Changing lives, one person at a time …

The Cardinal McCloskey Day Hab Center provides individualized training and growth experiences for mentally retarded/developmentally disabled adults. The program serves individuals age 18 and older by providing vocational training, pre-vocational training and assistance with developing basic individual and adult daily living skills.

Day Habilitation helps enrich the lives of those we serve by helping them become active and contributing members of their communities. Each person in the program has a customized development plan identifying target goals for personal development and community interaction. Our Habilitation Specialists work closely with our Day Hab members to help guide them toward their goals.

Trained Staff

Staff members at our Day Hab Center are highly experienced and trained. Most have over 10 years experience working with the developmentally disabled. They are skilled in sign language and adept at motivating and assisting our consumers in striving to reach their greatest potential.

Developing Individual Skills

Some consumers in the Day Hab Program work with our Habilitation Specialists on developing their individual skills such as reading and writing. Others are developing more advanced skills such as phone skills. Some individuals are working on developing their independent abilities and participate in travel training and basic money management before moving into pre-vocational services.

For Valentine's Day, members often make special candy treats which they sell to McCloskey staff members. Proceeds are used to fund a special group activity like a trip to the pizzeria followed by a movie.

Pre-Vocational Services

Pre-Vocational Services help individuals to acquire the basic skills necessary to enhance their ability to obtain employment.

Vocational Training

Vocational Training provides individuals with assessment and training to develop vocational skills and enhance their employability in supported or community settings. For many of our youngest consumers, the Day Hab Program provides transition planning, helping them to make the transition out of high school into rewarding work experiences.

Adult Daily Living Skills

Our Habilitation Specialists work with our consumers to help develop living skills appropriate to their abilities and goals. In many cases, consumers are working on developing basic cooking and cleaning skills.

In the summer, Day Hab members enjoy swimming at the Cardinal McCloskey Pool located at our Elmsford group home.

Special Projects & Recreational Activities

Members of our Day Hab Center participate in an inter-generational program by volunteering at a local Senior Center where they visit regularly with seniors. They have participated at local community centers helping to stock shelves for the soup kitchens as well as visit with the patrons. On a regular basis, members volunteer at the American Heart Association to help stuff envelopes and prepare mailings, at the Grace Church Soup Kitchen and at the St. Mathews food pantry.

Special outings to local attractions and recreational trips are a regular part of the Day Hab Center's habilitation program. Outings include monthly birthday celebrations at area restaurants, summer swimming trips, weekly bowling trips. Trips to museums and movies and classes such as ceramics are all planned to enrich the lives of Day Hab participants.

Recently members traveled to the Catskill Mountains to enjoy an overnight retreat at a resort home. The trip provided an opportunity to demonstrate their supervised independence, practice their life skills and enjoyed the mountain scenery. Many of our Day Hab participants live at home with their parents. For the parents, the trip provided a wonderful respite with the added security of knowing their adult children were safely experiencing a new level of independence.