ABOUT AHRC SUFFOLK
Our Mission
To provide dynamic, innovative and integrated services where children and adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities discover and define their own quality of life and are thriving to their fullest potential, joined by their families, circles of support and our person-centered organization.
Our Vision
An equitable and integrated society for people with unique abilities and needs, and their families.
Our Values
Commitment: We take pride in our duty to invest in, advocate for, and lead and champion the people we support, their families, our staff, and the Suffolk community. We foster a culture of appreciation, collaboration and teamwork through meaningful partnerships with all stakeholders.
Communication: We seek input and ideas wherever possible to make informed decisions and act accordingly. We are committed to effective engagement that is transparent to provide clarity of direction and purpose.
Integrity: By creating a trusting, honest and transparent environment, we support a culture where courageous conversations lead to the delivery of principled decisions. We act responsibly, we are committed to doing quality work, we learn from each experience, and we believe in accountability for our actions.
Respect: We embrace the power of difference and uniqueness. We value diversity of culture and perspectives. We celebrate successes. We encourage people to share their talents and ideas in a manner in which they can be heard. We champion a strength-based environment of fairness, respect, and dignity.
Self-Improvement: We are creative, curious and courageous. We welcome new ideas and challenge ourselves to continuous learning and improvement. We are responsive to our community's changing needs. We are goal-driven and actively seek feedback toward achieving excellence through data, metrics and measurable outcomes. We make expectations clear and predictable, while encouraging development toward growth and change.
AHRC SUFFOLK TIMELINE
Our History
It was a different world over 70 years ago, especially for families of children with intellectual and other developmental disabilities. Not much was understood about their problems. There were few alternatives outside of full-time parental care. They were shunned by society and largely ignored by public education; and for the most part, professional assistance could only be found in institutions that were hardly more than warehouses…places of little help and less hope.
But in 1949, a small group of parents came together to form AHRC, an organization founded on the conviction that every person, regardless of their intellectual abilities, has the right to live with dignity, learn with pride and work to achieve their highest potential.
From a handful of volunteers, AHRC Suffolk (a chapter of The Arc New York) has grown to be one of the region's most trusted organizations and a leading voice on behalf of children and adults with intellectual and other developmental disabilities, and their families.
Our educational program, day habilitation services, community residences and on- and off-premises employment opportunities provide a comprehensive range of programs and services, delivered by an experienced and caring staff.
At its core, AHRC Suffolk remains very much a family. We are a community of parents, educators and health care professionals, volunteers, business partners and supporters bound by a common goal: to provide a life of opportunity for the intellectually and developmentally disabled.
On behalf of the AHRC family, we invite you to join our community and share our vision for the future.