Introducing Indera: An New Era Of Independence

ARISE and Exceptional Family Resources have come together under a new name: Indera. In this special episode, Director of Advancement Tim Mahar speaks with CEO Bruce Drake about the thoughtful and inclusive process behind the rebrand, what the name Indera represents, and the mission, vision and values guiding the agency forward. They also discuss the power of peer-driven services, opportunities for program growth and what this exciting new chapter means for the people, families and communities Indera supports across New York State.

The name may be new, but the commitment remains the same: advancing independence, removing barriers and ensuring every person has the freedom to pursue the life they choose.

Learn more at indera.org.

Transcript

Welcome And The New Name

SPEAKER_00 0:07

Hello and welcome to this episode of Endira, the podcast formerly known as a rise in exceptional family resources. I'm Tim Murr, the Director of Advancement for Endira, and you may be wondering what happened to a rise in exceptional family resources, and where is Bruce Drake, the regular host of this podcast? Well, Bruce will be back as the host of our next podcast and all the ones going forward. But for now, he is sitting in a different seat as we have a conversation to address the first question. Well, hey Bruce, how are you doing?

SPEAKER_01 0:37

Hey, Tim, pretty good. Thank you. Thanks for that intro, and thank you for uh stepping in and uh being willing to host this one for us.

SPEAKER_00 0:44

Well, thank you. And um so, Bruce, to that first question, here we are with our new name, Endira.

What Endira Means

SPEAKER_00 0:49

And um, can you explain a little bit about what that name means and how we how we came to this point?

SPEAKER_01 0:54

Sure. So uh Endira is a play on the phrase era of independence, which we're hoping for the people that receive services from us or from the staff who work for us, that it'll be their era of independence. Now, independence is a tricky thing, it means different things for different people, but that's okay. So that's where it came from. And do you want me to kind of get into the whole process?

SPEAKER_00 1:17

Sure, yeah. Because I think it's really important that uh everybody understands. I know inclusion is a big uh value of yours internally and externally, and we really practice that and it's appreciated. Maybe if you could talk a little bit about the process where we got to this name.

How The Rebrand Was Chosen

SPEAKER_01 1:31

Sure. So just to back things way way up, uh originally we were planning with the merger that we would be known as exceptional family resources. Uh Arise would merge into exceptional family resources, and then that's how we would be known going forward. And you could tell, though, it wasn't spoken out loud that some of the Arise staff were disappointed by that, right? They felt that you know they were proud of the work they had that they had done over 50 years as an organization, and they were sorry to see the name go. And then because of uh issues with our funders, we had to reverse, and now exceptional family resources had to merge into Arise, and we saw the same thing, but on the other side, right? The staff who had always been exceptionally family resources were now disappointed uh that they were losing their name and we were gonna be known as Arise going forward. So we had some discussions as a leadership team and with the board and said, you know what, we really need to come up with a name that reflects who we are as one organization, and so that staff and people don't feel like there was a winner or a loser in the merge. Because really, at the end of the day, I think people are going to feel that we all won from it. So we didn't want any bad feelings that would linger. But most of us had never been through a name change before. We didn't really know how to go about that. So we started out, we hired a consultant who helped us with the process and kind of walked us through what all the the steps would be. And then the first thing we did was we sent out a survey to staff and to people that we support and said, you know, tell us the things that are important to you in a name. What are the things you want to see? What are the things you don't want to see? Uh, what are the words that come to mind when you think about the services and the work that we do? So some of the things that people wanted to see was that they wanted something different. Uh they wanted something relatively short. Uh they did not want initials, so things like EFR was something that we wanted to avoid. And if you're in human services, you know there's a lot of agencies that go by initials, which is fine for them, but for us it was not what we wanted to do. Uh we didn't want any disability-related language in our name. We felt that that would, again, we want that the people that we support are much more than a specific disability, so we wanted to stay away from that. And we wanted to stay away from any uh geographic, right? Because we're we're in 62 counties in New York State. We didn't want to limit ourselves to, you know, Onondaga or Central New York or j even just New York, because who knows where the future leads. So after getting that information, uh the consultants work with us, came up with some recommendations. Uh we sent out, there was a small group of us who were working on it, about eight folks. Uh, we sent out our our preferences to the staff, we got feedback on those. Some names fell away, some names came back. Uh and ultimately it was decided that uh because of our designation as an independent living center, because the word that overwhelmingly came back in our surveys from staff and people we support when they think of us was independence, we wanted to do a play on that, and that's how we ended up at Endera.

SPEAKER_00 4:38

Yes, uh um it really was uh and I was able to, you know, be able to participate in those really was uh uh an educational process, but a totally inclusive process. And something that um I really took away from that is when you think about name changes, it's it's not just getting a name, but it's the depth and and what builds into that name. And and one of the part of this process, which was uh I think really important and something that you led, was uh developing a whole new mission statement and and values that uh really uh build in and are the foundation of

Mission Vision And Core Values

SPEAKER_00 5:12

this name. And can you speak a little bit too um as we get into this new era, the importance of some of the values which seem to be, you know, which are the pillars of of the work um of Endera?

SPEAKER_01 5:22

Sure. I and I I appreciate you giving me credit, but I have to admit I was not part of this. And I say that saying that I think the value statements and the mission statement and the vision statement that the group came out with and the board approved were was one of the things we got really right. So the mission statement Endera partners with people with disabilities to advance independence and to remove barriers through advocacy and services so that every person has the freedom to pursue the life that they choose. You know, when we when we talk to staff, when we talk to people we support, right, that's what we want everybody to have in their mind. This is what we're trying to do is to ensure that every person has the freedom to pursue the life that they choose. The vision statement at Indira, we envision a world where disability never limits opportunity and every community is built for everyone. I would love to live in a world where that was true. Uh the tagline that we're using for Endera, uh independence and access for all, I think sums up exactly what we're trying to accomplish as an organization. And and probably the thing I think we got most right in this in this merger is our value statements. Now, again, I wasn't part of this group, but I I I I honestly feel that if I was sitting down and writing the value statements for me on um in my personal moral compass, collaboration, respect, choice, and responsiveness are all words that if people use those words to describe us as an organization, I'll be really proud of the work that we've done.

SPEAKER_00 6:51

Yeah, I think I think they really do uh sum up the philosophy of the work and as we go into this new era. And um, you know, a lot of people when you get out there, it's it's such a uh a shift to go from a name that you know you were so familiar with for 50 years, whether it be a rise or exceptional family resources, and now all of a sudden there's this wonderful new name and and DARA. And um, I guess you know one of the concerns is are their services changing? Are they going to move out of our region? Can you address some of those potential concerns maybe out there in the communities?

Services Stay The Same And Grow

SPEAKER_01 7:24

Sure. So so I want I want to say two things here. So first, no services are changing, right? If anything, we're getting better, and we can we could talk a little bit about where we're expanding and where we're doing more, but the staff that you've always had, the locations where we've been, uh the even the email addresses right now, the phone numbers, right, all of that stays the same. So yes, the the name on the door has changed, but the but the work ethic and the mission and the willingness to help people reach the point in their lives where they want to reach, none of that is changing, right? We're still going to be a provider whose goal it is is to be the best provider in the area. The other thing I would say is that in regards to the name, I like the fact, you know, I've gotten you know some response from people like, oh, that's a unique name or a different name. And I embrace that because we're a unique and different organization. There's not many in fact, I don't think there's any other organization that does the breadth of services that we provide, right? We've we provide services to people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, we provide services to veterans, to people in nursing homes, to people who are in housing crisis, uh, we have a therapeutic horseback riding facility. Uh we are a CDPAT facilitator, we have an adaptive design and ski program and ramps program. Like I said, we're in 62 counties in New York State. That's every county in New York State. Uh some counties we prov we provide one or two services. Some counties, especially the local central New York ones, we might have 35 or 40 different services that we're providing. But almost all of those services are being provided one-on-one in the communities where people live. We're an independent living center, which means uh a lot of things, one of which is that we are run by people who have disabilities. So 50 percent of our board are people who have disabilities. I should say 51 percent of our board or more are are people who have disabilities. 51 percent of our admin staff are people who have disabilities. And that just changes the perspective when you're talking about, you know, mission and vision, because now we're providing services from an aspect of a peer-driven service as opposed to someone who's just telling people what to do.

SPEAKER_00 9:34

Yeah, I think that's a really uh important point to to get out there too, is you know, when when we work in the building, it's

Peer-Driven Support Explained

SPEAKER_00 9:42

it's constantly um the impact of the work, as you mentioned, you know, from a peer-driven institution, but even for many of us in the building, it's constantly an educational and learning. And I've really uh, you know, I I just really find working there for all of the reasons you mentioned so fulfilling for for all of that.

SPEAKER_01 9:57

It's what is that? It's I think it's called the parable, right? It's that old one. I remember seeing it on West Wing, which was one of my favorite TV show at the time. Uh but it, you know, a guy's walking down the street and he falls into a hole and he's at the bottom of the hole, and the walls are really steep, so he can't get out. And he sees someone walk by and it's a doctor, and he yells up, Hey, can you help me get out? And the doctor writes a prescription and he and he drops it down the hole. Of course, it doesn't help him get out. And then somebody else walks by and it turns out that it's a priest, and he yells up to the priest, Hey, can you help me get out? And the priest, you know, writes him a prayer and drops it in the hole, but of course it doesn't help him get out. So then he sees his friend John walking by and he says, Hey, John, can you help me get out? And John climbs down in the hole and the guy says, What are you doing? I'm stuck down in the hole. And John's like, you know what? I've been down this hole before and I know the way to get out. Right? So that's what peer-driven services are. You know, just picture it. We have an education advocacy program. It's a fantastic program. You have a child who has a disability, they're in the school district, and you know, we go and we work with the parents to make sure that they understand all the rules that uh schools are supposed to follow, and we advocate for what's best for the for their child and who's the student. Uh and it's a great service and it's wonderful. But now, not only is a person an advocate for you, but they're also somebody whose child has a disability who's gone through the same thing, the same things themselves. And though we're not gonna tell you what to do, but at least they have the empathy to know: hey, this is what happened to me, this is what I experienced, these are some of the things you might want to consider.

SPEAKER_00 11:26

Yeah, that's a that is a great parable. So um I'll write that down.

SPEAKER_01 11:30

I hope I got that one right.

SPEAKER_00 11:32

Well, I'll be copying it ver verbatim. So if you if you didn't, it's gonna be out on the street with me, anyways. Um we talked a lot about uh independence and that and that part of the new name. What about this uh new era? What does this new era mean to you?

SPEAKER_01 11:48

Again, you know, independence means different things to different people.

Independence Looks Different For Everyone

SPEAKER_01 11:52

Uh I'll use an example that I used when I was on Bridge Street last week, right? You have three people who are in a nursing home. Uh one person likes living in a nursing home, that's where they want to be, but maybe they don't like what time their meds are given, or they're having problems with a roommate, or they don't like something about the meals. You know, Arise has a program where we will go in and assist them to work with the nursing home to kind of get those issues addressed. You know, maybe a second person has some mobility issues, so they would like to move back to their house, but they're unable to, let's say, do steps anymore. So now for that person, we'll work with them and we'll put a ramp on their house depending on what county they live in. So now they can leave the nursing home because that's their vision of independence. Third person lives in a nursing home, doesn't want to be there, but has nowhere else to go. We have an open doors program which will uh assist somebody in leaving a nursing home and then moving into the community uh and help them with finding a place and getting some of the basic supplies that they need or anybody needs when they're moving into an apartment for the first time. So independence means different things for different people. For me, independence era from the CEO seat means that after the merge, we're in a place where we have a size and a volume of services where I feel confident that we are going to be for here for a long time. There aren't many organizations around uh that provide services purely in the community one-on-one. Uh there's only a couple of others that I can think of. I think it's an important part of what we do. So, this merger, this uh era of independence for me is having the freedom to uh make decisions without constantly having to worry about if it's going to mean the the long-term solvency of our organization. So when when we talk independence, that's what I think about.

SPEAKER_00 13:39

Yeah. And um as you mentioned, the the number of services and the vast amount of programs that we are able to provide on a on a regular basis. Are there some programs that you may be um excited about potential growth as we as we move forward?

Programs Poised For Expansion

SPEAKER_01 13:54

Yes. Uh thank you. They definitely they definitely look every depending on who who the person receiving, every service is important, right? So we have some services that are more popular than others, some services that have more of an immediate impact than others, but every service is important to the person who is receiving it. There are a couple of services that I think A, I want to ex I I want to expand them because I think they're meaningful and they're and they're underutilized. And you know, some of the areas that we're looking to expand is one is for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. We want to focus more on our employment services. Uh people with intellectual and developmental disabilities are woefully uh underemployed compared to people without disabilities in the communities where they live. So that's a place that we're focusing. And we've recently expanded our reach so that we're up past Watertown and technically we can go all the way to Plattsburgh, but we're not there yet. Uh another program that I think that we're we're really underutilizing is our adaptive design program. This is a program I just can't get enough about it. I wasn't familiar uh with it before the merge and have fallen in love with it. Uh this is a program that if if you're a child or an adult who utilizes special equipment in order or needs special equipment in order to accomplish your day-to-day tasks. This is a program where you can come in, meet the staff there who will build something for you designed specifically for your needs, uh, using 3D printers, using engineering software, using volunteer engineers, so you can live more independently in the commun in your home, in your community. There is no cost to it, though we do ask for a donation, but that's a program that we're definitely looking to expand. Last one I would talk about, uh we have a little bit of a bottleneck here, but we have a veterans-directed care program where you're a veteran, uh, you've served our country, but you need an aid in order to live independently in your home and stay where you are. Uh this is a program that gives you uh control of your dollars and your life so that you can hire a staff person who can help you uh so that you can continue to live where you want to live. Uh we've invested a great deal of resources in that program and we're hoping to uh expand that program as well.

SPEAKER_00 16:13

Fantastic. Do you have any closer marks you'd like uh people to

Staff Credit And Where To Learn More

SPEAKER_00 16:18

take away? I mean, we have shared a lot of great information here just as we move forward with a new name, uh core values that are that are rock solid.

SPEAKER_01 16:28

Yeah, I I it it's been a difficult year for our staff for a year and a half. We've been talking about this merger actually almost two years now. We announced it on September 11, 2024. Staff have worked uh very hard at not only accomplishing their regular tasks of their job, but also all the tasks that come from merging organizations. And I'm not even going to get into a list of what those things are, but I I promise you it's in the thousands. Uh and we're all just really looking forward to putting the focus back on the people. It's a big mantra that we have in that, you know, whenever it comes down to it, we want our focus to be on the people that we're supporting and their needs and their goals and their dreams of independence and how we can accomplish that.

SPEAKER_00 17:12

Thanks a lot, Bruce. That's great. Thanks for all the information you shared with us today. I want to thank everybody out there for uh listening to this podcast. My name is Tim Maher, again, the Director of Advancement with Indira, the next podcast, and moving forward, Bruce will be back in his normal seat as the host of this podcast. If you have if you would like more information about Indira and all the programs that we do provide, please visit us at endira.org. Once again, thank you for listening and be well.