All Abilities Program Director

Dana Hopkins, LCSW-R

(845) 486-3434

dhopkins@dutchessny.gov

EI Official and Director of Preschool Special Education Programs

Coordinator of Children with Special Needs Services

Ages birth through 5 years old

Janine Fitzmaurice, LCSW

(845) 486-3518

jfitzmaurice@dutchessny.gov

CSPOA and Children & Youth Services Coordinator

Mental Health Services

Deborah Disanza, LCSW-R

(845) 486-2768

ddisanza@dutchessny.gov

Children & Youth Special Needs Health Care

Public Health Nurse

Lorie Drum, RN, BSN

(845) 486-3542

ldrum@dutchessny.gov

 

 

If this is an emergency and you need immediate assistance please contact 911

Crisis Counseling, Support, Information & Referrals

Dutchess County HELPLINE 

Toll free: (877) 485-9700

Stabilization Center

(845) 485-9700

NY State Central Register for Child Abuse 

If this is an emergency and you need immediate assistance please contact 911

Crisis Counseling, Support, Information & Referrals

Dutchess County HELPLINE 

Toll free: (877) 485-9700

Stabilization Center

(845) 485-9700

NY State Central Register for Child Abuse 

(800-342-3720)

 

 

General Contact

For non-urgent questions or feedback on the website

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ThinkDIFFERENTLY Events

Dutchess County Government can not guarantee that all events listed in the ‘Community Calendar’ and the”ThinkDIFFERENTLY” Events sponsored by Dutchess County Government calendars will be fully accessible.
Specific information regarding the ‘The Community’ calendar events can be obtained directly from that event’s organizer. Information on “ThinkDIFFERENTLY” events sponsored by Dutchess County Government’ can be obtained through our Contact Us form.

Sensory-Friendly Performance: Talking Birds and Golden Fish

Thursday, November 10, 2022

**Registration extended to November 9th**

 

Dutchess County’s ThinkDIFFERENTLY hosts in conjunction with Bardavon Presents and Arts Mid-Hudson, a FREE sensory friendly performance by David Gonzalez, Talking Birds and Golden Fish.

Please join us for a lights up & sound down family & sensory friendly event.

Doors open at 5pm

We ask you enjoy any food or beverages in the lobby.

No food and beverages are allowed in the theatre.

 

Seating is limited!

RSVP required at dutchessny.gov/show by November 3rd

Questions? Concerns?  – Contact:

Mara Santiago

Administrative Assistant to the All Abilities Program Director

Dutchess County Department of Behavioral and Community Health

(845) 486-3568

xsantiago@dutchessny.gov

See more details.

Sensory-Friendly Movie: Inside Out

Saturday, October 15, 2022

Dutchess County’s ThinkDIFFERENTLY hosts in conjunction with Bardavon Presents and Arts Mid-Hudson, a FREE sensory friendly showing of Inside Out.

Please join us for a lights up & sound down family & sensory friendly event.

We ask you enjoy any food or beverages in the lobby.

No food and beverages are allowed in the theatre.

Reservations required at http://dutchessny.gov/movie by October 12th

Questions? Concerns?  – Contact:

Mara Santiago

Administrative Assistant to the All Abilities Program Director

Dutchess County Department of Behavioral and Community Health

(845) 486-3568

xsantiago@dutchessny.gov

See more details.

Stay tuned!

Check back soon as we plan our next ThinkDIFFERENTLY event! Until then, check out our community calendar to find activities for people of all abilities hosted by our agency and community partners!

See more details.

SAVE THE DATE-2022 ThinkDIFFERENTLY Fitness & Field Day

Join us on Friday, July 29th from 11am-2pm for the 2nd Annual ThinkDIFFERENTLY Fitness & Field Day at beautiful Bowdoin Park! Come and enjoy the fun activities and lunch in the park! Registration link and flyer to come shortly!

See more details.

Addressing the Mental Health Needs of Autistic Adults

Join us on Friday, April 8th from 9:30am- 4pm for this virtual workshop. Dr. Valerie Gaus, Ph.D., will discuss how local providers can formulate and deliver appropriate mental health treatment or support plans for adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Continuing Education Units available for LMSW, LCSW & LSW-R!

Register by April 6th at www.dutchessny.gov/DrGaus

See more details.

ThinkDIFFERENTLY 2022

From all of us at ThinkDIFFERENTLY, we wish you and your loved ones a happy and safe holiday season! We look forward to seeing you in 2022 and are hopeful for a healthy New Year for all!

See more details.

ThinkDIFFERENTLY Conference 2021

The 5th Annual ThinkDIFFERENTLY Collaboration of Services and Care Across the Life Span for People with Special Needs Conference will be hosted virtually on December 2nd. This conference will guide families and providers through a series of discussions with a focus on planning for the care of someone with special needs. This year’s keynote speaker will be Karla Vermeulen, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Psychology at SUNY New Paltz. Our goal is to explore the benefits of collaborating and improving negotiating skills for services.

RSVP is open now!

www.dutchessny.gov/tdconference 

See more details.

Dutchess County IDD Training Event

Dutchess County Department of Behavioral & Community Health and ThinkDIFFERENTLY are excited to offer a new training event! This full-day training will be hosted via Microsoft Teams on Wednesday, November 17th from 10am-3:15pm . It will offer a presentation titled “Trauma in Childhood”, presented by Jill Hinton, Ph.D. & Magen McMahon, as well as “Sexuality & IDD”, presented by Stephanie Fisher, M.S., LMHC CASAC. There is also an opportunity to earn Social Work CEU’s. Please click here for an event flyer and agenda for the day. You can also register for the training by clicking here. For any questions, please send an email to spierson@dutchessny.gov

See more details.

Stay Tuned for more from ThinkDIFFERENTLY!

Thank you for joining us for ThinkDIFFERENTLY Fitness & Field Day and for visiting us at the Dutchess County Fair! Stay tuned while we plan our next ThinkDIFFERENTLY event! Be sure to check out our community calendar to see what our agency partners have going on!

See more details.

ThinkDIFFERENTLY Thursday at the Dutchess County Fair

Join us for a sensory-sensitive morning at the Dutchess County Fair on Thursday, August 26th! Gates will open early at 9am to help families enjoy the fair ahead of the crowds. Also, from 9:30am-12pm, the lights and sounds on the midway will be reduced for a stress-free experience. ***Tickets are required and are only being sold online this year***For more information on the Dutchess County Fair and to buy your tickets, check out www.dutchessfair.com

See more details.