NYC-based nonprofit to open new center for adults with autism in Uniondale

A New York City-based nonprofit serving the autism community plans to expand its footprint on Long Island this spring with a new center in Uniondale.

QSAC Inc. signed a 15-year lease last month to occupy 23,633 square feet at 711 Stewart Ave., on the border of Garden City, for a day program, said Cory Polshansky, the president and chief operating officer. The nonprofit will occupy part of the building’s first and second floors. 

QSAC will run the program at the center for adults age 21 and over that will include the teaching of daily living skills such as money management, communication and volunteering with local businesses, Polshansky said. 

“Our staff work on these skills with the individuals we serve to maximize their potential to become as independent as possible,” he said. The program will run from 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. 

The new center expands QSAC’s presence on Long Island amid a growing need for services for people with autism, particularly those no longer served by the education system due to their age, Polshansky said.

Day habilitation centers, along with staff providing services in the home, help meet that increased need, said Veronica Garcia, director of development for the Nassau/Suffolk Autism Society of America. "The need is always there," Garcia said.

Growing need on Long Island

State regulations require public school districts to offer educational programs for students with autism until they turn 21. But many who’ve aged out of public education often still need services, Garcia said.

Improvements in diagnosis also have led to a greater number of New Yorkers with autism needing services, Garcia said. The number of New Yorkers with a primary diagnosis of autism served by the state’s Office for People With Developmental Disabilities grew from 20,789 in 2015 to 27,434 in 2020, according to a 2022 report from the agency.

Zoe Gross, who is autistic and is the director of advocacy for the Washington, D.C.-based Autistic Self Advocacy Network, cautioned that day habilitation centers can be restrictive, limiting when people can leave for group outings. The organization advocates for individualized services that help autistic people interact with their community.

Polshansky said QSAC tries to get the individuals it serves out into the community as much as possible, but added some need more supervision than others.

He expects to hire or transfer around 50 staff members to work at the center when it opens, including direct service professionals and office staff. He foresees the Stewart Avenue facility serving around 60 people.

QSAC has three day programs in Nassau County, in Hewlett, Baldwin and Woodmere, and one in Suffolk County, in Melville. It also operates group homes, schools and home services on Long Island and in New York City, Polshansky said.

Funding for services

QSAC gets most of its funding from the state's Office for People With Developmental Disabilities and the Education Department, Polshansky said, alongside some private grants and donations.

QSAC spent roughly $92 million on its school, home, day habilitation and other services in 2023, out of $100.4 million in expenses, according to the nonprofit’s tax filings. It brought in revenue of $103.6 million in 2023, according to the filing.

Participants are not charged for the program, which is paid through Medicaid, Polshansky said.

QSAC’s new space will have a private entrance and bathrooms, plus a sign facing Stewart Avenue, making it "an ideal environment," said Kyle Crennan, a managing director with JLL who represented the landlord, Benedict Realty Group, in the deal.

Before QSAC moves in, the landlord will renovate the space, said Roy Chipkin, a senior vice president with CBRE who represented QSAC in the lease. QSAC will also have dedicated parking outside, Chipkin added.

The space was previously leased to ProPhase Labs, a biotech company, Polshansky said. It’s unclear when ProPhase left the building.