Springbrook Will Benefit from CDBG Grant Awarded to Otsego County

Contact:
Michael Basso
Director of Marketing & Public Relations
Springbrook
105 Campus Drive
Oneonta, New York 13820
Phone: (607) 386 4852
Email: bassom@springbrookny.org

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: December 14, 2022

Springbrook Will Benefit from CDBG Grant Awarded to Otsego County

Oneonta, NY: On November 15^th, 2022, New York State announced more than $33 million in Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funding, awarded to dozens of municipalities for local infrastructure improvement and housing rehabilitation projects. Otsego County and Springbrook applied for the $300,000 grant for CDBG funds. The grant will go toward funding the development and implementation of safety fencing around the perimeter of the main campus, which is the location of The School at Springbrook, and residential units for the School and campus. The CDBG grants are designed to help communities provide affordable housing and safe living environments, primarily for low- and moderate-income residents.

This project will directly provide the safety and well-being of children and young adults with developmental disabilities attending The School at Springbrook, as well as several adults who reside in residential units on campus. Resident students and adults on the main campus have intellectual and developmental disabilities, including autism, that may put them at risk of elopement or wandering. Springbrook has invested in technology-based improvements to access controls and alarms, but a physical boundary will prevent future risk.

The Springbrook Foundation has secured private donations of $65,000 towards the project cost, estimated to total more than $400,000. Springbrook is grateful for the ongoing partnership with Otsego County, which provided CDBG funds on a past project to make safety and accessibility upgrades to several Springbrook community residences in the county. Staff, students, and residents at Springbrook appreciate the support of the County Board of Representatives and Planning Department in securing these resources and for securing the future of Springbrook.

Grant funding and projects like this support the continued employment of more than 250 Springbrook staff who serve students, residential students, and adults at this location. Staff at Springbrook include teachers, nurses, therapists, behavior specialists, residence counselors, and support staff. Springbrook has approximately 1320 staff working at locations across the Southern Tier and Central NY, more than half of whom are based in Otsego County, making Springbrook one of the largest employers in the county. The Mohawk Valley region, which includes Otsego County, was awarded $7.3 million.

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Springbrook provides at-home care, residential and educational services, day services, and clinical, therapeutic, and behavioral supports to over 1,100 people with intellectual and developmental disabilities across New York State. With headquarters in Oneonta, NY, the organization has offices throughout the Southern Tier and employs more than 1,200 people.