FIRST-PLACE-PHOENIX-HEALTH-AND-SAFETY-FIRST-PROGRAM.PDF

Created: 04/04/2018 • Last updated: 04/05/2018
General information
Organization First Place® AZ
Contact First name Denise
Contact Last name Resnik
Contact e-mail denise@firstplaceaz.org
Contact phone number 602-228-3928
Address
Street 717 E. Maryland Ave., Suite 110
City Phoenix
State AZ
ZIP Code 85014
From what tribe is the Fort McDowell Yavapai Nation
organization requesting the
grant?
Total grant amount request 28,560.00
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®
Fort McDowell Yavapai Nation – 2018 Arizona Benefits Fund Grant Application
Applicant Information: First Place® AZ - 717 E. Maryland Ave., Ste. 110 - Phoenix, AZ 85003
Primary Contact: Denise D. Resnik - Founder, President & CEO - (same address as above) -
602-228-3928 denise@firstplaceaz.org
Proposed Program
First Place requests funding of $28,560 for the First Place–Phoenix Health & Safety First Program at the
new four-story apartment community for adults with autism and other different abilities. This includes
the purchase of medical equipment and furnishings for two treatment rooms at the on-site Health Spot
Health & Wellness Clinic and automatic external defibrillators (AED) on each floor. First Place–Phoenix, a
new property in the planning stages for nearly two decades, is opening this summer.
Purpose of Program
First Place® AZ is a nonprofit charitable organization established in 2012 with the mission to develop
communities that integrate adults with autism and other special abilities into the fabric of society
through housing, healthcare, education, employment, supportive systems and culture. Our goal is to
ensure that housing and community options are as bountiful for individuals with autism and other
disabilities as they are for everyone else.
Led by market principles, First Place is creating replicable residential and post-secondary
education models that promote collaboration among the private, public, nonprofit and philanthropic
sectors to serve as catalysts for advancing public policy focused on housing solutions for special
populations. Such advances support local economic development and create opportunities for long-
term employment and independent/interdependent living for members of this population.
First Place AZ is leveraging the investment of 20-plus years in community development by the
Southwest Autism Research & Resource Center (SARRC), our sister nonprofit, by addressing the needs of
an ever-increasing population of children with autism transitioning to adulthood in record numbers—
approximately 60,000 per year in the U.S. Our work captured the attention of PBS NewsHour through
two nationally broadcast segments, featuring Greater Phoenix as “the world’s most autism-friendly
city.”
Set in the heart of the urban region, our first property, First Place–Phoenix, broke ground in
December 2016 and is set for summer occupancy. This unique development offers three primary
components: 1) The First Place Apartments provide access to various services and amenities—with all
the benefits of community-connected, independent living—by a broad range of differently abled adults;
2) The First Place Transition Academy offers courses and life skills-based training, including career
development, to help residents find employment and live more independently; and 3) The First Place
Global Leadership Institute serves as an international training center for professionals, direct support
service providers and medical personnel, and a robust site for research and public-policy advancements.
The First Place–Phoenix Health & Safety First Program meets the Fort McDowell Yavapai
Nation’s “health” and “public safety” funding priority areas. Funding for this program will enable First
Place to purchase medical equipment and furniture for the two treatment rooms in the Health Spot.
(See attached itemized budget.) The budget includes mid-range quality and pricing. This important
physical space on the ground floor of First Place also offers the opportunity for resident Transition
Academy participants to focus on living in more healthy ways by applying what they learn in various
health/wellness courses, which are part of our two-year Learn4Independence™ curriculum (32
semester-length courses of 17 modules each).
PO Box 32965 | Phoenix, AZ 85064
FirstPlaceAZ.org | info@FirstPlaceAZ.org
Ph: 602.733.6525 | Fax: 602.957.3159

Program Need and Population Served
Once the decision is made to take that daunting next step to First Place or another place away from the
family home, parents themselves face a whole new set of challenges: how to ensure their adult children
will thrive in a safe, secure and supportive environment—and how their grown children will learn to
practice their own personal safety within that environment. First Place recognizes the need for
innovative solutions when considering current data and these lifelong challenges:
• Autism is the largest disability group among adults in the U.S.
• The incidence of autism today is 1 in 68 compared with 1 in 2,500 20 years ago.
• The unemployment rate among adults with autism is 86%.
• 60,000 children with autism are entering adulthood annually—a number that’s on the rise.
• The lifetime incremental cost per individual in this population: $2.4 million
The target population served by First Place is adults ages 18 and older with autism and other
special abilities. First Place–Phoenix will serve approximately 80 residents, including Transition Academy
participants and First Place fellows, along with 50-plus First Place and SARRC staff members combined.
At this model, demonstration property, new residents, family members and professionals will have
access to the benefits of this program, resulting in ongoing, future exponential impact.
Parents shoulder enormous and often overwhelming responsibilities as they guide their adult
children with autism toward various goals and milestones, including the opportunity for that first home
away from home. With health and safety being parents’ top priorities for their children, First Place is
actively addressing their concerns with the implementation of effective tools like those included in this
grant request.
Cardiac arrest and other life-threatening emergencies can happen anywhere. Statistics show
that more than 250,000 Americans die from sudden cardiac arrest each year. Giving CPR and using an
automated external defibrillator (AED) can greatly increase the chance of survival. The American Heart
Association notes that at least 20,000 lives could be saved annually with prompt, trained use of AEDs.
Quality medical equipment allows for effective and efficient medical treatment. Appropriate and
aesthetic furnishings help to provide a pleasant, comfortable experience in a clinical environment that
can be unfamiliar and unsettling, especially to members of this special population, who are especially
sensitive to their surroundings.
Program Partners
First Place will work with St. Joseph’s Hospital & Medical Center and Barrow Neurological Institute—
along with 12 other leading organizations—on a patient-centered, multidisciplinary, integrated health
and wellness clinic that serves as the patient-centered medical home for transition-aged youth and
adults with autism. The integration of behavioral and physical health with a multidisciplinary team
serves to treat, support and encourage the participation of the whole, special person. The off-site pilot
will be housed at First Place–Phoenix.
As a First Place partner, the Ft. McDowell Yavapai Nation would receive recognition for its
support of the Health & Safety First Program at First Place–Phoenix.
First Place has received two grants (2016 and 2017) from the Salt River Pima–Maricopa Indian
Community for the purchase of all appliances for the First Place Apartments and teaching kitchens. We
have also submitted a 2018 application to the Gila River Indian Community for the funding of
oven/stove safety equipment and security cameras.
Timetable
The timetable for the purchase and installation of the medical equipment and furnishings listed in this
grant application span from June through August 2018. Move-in for the first First Place residents is
scheduled for July.
Attachments
Itemized budget, construction photos

®
First Place–Phoenix Health & Safety First Program Budget
Proposed Budget Items Cost Total
Medical Equipment
1. Defibrillator (4) $2,000 $8,000
2. Bariatric stand-on scale $4,000 $4,000
3. Spot monitor (2) $2,500 $5,000
4. Integrated wall system (2) $1,200 $2,400
5. Medical exam table (2) $1,000 $2,000
6. Spot monitor stand (2) $1,000 $2,000
7. Ophthalmoscope (2) $500 $1,000
8. Skin surface microscope $500 $500
9. 3.5 V Rechargeable handle (2) $250 $500
10. Blood pressure cuff (6) $10 $60
Subtotal: Medical Equipment $25,460
Furnishings
11. Lockable refrigerator (2) $500 $1,000
12. Pneumatic, 5-star base charting table (2) $450 $900
13. Upholstered guest chair w/ arms (2) $200 $400
14. Upholstered guest chair no arms (2) $150 $300
15. Stool with casters, back & arms (2) $250 $500
Subtotal: Furnishings $3,100
Total Budget $28,560
PO Box 32965 | Phoenix, AZ 85064
FirstPlaceAZ.org | info@FirstPlaceAZ.org
Ph: 602.733.6525 | Fax: 602.957.3159