Vol. 41 - No. 5 May 2020

ROUTING SLIPBoard Chair

Executive Director/CEO

Chief Financial Officer

Human Resources Director

Development Director

Other

Massachusetts Council of

Human Service Providers, Inc.

100 Crossing Blvd. Suite 100

Framingham, MA 01702

The Newspaper of the Providers’ Council

Thank you to our heroes and sheroes

EDITORIAL: PAGE 4

Rep. Garballey wantscollege options for allVIEW FROM THE HILL:

PAGE 6

Charles River Centershows teamwork

PROVIDER PROFILE: PAGE 3

State adds $44m more tohuman services funding

Dedicated community-basedhuman services workers re-ceived positive news in late April

as EOHHS pledged to invest an addi-tional $44 million in the sector to helporganizations provide premium payduring the COVID-19 pandemic.

At an April 27 press conference,Sudders thanked community-basedproviders and membership associa-tions, specifically naming the Providers'Council, members of The Collaborativeand other organizations "for theirstrong collaboration with us. … To-gether, we are committed to safety."

"This $44 million is specifically toaddress unplanned for and thus un-budgeted services and items in re-sponse to the pandemic, such asincreased staffing, overtime andstaffing-related costs; infection control;and personal protective equipment sup-plies," Sudders said. "This money, inaddition to the first phase of $95 mil-lion that we announced on March 30,brings the total additional support forresidential programs and some otherpurchase-of-service to $139 millionduring the COVID-19 public health cri-sis."

Sudders noted the state would seekreimbursement from the federal gov-

ernment for up to $105 million of thecosts. She noted the funding was criti-cal as EOHHS agencies work with 238residential service providers through-out the state to ensure the health andwellbeing of 20,500 individuals. Thestate will take the average amountsproviders billed for in December, Janu-ary and February; they will receive 110percent of that amount for March andApril, and after the April 27 announce-ment, they will receive 125 percent ofthat amount for May and June.

"We are immensely grateful to Gov-ernor Baker, HHS Secretary Suddersand HHS leadership for ensuring fur-ther investment in the community-based human services sector duringthis difficult time," said Providers'Council President & CEO MichaelWeekes. "Our direct care staff are ourstate's other first responders, and theessential work they are doing to serveclients and consumers on the frontlines of the COVID-19 pandemic is trulyinspiring."

The state acted after a letter fromThe Collaborative in mid-April urgedthe administration to consider addi-tional funding in the human servicessector for direct care workers' pay, ad-

More federal relief aid in sight Congress is expected to convene

in early May to draft the nextstimulus bill, expected to boost

relief already laid out in March’s $2trillion CARES (Coronavirus Aid, Re-lief, and Economic Security) Act.

The most recent installment of fed-eral money relief came in late April tofund small business payroll loan pro-grams and grant programs, as well as$100 billion for health care – with $75billion going to hospitals and another$25 billion earmarked to boost testingfor the virus, a key step in being to re-open state economies.

In response to criticism of thesmall business loan distributionprocess, U.S. Treasury SecretarySteven T. Mnuchin said that changeswere being made to the Paycheck Pro-

tection Program (PPP), which wasmeant to support millions of smallbusinesses. Many complained thatlarge, publicly traded companies se-cured funding and depleted the pro-gram

“To further ensure PPP loans arelimited to eligible borrowers, the SBAhas decided, in consultation with theDepartment of the Treasury, that itwill review all loans in excess of $2million, in addition to other loans asappropriate, following the lender’ssubmission of the borrower’s loan for-giveness application,” Mnuchin said.“We remain fully committed to ensur-ing that America’s workers and smallbusinesses get the resources theyneed to get through this challengingtime.”

Dollars to be used for staffing, infection control, PPE and more

‘Reverse Rally’ recognizes TCF

Dozens of elected officials fromacross the Commonwealthtook part in The Caring

Force's "Reverse Rally" on Thursday,April 16 to thank community-basedhuman services workers for their tire-less efforts serving state residents inthe face of the COVID-19 pandemic.

More than 35 legislators - includ-ing Congressman Joe Kennedy III,Senate President Karen Spilka andSpeaker of the House Robert DeLeo -posted using the hashtag #TCFRe-verseRally to share videos, posts andtweets that thanked dedicated care-

givers who fill more than 180,000jobs in the state's community-basedhuman services sector.

The rally garnered nearly 5,500total impressions on Facebook andmore than 60,000 on Twitter.

The Caring Force, a grassroots ad-vocacy initiative with more than28,000 members across the Com-monwealth, had planned to hold itsNinth Annual Human Services Rallyand Lobby Day at the State House inBoston. But due to the COVID-19pandemic, in-person events are can-

FUNDING, see page 7

RALLY, see page 7

New Homes for Families CEO Homes for Families Board of Di-

rectors announced the appointment ofNicole Stewart as its new chief execu-tive officer.

Stewart most re-cently served as theprogram director forBridge Home at St.Mary’s Center forWomen and Chil-dren. A distinguishedcommunity leader,Stewart was selectedto participate inBoston’s premier ca-reer leadership pro-gram, LeadBoston. She also served onMemorial Spaulding Elementary SchoolCouncil and has facilitated multicul-tural and anti-racism classes for nu-merous community educationprograms.

“We are fortunate to have someoneof Nicole Stewart’s caliber and experi-ence join the HFF team. We are at acritical moment in our nation’s history,and we are looking forward to her re-newed leadership to successfully im-plement Homes for Families’ mission ofuniting families impacted by homeless-ness, policy makers, and providers toaddress the root causes of family home-lessness in Massachusetts,” the HFFboard said in a statement.

ANCOR Selected Cadavid as Mas-sachusetts DSP of the Year

The American Network of Commu-nity Options and Resources (ANCOR)recently selected Ju-lian Cadavid as therecipient of its Mas-sachusetts DirectSupport Professional(DSP) of the YearAward. Cadavid iscurrently employedby WCI – Work,Community, Inde-pendence.

This prestigious award is given an-

nually to one outstanding individualwho works to support people with in-tellectual, developmental and other sig-nificant disabilities to live and thrive inthe community. He is a leader amongpeers for his work supporting peoplewith disabilities, helping them to livemeaningful and productive lives as partof their communities.

Foundation for MetroWest gives$518,800 to area nonprofits

The Foundation for MetroWest,based in Natick, recently awarded$518,800 to 100 area nonprofits thatprovided a wide range of services, in-cluding those related to the arts, careerand employment training, education,immigrant services, historic preserva-tion, literacy, nutrition, and otherareas.

Several Providers’ Council memberswere among the grantees, including Ad-vocates, Inc., Employment Options,Inc., Jewish Family & Children'sService, Key Program, MAB Commu-nity Services, Inc, Middlesex HumanService Agency, Inc., REACH BeyondDomestic Violence, South MiddlesexOpportunity Council (SMOC),ThriveSupport & Advocacy, and WaysideYouth & Family Support Network.

Parenting Journey appoints newevents and communication man-ager

Rachael Dubinsky has taken on anew position as events and communi-cation manager at Parenting Journey,where she brings more than nine yearsof experience in com-munication and digi-tal strategies,community organiz-ing, fundraising andevents management.

Dubinsky has astrong passion forsocial justice & em-powering women.She most recentlyserved as the director of development

and communications strategy for theJewish Alliance for Law and Social Ac-tion and the director of political en-gagement for its 501(c)(4), JALSAImpact.

She also served as a field organizerfor the New Hampshire DemocraticParty, a senior digital strategies associ-ate for The Hatcher Group and deputypress secretary at the U.S. Departmentof Agriculture. She holds a master’s de-gree in strategic public relations fromGeorge Washington University and un-dergraduate degrees in agriculture andcommunications from the University ofDelaware.

Rachel's Table launches partner-ship with local businesses

Rachel’s Table in Springfield, a proj-ect of the Jewish Federation of West-ern Massachusetts that works toalleviate hunger and reduce food wastein western Massachusetts, recently an-nounced that it has developed a newpartnership.

Rachel's Table is teaming withFranklin County businesses, includingBJs and Rise Above Bakery and areasupermarkets, bakeries, restaurants,and caterers, supported by more than200 volunteers, to deliver food to soupkitchens, pantries, after-school pro-grams, senior living centers, and otheragencies.

Welcome new Providers’ Councilmember: Sojourner House

The Council would like to extend awarm welcome to our newest member:Sojourner House of Boston.

Founded in 1981, Sojourner House

was the first family shelter in Boston tohouse parents of all genders, as well aschildren of all ages. Sojourner House isalso one of a few shelters accessible topeople with disabilities in Massachu-setts, and it works closely with familiesto identify their unique barriers to se-curing housing, connecting them tocommunity resources, parentingclasses and financial literacy and em-ployment workshops.

Sojourner House strives to empowerfamilies by not only providing themwith permanent housing, but bypreparing them to become self-suffi-cient. Sojourner House has developedand currently owns affordable proper-ties in Dorchester, Roxbury and Milton,and operates a food pantry for the com-munity-at-large.

Partners for Youth with Disabili-ties hosts free comedy nightMay 7

Need an excuse to laugh thesedays? Partners for Youth with Dis-abilities booked comedian MaysoonZayid for a free, online comedy showMay 7 from 7-8 p.m.

Zayid is an ac-tress, comedian,writer and disabilityadvocate. She bringsher hilarious and in-formative show If ICancan online forone night only. Shewill share tales ofgrowing up as a dis-abled multiple mi-nority and her quest for superstardom.Learn more at www.pyd.org.

NEWS AND NOTESPROVIDERS’

PAGE 2 ■ THE PROVIDER  ■ MAY 2020

Julian Cadavid

Students in the Providers' Council's Certificate in Nonprofit Human Service Man-agement program with Clark University gather for end-of-year graduation cere-monies last summer. Both Suffolk and Clark are now holding the Certificateprogram online, and they will be able to do so in the fall if necessary. The Coun-cil has extended the application deadline until June 8.

Council moves Certificate Programonline; extends deadline to June 8

Students in the Providers’ Council’s Certificate in Nonprofit Human Serv-ices Management Program have joined the ranks of those who are nowlearning entirely online in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic. Professors

at both Clark and Suffolk universities have been reaching students throughvideoconferencing platforms since mid-March.

There have not been interruptions to the curriculum. Students have the abil-ity to see and hear from guest speakers, engage with peers and faculty mem-bers, and participate in group presentations with the online model. If necessary,both schools have the capacity to move courses online for the fall semester.

Since this past September, students in each cohort have dedicated one dayeach week to the certificate program, taking courses in everything from humanresource management and program evaluation to financial management andalternative revenue strategies. Agencies sponsor their employees and pay tu-ition for the certificate. In return, students agree to stay with their organizationfor at least one year following graduation.

The Providers’ Council has also moved the application for the certificate pro-gram online, and it can be found at www.providers.org. The deadline to applyhas been extended to Monday, June 8. Please contact Eliza Adams ateadams@providers.org with any questions about the program or application.

Nicole Stewart

Rachael Dubinsky

Staff at Seven Hills Foundation helped distribute nearly 350,000 medicalmasks to 125 other health and human services organizations throughoutthe state, many of them located in central Massachusetts.

The masks, shipped in a bulk order from China, were individually sortedand packaged by members of Seven Hills Foundation’s senior leadership team.

State Representative Joseph McKenna of Webster helped SHF source themasks, and Kathee Jordan, executive vice president & CEO, initiated an out-reach program to other organizations in the nonprofit community who had sim-ilar needs for N95 masks. More than 125 organizations joined the collaborationto purchase the masks with individual orders ranging from 50 to 50,000.

“Seven Hills Foundation was happy to be able to do it because we know somany of our fellow organizations desperately needed these masks to protecttheir staff and the individuals they support. It the midst of this public healthcrisis, it is imperative that we all work together and we are happy to help leadthat effort,” Jordan said.

State Rep. Joseph McKenna and Seven Hills Staff – Kathee Jordan, EVP/CEO;Mike Kendrick, Director of Facilities; and Bill Stock, VP of Government and Com-munity Relations – pose with masks that went to 125 organizations.

Seven Hills distributes 350K masks

Maysoon Zayid

MAY 2020 ■ THE PROVIDER  ■ PAGE 3

Her last words to Volunteers ofAmerica of Massachusetts were:"I'll be back."

Then, Mindy Miller left an organiza-tion for which she had true affection -with the idea she would return betterprepared to lead.

Two years later, she re-ceived a phone call from then-Volunteers of America ofMassachusetts' CEO. He askedher one simple question."Ready to come back?"

Mindy Miller's odyssey thatled her to become Volunteers ofAmerica of Massachusetts' Di-rector of Outpatient Servicesfollows a line of academic pur-suit, professional aspirationsand good timing.

Raised in Montana and Wyoming,and college educated in Colorado,Miller scoured nationally for potentialForensic Psychology graduate pro-grams.

Miller earned her master's degree atRoger Williams University. A chancemeeting with a former colleaguebrought Miller to Volunteers of Amer-ica of Massachusetts.

Miller met with clients at the orga-nization's clinics in Quincy andTaunton, while also supporting clientsreceiving services in residential treat-ment.

"There is something different aboutVolunteers of America," she said."We're led by our mission."

Four years later, Miller mapped thenext step, following her pattern of boldmoves. She wanted to advance herskills and take on more leadership.This meant leaving her beloved VOA -but only temporarily.

She needed to grow elsewhere, butpromised the goodbye was temporary.Two years later Miller returned as di-rector of clinical services.

Under her leadership, BehavioralHealth Services has grown, integrated

electronic health records andimproved access and efficiencyto medication delivery.

Most importantly, the pro-gram has unified outpatientand residential behavioralhealth treatment. Today, Vol-unteers of America of Massa-chusetts operate 116 treatmentbeds across programming thatincludes residential treatmentservices, women's after care,and transitional housing serv-ices for veterans.

Not only has Miller overseen an ex-pansion of behavioral health services -directly overseeing 22 licensed and li-censed-eligible clinicians- she has alsodelivered a systemic approach to rein-forcing evidence-based principlesacross all lines in the organization.

This includes leading trauma-in-formed workshops. Just last month,Miller oversaw the launch of telehealthservices as part of Volunteers of Amer-ica of Massachusetts Behavioral HealthServices.

"Mindy's extraordinary ability tobuild of team of clinicians that under-stand the importance of addressingcomplex issues of an underserved pop-ulation.

She has an excellent track recordfor delivering spectacular results withcompassion," states Roberto Moran,Volunteers of America of Massachu-setts COO.

Charles River Center staff members continue provide hands-oncare to clients and consumers during COVID-19 health crisis

Needham-basedCharles RiverCenter is

made up of four divi-sions that providefamily support and in-home support serv-ices, residentialservices, day habilita-tion, and employmentand day services.

It is the residentialprograms, support tofamilies and in-homesupports that have re-mained fully opera-tional during theCOVID-19 health cri-sis thanks to the ded-icated staff working in direct dailycontact with the individuals we servewith developmental and intellectualdisabilities and autism.

The staff in our 28 residentialhomes are working tirelessly every day.They, in addition to staff added fromour day programs, have learned andadapted to new protocols, schedulesand techniques, on top of existing re-quirements.

They are often called upon to as-sume new or different duties, and theyhave done so with amazing skill.

Focus on serviceIn addition, our staff clean and dis-

infect the homes, fully engage with theresidents in fulfilling recreational andeducational activities, communicateand cooperate with co-workers, and fol-

low important directions and updatesfrom remote supervising staff. All theirresponsibilities revolve around keepingour persons servedhealthy, happy and safe.

Those in our FamilySupport program con-tinue to be in contactwith nearly 400 familiesto aid with food, per-sonal items, virtual ac-tivities and resources.

They also scheduleonline workshops andtrainings such as the re-cent Reducing ProblemBehavior and TeachingTolerating Skills for Children andYoung Adults with Autism and OtherDisabilities.

Family supportWithin Family Support, the incredi-

ble front-line staff in our In-home Sup-port program makefrequent on-site visitsinto the privatehomes of personsserved providing as-sistance as needed.That includes helpwith accessing vari-ous resources withintheir communities,obtaining neededservices, medications,food and basic neces-sities.

Everyone at Charles River Center isinvolved in supporting the residential,family support and in-home supportstaff, from the Leadership Team to the

administration andthe Board of Direc-tors.

Meeting the sup-plies challenge

For example, theprocurement of sup-plies has been adaunting task. Staff,with the help of com-munity members,have been workingtirelessly to obtainthe needed supplies.So far, we have beenable to purchase andreceive donations ofsupplies.

‘Coming together’President Anne-Marie Bajwa is

struck by the overwhelmingly positiveresponse of our staff to the new workconditions.

“We are all working together to man-age this crisis; some in direct contactwith individuals and others working be-hind the scenes, but we have all cometogether as we have before during diffi-cult times. We know we will be able tonavigate this challenge.”

Would you like to salute your staff’shard work during the COVID-19 crisis inThe Provider?

Contact Erica at the Council aterica@providers.org.

Volunteers of America MA begins program, honors staffer

THE CARING FORCESALUTING

“It’s genuinely an honorand a privilege to be a partof such a dedicated teamand community that makesa difference in the lives ofso many — and supportseach other in the most chal-lenging times.”

— Anne-Marie Bajwa,President and CEO ofCharles River Center

Volunteers of America of Massachusetts (VOAM) partnered with the City ofSomerville and two private organizations to increase access to health care man-agement of formerly homeless veterans at its transitional living center.

This new partnership was announced during an April 27 press conferencewith Mayor Joseph Curtatone, who introduced the broad partnership betweenVOAM, Cherish Health, and Health eVillages.

Cherish Health, a Cambridge-based technology innovator that pioneers solu-tions to improve and enable health care using advanced sensors, with supportfrom its non-profit partner eVillages, a global organization providing medical re-sources to low-resource settings, have joined to provide biosensor patches to theMass Bay Veterans Center that serves 29 individuals.

Charles E. Gagnon, president & CEO of VOAM, praised the partnership. “It certainly ‘takes a village’,” he said, “and this innovative collaboration and

partnership with Mayor Curtatone, Cherish Health and Health eVillages is anideal opportunity to improve the care for our veterans.

Volunteers of America of Massachusetts supports individuals and their fam-ilies through an array of residential and outpatient services including VeteransServices, Residential Treatment Services, Re-Entry Services, Outpatient Behav-ioral Health, and Independent and Assisted Living Residencies.

Volunteers of America Massachusetts president & CEO Charles Gagnon addressesSomerville Mayor Joseph Curtatone and others at a press conference.

Staff from Charles River Center in Needham continue to provide high quality services to clients and consumers in their careduring the recent pandemic. Family Support programs continue to be a crucial lifeline for nearly 400 local families, whoreceive on-site visits, and assistance obtaining food, medicine and other needs. (Photo credit: Charles River Center)

Miller returns to work at VOAM

Mindy Miller

VOAM launches new partnership

PAGE 4 ■ THE PROVIDER  ■ MAY 2020

EDITORIAL

Michael WeekesPresident / Publisher

Our new heroes and sheroesThe worst pandemic in our life-

time has destroyed many lives,businesses, aspirations and

opportunities. However, the strengthof the human spirit and resiliency ofmission is ever present in the staff ofour community human services sec-tor.

They are on the front line of de-fense and support with hundreds ofdirect care workers that are, in ourview, earned the distinction as ourheroes and sheroes.

In MetroWest, Advocates is amultiservice human service organi-zation with nearly 1,400 employeesand supporting 30,000 people. Itsleader, Diane Gould, knew she hada great staff supporting programsfrom Worcester to Roxbury, but shewas almost speechless in describingtheir bravery. She said some of herstaff were “willing to do whatever ittakes to support people.”

“Katima” is a staffer who recog-nized that a person in their IDD pro-gram who tested positive, wouldrefuse to be separated from her or goto another residence for isolation. SoKatima, with limited PPE, left herfamily to self-quarantine in a hotelroom, providing 24/7 care for nearlythree weeks. They both made itthrough, and both are back in theprogram.

But its not always a happy story:at first, staff could not get gownsand had to use garbage bags. In fact,one female staff person at Advocateshas died from the virus. Yet, despitethis tragic loss, her colleagues con-tinue to fulfil Advocates’ mission

Children’s Services of Roxbury isresponsible for 1,000 people receiv-ing safe and accessible housingservices statewide. CEO Sandra Mc-Croom will tell you that their mis-sion is “to bring peace of mind tochildren and families across Massa-chusetts.”

Social distancing is tough whenyou’re bringing furniture, householdsupplies and food to families inneed. Some staff have volunteered tostay in these environments knowingthat not all have been tested or haveappropriate PPE. Sometimes itmeans having therapy sessions withtelehealth or on a front porch or hav-ing an intervention literally on thestreet. It takes courage to step up.

In Franklin, Mike Moloney thetransitioning CEO at HMEA, hasplenty of stories of heroism too. Mikeis also overwhelmed with the incred-ible service his staff of nearly 700 aredoing daily.

HMEA needed to stand up acouple of isolation centers to handlethe growing number of people incare. However, ‘Sam,” a congregatecare resident of HMEA for over 20years, tested positive and refused to

go in a isolation center and leave theworker he trusted. In fact, he waspetrified with fear about wearing aface mask.

But a direct support professionaland member of The Caring Force,John, volunteered to stay with Samseven-days-straight on 12-hour dayswith nursing support.

Speaking of nursing support,HMEA has a couple of nurses thatare doing whatever it takes to meetthe medical needs of consumerswithout hospitalization.

These nurses, assigned to 24group homes, know that hospitals,overwhelmed with those infected,are even less prepared to addressthe everyday needs of their resi-dents. They are managing G-tubes,tracheal tubes, oxygen and more tokeep them well or get them medicallybetter.

They could have left like othermedical personnel to a medical facil-ity that was well-equipped with thelatest medical equipment and colle-gial support, but that would be aloss of tremendous magnitude tothose in 24 homes. They are also ourfrontline heroes.

Not all our front-line heroes andsheroes are in residential care. Someare at the Amherst Survival Center.If there is a good barometer of acommunity’s health it’s places wherecommunity residents come for a nu-tritious meal, check into a free clinic,get needed clothing, take a hotshower, and learn how to accessSNAP and other community needs.

Executive Director Lev Ben-Ezrasaid after the outbreak hit, they lostmost of their volunteers, who wereolder residents and had to protectthemselves and college students thatreturned home.

Next, they had to close their sit-down community meals and thewalk-in clinic, and lastly, the num-ber of people seeking food is ramp-ing up to near doubling from 100 to200 daily.

Now meals and food are packedto go from a tent outside and aredoing more personal car use deliver-ies as public transportation hasbeen reduced. At the same time,they are feeding more children whoare not getting school meals.

Ben-Ezra has seen the commu-nity step up but needs more finan-cial donations to support efforts oftheir “Truly phenomenal super vol-unteers” that are making the differ-ence on the front lines with heroism.

These are but a handful of storiesamong 180,000 human services jobsthat are destined to advance a newnormal that we are all in it together.

Please thank some of our new he-roes and sheroes.

100 Crossing Blvd., Suite 100 • Framingham, MA 01702Telephone: 508.598.9800 • Fax: 508.599.2260

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

2020 BoardOfficers

ChairBill Sprague

Chair-ElectNancy Munson

Vice ChairSandra McCroom

TreasurerMichael 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 & Communications ManagerErica Noonan

Education and Membership AssociateEliza Adams

Public Policy and Communications AssociateRavi Simon

Education and Membership Associate, eLearningZoena Howland

CartoonistMichael Ripple

Want additional copies of The Provider? Interested in writing a letter to the editor?

Have a topic that would make a good subject for Viewpoints from across the State?

Let Erica know: 508.599.2245or enoonan@providers.org

FROM ACROSS THE STATEVIEWPOINTS

MAY 2020 ■ THE PROVIDER  ■ PAGE 5

By Shaheer Mustafa

Every year in this country, ap-proximately 500,000 childrenexperience the foster care sys-

tem. Through no fault of their own,these children have encountered signif-icant abuse and neglect at a time whenthey need a safe place to grow andthrive.

For those of us who are fortunateenough to have avoided foster care, it iseasy to take the importance of a safeand loving home for granted. Childrenneed the freedom afforded by stable,nurturing home environments to de-velop effectively. However, for too manykids, safety is a privilege.

HopeWell is a provider of foster carethroughout Massachusetts and Con-necticut. We recruit, train and supportsome of the most amazing people youcould ever meet – people who not onlyopen their hearts, but also their homesto welcome and support kids in need ofrefuge. We know the impact of loss,trauma and disruption that kids in fos-ter care face. And whether it is helpingthem with their homework, readingthem a bedtime story at night or sup-porting their grief, kids in foster caredeserve the same supports as theirnon-foster peers.

May is National Foster Care Month –a time to acknowledge the Americanchildren and teens in foster care andtheir family members, foster parents,volunteers, mentors, child welfare pro-fessionals and policymakers who worktirelessly to help them find permanenthomes and connections. At HopeWell,our 300 foster homes support morethan 1,000 children each year.

Every May, along with our peer or-ganizations across the country, we cel-ebrate the generous families whoensure foster care is a robust compo-nent of the child welfare continuum.

We celebrate people like JoanPhillips, a foster parent from Pittsfield,

who has supported more than 40 youthin foster care over the past 20 years.She works specifically with teens in fos-ter care, some of the most challengingyouth to identify placements for. Shehas a gift for connecting with and stick-ing by them, even if they push heraway. One youth she worked with washospitalized six times; each time, shewelcomed her back and supported heralong her journey to recovery.

We celebrate people like Kathy andKevin Candage, who have provided fos-ter and respite care for more than 100young people and provided permanencyfor four others through adoption andguardianship.

For those of us in this kind of work,we have our “go-to” families who weknow will bail us out of the most diresituations. The Candages are that fam-ily. They take on every situation with apositive attitude and open heart. Theyalso understand the importance of con-nection with families of origin. Theyrecognize their love and support cannever replace the bond children havewith birth parents and so they do every-thing they can to preserve connectionsand support youth during their mostvulnerable time.

There are thousands of stories likethis that we can all share. Heroes whoquietly do incredible work on behalf ofkids and families. They do it withoutrecognition or fanfare. They do it withhumility and passion. They inspire mewith their commitment and dedication.They represent the best of who we are.And now, more than ever, we need toacknowledge them for their service andcelebrate them for all they do in sup-port of kids and families.

Shaheer Mustafa, MSW, is the president& CEO of Dedham-based HopeWell, oneof New England's leading providers ofintensive foster care services.

COVID-19: The Great RevealerBy Imari Paris Jeffries

COVID-19 isn’t “the great equal-izer” but it is “the great revealer.”

Women, immigrants and people ofcolor are being hardest hit by this dis-ease, and are also the most likely to beon the front lines fighting it.

Our human service workers arebeing hailed as essential and “heroes,”yet they are among the most likely tolack access to the health and economicresources they need to survive. Manyfrontline staff are the lowest paid intheir agencies and, sadly, among thelast to have their work recognized withhazard pay during these extraordinarytimes.

According to the New York Times,one in three jobs held by women hasbeen designated as essential and non-white women are even more likely to bedoing essential jobs. And yet, thesehigh-risk workers are the most likely tobe underpaid and undervalued.

In the Boston-area, white house-holds have a median wealth of$247,500, while many communities ofcolor have a median wealth of around$8, according to the Federal Reserve ofBoston.

To make matters worse, the averageAmerican has less than $400 in sav-ings, which means that even a monthof unemployment can drive a person,let alone a family, into financial ruin.

If we are going to stop income in-equality in its tracks, we must create areality in which all families have the re-sources they need to weather any cri-sis, especially our essential frontlineworkers.

And we know poor health outcomesare directly tied to our broken economicsystem.

Historically racist policies, likeredlining and segregation, combinedwith housing discrimination, higherpoverty rates, educational disparities,employment barriers and mass incar-ceration have created persistent in-equities in our communities of color fordecades and has illuminated the publichealth crisis of systemic racism.

The families with whom Parenting

Journey partners are making difficultdecisions every day, deciding whetherto pay their electric bill or put food onthe table due to massive layoffs andwork closures.

As a community that is known forputting the needs of others ahead ofourselves, we need to ask: how can wecreate an equitable future for our work-ers? We need to set the example andput on our own metaphorical masksbefore we can truly assist others.

This pandemic has shown us thatwe have the capacity to guaranteehealthcare, food and shelter to every-one, and that is the future we can allwork together to create. The questionwe must ask is: do we have the will be-yond the pandemic?

We applaud Governor Charlie Bakerand the legislature for putting a mora-torium on evictions and foreclosures,waiving the one-week waiting period forunemployment benefits, and makingsure no one’s utilities are shut off.

But, these policies shouldn’t just bea priority during a pandemic.

This is our chance to address theracial wealth gap and build more equi-table systems in our society.

As community and non-profit lead-ers, we must seize this policy windowand go further to protect our families.We need to center historically margin-alized people in the decision-makingprocess for how our organizations areresponding to and rebuilding after thiscrisis.

We also must ensure that minority-owned businesses are being put at thefront of the pack when it comes to re-ceiving federal funds, like PaycheckProtection Program loans, to help theirbusinesses stay afloat.

We’ll get through this public healthemergency, but it’s up to us to decidewhat the future looks like when we do.

Imari Paris Jeffries is the Executive Di-rector of Parenting Journey inSomerville, Mass., Providers’ Councilboard member and a member of the eq-uity and diversity committee, and amember of the Governor’s Black Advi-sory Commission.

Celebrating foster care heroes

Emergency legislation allows for temporary governance flexibilityBy Anita Lichtblau

If you have been tearingyour hair out trying to fig-ure out how to hold annual

members’ and board meetings,elect directors and officers, ap-prove budgets, and carry outnormal governance functionsin the age of social distancing,bans on meetings of 10 ormore people, and closed of-fices, not to mention compli-ance with your bylaws andstate law, (some) help is here!

Effective April 3, 2020,emergency legislation, foundat Section 16 of Chapter 53 ofthe Acts of 2020, permits cor-porations created under theMassachusetts nonprofitstatute to adapt their gover-nance practices to the uniquechallenges posed by theCOVID-19 crisis.

One of the key issues theemergency provisions are in-tended to address is the diffi-culty some nonprofits faceduring the crisis in holdingmembers’ meetings and conse-quently obtaining members’votes on necessary actionssuch as the election of direc-

tors or approval of budgets.Some nonprofits’ bylaws

prohibit proxy voting by mem-bers and the state nonprofitstatute does not permit mem-bers to meet remotely. Theemergency provisions now re-solve that problem by permit-ting members to meet remotelyand vote by proxy, unless pro-hibited by the nonprofit’s arti-cles of organization. Theprovisions will be effective forthe duration of the Governor’sMarch 10, 2020 state of emer-gency and for 60 days there-after.

Here’s what your nonprofitboard may temporarily do, solong as it doesn’t conflict withthe articles of organization:(Note: If a nonprofit corpora-tion with members takes anyof the actions below, it mustnotify its members as soon asreasonably practicable.)

Members’ meetings: 1) Cancel a members’

meeting, with notice of thecancellation given in any prac-ticable manner;

2) Allow members to voteat a members’ meeting in per-

son or by proxy; any membervoting by proxy is consideredpresent for purpose of anyquorum requirement; and

3) Allow members to par-ticipate remotely (such as byphone or videoconference) andcount as being present at themeeting, so long as:

a) reasonable meas-ures are implemented to verifythat each person deemed pres-ent and permitted to vote atthe meeting remotely is amember or proxyholder;

b) reasonable meas-ures are implemented to pro-vide such members andproxyholders a reasonable op-portunity to participate in themeeting and to vote on matterssubmitted to the members, in-cluding an opportunity to reador hear the proceedings of themeeting substantially concur-rently with the proceedings,pose questions and make com-ments, regardless of whetherthe members can simultane-ously communicate with eachother during the meeting; and

c) if any member orproxyholder votes or takesother action at the meeting by

means of remote communica-tion, a record of the vote orother action is maintained.

Directors’ Meetings:1) Provide notice of the

meeting only to those directorsit is practicable to reach and inany practicable manner; and

2) Allow a director toparticipate in a board meetingby, or conduct the meetingthrough the use of, any meansof communication by which alldirectors participating are ableto simultaneously communi-cate with each other duringthe meeting.

Directors who participatein a board meeting underthese emergency legislationrules automatically constitutea quorum, regardless of thequorum required by the by-laws or otherwise.

Take Certain Actions: 1) Permit directors or offi-

cers to continue to serve dur-ing the governor’s March 10,2020 state of emergency anduntil the director’s or officer’ssuccessor is elected, appointedor designated, despite the ex-

piration of his or her term ofoffice;

2) Appoint successors toany of the officers, directors,employees or agents; and

3) Relocate the principaloffice and designate alternativeoffices.

Anita Lichtblau is Legal Coun-sel to the Providers’ Counciland a partner in the nonprofitpractice group at the Bostonlaw firm of Casner & Edwards,LLP. She is the immediate pastCo-Chair of the Tax-Exempt Or-ganizations Section of theBoston Bar Association andcurrent co-chair of the Section’sChapter 180 Working Group,which is working on moderniz-ing Chapter 180. She was alsoinvolved in drafting this emer-gency legislation.

Should Council members needassistance or have any ques-tions concerning these emer-gency provisions, Anita can bereached at lichtblau@casnered-wards.com.

PAGE 6 ■ THE PROVIDER  ■ MAY 2020

Higher education access for all By Rep. Sean Garballey

Almost 50 years ago, Massachu-setts led the nation, enactinglegislation opening our school-

house doors to children with disabili-ties. However, despite significantprogress, major obstacles still limit op-portunities for young adults with dis-abilities.

New legislation proposed by Rep.Patricia Haddad and I intends to re-move barriers and provide opportuni-ties for individuals with intellectualdisabilities, autism and other develop-mental disabilities to participate incollege as non-degree-seeking stu-dents to gain the skills needed to liveand work in the community as tax-paying members of our society.

Supporting persons with disabili-ties has been a longtime priority of myoffice, and throughout my time in theLegislature, I have worked closely withothers to forward equality and futurelife opportunities for persons with dis-abilities.

This term, Rep, Haddad and Iworked closely to formulate H.1218 AnAct creating higher education oppor-tunities for students with intellectualdisabilities, autism, and other devel-opmental disabilities who have exitedspecial education and H.1219 An Actcreating higher education opportuni-ties for students with intellectual dis-abilities, autism, and otherdevelopmental disabilities.

This legislation reflects the provensuccess of discretionary grant pro-grams in Massachusetts and the restof the country that have supported in-dividuals with intellectual disabilitiesin college as non-degree-seeking stu-dents, providing students with theservices and assistance they need tobe successful.

By eliminating barriers and provid-ing supports, these students gain theacademic, independent living, socialand employment skills necessary tosucceed. National research has shownthat adults with intellectual disabili-ties are three times more likely to findpaid employment after participating incollege.

More than 60 percent of adultswith intellectual disabilities who at-tended college had a paid job after exit,compared to an employment rate of 19percent in the general population.

The goal of the legislation is to pro-vide students the opportunity to be in-cluded with their non-disabled peersin our state colleges and universities.

The legislation would allow individ-uals with intellectual disabilities toparticipate fully in campus life withoutmeeting admission requirements re-quired for degree-seeking students.

The legislation allows existing

state and federal funding for individu-als with disabilities to be used to sup-port students in college, to the extentpublic funding is available. Parentscan also choose to pay privately, in-cluding utilization of tax-free savingsplans for individuals with disabilitiesthat are similar to 529 college savingsplans. Public institutions of higher ed-ucation can createtheir own guidelinesfor participation ofstudents, reflectingthe culture of thecampus.

Working to-gether to promoteand advance legis-lation that createsequal opportunitiesfor persons withdisabilities shouldbe expected from the legislature. Help-ing foster an environment of accept-ance and involvement would positivelyimpact not just the lives of personswith disabilities — experience hasshown that inclusion greatly enhanceslearning opportunities for all studentson the campus.

Moreover, research indicates par-ticipation in college is cost-effective:Individuals with intellectual disabili-ties who attend college have decreasedreliance on public benefits such as SSI, and reduced expenditures for statedisability and health care services.

If we fail to enact this legislation,too many individuals with intellectualdisabilities and autism will continue toface discrimination and lowered ex-pectations, often spending their daysin segregated classrooms and day ha-bilitation programs, with dependenceon government subsidies and supportfor much of their adult lives.

People with intellectual disabilitiesand autism have among the lowestrates of employment of all people withdisabilities, which will persist withoutinclusive opportunities to continuewith their peers on pathways to post-secondary education and employment.

Currently both H.1218 and H.1219are part of a larger bill – H.4419 An Actcreating higher education opportuni-ties for students with intellectual dis-abilities, autism and otherdevelopmental disabilities, which hasbeen referred to the House Committeeon Ways and Means.

It is my goal to ensure the passageof this legislation by working with myfellow colleagues. This is the rightthing to do for individuals with dis-abilities — and for our entire society.

Rep. Sean Garballey, of Arlington, rep-resents the 23rd Middlesex District.

A VIEW FROM THE HILLA commentary from a

legislator on human services

The opinions expressed in A View from the Hill and Viewpoints from Across the State are those of the author and do not

necessarily reflect the views or opinions of the Providers’ Council or its members.

Rep. Sean Garballey

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celed and those in the human servicessector are working long hours to pro-vide critical care to one-in-ten Massa-chusetts residents.

Caring Force members insteadasked legislators to participate in a "Re-verse Rally," recognizing the efforts ofworkers often referred to as the state'sother first responders. Many legislatorssent tweets, posted on Facebook orrecorded videos to thank Caring Forcemembers for their incredible efforts inserving vulnerable residents.

"The surge is upon us. It's more im-portant than ever before to take thismoment to thank you for all that you dofor our most vulnerable residents,"Spilka said in a video. "You are willingto take care of and support the resi-dents of group homes across the Com-monwealth. I know how hard youwork."

"It's selfless, courageous work, andit's that kind of commitment to eachother that we're going to need to lift usthrough these trying times," Kennedyadded in his video. "Please join me inthanking them for their work and theirservice. Our Commonwealth is grate-ful."

Others participating in the ReverseRally included Sens. Harriette Chan-

dler, Sonia Chang-Diaz, Jo Comerford,Julian Cyr, Sal DiDomenico, RyanFattman, Cindy Friedman, Anne Gobi,John Keenan, Eric Lesser, Joan Lovely,Mike Moore, Patrick O'Connor, MichaelRodrigues and Walter Timilty, andState Reps. Christine Barber, DavidBiele, Natalie Blais, Mindy Domb,Shawn Dooley, Carolyn Dykema, Car-ole Fiola, Patricia Haddad, StephanHay, Natalie Higgins, Hannah Kane,Kay Khan, David Linsky, DavidLeBoeuf, Kate Lipper-Garabedian, JoeMcKenna, Jeff Roy and Lindsay Saba-dosa.

Providers' Council President andCEO Michael Weekes expressed his ap-preciation to legislators that took timeout of their day to recognize the com-munity-based human services workerswho are working tirelessly to help thestate's most vulnerable residents.

"Our direct care workers in thehuman services sector are truly ourother first responders, and their selflessacts of courage amid this crisis aremaking a difference in the lives of tensof thousands throughout this Com-monwealth," Weekes said. "We thankthe elected officials who reached out tothank them for their efforts to preservecaring communities in Massachusetts."

ditional access to testing and moremoney for PPE.

The additional funding will be aboost for direct care workers at com-munity-based human services organi-zations throughout the state. Providers'Council members noted the additionalfunding helped reduce the wage gap be-tween community-based staff and theirstate counterparts doing similar work.In mid-April, the state announced itwould give premium pay to statehuman services workers.

Road to Responsibility (RTR) Presi-dent and CEO Chris White said it wasdifficult in mid-April to explain to hisstaff that the pay increase for stateworkers wouldn't also apply to RTRworkers. The increase announced April27 will allow for additional funding toalso go to community-based workers. "Iam so proud and grateful for our staff -I can't say enough about them," Whitesaid. "This is the time for pay equity."

May Institute President and CEOLauren Solotar, Advocates Presidentand CEO Diane Gould and NEEDS

CEO Jim Sperry all noted it was diffi-cult to explain to staff that they wouldnot receive the initial increase promiseto only state workers. Sperry noted hebelieved all human services workers de-served the increase, whether they workfor the Commonwealth or a commu-nity-based agency.

"I would tell the state, 'Thank youfor what you did for the state workers,that was well deserved. I am just askingthat you do the exact same for ourfolks,'" Sperry said. "They are acceptingthe same levels of risk, working just ashard, and their lives are just as valu-able."

Gould added: "Nobody is saying thestate workers don't deserve this - ofcourse they do. We just want our peo-ple to be treated the same way."

State contractual reimbursementsthat promote pay equity and adequatestaff wages in the provider sector hashistorically been at the cornerstone ofthe Providers' Council's legislativeagenda.

RALLY: Legislators thank workersContinued from Page 1

FUNDING: Extra state dollars forhuman services sector total $139mContinued from Page 1

Important 2020 election datesWednesday, August 12: Last day to register forthe Sept. 1 State PrimaryTuesday, September 1: State Primary in MAWednesday, October 14: Last day to register forthe Nov. 3 General ElectionTuesday, November 3: General Election in MA

PAGE 8 ■ THE PROVIDER  ■ MAY 2020

CALENDAR OF EVENTS • SPRING 2020What: Annual Membership & Business Meeting When: Wednesday, May 6 Time: 10:30 am. to 11:30 a.m.Where: via Zoom (reservations required)Cost: Free, members-onlyTo register: Contact Christina Broughton at cbroughton@providers.org.

Please note: In order to ensure all members are able to participate we are limiting registration to two representatives per agency. A recording of the meeting will be available following the event. Please remember that we will not be voting during this event as votes were submitted prior through the 2020 Proxy Form.

What: Budgeting BasicsWhen: Tuesday, May 19Time: 10 a.m. to noon Where: via Zoom (reservations required)Cost: Members $50; Non-members $115Presenter: Anne Meyerson, former Executive Director of Education

and Training, YMCA of Greater BostonTo register: Visit https://cloud4good.tfaforms.net/388755

Please note: Participants will need access to Microsoft Excel during this session. They should also have some prior experience working with Excel.

Pre-registration for these events required unless otherwise noted.

Visit www.provider.org/events to learn more and register. Questions?

Contact Eliza Adams at 508.598.9700 or eadams@providers.org