HISTORY OF THE AGENCY
The concept for the Discovery Children’s Center (formerly SESAME SCHOOL) program began in the fall of 1970, shortly after the opening of DELTA COUNSELING and GUIDANCE CENTER. A steering committee of Drew County citizens formed in January, 1971, to study this problem and incorporate as the Drew County Mental Retardation Council, a non-profit corporation, with the purpose of o
pening and operating a program for retarded children. A grant was obtained from the Arkansas Children's Colony in Conway for $2,000 to run a five week pilot program beginning June, 1971. Miss Suzanne Cooke, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Paul Cooke, was hired as the teacher, a position she held for three years. Additional staff included volunteer aides from interested women in the community and Monticello Junior Auxiliary. The Monticello Jaycees made the Jaycee House on Oakland Street available to the program and contributed their time and efforts to renovation of the building to make it suitable for the program. The program began operations as a full day program in the fall of 1971 with thirteen children enrolled. In the spring of 1974, in response to needs for additional space SESAME SCHOOL moved to Williams Hall at the Vera Lloyd Presbyterian Home. In March, 1973, SESAME SCHOOL began raising money for the construction of a new facility to be built in the Health, Education, and Cultural Complex. Construction funds were awarded on a 90/70 matching basis through DDS moneys with the other 10% being raised locally. The ground breaking ceremony for the new SESAME SCHOOL building was held March 18, 1975. The opening ceremony for the new facility was September 14, 1975. Board of Directors at the time were Charlene Cavaness, Billy J. Barnett, Leola Pace, Tommy Free, James Ross, Jr., Norma Eubanks, Cassie Jones, Jesse Coker, Olen Cockrell, Raymond Bagwell, Irene Puckett, Curtis Merrill and Sandra Webster. During the 1970's, DELTA COUNSELING AND GUIDANCE served as Administrator of services. SESAME SCHOOL contracted with Delta for services and part-time staff: program administrative services, mental health support services and speech consultant. Jeannette Poe served as Head Teacher from 1975-1977. Betsy McIntire served as Head Teacher from 1977-1980. Richard Wallace, Administration services; Mrs. Reatha Mae White, aide; and Mrs. Oledia Crook, Program Coordinator. The summer of 1980, the Board of Directors chose not to renew its administrative contract with DELTA COUNSELING and GUIDANCE. Jane Cross was hired as Director/Head Teacher and Mr. Richard Wallace, CPA, continued to handle the administrative services. During these years of operation, the SESAME SCHOOL program was geared primarily for children and these children were now becoming adults. The inappropriateness of jointly serving children and adults was apparent. In 1983, the Board applied for and received from DDS, an Adult Development Component. The Adult Development Component opened in a residential building on Gaines Street, November, 1983. There were ten adult consumers with Mrs. Crook and Mr. Bob McManus as staff. The goal for this component was to train developmentally disabled adults with in-depth home and community skills. The house was furnished as a home rather than a school. This model turned out to be very successful and many people from around the state of Arkansas came to view the program. With the adults moved out of SESAME SCHOOL to another location, the agency was able to expand its preschool program at SESAME SCHOOL to serve more children under the age of six. SESAME SCHOOL was now housing two components; preschool and school age. In 1987, the Board of Directors of Drew County Mental Retardation Council was approved by DDS of Little Rock to pilot a comprehensive community based service system for people with disabilities. This program was to include not only Day Habilitation, but also included work and living options for developmentally disabled adults residing in Drew County and the SEAHDC. DDS received a grant from the Governor's Developmental Disabilities Planning Council, to fund this pilot program. After lengthy discussions of the responsibility and change for this Agency, the Board unanimously agreed. The first adult work began in January, 1988 and two residences, with five consumers, were started in September, 1988. In January, 1990, there were five homes serving eleven consumers and eleven consumers were working. The Board of Directors of Drew County Mental Retardation Council approached the Board of Directors of The Other Way to operate their Thrift Store. The Adult Development component had served its purpose and the Agency was again looking for more appropriate day services for adults not working. An agreement was reached between the two boards. The consumers and staff from Adult Development moved to The Other Way Store in November, 1989 and the Agency began managing the store for The Other Way. In January, 1990, Drew County Mental Retardation Council changed its name to Advantages of Southeast AR, Inc. (DCDDC). The Council was composed of five components: Preschool, School Age, Adult Development, Supported Employment, and Alternative Community Services. This Council served fifty-five consumers and had 28 full and part-time staff. The Foster Grandparent Program and volunteers are also utilized. In June 1990, the pilot program officially became the DDS Home and Community Based Alternative Community Services. Drew County had the first Waiver person in the state of Arkansas. In April 1991, Ms. Jane Cross resigned, to return to SESAME SCHOOL, and Mr. Mike Pace became Executive Director. The Agency continued to grow, with the Waiver Program becoming its largest component. In May, 1992, Ms. Cynthia Bashaw was hired as Waiver Coordinator to supervise this extensive component. During this time, the State of Arkansas began funding new services. By July, 1993, Drew County was operating the following components:
• Home & Community Based Waiver Case Management
• Waiver Coordination
• Adaptive Equipment
• Community Experiences
• Consultation Services
• Environmental Modifications
• Emergency Response System
• Respite Care
• Specialized Medical Supplies
• Supplemental Support
• Supported Employment
• Supportive Living
• Transportation (Non-Medical)
• Organized Health Care Services
• Diagnosis and Evaluation
• Early Intervention
• Preschool – Center Based (Birth – age 5)
• Discovery Skills Center – Center Based
• Work Activity
• Therapy Services
o Occupational Therapy
o Physical Therapy
o Speech Therapy
o Developmental Therapy
• Family/Individual Support (State Funding)
• Family/Individual Support (Title XX Funding)
• Supported Living (State Funding)
• Vocational Maintenance
These components were serving 58 consumers with 47 staff at that time. Mike Pace resigned as Director in August, 1993 and Ms. Jane Cross again was hired as Director. Cynthia Bashaw resigned in April of 1997. James Scott, who had previously working as a Direct Care Staff, was hired to assist Ms. Oledia Crook in coordinating Waiver services. In June of 1996, Drew County Developmental Disabilities Council purchased the Other Way building and the Other Way officially became a service component. By June of 1998, Drew County was serving over 100 consumers in 11 South Arkansas counties. In November, 2000, Drew County Developmental Disabilities Council purchased the home of the late Dr. Van Binns, located at 203 East Trotter. The two story home, which also served as Dr. Binn’s office, was renovated and housed the Drew County Adult Center and Other Way Thrift Store on the lower level, and Administrative offices on the 2nd floor. Staff was now at 170 full-time and part-time employees, 20 of which were our Discovery Skills Center Consumers, who were paid 1 hour each day to work in the Thrift Store. We had 110 consumers and provided services in 13 counties. The ACS Waiver continued to be our largest component and Drew County was the second largest per capita Waiver provider in the state of Arkansas, with 75 Waiver clients. In June, 2004, Ms. Cross retired. Sandra Patrick was hired as Director on July 1, 2004. Sesame School, under the direction of Mrs. Angela Sowell, Preschool Director, out-grew the capacity of the existing building; therefore, two portable classrooms were added to the site in 2006. The Board and executive staff members began writing a long-range plan for expansion of services. Property located at 168 W. College was purchased with plans to renovate the old school buildings into administrative offices and classrooms. The renovation project was completed in March, 2007. The original Sesame School became known as SESAME SCHOOL #1 and the new site became SESAME SCHOOL #2. Administrative Staff was housed in the front portion of the College Street property and the Adult Development Program was at 203 E. Trotter. Sesame School grew to over 100 children in July, 2007 and was then the largest component of the Agency. In June, 2007, DDS declared that Ashley County was an underserved area for children’s services. The Agency began the process of developing a preschool component in Crossett, AR. Sesame School of Crossett was opened and temporarily housed in Hastings Elementary in July, 2007. In October 2009, Sesame School contracted with Crossett School District for use of the North Crossett Elementary School and services were moved to that campus. The Board of Directors approved to expand preschool services again in Monticello. Plans for a new building on the existing College Street property were finalized and construction was completed in September, 2012. The new building has the capacity to serve 130 children. Funding is through Commercial Bank and USDA-Rural Development with an estimated cost of 3.2 million dollars. The Discovery Children’s Center location on Scogin Drive was sold and all children moved to the College Street site. The Discovery Skills Center moved from their location on Trotter St to the location on College St. when the children moved to the new center. At this time, all Monticello services exist on one site. July 1, 2012 the Board of Directors approved the agency name to be changed to Advantages of Southeast Arkansas, Inc. The preschools were changed to Discovery Children’s Center and the adult program was changed to Discovery Skills Center. In September, 2012 the Department of Human Services/Developmental Disabilities Services declared Lincoln County as un-served. Advantages answered the DDS Request for Proposals to serve the County and was licensed to begin services in October, 2012. The first location for services is temporary. The Board of Directors approved the purchase of land and will build on that site. Core Beliefs of Advantages of Southeast AR, Inc.
• All human beings have intrinsic worth regardless of intellectual ability;
• All human beings have some potential for development;
• With few exceptions, every human being has both the ability and the duty to contribute something of value to his/her fellow man. Service Goals of Advantages of Southeast AR, Inc. are:
• To help the individual with a developmental disability in Arkansas become or remain self-sufficient by seeking to develop personal, social, academic and problem solving skills necessary to function independently in society;
• To protect individuals who cannot protect themselves from abuse, neglect and exploitation and to help families stay together by providing an array of services for the individual with a developmental disability;
• To prevent and reduce inappropriate institutional care as much as possible by making home and community services available.
• To arrange for appropriate placement and services which provides the least restrictive environment and which is in the individual’s best interest.
