The institution offers support services to adults with intellectual disabilities
San Juan, Puerto Rico –The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) awarded nearly $12.4 million to the Instituto Psicopedagógico de Puerto Rico (IPPR) for permanent work to its structure due to damage from Hurricane María.
The organization with headquarters in Bayamón has offered services to youth, adults and seniors for nearly 75 years. The IPPR tends to participants with diagnosis such as intellectual disability, Down syndrome, autism and cerebral palsy, among other health conditions.
“The IPPR manages to address specific needs of a population that requires great care. Having strengthened facilities is crucial for their safety and to guarantee the quality of life of those participants. The agency is well aware of the work that the institute performs and we remain committed to supporting its repairs until the project is completed,” said Federal Disaster Recovery Coordinator José Baquero.
Aside from their residential services, the Instituto Psicopedagógico has a teaching center, where independent living workshops are provided to 108 people. The facility has an emergency room with clinical staff 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Graduated nurses, a doctor, a clinical psychologist and a psychiatrist are part of the 122 employees who serve this population.
The organization’s executive director, Elba Castellanos, explained that the government provides disability services until the age of 21; that is when the IPPR comes to care for the population that currently fluctuates between the ages of 22 and 91. For her, one of the institute’s significant accomplishments is that the participant’s parents are at ease because their children receive the care they need. “Additionally, by not giving them limits, our participants surprise us. The more independent they are, the better for their wellbeing and overall health.”
Castellanos stressed that it is important to preserve the IPPR because they are the only entity in Puerto Rico that provides assistance and accommodation to its participants at all times.
“If our facilities are not resilient, the lives of our participants are at risk. Many of them can’t move, some are bedridden, some can't follow instructions. That is why this allocation from FEMA is so important, because we will be able to have these facilities as the population with intellectual disabilities needs and as the population deserves,” said the executive director.
Fifteen of IPPR’s buildings and their exteriors deteriorated following the cyclone’s effects. IPPR’s executive manager, Jorge García Ortiz, explained that María’s impact affected the participant’s routine, even when the institution had caretakers and nurses that made the arrangements to protect and keep them stable. The occupational therapy building collapsed and the staff had to move various patients because of the damage to the rest of the infrastructure.
Agency funds have already allowed for the replacement of some of the electrical equipment, and one of the buildings will be replaced as part of the pending work. Some of the services will be temporarily relocated to trailers; and roofs, walls and windows will be replaced, as well as drainpipes, generators, lighting and other electrical components. Mitigation funds within this award will waterproof the infrastructure and reinforce it to prevent wind damages.
García Ortiz said that the work relationship with FEMA staff has been one of constant communication and comprehension of the institution’s needs. “FEMA funds are a historic step towards the reconstruction of our facilities. All the repairs will take into consideration the needs of the elderly population with intellectual disabilities. Our goal is to protect them and provide service continuity, while the IPPR evolves in the services and surroundings that they offer for their physical and emotional wellbeing.”
For his part, the executive director of the Central Office for Recovery, Reconstruction and Resiliency (COR3), Manuel A. Laboy Rivera, said that “this obligation is the result of the teamwork between COR3, Instituto Psicopedagógico officials and FEMA. Now, this institution which performs important social work, has at its disposal the request of the first advance of funds through the Working Capital Advance pilot program so that the execution of this permanent work begins. In COR3, we will continue to support them in the process.”
People interested in contributing to IPPR can call to visit the Bayamón facilities and make their contributions. Castellano explained that the IPPR receives all types of help, whether monetary donations or volunteer work. He also urged people to follow their social networks to learn about the activities that the organization carries out.
To date, FEMA has awarded over $30.9 billion for nearly 10,800 Public Assistance projects aimed at rebuilding a more resilient Puerto Rico.
For more information about the recovery of Puerto Rico, visit fema.gov/disaster/4339 and recovery.pr. Follow us on social media at Facebook.com/FEMAPuertoRico, Facebook.com/COR3pr and Twitter @COR3pr.