START

The civil and political unrest that has galvanized many Americans against systemic racism has profound implications on the lives of children and adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD). Discrimination based on race and color adds another obstacle to a level playing field – one YAI is mobilizing to address. And while the organization and its base of more than 4,000 employees seek institutional change in the workplace, YAI must also bring the issue, and the need for sustainable solutions, into the lives of the people it supports.

YAI is having significant success using a crisis support model that helps people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD) cope with behavioral health challenges in their homes and avoid hospitalization or arrest. Over the past four years, YAI has used START (Systemic, Therapeutic, Assessment, Resources, and Treatment) to serve nearly 600 individuals and their families across the Bronx, Manhattan, and Queens.

Vanessa Alicea and her son are no strangers to the stress and frustration that comes with trying to communicate during a crisis. Diagnosed with autism as a toddler, Alicea’s son has often struggled to convey his emotions and needs in a way his mother could understand.