Strategic Planning Update
Planning for the future is essential for all organizations. With this in mind, Enable contracted with Penny Ciaburri of PLC Associates to facilitate a strategic planning process. An initial report was approved by the Board of Directors at their November meeting and recommendations were included in the agency 2012 budget.
Several programmatic changes will be pursued as a result of the strategic plan. Enable will seek funding to expand services for people diagnosed on the autism spectrum. In addition, the agency hopes to find funding to increase services for people 65 years old or older who are experiencing age-related disability.
Like many members of our community, Enable felt the effects of the Great Recession. The agency was financially and programmatically challenged by the Deficit Reduction Act, the Medicaid Redesign Team changes and significant funding reductions for 2009, 2010 and 2011. Enable was particularly hard hit in 2010, ending the year with a deficit. The agency made significant changes and 2011 ended in the black.
After much examination, the Financial Analysis Task Team determined that the model of the agency’s aquatic therapy program was not financially viable for the agency. The reimbursement rates from health insurance and early intervention simply do not cover the cost of operating the program. The difficult decision was made to close the pool. An Aquatics Analysis Task Team was convened to look at all available options and will report in April.
For more than 20 years, Enable has enjoyed collaborating with the First Presbyterian Church United, our landlord for the Exploring Your World early education program. Unfortunately, the church is closing. The building we rent is for sale, and the parish will celebrate their last service on Easter 2012. Enable looked at commercial real estate available in Syracuse that might be a suitable alternative, but eventually decided to bring the early education program to our Court Street facilities. Renovations will begin this spring and the program will move in the early summer. More information about this project can be found here.
