Each year UCP welcomes the opportunity to join the disability services provider community in recognizing and celebrating the tireless efforts of Direct Support Professionals (DSPs) throughout our region, our state, and across the nation. In preparation for Direct Support Professional Recognition Week, which was celebrated Sept 10-16 this year, we asked our DSPs to tell…
Brandon, the subject of our lead story, is just one of countless individuals across Central PA who got the best possible start in life thanks to UCP services and supports, particularly our Early Intervention (EI) therapies. But it wasn’t just the children who benefited from their early years with UCP. Enduring friendships—often lifelong—developed among the…
“UCP Central PA. Good afternoon. This is Brandon. How can I direct your call?” That’s how Brandon Fisher, the Receptionist at UCP’s administrative headquarters in Camp Hill, answers the phone any given time it rings. And it rings a LOT. Brandon responds to, on average, upwards of 100 incoming phone calls a day. That says…
The months of May and June are widely recognized as key times of transition, beginning with toddlers moving on from preschool to kindergarten, then from elementary to middle school, middle to high school, and from high school to whatever comes next in life. Is it postsecondary education at a college, university or trade school? Is…
Nate Zimmerman was among the first class of residents to enter Pathways Academy on March 17, 2014. On that clear crisp Saturday morning. Nate unloaded his duffel from his father’s truck and made his way up the driveway. His first words were spoken with an earnestness and intensity that we’ve come to learn is pure…
The years following high school are a period of great transition for all young adults. That is particularly true of individuals with some form of disability or chronic condition. For many parents, it is an even more challenging time than when their child first received a diagnosis. Straight from the words of one who knows,…
Each person with autism has a distinct set of strengths and challenges. In the case of Bailey, a participant with Autism in UCP’s Community Participation Supports (CPS), one of his particular strengths—as well as his passion—is his remarkable ability to connect with music. For Bailey, age 24, there is no disability when it comes to…
At UCP, we have a long, proud history of putting families first. In fact, you could say it’s in our DNA. It was one family’s personal experience with a child with Cerebral palsy that inspired the formation of The CP Center, the original precursor to UCP Central PA. From the beginning, we understood that the…
Today, in recognition of the countless achievements and contributions of individuals with intellectual/developmental disabilities (I/DD), we want to share an update on the heart-warming success story of Lori B. Lori has overcome significant challenges—health-related and otherwise—in order to live her best life, every day. Lori came to UCP in November 2019 after being told by…
There was an air of excitement and anticipation as Shippensburg Community Participation Supports (CPS) participants expectantly awaited their first Penpal exchange… just in time for Valentine’s Day. As their names were called, each individual collected the envelope containing the handwritten “All About Me” message from their designated Penpal.
