OGDENSBURG – Over the past 114 years, United Helpers has touched thousands of peoples’ lives, providing homes and services for older adults, working with people with developmental disabilities or traumatic brain injury, providing homes and services for people living with mental illness -- the list of services is long, and the impact on the community is great.

For the last couple of years United Helpers has worked to restructure its service line. “United Helpers is a very diverse organization,” said United Helpers’ Chief Executive Officer Stephen E. Knight. “We’ve added several new services and have grown and evolved to meet the ever-changing needs of our consumers.”

The United Helpers organization is made up of six corporate centers: RiverLedge Campus, Mosaic and the United Helpers Management Company in Ogdensburg, and Partridge Knoll, Sparx and Maplewood Campus, in Canton.

RiverLedge Campus, 8101 State Rt. 68 in Ogdensburg, is home to RiverLedge Healthcare and Rehabilitation Center (formerly known as United Helpers Nursing Home); outpatient speech, occupational and physical therapy services; respite; subacute rehabilitation; and RiverLedge Residence, a 24-hour staffed adult residence. Maplewood Campus, 205 State Street Road in Canton, is home to Maplewood Healthcare and Rehabilitation Center (formerly known as United Helpers Canton Nursing Home); Maplewood Assisted Living Program; outpatient speech, occupational and physical therapy services; subacute rehabilitation; and home health services. Maplewood also houses the Canton Child Day Care Center and a host of wellness classes that are offered to employees and to the public. RiverLedge and Maplewood are not just places to live, but also places to receive short-term rehabilitation and outpatient therapy services.

“Restructuring our services and campuses became imperative when the wants and needs of our consumers changed,” Knight reflected. “People want to stay in their homes and when necessary and possible, receive services in their homes. When they have an accident, surgery or get sick, they want to rehabilitate as quickly as possible and go home. We’ve changed the way and the environments in which we provide services based on what our consumers want and what drives the best possible outcomes for our patients and residents.”

Mosaic, formerly known as United Helpers Care, offers homes and support services for people with developmental disabilities or traumatic brain injury and for people living with mental illness. Mosaic provides ten community residences throughout St. Lawrence County, a day program in Ogdensburg, and array of case management services and service coordination for people with developmental disabilities or traumatic brain injury. Mosaic also provides supportive housing and case management services for people with chronic and persistent mental illness.

The United Helpers Management Company houses the senior/disabled housing program, managing 14 complexes throughout the county, and the information technology, human resources, marketing, accounting, billing, and payroll departments for the organization, as well as the Society of the United Helpers Development Office. The facility is also a home to Stepping Stones, Children’s Therapy Services and administrative offices for Mosaic.

Sparx, United Helpers’ newest venture, is a for-profit corporation with offices soon in Canton. Sparx provides business management services, property management and start-up assistance and partnership with research, development and operation of new business.

“It is my hope that Sparx will be part of a community-wide partnership and common effort to create jobs in the North Country,” Knight said. Sparx was launched in 2012 and provides support services to local small-business operators.

“United Helpers began with 12 caring women who sought to make a difference in the lives of others,” Knight said. “Twelve committed people in 1898 made tremendous impact on our community. Just think of the impact that a company with 950 committed people can make.”

To learn more about the United Helpers organization, call 393-3074, visit www.unitedhelpers.org or search United Helpers on Facebook.