Keystone Human Services - Comprehensive community based mental retardation, mental health, autism and early intervention services

About Us

A Brief History: As Remembered by Dennis Felty

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The Commonwealth and the CASSP Institute

In 1985 Mel Knowlton asked Keystone to host the Commonwealth Institute. The intent was to create a values based training institute for the people involved in the community movement. Thomas Neuville was hired as executive director and Bill West, Helen Zipperlan, Mark Friedman, David Swartz and myself would serve as founding Board Members. Similarly, in 1992 Keystone developed the Pennsylvania CASSP (Child and Adolescent Service Systems Program) Institute in partnership with the Pennsylvania Office of Mental Health. The CASSP institute conducted state wide training on children's mental health issues. The CASSP Institute later left the Keystone incubator and affiliated with Penn State University.

Best Valued Communities

In 1989 Susan Kerpan co-founded the Best Valued Community seminars. Susan was joined by Thomas Neuville as co facilitator for many years. These seminars have been attended by hundreds of Keystone employees and focus on the significance of one's work in one's life. Hannah Smith, Jonathan Leach and Paula Davenport continue as facilitators of this important training.

Keystone Partnership

In 1990 the Keystone Foundation, later, the Keystone Partnership, was founded to proved fundraising and community development services in support of Keystone's mission. Janet Nanorta served as the Partnership's first Board Chairman and Ann Moffitt continues to serve as the Partnership's founding Director. Janet Nanorta passed away in 1999 and is remembered by the Janet Nanorta Memorial Fund.

Ray Gagne

In 1990 Ray Gagne and Dennis Felty met at Dr. Wolfensberger's Moral Coherency conference in Holyoke, Massachusetts. Ray and Dennis had a discussion about Ray coming to work for Keystone as an educator teaching and lecturing about his experiences living in an institution. In his ten years as an educator with Keystone, Ray had a profound impact on many people, helping them to better understand the life experiences and capacity of people experiencing severe disabilities. Ray passed away in March of 2001. Ray will be missed by all who knew him. Ray's life story, a biography written in 1985, preserves his experiences and insights for those who will come after him.

Family Support Associates

Family Support Associates was founded to provide services in the area of Children & Youth. Paula Davenport has served as its Executive Director since its inception. FSA now provides services in Dauphin and Lancaster Counties and in July of 2000, assumed the lead in developing services for family on the waiting list for mental retardation services.

Tri County Easter Seal Society

Tri County Easter Seal Society (TCESS) joined Keystone in On May 1, 1995 becoming an important part of Keystone Human Services today. TCESS brought a rich history of 78 years of community service to the work of Keystone. Don Enders, the Past Board Chairman of TCESS became the Chairman of the Keystone Partnership and other TCESS Board Members joined Keystone's Board and Membership. Elaine Bogar a long term community volunteer for Tri County Easter Seals received the Edna Silberman Humanitarian award in 1997 and serves as a Member of the Corporation of Keystone Human Services.

Tri-County Crippled Childrenís Association. Incorporated on February 20, 1928, this organization has a seventy-year history of working with the community to provide quality services for people with disabilities who reside in Dauphin, Perry and Cumberland counties. At its onset, the association was an affiliate of National Easter Seals and functioned as a volunteer committee providing assessments, transportation and home visits to children with disabilities. The first employee was hired in the early 1940ís. This individual, the Executive Secretary, was hired to administer services and seek help for children with special needs. Active programming began in 1947 with speech and physical therapies and a play center. Pre-school services began in the 1950ís.

As these programs expanded and additional services were offered, the need for permanent space grew. The agency operated out of shared space in four different locations up until this point. A bequest from the estate of James R. Appleby and broad community support made possible the establishment of the current Derry Street facility. The building was dedicated in October 1961 and occupied by four employees (the Executive Director, a secretary, a speech pathologist, and a physical therapist).

With the move and ever-increasing demand for services by both children and adults, the name of the agency was changed to Tri-County Society for Crippled Children and Adults, Inc. This name was used from 1961 until 1978, when the agency changed its name to the Tri-County Easter Seal Society for the Handicapped, Inc. Continual growth resulted in the expansion of the physical plant, with the construction of a new wing in 1985. In June of 1986, the wing was dedicated to Harry C. Patchin, Executive Director from 1947 until 1985.

The name Tri-County Society for Children and Adults, Inc. was adopted in November of 1995 to acknowledge that services are available to children as well as their caregivers, the community at-large, and adults with disabilities.

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