The way we view and experience healthcare is changing at a furious pace. Whether through the Health Care Reform Act or the changing needs of our community, the industry is taking on a person-centered approach to care. This is especially true for individuals with an intellectual or developmental disability.
Embracing this custom-tailored approach wholeheartedly, Pioneer Center for Human Services has added the talents of two distinguished individuals to its Intellectual & Developmental Disability Services Program. Sam Tenuto will take the reins as the organization’s Director of Intellectual and Developmental Disability Services and Daniel (D.J.) Newport will be the Associate Director of Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Services.
The organization is very excited to bring these innovative, experienced professionals to Pioneer Center to lead the Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Division through a transition to reach our vision of becoming the recognized standard of excellence in services and innovation in our field.
Sam Tenuto comes to Pioneer Center with 20 years of advancing leadership experience at Clearbrook in Arlington Heights, IL. Sam was most recently Clearbrook’s Director of Community Living Services and his expertise includes responsibility for successful operations, administration and expansion of 32 DHS Licensed Community Integrated Living Arrangements (CILA), as well as creating specialized CILA environments for individuals with Autism, crises behavior and faith-based backgrounds. Sam also was responsible for developing and expanding an in-home services program that became one of the largest in Illinois.
D.J. comes to Pioneer Center from Countryside Association For People with Disabilities in Palatine, IL, where he was the Site Administrator and Coordinator of Community Employment, Services and Transition programs. D.J. was responsible for increasing day training enrollment 9% in one year after 4 consecutive years of 0% growth. He also increased community job placements from 5 to 45 in FY12, while also increasing Department of Human Service employment services by 195% over 3 years. D.J. conceptualized and implemented a Transition Services Department serving 7 high school districts and over 20 high schools.
“I am excited to join Pioneer and be part of the community that the agency has worked with so well in the past and is striving to make the future even better for. Having lived in McHenry County, I was able to experience first-hand the connection between the community and Pioneer Center and am excited to develop new ways that the two can work together,” said D.J.
Both individuals bring to the organization several years of ground-breaking experience and success at building and expanding residential services for individuals with disabilities, as well as creation of unique programs for community-based employment for adults and transition services for adolescents with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
