Vol. 40 - No. 10 November 2019

The Greenwaywent the wrong way

EDITORIAL: PAGE 8

Amego Inc. believeseducation is for

everyonePROVIDER PROFILE:

PAGE 3

ROUTING SLIPBoard Chair

Executive Director/CEO

Chief Financial Officer

Human Resources Director

Development Director

Other

Massachusetts Council of

Human Service Providers, Inc.

88 Broad Street • Boston, MA 02110

The annual convention was filled withemotion, appreciation and thanks

RISE!PAGES 4-7

The Newspaper of the Providers’ Council

BENEFITS, see page 11

Gov. unveils health care legislation

Governor Charlie Baker unveiledsweeping health care legislationin mid-October that his Admin-

istration hopes will “improve outcomesfor patients, increase access to careand bring down costs,” according to apress release from his office.

The Governor also signed an execu-tive order that will form a commissionto study the health insurance marketand examine why costs continue togrow for small and mid-size employers.

According to the administration, the

legislation includes reform in five majorareas: prioritizing behavioral healthand primary care; managing healthcare cost drivers to protect consumers;improving access to high-quality coor-dinated care; stabilizing distressedcommunity hospitals and health cen-ters; and promoting insurance marketreforms. A recent annual report by theCenter for Health Information andAnalysis (CHIA) found that health careexpenditures grew 3.1 percent in 2018,

HEALTH, see page 11

The Providers’ Council is in Framingham! We

look forward to hosting you at our new office

100 Crossing Blvd.

Suite 100

Framingham, MA 01720

New phone number508.599.2255

PFML optionamong memberbenefit updates

The Providers’ Council has an-nounced two important new bene-fits available to members: a private

plan option to comply with the PaidFamily Medical Leave (PFML) programand a new level of programming forProviders’ eAcademy®.

In partnership with Endorsed Busi-ness Partner USI Insurance Services,the Council has developed an alternativesolution to the state-sponsored PFMLprogram. Sun Life, the preferred vendorfor the Council’s popular Life and Dis-ability insurance programs, is offeringfully-insured and self-funded privateplans to Council members for PFML.

A private plan allows for members todefer making contributions to the stateand to alleviate the administrative bur-den of working directly with the state.Employers without private plans beganPFML withholdings on Oct. 1st, and thefirst quarterly payment will be due to thestate in January 2020. Employers, how-ever, have until Dec. 20th to apply for anexemption from PFML. All private planparticipation must be approved by theDepartment of Family and MedicalLeave. If approved, any funds alreadywithheld from employees may be re-turned to them.

The Sun Life plan was developed forCouncil members with the understand-ing that the PFML program puts furtherstrain on time and resources that wouldotherwise be used to serve their mission.The Council and USI worked together tocome up with a solution to help reducethis strain and ease the transition of al-

At convention, Everyone Counts on inspiration

Council welcomes1,200 friends

Opportunity and possibilitywere found at every turn dur-ing the Providers’ Council’s

44th Annual Convention & Expo:Everyone Counts. held in October.

Nearly 1,200 people were on handfor the day, which was filled withpomp and circumstance and featureda number of high profile guests –from keynote Spencer West to Gover-nor Charlie Baker. But the heart ofthe event, like the heart of the sector,was the workforce.

“What binds us is our belief in the

Perspective from West: It’s Possible

Keynote speaker Spencer West.CONVENTION, see page 7

Spencer West said he wasn’t inthe room to be an inspiration.But he was anyway.

West, an author, activist and mo-tivational speaker, delivered thekeynote address at the Providers’Council’s 44th Annual Convention &Expo: Everyone Counts., sharing hismessage of “redefining possible” withnearly 1,200 attendees who gave hima standing ovation.

“There’s a reason I just told you allthese things,” he said. “I didn’t wantto be an inspiration. I want to showthat we can create value in everythingwe do. … That is how we redefine pos-sible.”

The keynote speaker was intro-duced by Beth Caronna, an alumna ofDoc Wayne Youth Services who re-ceived services and later served as anintern for their sport-focused mentaland behavioral health programs.

WEST, see page 4

More than 100 attendees pack a popular workshop during the 44th Annual Convention & Expo: Everyone Counts. Oct. 7th.

NEWS AND NOTESPROVIDERS’

PAGE 2 ■ THE PROVIDER  ■ NOVEMBER 2019

1,200 walk, rock & roll at the Buddy Walk in the Berkshires

More than 1,200 people tookpart in Down Syndrome Fam-ily Group’s 13th Buddy Walk

in the Berkshires earlier this fall. Highschool groups, college students, fam-ilies, business sponsors, the city ofDalton, and more were among thosesupporting Down Syndrome FamilyGroup, a program of BerkshireCounty Arc.

Dressed in the official mint-greenshirt, traffic was stopped to make wayfor wheelchairs, dogs, family mem-bers, friends and dignitaries under aperfect blue sky.

“You are a great crowd becauseyou recognize people for their abilities,and not their disabilities,” BCArc’spresident Kenneth W. Singer told thecrowd before the walk started.

Ascentria names IsbrandtVP of Transitional Services

Ascentria Care Alliance has hiredScott Isbrandt as Vice President ofTransitional Services. The service areascovered by transitional services includerefugee resettlement and placement,education programs for refugees andimmigrants, legal services for foreign-born Americans and victims of sexualtrafficking and abuse, nutrition educa-tion, employment counseling andplacement, services for entrepreneursto start or grow a business, as well asGood News Garage transportation pro-

grams and servicesfor children and fam-ilies. Isbrandt, in thisnewly created posi-tion, will help createand execute strate-gies for growing As-centria’s capacity todevelop new socialprograms that sup-port partnershipswith employers and

health care providers in Massachu-setts, New Hampshire and Vermont.

Isbrandt is a long-time advocate foreducation and entrepreneurship, as ameans to catalyze economic empower-ment to promote sustainable commu-nity development. He has ledcommunity development programs thatresulted in the startup and growth ofthousands of successful micro-enter-prises in sub-Saharan Africa, and alsohas designed innovative ed-tech solu-tions for students in the U.S. andmicro-enterprises internationally. Heholds a master’s degree in SustainableInternational Development from theHeller School of Social Policy and Man-agement at Brandeis University, and abachelor’s degree in Cinema and Pho-tography from the Park School of Com-munications at Ithaca College.

Council welcomes Howlandto education team

The Providers’ Council has addedZoena Howland as its new Education &Membership Associate – eLearning.Howland, a recent graduate of IthacaCollege, will be coordinating the popu-lar Providers' eAcad-emy® program, whichprovides online train-ing content and atraining database tonearly 80 memberagencies, reachingmore than 41,000learners across thestate.

Howland’s pri-mary responsibilities will be providingsupport and information to membersusing the program and serving as a li-aison with Relias, which manages thee-learning system. Howland can be

reached at zhowland@providers.org ifyou have any questions about theProviders’ eAcademy® program.

McCauley tapped to leadMass. Office on Disability

Mary Mahon McCauley has beennamed director of the MassachusettsOffice on Disability (MOD), an Execu-tive Branch agency that works to en-sure that people with disabilities of allages living or working in Massachusettshave full and equal participation in allaspects of life.

McCauley has served at the Massa-chusetts Rehabilitation Commission(MRC) since 1989, most recently as itsArea Director for Downtown Boston. Inher numerous roles at MRC, she hasworked on vocational rehabilitation andjob placement for persons with disabili-ties. During her career, she has workedwith hundreds of individuals in the pub-lic, private and nonprofit sectors.

A resident of Quincy, she holds aBachelor’s degree, as well as a Master’sof Education degree in RehabilitationCounseling, from the University of Mas-sachusetts Boston. She is also a Li-censed Rehabilitation Counselor. Shewas a group facilitator for the Massa-chusetts Association for the Blind andVisually Impaired for 17 years. Mc-Cauley currently sits on the MassHireBoston Workforce Committee and pre-viously served on the City of Quincy

Disability Commission.“As a lifelong advocate for persons

with disabilities, this position is both aprivilege and an honor,” said McCauley.

McCauley succeeds David D’Arcan-gelo, who now leads the MassachusettsCommission for the Blind.

JRI program My Life MyChoice receives grant

My Life My Choice, a survivor-ledorganization fighting to end commercialsexual exploitation of children and aprogram of Justice Resource Insti-tute, has received a $200,000 Neigh-borhood Builder grant from Bank ofAmerica. In addition to the funds, theorganization will receive a year of lead-ership training for the executive direc-tor and an emerging leader at theorganization, access to a network ofpeer organizations across the U.S., andthe opportunity to access capital to ex-pand their impact.

“Over the years, NeighborhoodBuilders has given a number of non-profit organizations in Massachusettsthe power to transform lives and driveeconomic mobility in the communitiesin which they operate,” said MicealChamberlain, Bank of America Massa-chusetts president.

My Life My Choice educates and em-powers adolescents to find their voiceand create a positive life path, and isthe only anti-human trafficking organ-

ization in Massachusetts that is em-ploying a survivor-led model proven ef-fective in helping young people leaveharmful situations and build new livesfor themselves, as well as prevent ex-ploitation altogether for many others.

CHD Sled Hockey The Center for Human Develop-

ment (CHD) offers a seasonal sledhockey program in Springfield at theMassMutual Center. The SpringfieldThunderbirds Sled Hockey Programpractices about three times a month onSundays, September through April. Thepractices are for new and returningplayers. Those who are interested intrying out sled hockey should emailJessica Levine at jlevine@chd.org tomake arrangements.

The CHD Sled Hockey program isalso looking for pushers. Please emailLevine for more information.

Arc Tank 3.0 finals takingplace Nov. 19 in Boston

Northeast Arc will host The ArcTank 3.0 on Nov. 19 from 2 p.m. to 5p.m. at the John F. Kennedy Library.

Finalists compete before a panel ofjudges for up to $300,000, pitching theirideas to positively disrupt disabilityservices to improve the lives of peoplewith intellectual/developmental disabil-ities and/or autism and their families.Learn more at www.ne-arc.org/arctank.

ZoenaHowland

ScottIsbrandt

Look Memorial Park staff recently dedicated a cherry tree with a

plaque to Ben Brodecki for his volunteer service. For nearly five

years, Brodecki has been a dedicated volunteer at the park with

groups from Council member Sunshine Village’s Community Engage-

ment Program. He works in the park’s expansive grounds and at the

Christenson Zoo. His service includes landscaping, collaborative design

and upkeep of the animal enclosures, and caretaking of the animals.

“We chose to dedicate this cherry tree to Ben because it is at the front

of the walking path and all that come through must drive or walk by it,”

said Justin Pelis, Look Park Maintenance Director. “Ben always brings his

positivity and is a very hard worker with great ideas for the park.”

Brodecki was key in advocating for goats to be brought into the Chris-

tensen Zoo. The goats are a popular exhibit, and Brodecki has bonded

particularly well with one goat named Buddy. Buddy and Brodecki take

walks together around the park, bringing joy to both visitors and the staff.

Look Park, located in Florence, is a nonprofit operation with full time staff,

but relies on volunteers to help with the zoo and grounds work across its

hundreds of acres.

Brodecki is a tireless advocate for both the park and the zoo. With

the help of an online application, he has written a short book on the ani-

mals and other discoveries he’s made during his time there. He readily

shares the book with others to bring awareness of the importance of

green space and being in nature for a healthy lifestyle.

He shows no sign of stopping his regular volunteering and has more

suggestions for animal exhibits to bring greater variety to the zoo. “I want

Look Park to be beautiful and the best place it can be. It makes me happy

to be outdoors and with the animals,” Brodecki said.

Mike Furman, Christenson Zoo Zookeeper, said, “Ben has been in-

strumental along with his Sunshine Village crew, in keeping the zoo clean

and presentable. He loves the animals and has helped me since I started

here three and a half years ago to make the zoo a welcoming place for

visitors.”

Look Park staff ’s tribute to Brodecki will grow & grow

Cohetta Ductan is a person whotakes from her personal experi-ence to advance independence for

the consumers she serves at the BostonCenter for Independent Living (BCIL).Since 2016, Ductan has been a Disabil-ity Peer Advocate/Haitian CommunityAdvocate for BCIL. She combines an un-derstanding of the immigrant experiencewith that of being a person who is legallyblind to provide informed, effective serv-ices to her consumers.

Approximately 25 percent of BCIL’sfull-time direct services staff are immi-grants. At a time when some in thiscountry act out against such people,“BCIL recognizes that immigrants, asone associate recently phrased it, arethe country’s secret weapon, bringinginitiative, expertise and insight to theirwork,” said Bill Henning, BCIL executivedirector. Ductan fits this profile fully:She has a large, growing caseload thatshe serves with determination, provid-ing an independent living center’s coreservices that include peer mentoring,advocacy and skills training. In practi-cal terms, what this means is assistingconsumers, often immigrants them-selves, often though not exclusively fromHaiti, with matters such as finding af-fordable housing, getting on MassHealthor seeking education or employment op-tions with a state agency such as theMass. Rehab Commission.

Ductan’s supervisor and BCIL’s Di-rector of Services, Louann Larson, who’sbeen in the disability services field over30 years, said “Cohetta is one of the

most focused and tenacious profession-als I have ever worked with.”

As example, she noted how she re-cently coordinated a three-person staffeffort that enabled a consumer to attenda final determination interview for an in-valuable housing voucher from a hous-ing authority outside of BCIL’s servicearea and not reachable by public trans-portation. The consumer’s ride hadfallen through, and Cohetta had a con-flicting appointment with another con-sumer. Rather than say, “I am sorry, Ican’t help you,” she arranged for onestaff member to cover for another whohad a weekly outreach event so that thatperson could drive the consumer to thehousing authority for the key meeting.

For Ductan, the job “means I amhelping people get the best life possible.I feel connected to the people. Some-times I was in the same spot they were.”

As the needs of the autism commu-nity have changed over the years,Amego continues to use the princi-

ples of Applied Behavior Analysis becausethey create a stable and measurable foun-dation for growth and progress. Estab-lished as a specialty school for autism,Amego recognizes that each child has in-dividual needs that must be addressed toensure learning. Clinical support is pro-vided by Board Certified Behavior Ana-lysts who individually assess andcustomize a plan of care specific for eachstudent.

The Children’s Residential Divisionprovides comfortable, structured, stu-dent-centered residential programmingfor children and young adults. Privatehomes are located in residential settingsthat offer a sense of community and be-longing. Residential and school staff workcollaboratively, employing the same con-sistent approaches that span both set-tings. The organization’s ability tocoordinate consistent home and schoolsupports is why our students achieve intheir care.

Many Amego students graduate andtransition into the Adult Day ServicesDivision. Service models include Day Ha-bilitation, Community-Based Day Sup-ports and Vocational Services in theirAttleboro and Northborough locations. Allsupport models provide environmentsthat promote personal growth and devel-opment while employing the evidence-based practices of Applied BehaviorAnalysis.

In the Adult Residential Services Di-vision, individuals are active participantsin the upkeep of their homes and mem-bers of their local communities. Each ofthe homes is unique, based on the needsand wants of the people supported and lo-cated in Southeast, Central, GreaterBoston and MetroWest regions in Massa-

chusetts. With support from staff, indi-viduals continue to develop andstrengthen their social skills and func-tional living skills, and gain a sense oftheir community.

In the original vision for Amego a pri-mary focus was placed on working withchildren during “early childhood.” Theagency’s founders had the foresight torecognize that working with children withautism at an early age would produce bet-ter long-term outcomes. Through theBEST (Behavioral, Educational, Social-ization, & Training) Division, Amegoprovides specialized Applied BehaviorAnalysis (ABA) through early intervention,insurance-reimbursable ABA services, Di-agnostic Services and collaboration withschool districts and private agencies toensure strong systems of clinical support.

As a natural extension of these serv-ices, Amego offers professional develop-ment opportunities for those in the fieldof Applied Behavior Analysis, providingcomprehensive ABA exam preparationcourses, online exam tutoring sessions,workshops and manuals. Amego is com-mitted to increasing the number of BoardCertified Behavior Analysts in the field.

PROFILESPROVIDER

NOVEMBER 2019 ■ THE PROVIDER  ■ PAGE 3

AMEGO, INC.

Programs help clients, staff learn and growAbout theAgency

Amego has paved the way for thedevelopment of services for all in-dividuals with autism and other

developmental disabilities. Amego'sstory begins with one adolescent diag-nosed with autism whose parents re-fused to accept an institutionalplacement. In 1971, the SangreeStokes family founded Amego. Startingas a school to provide “education forlife” for children with autism – andfounded before Massachusetts’ land-mark Chapter 766 special educationlegislation – expansion for Amegomoved quickly with the addition of of-fering services to adults through AdultDay Habilitation, Vocational Program-ming and residential group homes.

Today, Amego's work continues by:• Serving those with the most diffi-

cult challenges;• Providing educational opportuni-

ties with the premise that all can learn; • Focusing on the strengths of rela-

tionships, families and community.Amego continues to serve their very

first student and the first adult diag-nosed with autism to receive statefunding in Massachusetts. Amego cur-rently operates 44 residential grouphomes for children and adults, two DayHabilitation, Community-Based DaySupport and Vocational Programs, aspecialty school for children ages 8-22,in-home, center-based and commu-nity-based ABA services, diagnosticservices, consultative services, andprofessional development opportuni-ties for personnel. They have 45 stu-dents in their school program, morethan 200 children in the BEST ClinicalServices division that will be expandinginto their Franklin location, and over200 adults in day programming in At-tleboro and Northborough.

33 PERRY AVE. • ATTLEBORO, MA 02703 • 508.455.6200 • WWW.AMEGOINC.ORG

Ductan helps people get best life possibleNuñez blazing pathways for family success

President& CEO

When John Randall, MPA,M.Ed., BCBA, became Presi-dent and CEO of Amego in

2008, the annualizedbudget was approximately$12 million. His first actas President/CEO was re-viewing financials and es-tablishing a strategic planthat aligned with the vi-sion of the organization’sfounders. With more than20 years providing oversight and devel-oping programs, Randall was the per-fect fit for Amego. Within year one, hesecured the purchase of Amego’s Attle-boro location that laid the trajectory forgrowth and expansion in the years tocome.

During his tenure, Randall hasworked with his team on creating newservice models to enhance the supportsoffered across the lifespan of peoplewith autism, including specialty earlyintervention services, in-home andcommunity-based clinical services, aswell as professional development offer-ings. With the foresight to adapt asneeds changed in the field, he hasgrown Amego to a $50 million organi-zation while staying true to the mis-sion. “The vision of Amego’s foundersclose to 50 years ago drives all servicestoday,” he says. “While the scale ofservice has changed, the services pro-vided today align with the vision estab-lished in 1971.”

Now serving people throughoutSoutheastern Massachusetts andWorcester County, Amego continues togrow under Randall’s leadership andexpertise. Leading close to 900 employ-ees, the culture of support and com-mitment to people with autism from thestaff is due to his guidance and direc-tion.

Cohetta Ductan rallies in support of Medi-caid during a protest in Washington, D.C.

Drumming up fun during an activity atthe Adult Day Program.

JohnRandall

THE CARING FORCESALUTING

Elizabeth Nuñez’s commitment toher work at Pathways for Chil-dren translates to stronger fam-

ilies and communities. “Elizabeth not only meets every

child and family ‘where they are at’, sheconsistently goes above and beyond,”said Pathways’ President and CEO SueTodd. “She works tirelessly on behalf ofimmigrant families and has built a highlevel of trust and safety for all familiesthat extends to our organization beingseen as a welcoming and safe place forall. Elizabeth is a valued member of ourstaff and our community.”

Nuñez, who has been with Path-ways for eight years, is a Family ServiceWorker responsible for providing indi-vidualized case management and criti-cal hands-on social support for over 40families enrolled in Pathways for Chil-dren's programs in their Salem, Beverlyand Gloucester centers.

In addition, she has been facilitat-ing parent support groups for theirSpanish-speaking families for manyyears. As a result of Nuñez’s dedicationto the Spanish-speaking communities,she became a trained facilitator for thenationally recognized Nurturing Par-enting Program©, which has enabledPathways to expand the program offer-ings to their North Shore centers andprovide them in Spanish for the firsttime.

She also goes above and beyond byproviding written translation and in-person interpreting whenever needed.This has provided Pathways with the

opportunity to reduce barriers to entryfor many families.

“One of the things that I love mostabout my job is that it allows me tobuild relationships with the familiesthat I work with,” said Nuñez. “Thefamilies know that I am here to providethem with the support and guidancethat they might need to overcome bar-riers, because I myself have gonethrough similar challenges and situa-tions. It brings me great pleasure whenI see the families take pride in being apart of the community that they’re in.Helping children and their familiesreach their full potential is the most re-warding job I can think of!” she added.

Elizabeth Nuñez acquired additionaltraining allowing Pathways to expandand offer a nationally recognized pro-gram to Spanish-speaking parents.

PAGE 4 ■ THE PROVIDER  ■ NOVEMBER 2019

EVERYONE COUNTS.

“Like Spencer West, we all face challenges …We are all resilient and can push through is-sues,” Caronna said. “It doesn’t matter if youhave a physical disability, mental health issuesor a disease. These things do not define you. Youcan transform your life in helping others. DocWayne helped me realize I am a champion.”

West was born with a degenerative conditionand both his legs were amputated by the age of5. He said doctors told his parents he would“never sit up by myself, never walk by myself,never be a functioning member of society.”

And yet he did all that and more, in spite of –or possibly because of – his physical challenges.He has been a state champion cheerleader, grad-uated college, raised awareness and funding forclean water in East Africa, toured with a pop starand summited Mount Kilimanjaro. Today, work-ing as a motivational speaker and social activist,he encourages others to redefine their own pos-sible using three key ideas drawn from his expe-riences:

• Find the lesson in every challenge;• Ask for help; and• Create social valueAs West related anecdotes of his journey, he

wove these ideas throughout the stories of boththe challenges he’s faced and support he’s re-ceived.

“People weren’t seeing me as a person, theywere seeing me as my disability and I wanted tobe seen as more than that,” he said.

One of his more pivotal lessons came to lightin a parking lot. A friend asked him why he parksin an accessible space. “You’re the least disabledperson I know,” she told him.

“I don’t need to park in an accessible space. Ican park anywhere – I only do it because it wasa privilege for me,” he said. “I want to be seen asa regular member of my community, this is an-other way.

“So what is your metaphorical parking lot?”he continued. “What do you do because it is safeand comfortable and easy; a privilege that hasbeen given to you?”

Everybody experiences challenges big andsmall, he said.

“But when you look at them as lessons to belearned, they become a little less daunting.”

“Stop looking at challenges as something thatis wrong; the world is against you,” he said.“When you can … take a step back and ask‘What is the lesson, how can I take it to othersand how can I teach it to others?’ ”

Harder than that could be his second point:Asking for help.

He told the story of being invited by a friend togo to Kenya and take part in a trek to raiseawareness about a lack of clean water. Unhappyin his corporate career, he had been askingfriends and family what else he might do.

Greeted by children at the airport, a girl saidto him in Swahili, “I didn’t know that this sort ofthing could also happen to white people too.”

West said that changed his journey. “It made me realize, if I can help one student,

what else can I use my story for?” he said. “Butnone of that would have happened if I hadn’tasked for help.”

“Your job is to offer help,” he continued. “Yourjob every single day in your industry – whetheryou’re in HR, accounting or in the community –every single day your job is to offer help and thatis daunting.

“I’m good at asking for help with the big stuff,but not the little stuff. You need to ask for helpfor yourself. Asking for help makes you human.Remember what you do every day and model thatand have the courage to ask for help.”

As for the social justice piece, West said thisaudience was already there.

“This is what you do; your whole job, yourwhole industry. Just keep doing what you do.You work in so many areas, just keep doing whatyou do because we need you, now more thanever,” he said before closing with a quote fromDr. Seuss’ “Oh, the places you’ll go!”

“Today is your day. Your mountain is waiting,so get on your way.”

Continued from Page 1

WEST: Perspective helps redefine possible

Baker: Massachusetts a national leader on myriad social issues When Governor Charlie Baker took the stage

during the 44th Annual Convention & Expo:Everyone Counts., it was the fourth time in

five years he addressed attendees as the Common-wealth’s chief executive officer.

But he was quick to point out that this wasn’t justa recent phenomenon.

“I actually went to the 16th Providers’ Council con-vention, which was in 1991, when I was undersecre-tary at Health and Human Services,” Baker said. “I’mactually curious. Is there anyone in this room who goesback that far?”

After some light applause, he quipped “Thank God… I really appreciate that. Even if you’re lying, I ap-preciate it.”

Baker used that to underscore the importance ofthe Council and its members “in taking care of andproviding opportunities for some of the Common-wealth’s most at-risk and most vulnerable citizens.And as somebody who’s had what I would describe asa front-row seat … I just want to say on behalf of theCommonwealth and on behalf of the folks you serveand look after, how grateful we are for the work thatyou do.”

Baker said the work currently being done in humanservices in Massachusetts is far ahead of much of therest of the United States.

“I talk to my colleagues in other parts of the coun-try about what they’re up to and what’s going on … Ihave stories to tell and data to bring to these conver-sations that demonstrates just how successful peoplehere in the Commonwealth are in providing this workand doing this work,” he said. “I recognize and realizethat while in many cases we have a lot of work to do,we’ve actually made more progress than many have.

“When I talk to people in other states about almost

any issue in this community – helping seniors dealwith the cost of prescriptions, providing services andsupports for our folks with developmental disabilitycommunity, being able to say that we funded Turning22 fully every year …,” he continued, “there just aren’ta lot of other places where people have much that theycan bring back to me that sounds as robust and com-mitted as the stuff we get to talk about here in theCommonwealth.”

Baker asked the audience to call their legislatorsand urge them to support of an additional $20 millionworkforce initiative he said was included in a supple-mental budget filed with the Legislature.

“Suggest to them in your best possible way that itwould be great of them to include that $20 million in

whatever makes its way through the Legislature andback to my desk,” Baker said.

He also mentioned his housing legislation aimed atmaking it “much simpler and easier for communities todevelop housing – senior housing, affordable housing– at every level.”

“So if you happen to call about that $20 million, ifyou could also mention the housing thing too, that’d begreat,” he added.

The governor recounted several stories of situationsin which he was made acutely aware of the impact ofthe nonprofit provider community on people’s lives, in-cluding a personal anecdote about the care his motherreceived as she battled with Alzheimer’s.

“As I mentioned at the very beginning, I’ve been atthis for a long time,” Baker said. “The bottom line isover that period of time I’ve had many, many opportu-nities to get to know and appreciate how importanthaving a robust community-based set of organizations– and people – who can work with folks, seniors, folkswith disabilities, folks with addiction, whatever theissue might be who can really get the job done fromone end of Massachusetts to the other.

“I’ve seen it with my own eyes, time and time again,the difference your work makes not only in the lives ofthe people you serve, but the families of the people youserve and the communities in which you operate. Andthese are really hard jobs.

“My point in telling that story, both stories, is tomake clear to you how important we believe it is tosupport the 257 process … we get the fact that we havework to do on the workforce piece to ensure that youhave the support you need to grow and to be success-ful and that we really do appreciate the complexity andhonor and dignity of what you do on behalf of the peo-ple you serve here in Massachusetts every single day.”

Gov. Charlie Baker, right, jokes with Providers’ CouncilPresident and CEO Michael Weekes after speaking atthe event.

Spencer West says find the lessons in the chal-lenges that life presents you.

Providers’ Council Graduate Leadership Scholarship recipientThara Young celebrates with her family.

Four receive scholarshipsto help advance education

The Providers’ Council presented four academic scholarships tomember employees on October 7th during its 44th Annual Con-vention & Expo: Everyone Counts.

The awards were announced at the convention by ScholarshipCommittee Chair Joe Leavey, President and Founder, Communitiesfor People.

“Each summer, people come through for these interviews andI’m reminded how valuable the field is and see hope for the future,”Leavey said. “Even with all the challenges of work, family, financialproblems, they keep on coming. These scholarships can’t cover all ofit, but I think it will be helpful to these recipients as they go toschool.”

Thara Young, an assistant program director with CambridgeFamily & Children’s Service, is the recipient of the $10,000Providers’ Council Graduate Leadership Award. Young is currentlypursuing her Master of Social Work at Boston University.

This year, the Council presented three $4,000 awards to indi-viduals who have completed its yearlong Certificate in NonprofitHuman Services Management Program at either Suffolk Universityin Boston or Clark University in Worcester.

Providers’ Council and Suffolk University $4,000 MPA awardswere granted to Christina Hope, a program coordinator at GreggNeighborhood House and Madeline Eleazar, an HR generalist at Ac-tion for Boston Community Development (ABCD) Inc. Both womenare in the Master of Public Administration Program at Suffolk.

Katie Robery, the assistant director of operations for BrocktonArea Multi-Services, Inc. (BAMSI), was awarded the Providers’ Coun-cil and Clark University $4,000 MPA Scholarship. She is in the MPAprogram at the Worcester university.

The scholarship recipients were selected by the Council’s Schol-arship Committee, which includes Leavey; Sandy Matava, Director,Moakley Center for Public Management, Suffolk University; MichelleSmith, Executive Director, AIDS Project Worcester; and SusanWayne, Principal, Wayne Associates.

Convention photos by Naomi Waters

NOVEMBER 2019 ■ THE PROVIDER  ■ PAGE 5

Congratulations 2019 Peer Providers

Parenting JourneyImari Paris-Jeffries, Executive Director

Nominated by: Justice Resource Institute

Western Mass. Training ConsortiumSera Davidow, Director

Western Mass. Recovery Learning CenterNominated by: Pathlight

Thrive Support & AdvocacyMichael Rodrigues, President & CEO

Nominated by: Advocates“Maybe most importantly (in the

Afiya peer-run respite house)

people get some power back to

make meaning of their own ex-

periences, to identify their own

needs without anyone stepping

in and saying ‘this is what’s

wrong with you and this is what

you need to do ... That’s critical

to people developing full lives

and moving forward.”

“One of the other reasons(for equitable wages) is themessage this sends to theclients in our care with the

turnover that we have. Whenpeople who have been work-ing with them and caring forthem leave ... what message

does that send to ourclients? (Fair pay is) the right

thing to do for our clients.”

“I think it’s pretty revolutionarythese days for providers likeourselves to believe that par-

ents know what’s best for theirfamilies. The ‘Parents’ Bill ofRights’ is ... a floor that says

all parents deserve these fun-damental things – housing se-curity, access to fair schools,access to safety – in order forthem to raise a thriving family.”

Four organizations were honored for innovation, cre-ativity and their impact in the Massachusettshuman services sector at the 44th Annual Conven-

tion & Expo: Everyone Counts., in Boston on Oct. 7th, in aceremony hosted by Boston 25 News Anchor VanessaWelch. NFI Massachusetts; Parenting Journey; Thrive,Support & Advocacy; and Western Massachusetts Train-ing Consortium are the 2019 honorees.

In nominating NFI Massachusetts, Key Program Pres-ident and CEO Bill Lyttle noted that the agency is “knownas a creative, innovative organization that has many ex-cellent program models which have been replicated acrossMassachusetts and nationally.” Since becoming ExecutiveDirector, Lydia Todd has been endlessly advocating on be-half of her staff and the overall human services workforcefor wage equity. She joined the Council to testify on theFair Pay bill on Beacon Hill earlier this year and recentlyorganized a legislative breakfast with other Council mem-bers in Peabody, inviting nearly two dozen legislators.

Parenting Journey, nominated by Justice Resource In-stitute, was honored for its “Parents’ Bill of Rights” andthe agency’s work on diversity, inclusions and social jus-tice. They have an organization-wide and explicit commit-ment to racial justice and equity. JRI President/CEO AndyPond notes, “Imari Paris Jeffries is a leader in theProviders’ Council’s Race, Diversity and Inclusion Com-mittee. He applies the same principles outlined in the Bill

of Rights to our discussion. He is clear, forceful and elo-quent in helping us see the direct connection between theissues of racial justice and family empowerment.”

Thrive, Support & Advocacy was nominated by Advo-cates, Inc., for its success in empowering youth and adultswith developmental disabilities and their families to leadrich, active and self-directed lives. Thrive’s LEAD initia-tive prepares and empowers prospective young leaderswho live with intellectual and developmental challengesand possess the desire to better the world. Participants inthe nine-month program learn what it takes to be a leaderin their community with guidance from Thrive staff, busi-ness mentors and student mentors. “They are strength-based, person and family focused and all about ensuringthat people have dignity and respect, personal choice andopportunities to – in short – thrive,” Advocates Presidentand CEO Diane Gould said in her nomination.

Western Massachusetts Training Consortium wasnominated by Pathlight for its approach to recovery learn-ing in Western Mass. The Consortium creates conditionsin which people with lived experience pursue their dreamsand strengthen our communities through full participa-tion. Nominator Ruth Banta of Pathlight describes thestaff at the Consortium as “thought and program leadersin working with people who experience the impact of de-velopmental disabilities, psychiatric diagnosis, substanceuse disorder and recovery – and more.”

Thanks toour PremierExhibitors

who ensureEveryoneCounts.

• AAFCPAs• AdvantEdge Healthcare

Solutions• Advocates• Apothecare, Inc.• Arbor Staffing• Ascentria Care Alliance• CBIZ & MHM• CIL• Citizens Bank• CliftonLarsonAllen LLP• Credible Behavioral Health

Software• Eliot Community Human

Services• Enterprise Fleet Management• Foothold Technology• iCentrix• Interior Resources• Long Term Pharmacy Solutions• Massachusetts Department of

Children and Families• May Institute• People’s United Bank• Providers’ Council• SBSC• Suffolk University• Tech Networks of Boston• Unemployment Tax

Management Corporation• U.S. Census Bureau (Boston

Office)• USI Insurance Services• Vinfen• Webster Bank• William James College

PremierExh ib i to rs

“I get the most satisfactionfrom seeing these young

people embrace the conceptof servant leadership, whichis something we practice at

all levels. Servant leadershiphelps folks understand that aleader does not sit at the topof a pyramid. A leader flipsthat pyramid and then un-derstands that we need tosupport everyone who’s

above us.”

NFI MassachusettsLydia Todd, Executive Director

Nominated by: The Key Program

EVERYONE COUNTS.

Convention photos courtesy Naomi Waters.

PAGE 6 ■ THE PROVIDER  ■ NOVEMBER 2019

2019 Awards of Excellence honorees

Each year during its annual convention, the Providers’ Council presentsAwards of Excellence to deserving individuals and organizations for out-standing contributions and accomplishments within the private provider

industry. These individuals and organizations exemplify the standards of excel-lence for the human services sector.

• Gerry Wright Direct Service Employee AwardAwarded to direct service employees in recognition of outstanding dedicationand performance.

Maximo Lorenzo-RamirezSeven Hills Foundation

(nominated by Seven Hills Foundation)

Rashin KhosravibavandpouriUnited Cerebral Palsy of MetroBoston

(nominated by United Cerebral Palsy of MetroBoston)

• CEO and Supervisor AwardAwarded to an executive and supervisors for commitment to serving those inneed.

Jonathan Scott, Executive AwardVictory Programs, Inc.

(nominated by Victory Programs, Inc.)

Maryann Hyatt, Supervisor AwardBerkshire County Arc

(nominated by Berkshire County Arc)

Mohan Sunuwar, Supervisor AwardAscentria Care Alliance

(nominated by Ascentria Care Alliance)

• Ruth M. Batson Advocate of the Year AwardAwarded to an advocate for outstanding leadership and inspiration.

Isa WoldeguiorguisCenter for Hope and Healing

(nominated by Jane Doe Inc.)

• Volunteer of the Year AwardAwarded to a person for exemplary volunteerism in the sector.

Tom GouldOwner, Treadwell’s Ice Cream(nominated by Northeast Arc)

• Legislator of the YearAwarded to a legislative champion from each chamber.

Senator Eric P. Lesser(nominated by Square One)

Representative Claire D. Cronin(nominated by Community Resources for Justice & Old Colony YMCA)

• State Employee of the YearAwarded to a state employee who significantly contributed to advancing the sec-tor.

Angela BryanArea Program Manager, Department of Children and Families

(nominated by The Key Program)

• Business Partnership AwardAwarded to a vendor or individual that made significant contributions to anagency.

Springfield ThunderbirdsAccepted by Nate Costa, President

(nominated by Center for Human Development)

• Municipal Official AwardAwarded to a municipal official who has made outstanding contributions to theindustry.

Dr. Yvonne M. SpicerMayor, City of Framingham(nominated by Advocates)

The Joan Newton Memorial Scholarship FundTo honor the memory of Joan Newton, whomasterminded the rejuvenation and expansion of the Providers’ Council AnnualConvention & Expo, the Providers’ Council hasestablished a scholarship in her name. Joanpassed away in November 2003 after a five-year battle with cancer. This fund provides fi-nancial assistance to deserving caregivers whootherwise would not be able to attend the an-

nual convention.

The Council is pleased to announce that it has raised morethan $5,000 this year to honor its former convention manager. If you wish to contribute to The Joan Newton Memorial Scholarship Fund, please contact the Council at617.428.3637. Donations are accepted throughout the year.

The Joan Newton Memorial ScholarshipFund is generously sponsored by:

• Citizens Bank• Gardiner Howland Shaw Foundation

• HMEA• Justice Resource Institute

• USI Insurance Services• Michael Weekes

EVERYONE COUNTS.

Diamond SponsorsThanks to the generous sponsors of Everyone Counts.

Silver Sponsors

BronzeSponsors

Benefactors

Friends

• Advocates• American Training, Inc.• Bridgewell• Citrin Cooperman• Delta Dental of

Massachusetts• Gardiner Howland Shaw

Foundation• HMEA• Mass. Council for Adult

Foster Care• Pathlight• Seven Hills Foundation• Tempus Unlimited• The Home for Little

Wanderers• Venture Community

Services• Victory Programs, Inc.

• Bristol Elder Services• Eastern Bank• Eliot Community Human

Services• Roxbury Youthworks, Inc.• The Key Program• Wayside Youth & Family

Support Network

• Oppenheimer & Co., Inc.• Pine Street Inn• Michael Weekes

NOVEMBER 2019 ■ THE PROVIDER  ■ PAGE 7

PlatinumSponsor

EVERYONE COUNTS.

humanity of everyone,” said Executive Office of Healthand Human Services Secretary Marylou Sudders.“That everyone deserves the opportunity to succeed,however that is defined for them.”

In addition to Sudders, everyone from keynotespeaker Spencer West to Gov. Charlie Baker ac-knowledged that each day, human services workersare making sure that Everyone Counts. and have thechance to redefine their own possible.

“We recognize that Everyone Counts. and shouldbe counted – not only today, but every day, in everyplace and for every one,” said Providers’ Council Prei-dent/CEO Michael Weekes. “You count because youmatter, your colleagues matter and the people youwork with every day matter too.”

Sudders, who opened the day with welcoming re-marks, also spoke of the funding the Baker Adminis-tration has already provided to the sector over the lastfive years, as well as future priorities, which includenew behavioral health initiatives and student loan re-payment.

West, an author, activist and motivationalspeaker, spoke of his personal journey – includingsummiting Mount Kilimanjaro as a double amputee –and how it taught him that every person has the op-portunity to redefine their own possible.

He spoke of the importance of creating social valuefor all people.

“This is what you do; your whole job, your wholeindustry,” said West, who lost both legs as a child.

“From the collective, thank you. Just keep doing whatyou do. You work in so many areas, just keep doingwhat you do because we need you, now more thanever.”

The Council also honored 11 individuals and or-ganizations with Awards of Excellence for their con-tributions to and support of the human servicessector.

“I want to point out that all the individuals and or-ganizations being honored, and all the leaders here –your efforts are more critical today than ever before,and despite the challenges, you’re heroes,” said MarkValentino, head of Nonprofit/Healthcare and SecurityFinance for Diamond Sponsor Citizens Bank.

Gov. Charlie Baker also noted the critical roleplayed by human service workers.

“Over time you get to know and appreciate howimportant the community-based organizations are,”Baker said during the afternoon program. “These arethe people who can get the job done from one end ofthe Commonwealth to the other.” (More from Gov.Baker on Page 4.)

The prestigious Peer Provider Awards, which rec-ognize innovation and leadership, went to four mem-bers who were nominated by other members. The2019 recipients were NFI Massachusetts; ParentingJourney; Thrive Support and Advocacy; and WesternMassachusetts Training Consortium. The ceremonywas hosted by Boston 25 News Anchor VanessaWelch who joined the Council for a third straightyear.

Both the morning and afternoon sessions featureda number of workshops, providing an educational el-ement to the day. Attendees had the opportunity tohear about model programs from clinicians, practiceself-care, meet with EOHHS secretaries and commis-sioners, or hear from experts in a wide variety of areasincluding funding, law, IT and more.

The lively exhibit space was populated by morethan 75 vendors, who spent the day talking with at-tendees about products and services that can helptheir organizations operate more cost-effectively andefficiently or provide additional benefits and new op-portunities for the workforce.

The Chair’s Reception at the end of the day fea-tured the presentation of $22,000 in academic schol-arships, announcement of The Caring Force’sBroadcast Your Love of Human Services photo con-test and presentation of the Chair’s Award. (Moreabout the scholarships on Page 4.)

Board Chair Bill Sprague presented the Chair’sAward to Community Resources for Justice Presidentand CEO John Larivee, saying “I have always foundhis counsel to be reasonable, valuable and prag-matic.”

Doc Wayne Youth Services was voted the winner ofthe 8th Annual Broadcast Your Love of Human Serv-ices Photo Contest by convention attendees. Runners-up were The Key Program and Vinfen.

The Council is especially grateful to longtime Dia-mond Sponsors USI Insurance Services and CitizensBank, and Platinum Sponsor Justice Resource Insti-tute.

CONVENTION: Inspiration, opportunity found at every turnContinued from Page 1

An excited Expo Bingo prize winner is ready to celebrate after a full day of work-shops, presentations and networking at the annual convention.

A team from Community Resources for Justice surrounds CRJ CEO John Larivee(bowtie), the recipient of the 2019 Chair’s Award.

PAGE 8 ■ THE PROVIDER  ■ NOVEMBER 2019

EDITORIAL

Michael WeekesPresident / Publisher

Greenway goes wrong wayfor persons with a disability

Until recently, like so manyother Boston commuters, I en-joyed walking along parts of

the beautiful 1.5-mile Rose FitzgeraldKennedy Greenway on my way towork. The decade-old Greenway is anurban oasis: a great place to take alunch hour stroll, grab a bite from afood truck or treat kids to a ride onthe Greenway Carousel or a runthrough the fountains.

At the Providers’ Council, we havea personal connection to the Green-way. More than once our staff hasused the well-manicured lawns forour Ice Bucket Challenge. The Green-way staff didn’t seem to mind usdumping buckets of ice on ourselvesand then grass as we raised cash andawareness for the fight against ALS.That was a good thing and the waynonprofits should behave: coopera-tively.

Another source of Greenway pridefor the Council is that a longtimemember, WORK Inc. employed peoplewith disabilities to help clean andmaintain the park. Year-round, from7 a.m. to 11 p.m. and regardless ofthe weather, the workers handledlandscaping, trash and graffiti re-moval, snow and ice removal andother maintenance responsibilities.

That all came to a sudden end lastmonth as the nonprofit GreenwayConservancy declined to renew theWORK Inc. contract and essentiallyfired those employees.

The Greenway went the wrongway.

Typically, the Council does not en-gage in quarrels about funding deci-sions among – or on behalf – of itsmembers. Even in fair processes, weunderstand a Council member mightnot always be chosen. In our view,this is well beyond that.

You see, WORK Inc., has managedcleaning and maintaining the 1.5-acreGreenway for 10 years, according toits CEO Jim Cassetta. According tonews reports, neither the Conser-vancy nor WORK Inc. has receivedeven one complaint from the public.

The collaboration between WORKInc. and the Greenway dates back to alegacy left by the late U.S. Sen. TedKennedy, whose mother Rose was theGreenway’s namesake. Cassetta re-called how Sen. Kennedy once said toMayor Tom Menino and the formerConservancy Board chair, PeterMeade, “WORK Inc. needs to be on theGreenway.”

“Ted was very insistent,” Cassettasaid. “The Kennedy Family wantedpeople with a disability to have a fairshot, and to be visible in the commu-nity.”

And for 10 years they did. Theseworkers were making $17 per hour,well above the state minimum wage,while learning new skills and gaining

experiences that helped them move toeven better jobs and independentlives. At least 30 individuals havegained experience and some evenmoved out of state-funded grouphomes into their own apartments.This is particularly important becausepeople with a disability have a na-tional unemployment rate more thandouble that of the general population,according to 2018 figures from theU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Sowhy the contract change?

The head of the nonprofit Green-way Conservancy, Jesse Bracken-bury, said that the decision toterminate WORK Inc. was largelyabout cost. The WORK Inc. bid was$50,000 higher than the other final-ist, so he gave the contract to a pri-vate, for-profit entity headquarteredin Kentucky.

He said, “This isn’t a matter thatwe fired WORK Inc. This is a matter ofwe made the best management deci-sion to choose a competitive price forcrucial services as fiduciaries of thepark.”

Well that sounds almost right. Asnonprofits, we should be carefulabout how money is spent and to useit to maximize social impact. And thatis the other “right” that he shouldknow as a nonprofit. Our role as non-profits is not only to be good fiduciar-ies, but to advance our missions toserve the public interest. We have adouble bottom line – one that ad-dresses our fiscal health and theother, not on the balance sheet, thatis to create greater social impactvalue. It’s not always as significant asto how much we raise or “profit” if wefall short of advancing the public in-terest and creating greater social im-pact.

This doesn’t mean the Conser-vancy is a failure. But for WORK Inc.and the many other community-based human services nonprofits inMassachusetts, helping people withdisabilities become employed andsupporting their transformative lifeexperiences is an imperative.

If the current Greenway manage-ment had chosen to prioritize missionover money they could have requiredbidders for the contract to employpersons with a disability. That wouldhave preserved the legacy of RoseKennedy, a longtime advocate, whilealso remaining fiscally prudent.Healthy balance sheets are as good fornonprofits as for-profits, but that isn’tthe paramount essence of our exis-tence.

From what we can see, Greenwayleaders had the right to make theirdecision, but the decision was notright. They missed a crucial part ofbeing a nonprofit and went the wrongway.

100 Crossing Blvd., Suite 100 • Framingham, MA 01702Telephone: 617.428.3637 • Fax: 617.428.1533

Email: info@providers.org • Online at http://www.providers.org

2019 BoardOfficers

ChairBill SpragueChair-Elect

Nancy MunsonVice Chair

Sandra McCroomTreasurer

Michael Vance

Assistant TreasurerSusan Stubbs

ClerkDiane Gould

Assistant ClerkMia Alvarado

Immediate Past ChairJackie K. Moore

Chair EmeritusGerry Wright

Staff

President and PublisherMichael Weekes

Vice President of Public Policy and DevelopmentWilliam Yelenak

Fiscal ManagerTracy Jordan

Manager of Member EngagementChristina Broughton

Public Policy and Communications ManagerErica Noonan

Public Policy and Communications AssociateRavi Simon

Education and Membership AssociateEliza Adams

Education and Membership Associate – eLearningZoena Howland

CartoonistMichael Ripple

To the readers and contributors of The Provider:This is my 101st and last issue as editor of The Provider newspaper, and after

10 years, I am moving on to a new chapter. Thank you for your feedback and contributions through the years as I learned

about this vibrant and vital industry. Thank you for your support and continuedreadership of The Provider, which marked its 40th year in 2019. Most of all, thankyou for allowing me, on behalf of the Council, to share the stories of your agen-cies, your programs and your workforce. You are indeed a Caring Force.

Michelle McKenzieOutgoing editor, The Provider

Dear readers:On behalf of the Providers’ Council’s members and readers of The Provider, I

want to thank Michelle McKenzie for her professionalism, creativity and caring inbringing the news to all of us over the past decade. Her uncanny ability to capturethe essence of newsworthiness and excellent editorial skills elevated the newspa-per to new heights. We wish her well in the next chapter of her career.

Michael WeekesPublisher

FROM ACROSS THE STATEVIEWPOINTS

NOVEMBER 2019 ■ THE PROVIDER  ■ PAGE 9

Public-private partnershipshows how to get the job doneBy Elizabeth Vittum

What started as a unique public-private partnership with the Cityof Worcester, Preservation

Worcester and Seven Hills Foundation tosave the historic Stearns Tavern – turn-ing an underutilized space at Coes Pondinto a vibrant multigenerational play-ground and park anchored by the newlyrestored Tavern community space, hasresulted in a national model for develop-ing true community-based workforcereadiness and employment opportunitiesfor people with intellectual and develop-mental disabilities.

For people with disabilities, obtainingemployment in an integrated, communitysetting is rare and historically difficult toattain. According to the United State Bu-reau of Labor Statistics, the unemploy-ment rate for persons with a disability in2018 was more than twice the rate ofthose with no disability. Working ageadults with disabilities live below thepoverty line at twice the rate of the gen-eral population (US Census) and almosttwo-thirds (65%) of the individuals inpoverty long-term are people with dis-abilities (Mathematica Policy Research).

“Employment First,” the critical pol-icy of the U.S. Department of Labor Of-fice of Disability Employment Policy(ODEP) and a framework for systemschange that is centered on the premisethat all citizens, including individualswith significant disabilities, are capableof full participation in integrated employ-ment and community life, and that pro-viding the assistance necessary to findand succeed in employment is a road outof poverty, poor health outcomes, de-pendence, and isolation for individualswith disabilities (Goodman, 2015).

Seven Hills, along with state and fed-eral agencies and the employers we part-ner with, embrace the “EmploymentFirst” model to prioritize employment inintegrated settings for people with dis-abilities. Seven Hills was one of the firstnon-profit organizations in Massachu-setts to close its sheltered workshops andhas invested significant time and re-sources into developing a continuum ofworkforce readiness and employmentprograms designed to assist participantsin achieving their highest possible degreeof integrated competitive employment.As the majority of individuals with dis-abilities are willing and able to work intheir community, it is imperative that thepublic and private sectors work togetherto increase opportunities to support peo-ple in developing the skills they need toachieve their employment goals. It isequally important to educate employers

and the public about the positive valuethat people with disabilities bring to theworkplace.

The partnership that formed to createthe Coes Pond Universally AccessiblePark Project has involved a dynamic mixof committed members of the Worcestercommunity who have come together toimprove the overall quality of life of theresidents of the City of Worcester. Theintent to build the playground has trans-formed to now include a multi-genera-tional park with plans for accessiblehiking paths, fitness stations and inter-active exhibits. The most creative ele-ment involved Preservation Worcester’srescuing of the historic Stearns Tavernfrom demolition by working tirelessly toprepare and move the structure fromPark Ave to the new Coes Pond home.The City invited Seven Hills to partner todevelop a full workforce training site inthis inclusive community-based setting.Other critical partners included the CoesPond Neighborhood Association thatworked for many years to lobby for re-sources to revitalize a once vibrant CoesPond Reservoir area of the City whichhad become almost abandoned with theloss of a former factory, which operatedat the site. Departments from the City ofWorcester brought expertise and in-kindpartners to the table, each with the skill,generosity and desire to see this Projectto completion. City officials and Statelegislators worked tirelessly to gatherpartners and identify funding sources.Individuals with disabilities from the citywere invited, heard and valued as guidesto the planning process.

With a grand opening and ribbon-cut-ting ceremony held at the new StearnsTavern on October 15, 2019, Seven Hillsis well on its way to continue to expandand strengthen workforce readiness andemployment activities at the site. Alarge-scale community garden and hy-droponic tower garden units are being in-stalled in order to introduce the conceptof sustainable farming as a potential ca-reer track for adults with disabilities andwill provide enhanced opportunities forparticipants to learn, work, and socializewith members of the community.

Kudos to the City of Worcester,Preservation Worcester, Seven HillsFoundation, and all of the wonderfulproject partners and funders who recog-nize the value in utilizing public-privatepartnerships to enhance employmentand quality of life outcomes for this un-derserved population.

Elizabeth Vittum is the Assistant VicePresident of Development at Seven HillsFoundation.

Our advocacy and testimony must address retirement as well as ratesBy Daniel Mumbauer

Over the years, I have attended many rate settinghearings. During these hearings, the Common-wealth usually sets rates for fringe benefits be-

tween 20 percent and 23 percent, depending upon theservice provided. The normal methodology used to setfringe rates comes from the Commonwealth’s review ofour uniform financial reports (UFRs).

For years, provider organizations have been advo-cating for the Commonwealth to move away from thismodel of setting rates using the UFR. This is becausethe UFR is a reflection of artificially lower costs due toorganizations making difficult decisions such as defer-ring facility maintenance, paying staff lower than com-petitive wages, and offering less than competitivebenefits.

While I think providers need to continue to advo-cate on this front to ensure they have the ability to paystaff fair and adequate wages, I also believe there is asilent crisis brewing that has received very little atten-tion. The silent crisis I am referring to is the inability ofnonprofit organizations to assist their staff to save forretirement. A 2016 survey conducted by the Universityof Massachusetts-Boston found 3 in 5 single seniorsliving in the state faced insecurity to meet the costs ofbasic living expenses. The cost of living for seniorrenters age 65 and older (based on housing, trans-portation, food and healthcare), was nearly $28,000 in

2016. Sixty-one percent of seniors living alone had dif-ficulty meeting expenses. Perhaps most eye-openingwas that Massachusetts was second worst in the na-tion in this regard, behind only the state of Mississippi,where 64 percent of its single seniors were struggling.

This survey gives us a glimpse into the reality ofmany seniors’ lives in the Commonwealth; however, fornumerous direct care staff working in the health andhuman services field, the fiscal realities are much direr.Our field relies heavily on a large number of direct carestaff who aren’t making much more than minimumwage. Most struggle daily to make ends meet on theirwages. And, upon retirement, the struggles becomeeven more severe when faced with the reality of tryingto survive on Social Security and little to no savings.

A lot of individuals enter the health and humanservices field as direct care staff and are truly passion-ate about the missions of their respective organizations.Often, however, after only a few years of employmentand reflecting upon the need to plan for their ultimateretirement, they reluctantly leave the field to work inother industries offering higher pay and retirementbenefits. Many others who underestimate their finan-cial situations will retire without adequate resourcesand face extreme financial hardship.

The progressive decades of the 1960s and 1970ssaw the founding of many nonprofits because of an un-derstanding of the need for services to assist the poor,the disabled and other disenfranchised and unrepre-

sented populations. The irony is many of the people soimportant to getting funding and services to these in-dividuals are beginning to retire and face the realiza-tion of being on the receiving end of said servicesbecause they have little to no retirement savings. Thisreality is unacceptable.

I hope that going forward, health and human serv-ice providers, when testifying on fair and adequaterates, will request that the fringe benefit rate be in-creased by 5 percent to be solely dedicated as a contri-bution for our staff’s retirement security. Five percentmay not sound like it would make a big difference, butconsider: A 27-year-old individual begins his/her ca-reer in our field today making $17 per hour. The com-pensation paid to staff makes it nearly impossible tosave for retirement, and it’s not possible to survive onSocial Security alone. But if you factor in a 2 percentannual rate increase and 8 percent market return overa 40-year career, that individual could conceivably havealmost $600,000 in a retirement plan.

I believe we all have a moral obligation to ensurethat those who have done so much for so many havethe means to be self-sufficient in retirement and not re-tire into a life of poverty.

Daniel Mumbauer is the President and CEO of HighPoint.

Thriving neighborhoods canlead to equitable outcomes for allBy Marie-Frances Riveraand Reginauld Williams

The future of Massachusetts dependsupon the opportunities we create forour children today. Our state’s 1.4

million children have the best chance tothrive when they receive a great educa-tion, when their parents and caretakershave well-paying jobs and when they growup in flourishing, healthy neighborhoods.Only then do we all have our best chanceat a bright and prosperous future.

Massachusetts is a wealthy state. Wehave the resources to ensure that kidsfrom all neighborhoods and backgroundscan grow up with the supports they needto thrive. Yet, today, 90,000 children inthe state live in high-poverty neighbor-hoods. Children growing up in theseneighborhoods – whether they are poor ornot – are at higher risk for poor life out-comes like lower life expectancy, chronicillness and higher infant mortality rates.

These neighborhoods didn’t appearovernight. They are the result of chronicpatterns of under-investment in schools,housing, public transit and green spaces.This lack of investment limits life oppor-tunities of our children. These communi-ties – like Boston, and our “GatewayCities,” such as Worcester, Springfield,Fall River and Holyoke – have always rep-resented doors of opportunity for poorWhite, Black and Brown families. Withoutproper investment, we are denying ourchildren the best chance to thrive and cre-ate a promising future.

Community members, policymakers,advocates and business leaders can worktogether to give every person the chanceto thrive by making sure they can affordthe basics, obtain a good education, se-cure safe and stable housing, and haveaccess to good jobs. Enacting equity-fo-cused policies requires a deep under-standing of the challenges facing familiesand making sure we have the revenue,raised in a fair manner, to pay for neededinvestments.

Equity, at the core of a community’swell-being, is when every person – regard-less of their race, ethnicity, gender, in-come, zip code, age or other factors – hasan equal chance to thrive. Investing in thelives of children and their families offersus an immense opportunity to help securean equitable future for everyone in ourCommonwealth.

In Massachusetts, access to opportu-nity often depends on a high-quality edu-cation. Many families, especially thoseliving in high-poverty neighborhoods,struggle to afford early education and care– where costs outstrip most other states.

Meanwhile, almost 20,000 children are onthe waitlist for childcare assistance. Look-ing at ways to make childcare more at-tainable, especially for families who needit most, should be a top priority.

In our K-12 schools, the after-effects ofsegregation leave many Black and Latinxstudents – particularly those from low-in-come communities – concentrated inunder-resourced schools. This fall, theLegislature is debating the Student Op-portunity Act. If passed, it would ensurethat kids from all communities and back-grounds can succeed by addressing fund-ing inequities in the system through a$1.5 billion annual investment primarilybenefitting low-income students.

There’s yet another hurdle for youngpeople as college affordability has reachedcrisis levels. Years of state budget cutshave led to higher tuition and fees, andmounting student debt – all while stu-dents have become increasingly econom-ically and racially diverse. Investing indebt-free higher education is another wayto make education more accessible.

To provide for their children, workingparents also need to be able to count onfamily-sustaining wages and fair workingconditions in order to make ends meet.What might this look like? Each year,hundreds of thousands of workers in ourstate suffer hundreds of millions of dollarsin wage theft. Policies that allow workersto hold employers accountable would helpput money back into the hands of familiesand improve their children’s outcomes.The state’s Earned Income Tax Credit isan additional way to support the well-being of low-wage workers and their fam-ilies.

We have a unique opportunity to worktogether to change the life outcomes forchildren living in under resourced com-munities. With additional revenue raisedin a way that is fair and asks those of uswho have benefited most from economicgrowth to contribute to the public goodand equity-focused policy change – we cantransform communities. By investing inpublic education and other supports wecan change a limited future into a limit-less future for our children. If we don’t,high poverty neighborhoods run the riskof becoming beacons of missed opportu-nity, instead of bright pathways to sharedprosperity.

Marie-Frances Rivera is the President andReginauld Williams is the Communica-tions Director of the MassachusettsBudget and Policy Center.

Proud To Be An Endorsed Business Partner Of

800.397.7776 interiorresourcesusa.com

Bedroom Lounge Dining Accessories Outdoor

Have You Considered

Berkshire County Arc's Pooled Trusts?

••

Third Party Pooled Trust

For more information on the BCArc Pooled Trusts, 413.499.4241, x 266

Banking products are provided by Berkshire Bank: Member FDIC. Equal Housing Lender.

Investment products are NOT FDIC-INSURED, are NOT A BANK DEPOSIT, “NOT GUARANTEED BY THE BANK,” “NOT INSURED BY ANY FEDERAL GOVERNMENT AGENCY” and MAY LOSE VALUE. Rev. 1/19

PAGE 10 ■ THE PROVIDER  ■ NOVEMBER 2019

A VIEW FROM THE HILLA commentary from a

legislator on human services

Massachusetts needs civil rightsprotections for homeless residents

The Providers’ Council allowsits members to post jobs forfree on the new jobs website,

Jobs With Heart!Visit jobswithheart.org or

providers.org/jobs today to posta job for your organization!

By Sen. Becca Rausch

Between the new school year,changing leaves and crispweather, autumn is a time of

transition. However, for our commu-nity members experiencing homeless-ness, this transition meansplummeting nighttime temperaturesand the impending arrival of winter.

Earlier this year, I had the privilegeof visiting the historic Pine Street Innshelter in Boston’s South End to learnabout this organization’s shelter oper-ations and outstanding housing serv-ices. Their work and mission areprime examples of Boston’s steadfastcommitment to providing shelter topeople experiencing homelessness.However, nearly 1,000 people in Mas-sachusetts remained unsheltered lastyear alone, according to the 2018 An-nual Homeless Assessment Reportfrom the U.S. Department of Housingand Urban Development (HUD).

It is our duty to ensure the safety,dignity and civil rights of those experi-encing and trying to exit homeless-ness, especially those who cannotaccess shelter. This is why I filed theAct of Living (H.150/S.76) with Repre-sentative Liz Miranda.

Housing insecurity and homeless-ness are chronic issues in our Com-monwealth. According to HUD, 20,068people experienced homelessness inMassachusetts in 2018, with 69.2 per-cent of these people located outsidethe city of Boston.

Just as countless factors causepeople to lose their housing, many fac-tors prevent individuals from access-ing shelter. On any given night inMassachusetts, our approximately3,000 night shelter beds are full or be-yond capacity. Additionally, risingcosts and unreliability of public trans-portation prevent individuals from ac-cessing local emergency shelters,especially those outside of Boston. Wealso cannot ignore the disparate im-pact of shelter access on queer andtrans youth, especially youth of color.Experiencing homophobia and trans-phobia in shelters make some youthfeel safer sleeping on a park benchthan in a shelter bed.

Nationwide, municipalities haveenacted anti-homelessness ordi-nances and arrested people for acts ofsurvival in public spaces: sleeping invehicles, asking for money, sharingfood and more, according to a reportfrom the National Law Center onHomelessness & Poverty. These ordi-nances put people experiencing home-lessness in costly, needless, andharmful contact with the criminal jus-tice system.

Beyond their treatment in publicspaces, our community members facecountless other forms of discrimina-tion compromising their ability to exithomelessness, such as difficulty ac-cessing social services and healthcare,applying for housing, securing em-ployment, and more. In a 2014 na-

tional survey, the National Coalitionfor the Homeless reported that 70.4%of homeless respondents felt that pri-vate businesses discriminated againstthem based on housing status whileseeking employment.

These countless barriers to sur-vival and exitinghomelessness in-spired me to craftand file the Act ofLiving. This legisla-tion states unequiv-ocally thatd i s c r i m i n a t i o nbased on housingstatus has no placein Massachusetts.

The Act of Livingprotects the right of persons experi-encing homelessness to use publicspaces in the same manner as anyother person. It also codifies the rightto rest, pray, eat, maintain a reason-able right to privacy of personal ob-jects, seek shelter from the elements,occupy a legally parked car and avoidneedless harassment from law en-forcement while in public spaces.

Furthermore, the legislation tasksthe Massachusetts CommissionAgainst Discrimination with investi-gating complaints of discriminationbased on a person’s housing status,such as discrimination in registeringto vote, housing, seeking or maintain-ing employment and accessing placesof public accommodation. If any ofthese rights are violated, under thislegislation, individuals would have theright to appropriate legal action. TheAct also repeals outdated and uncon-stitutional sections of the Massachu-setts General Laws that previouslycriminalized homelessness.

By securing civil rights protectionsbased on housing status, our Com-monwealth will meaningfully reducethe barriers people face trying to exithomelessness. Massachusetts will notbe the first state to do so; Rhode Is-land, Illinois, Connecticut, Illinois andthe territory of Puerto Rico have al-ready passed legislation creating a billof rights for people experiencinghomelessness. Additionally, Colorado,California and Oregon have all intro-duced right-to-rest legislation, pre-venting municipalities fromcriminalizing individuals’ acts of sur-vival in public spaces. My bill presentsan opportunity to join these statesand continue our Commonwealth’s ro-bust history of being a civil rightsleader.

Although the Act of Living will notend homelessness in Massachusetts,it will provide critically important pro-tections for when our safety nets failour Commonwealth’s residents. TheLegislature must act now to protectthe safety, dignity, and civil rights ofour communities’ most vulnerableresidents.

Becca Rausch (D-Needham) is thestate senator for the Norfolk, Bristoland Middlesex District.

Sen. BeccaRausch

NOVEMBER 2019 ■ THE PROVIDER  ■ PAGE 11

costing a total of $60.9 billion. “The way to think about this legislation is what we tried to do

here was build on the health care cost containment legislationthat was passed several years ago, that creates sort of a ceilingon year-over-year increases in health care costs,” Baker told theState House News Service last month. “But from our point ofview, the big problem we have right now is the way we choose tospend the dollars that are underneath that ceiling.”

The legislation calls for providers and insurers, includingMassHealth, to increase spending on behavioral health and pri-mary care by 30 percent over three years within the construct ofthe state’s healthcare benchmark. Calendar year 2019 spendingwill serve as the baseline; the Administration noted that providersand insurers will be measured on their performance beginningin 2023.

The Administration will also seek insurance market reforms.CHIA’s report also found that between 2017 and 2018 fully-in-sured premiums increased by 5.6 percent overall to $509 millionper month. Employees directly paid 26 to 30 percent of their totalpremium costs in 2018, according to the Governor’s office.

Continued from Page 1

HEALTH: Legislationtargets rising costs

locating funds for PFML. If you have questions or are interested in learning

how this plan could benefit your organization, contactthe Council’s USI representatives Julie Barnett atjulie.barnett@usi.com or Michelle Martone atmichelle.martone@usi.com.

General information about PFML can be found onthe Department’s website at www.mass.gov/orgs/de-partment-of-family-and-medical-leave

Providers’ eAcademy®

The Providers' Council also recently announcedchanges coming to the Providers' eAcademy® programat the next renewal point. Starting on July 1st, 2020,Providers' Council members will have the choice be-tween the Traditional Providers' eAcademy® packageand a new Premier Providers' eAcademy® package. ThePremier Providers' eAcademy® package will include

many new tools, features and content to help bettermanage trainings and requirements, all for a slightlyhigher cost than the traditional package.

All current Providers' eAcademy® participants cur-rently have access to the Premier Providers' eAcademy®

package on a trial basis through the end of June.Members who sign on to Providers’ eAcademy® beforeJuly 1, 2020 will also have access to the Premier pack-age for the trial period.

The Providers' eAcademy® program now reachesover 41,000 learners at nearly 80 Providers' Councilmember organizations, providing important onlinetrainings, a suite of online courses and a comprehen-sive online learning management system to partici-pants at an affordable rate. The Providers' eAcademy®

tools help members give their clients, consumers andprogram participants the best care possible by ensur-ing their staff are properly trained, supported and mo-tivated.

In addition to all of the current features, the Pre-

mier Package will give Providers' eAcademy® membersaccess to:

• More than 800 health and human service courses(including additional ABA content)

• 300-plus advanced leadership and managementcourses (including trainings on diversity and inclusion,skill-based courses and more professional develop-ment opportunities)

• Pro-on-the-Go for Behavioral Health, Intellec-tual/Developmental Disabilities (I/DD) and Commu-nity Health (mobile-optimized, micro-learning courses);and

• Relias PATHS for Behavioral Health, I/DD, andCommunity Health (prescriptive learning tool)

If you are interested in learning more about the newPremier package or would like to schedule a Providers’eAcademy® demonstration, please email Zoena How-land at zhowland@providers.org.

Continued from Page 1

BENEFITS: More choices available for Council members

We’re Number (Square) One!

For the second straight year, Square One was voted the No. 1 Day Care/Preschool in the Spring-field Republican’s annual Reader Raves contest. Additionally, Council member Mental Health As-sociation was also named the Best Nonprofit and Best Place to Work in the Reader Raves contest.

YOU'RE H

OERE T

O HELP

THERSO

YOU'RE HWE'RE

OERE THERE T

O HELP O HELPT

THEROP YOU.

RS.

evieceR

oe a EFFR otsu cREE

anateefldezimo

o-e onhtiwsisyla

atlusonceon-on

.onita

5

our FREE Fleet Call to get y

ohn Coombs | (781) 552-5J

y!Analysis toda

ohn.N.Coo5342 | J

ombs@efleets.com

m

nf Es okramedard teretsigee rro ago’ lee ‘hd tne asirpretnE

| ( )

rs akramedarr tehtl ol. Acn, Itnemeganat Meele Fsirpretn

|

pretn7 E10. © 2srenwe ovitcepser riehf ty otrepore phe t

5.7x01_53760. Hcn, Itnemeganat Meele Fsir

CALENDAR OF EVENTS • FALL/WINTER 2019

What: Introduction to Grant WritingWhen: Wednesday, November 13Time: 10:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.Where: Providers’ Council Training Center,

100 Crossing Blvd., FraminghamTrainer: Anne Meyerson, former Executive Director of

Education and Training, YMCA of Greater Boston

Cost: $65 members; $115 non-members

What: Conducting Effective InternalInvestigations

When: Wednesday, November 20Time: 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.Where: Providers’ Council Training Center,

100 Crossing Blvd., FraminghamTrainer: Jean Haertl, CEO, Safety and Respect at

WorkCost: $135 members; $160 non-members

What: Cross-Cultural CommunicationWhen: Tuesday, December 3

Time: 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

Where: Providers’ Council Training Center,

100 Crossing Blvd., Framingham

Trainer: Comma Williams, Comma Williams

Enterprises

Cost: $65 members; $115 non-members

What: Building a Motivated TeamWhen: Tuesday, December 10

Time: 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

Where: Providers’ Council Training Center,

100 Crossing Blvd., Framingham

Trainer: Virginia Maglio, Optimum Development

Cost: $65 members; $115 non-members

PAGE 12 ■ THE PROVIDER  ■ NOVEMBER 2018

Pre-registration for these events is required unless otherwise noted.Visit www.providers.org/events for the event you wish to attend.

Questions? Call 508.599.2255 or email Eliza Adams at eadams@providers.org.

Please update your records: As of November 1, 2019 the Providers’ Council has moved.

Our new address is 100 Crossing Blvd., Suite 100, Framingham, MA 01702. The new phone number is 508.599.2255.