to Change

Organization

Children’s Home & Aid

Chicago, IL

Program

Choose to Change

Partners

Youth Advocate Programs

University of Chicago Crime Lab

Choose to ChangeMichael Shaver,
President and CEO

Children’s Home & Aid

125 S. Wacker Drive, Suite 1400
Chicago, IL 60606

312.424.6877
Email

Choose to Change (C2C) is a homegrown collaboration between Children’s Home & Aid and Youth Advocate Programs (YAP) that aims to reduce criminal behavior and improve academic outcomes for at-risk 13- to 18-year-olds living in the south and west sides of Chicago. This innovative six-month intervention program, which won the University of Chicago Crime Lab’s prestigious 2015 Chicago Design Competition, combines trauma-informed cognitive behavioral therapy with holistic mentorship to help more than 600 youth process their trauma and develop tools to make healthier decisions in their lives.

Trust is an essential component of the program. Before any therapy or other services are offered, an advocate from YAP spends eight hours a week with the program participant doing one-on-one and group activities, and provides support to help the youth reconnect with school and identify positive family relationships. Once a strong mentoring relationship is formed, the advocate then accompanies the teen to trauma-informed therapy sessions led by a masters-level therapist from Children’s Home & Aid. These group meetings help participants learn to better regulate their emotions, engage in helpful coping mechanisms, and build their problem-solving and communication skills.

“We’re thrilled to say that C2C shows great promise for reducing violent crime and improving educational attainment for at-risk youth,” said Michael Shaver, President and CEO of Children’s Home & Aid. “Based on the University of Chicago Crime and Education Labs’ evaluation of the program’s outcomes, the City of Chicago and Chicago Public Schools have decided to expand this program to serve 2,000 more young people in 2020 and beyond.”

2018

NAC Kids Can Education Partnership

Organization

New Alternatives for Children (NAC)

New York, NY

Program

NAC Kids Can Education Partnership

2018

NAC Kids Can Education Partnership

Organization

New Alternatives for Children (NAC)

New York, NY

Program

NAC Kids Can Education Partnership

2015

Special Olympics Project UNIFY

Organization

Special Olympics North Carolina

Morrisville, NC

Program

Special Olympics Project UNIFY

2015

Special Olympics Project UNIFY

Organization

Special Olympics North Carolina

Morrisville, NC

Program

Special Olympics Project UNIFY

2010

Going Places! A Social Club for Young Adults with Asperger’s Syndrome

Organization

Jewish Social Service Agency

Rockville, MD

Program

Going Places! A Social Club for Young Adults with Asperger’s Syndrome

2010

Going Places! A Social Club for Young Adults with Asperger’s Syndrome

Organization

Jewish Social Service Agency

Rockville, MD

Program

Going Places! A Social Club for Young Adults with Asperger’s Syndrome

2006 Honorable Mention Recipient

The Morgan Center and San Jose Unified Autism Collaboration

Organization

The Morgan Center

San Jose, CA

Program

The Morgan Center and San Jose Unified Autism Collaboration

2006 Honorable Mention Recipient

The Morgan Center and San Jose Unified Autism Collaboration

Organization

The Morgan Center

San Jose, CA

Program

The Morgan Center and San Jose Unified Autism Collaboration

2006

Out On a Limb–Memphis Area Limb Loss Support

Organization

Jewish Family Service

Memphis, TN

Program

Out On a Limb–Memphis Area Limb Loss Support

2006

Out On a Limb–Memphis Area Limb Loss Support

Organization

Jewish Family Service

Memphis, TN

Program

Out On a Limb–Memphis Area Limb Loss Support

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