Advocate - The Arc of Massachusettsthearcofmass.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/Advocate... ·...

Achieve with us.

continued on page 9

Inside this issue...Article Page

Statewide Transition Conference ..3

HealthMeet ................................8

Government Affairs .....................9

Operation House Call ...............15

The Friendship Corner ...............16

News from the Chapters ...........18

More than 400 people from across Massachusetts gathered in bright sunshine on Boston Common on May 7 for the 4th annual All Aboard The Arc! This festive event brings self-advocates, family mem- continued on page 4

AdvocateSummer 2014

All Aboard The Arc! sails into Boston

The Arc has been busy this spring and early summer with both the Fiscal Year 2015 budget and a number of pieces of The Arc’s prior-ity legislation still being considered. Since this is an election year, both the state budget and all legislation that requires a roll-call vote (which is all policy) needs to be finished by July 31st to proceed forward this year. As we go to print for this sum-mer issue, this is where we stand:

FY 2015 Budget Update, now being negotiated in Conference Committee:

The recently completed House and Senate budgets made significant investments in services for people with intellectual and developmen-tal disabilities who receive services from the Department of Devel-opmental Services (DDS). Most notable was the investment to fund increases in the rate paid for long

term residential services through CH257 – the first such rate increase in close to thirty years. Transporta-tion also received an increase over last year. The DESE/DDS program and Turning 22 were level funded from last year and there was a slight increase in the Autism Services line item.

The House budget included a $2.5M increase over last year for

Government Affairs UpdateBy Barbara L’Italien, Director of Government Affairs

bers, staff, friends, and corporate and agency represen-tatives together for a rally and celebration of the abilities of people with disabilities.

The primary goal of the event is to increase public awareness for

people with I/DD and the work of The Arc in Massachusetts. As in past years, many of the partici-pants raised pledges to support the work of The Arc.

Part of the large crowd that gathered on Boston Common

The Arc of Massachusetts2

Published by

217 South Street, Waltham, MA 02453 (781) 891-6270 • www.arcmass.org

Leo V. Sarkissian Editor

Judy Zacek Associate Editor

Beth Rutledge Production Coordinator

Carol Daly Layout and Design

The Arc of Massachusetts Board of Directors

OFFICErSDaniel Sullivan President

Tracy Atkinson Vice President

Deborah Norton Treasurer

Kathy Ricciardi Secretary

Frank Sally Immediate Past President

DIrECTOrSJustin Bernard Susan LodemoreMartin Courage Seth P. LopesJim Buss Geoffrey MisiloKatherine Craven Sean MorrisseyTim Evans Renald RaphaelAdam Hill Kathy RicciardiRobert A. Hill Janet RicoJudi Kotanchik Peter TallasMartha Ziegler Joe Andrade, Director EmeritusFlorence Finkel, Director Emeritus

The Arc of Massachusetts StaffLeo V. Sarkissian Executive Director

Barbara L’Italien Director of Government Affairs

Brenda Asis Director of Development

Christopher Jenkins Financial Officer


We celebrate the life and mourn the passing of Maria T. McTernan, longtime Director of Development at the Charles River Center, who passed away on May 3 after a long illness. She is survived by her husband of 34 years, Gerald J. McTernan, and three children, John, Julie and Lori.

John Grugan, President of The Charles River Center, wrote that “From the day Maria began her work as Director of De-velopment at The Charles River Center, she brought a level of passion, commit-ment and determination that made Charles River a better place for both those we serve and the staff that work so tirelessly to brighten the lives of people with developmental disabilities.” He attributed her enormous suc-cess in fundraising to the fact that “people saw her as someone who gave back more than she took. They realized that their generosity was rewarded with sincere gratitude, genuine warmth and appreciation that their support was important to the lives of the people we help.”

In addition to her work at Charles River, Maria was deeply involved with the Rett Syndrome Association of Massachusetts (RSAM), most recently serving as co-president. Her close friend and RSAM officer, Irene Gladstone, recalled that Maria was responsible for the organization’s involvement in the Boston Marathon, which culminated in raising over $180,000 for Rett research this year. “We benefitted from her qualities of being reliable, caring, personable, level-headed, efficient and so much more. Family and friends have suffered a great loss.”

In addition to her work at The Charles River Center and her volunteer activ-ism with the Rett Syndrome Association of Massachusetts, Maria served for several years on The Arc of Massachusetts Distinguished Citizen Awards Committee. In this role she reviewed nominations and helped in the selection of those being recognized for their efforts in enhancing the lives of people with intellectual and developmen-tal disabilities.

In Memoriam: Maria McTernan

Maria T. McTernan

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Achieve with us. 3Achieve with us. 3

The Arc of Massachusetts, with as-sistance from The Arc of the US and the Walmart Foundation, will host a statewide conference on Transition from School to Adult Life: Creat-ing a Vision for the Future on Saturday, September 20, 2014 at the Hogan Center at Holy Cross Col-lege (1 College Street, Worcester).

Conference supporters include Advocates for Autism of Massachu-setts, the Federation for Children with Special Needs, Massachusetts Developmental Disabilities Council, Massachusetts Down Syndrome Congress, Massachusetts Advocates for Children, Massachusetts Depart-ment of Elementary and Secondary Education, Department of Devel-opmental Services, Massachusetts Rehabilitation Commission, and Horace Mann Educational Associates.

This full-day statewide Transition Conference has been specifically planned for parents of children with disabilities between the ages of 14 and 22 who are transitioning from school into the adult world.

The registration fee of $75.00 per person includes continental break-fast and lunch.

The Conference program will include:

• An opportunity to learn about state-of-the-art, best practices around transition, covering topics such as education, employment, independent living skills, etc., focused upon creating seamless, successful transitions into the adult world.

Statewide Transition Conference for Parents• Keynote presentation by JoAnn

Simons, President/CEO of the Cardinal Cushing Centers of Massachusetts. Ms. Simons is the author of “The Down Syndrome Transition Handbook” and the chapter author in several books regarding legal, planning and transition issues. Ms. Simons has an adult son with an intellectual disability.

• Lunchtime presentation by Maria Paiewonsky, Ed. D., Transition Specialist at the Institute for Community Inclusion as well as Director of the Massachusetts Transition Leadership Initiative, a personnel preparation program that prepares Master’s Level Tran-sition Specialists at the University of Massachusetts, Boston.

• Four series of 24 workshop ses-sions; six offered in each series. It is important to select your work-

shop preference for each session when you register.

• A “Technology Playground” will be available all day, staffed by experts who will share their knowledge about IPAD’s, IPOD’s, tablets and appropriate APP’s for preparation for adult life and independence.

registration information:Register as soon as possible using this link: www.arcmass.org

• Deadline is Friday, August 29, 2014.

• Make sure you select your work-shop preferences.

• For special accommodations, dietary needs, or registration inquiries, contact Pat Pakos Email: [email protected] or Phone: 978 440-7609.

• Limited scholarships available

SAVE THE DATE! October 23, 2014On Thursday, October 23, The Arc of Massachusetts will hold its fall gala at The Westin Hotel/Waltham. The evening will include presentation of awards for distinguished service to people with intellectual and devel-opmental disabilities, as well as a reception, dinner, entertainment and an auction. The event – a benefit in support of the work of The Arc -- is chaired by Tracy Atkinson, Vice President of The Arc of Massachusetts Board of Directors.

Located just off Route 128, The Westin is a mirrored landmark in Me-trowest, high on a hill with sweeping views of the surrounding area.

This year’s auction will offer attendees the opportunity to bid on a wide range of items, including vacation homes, tickets to sports events, works of art, jewelry, fine dining and more. If you’d like to become an event sponsor or donate an auction item, contact Brenda Asis or Judy Zacek at 781-891-6270.

Detailed information will be available in a few weeks, but mark your calendars now for this important celebration.


continued on page 5

The program was kicked off by Leo Sarkissian, Executive Director of The Arc of Massachusetts, who invited everyone in the audience to join in an exuberant parade of self-advocates waving bright orange pennants. As participants basked in the warm spring weath-er, they heard an array of speak-ers: State Senator Karen Spilka; Erin Power, a self-advocate from the Center of Hope Foundation; Peter Berns, CEO of The Arc of the United States; and Bruce Bird, President of Vinfen, Inc. Entertain-ment was provided by singer Justin Hines, who also spoke about his own experiences as a person with disabilities; his back-up group Ash & Bloom; and an energetic group of cheerleaders and dancers from the Center of Hope. Al Gertler kept the program moving in his

role as Emcee. Catie Copley, the black lab mascot of the venerable Fairmont Copley Plaza Hotel, who was such a popular participant last year, paid a return visit with her two uniformed concierges to lend her support, and enjoyed pats and pictures with the crowd.

“All Aboard! is not only a day of celebration, but also a very im-portant day for The Arc and the disability community,” said Leo Sarkissian. “This is an important opportunity for all of us to come together to make our case for the value and talents that people with I/DD bring to this state. And the thousands of dollars that participants raised and businesses donated go toward supporting the services and advocacy of The Arc in Massachusetts.”

All Aboard The Arc! sails into Bostoncontd from p. 1

Clients and staff from Beaverbrook STEP were successful fundraisers for All Aboard The Arc!

State Senator Karen Spilka

Justin Hines performs

Bruce Bird, Vinfen

Achieve with us. 5

All Aboard The Arc! sails into Bostoncontd from p. 4

We are grateful to our partners for their generous support of All Aboard The Arc!

Corporate PartnersComcast Business Class, statewide partner

Staples Advantage, statewide partner

Local Partners for The Arc of MassachusettsBelmont Savings BankCharm Medical Supply

Fletcher TiltonHarvard Pilgrim Healthcare

HMEAShepherd Financial Partners

The Arc’s Executive Director, Leo Sarkissian, greets Pamela Karalis and Seth Lopes, Belmont Savings Bank

Peter Berns, The Arc of the United States

Self-advocate Erin Power

Charm is dedicated to improving the independence and well-being of the

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Spotlight on Bridgewell: Living Longer with Disabilities

By Marjorie Arons-Barron and Susan Craven, Clinical Director for Day Services

Juliette is a 55-year-old woman with Down Syndrome. In 1982, Juliette moved from Dever State School to a Bridgewell home, where she did well for several years. In her mid forties, however, she was diagnosed with prob-able Alzheimer’s Disease. There were signs of confusion and a loss of skills related to visual percep-tion, hygiene and eating. As her symptoms increased, it was recommended that Julie move to a residence where staff were specifi-cally trained in caring for those with Alzheimer’s Disease. This was

a ramped home with one-level living, an open floor plan, special-ized wall and flooring treatments and increased staffing to provide more individualized attention. Juliette also transferred to the Bridgewell memory-impaired day hab classroom. This structured environment resulted in Juliette’s increased participation and calmer behavior.

After being diagnosed with Ce-liac Disease, not uncommon for people with Down Syndrome, Juliette was put on a gluten free diet. Following consultation with

the speech pathologist, Juliette’s diet texture was changed to accommodate her increased swallowing difficulty. The quality of Juliette’s life has improved because she is in a home and day program setting where people un-derstand her disease and are sensitive to her changing needs in posi-tive environ-ments.

John is a

41-year-old man diagnosed with cerebral palsy, mild intellectual dis-ability, and esophageal reflux. For several years, he lived on his own in an apartment. Support services came into his home to help with meal prep and activities of daily living. When he was younger, John could walk with a three-prong cane, but as he aged his cerebral palsy became more progressive. For safety and mobility, he needed a wheelchair and eventually a power wheelchair. But then, when John was alone in his apartment, he sustained several falls and had incidents of choking.

Recognizing his increasing vulner-ability, John subsequently agreed to move into a 24-hour Bridgewell supervised community residence. To reduce his risk factor when eating, a diet texture change was recommended to decrease the risk

of aspira-tion pneumo-nia. This was very difficult for John because eating was his greatest pleasure. Staff

worked with him in making safe choices while respecting his desire for tasty food. Within the super-vised community residence, John

continued on page 7

John Crowley is now happy, healthy and safe!

Achieve with us. 7

Spotlight on Bridgewell contd from p. 6

has increased his opportunities to attend social events and to access community resources.

It’s commonly known that the graying of the general population brings a host of medical problems that threaten to weigh down the health care system. The aging of the intellectually disabled person presents an even more daunting set of challenges. Juliette and John are just two examples of many intellectually disabled adults who must cope with the added chal-lenges of early onset Alzheimer’s Disease and other complications of the aging process. Within Bridgewell and other human ser-vice agencies, participants are liv-ing longer and developing sooner a host of physical and cognitive changes related to aging. The challenges they face are multiplied by their already compromised health and cognitive statuses.

Improving their lives is the focus of a Living Longer: Aging with Intel-lectual Disability Conference orga-nized by Bridgewell on September 18 at the Sheraton Framingham Hotel and Conference Center. This

full-day gathering is expected to draw many from health care man-agement, clinicians, direct care professionals, families and guard-ians. It is open to the public.

Whether individuals are com-promised by Alzheimer’s, other dementias, Down Syndrome, or other intellectual disabilities, families, staff and other care givers are looking for answers to better serve them as they age. What skills these individuals have must be maintained for as long as possible. Front and center will be issues raised recently by the National Task Force on Aging, including cognitive and physical changes related to safety, family issues, environmental challenges and safe eating techniques.

Keynote speakers are Matthew Janicki, PhD, Institute of Disability and Human Development, Uni-versity of Illinois – Chicago; and Julie Moran, DO, Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Consul-tant, Tewksbury Hospital and Clini-cal Instructor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School.

“We are excit-ed to address this emerg-ing need by bringing together experts and innovators in the field to share their knowledge,” said Bob Stea-rns, President

and CEO of Bridgewell. “The need is pressing; the time couldn’t be more ripe for this kind of informa-tion sharing,” he continued.

Bridgewell is a private, non-profit human services organization that started half a century ago as a small child guidance center in Lynn, MA. With an ever-expanding mission, Bridgewell is dedicated to supporting and helping individuals with developmental and psychiat-ric disabilities to direct their own lives, achieve personal and profes-sional success, and remain active participants in society. Bridgewell serves nearly 5,500 individuals and their families annually through more than 95 programs, includ-ing 73 residential programs in 23 communities in eastern Massachu-setts. It provides residential and day services, affordable housing and homeless services, clinical ser-vices, recreational services, addic-tive and substance abuse supports, as well as employment training and educational services.

Other conference partners include: Alzheimer’s Association of MA/NH, Center for Professional Innovation, Charles River Center, MA Depart-ment of Developmental Services, National Down Syndrome Society, National Task Force on Disabilities and Dementia Practices, Road to Responsibility, and UMass Boston.

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HealthMeet

The Arc of Massachusetts expands HealthMeet® activities

As part of the HealthMeet® project, The Arc of Massachusetts hosted free Health Assessments for people with intellectual and developmen-tal disabilities (I/DD) during the 2014 Health & Fitness Expo held at the Hynes Convention Center on

Services, Berkshire County Arc, Bridgewell, Charles River Center, Community Connections, Nono-tuck Resource Associates, and Road to Responsibility.

HealthMeet® is a project of The Arc, funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. HealthMeet® brings together chap-ters of The Arc, health profession-als such as doctors and nurses, and others who study health to help people with I/DD live healthier and longer lives.

MAKE YOUR PLANBECOME A REALITYThe mission of the SUPPORTbrokers program is to assist individuals with disabilities and the elderly to achieve community membership based upon their personal vision

217 South StreetWaltham, MA 02453Phone: 781.891.6270 EXT109E-mail: [email protected]

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• Special Needs Planning

• Transition Planning & Adult Services

• Guardianship & Considering Alternatives

• AdvocacyFor more information call our Special Needs Practice Group leader, Frederick M. Misilo, Jr., at 508.459.8059 or email him at [email protected].

Look for our Special Needs Trust Seminar

coming in November!

Advocate Ad-Summer '14.indd 1 6/2/14 10:40 AM

June 14-15. Participants also received help to find health care services and learn about making healthy choices.

According to Brenda Asis, project director, The Arc is partnering with a number of human service agencies to

bring health assessments to local communities.

We appreciate the participation and commitment of the following agencies: Association for Com-munity Living, Bay Cove Human

Achieve with us. 9

Government Affairs

the Family Supports program. State Operated homes, Service Coordi-nation, and MassHealth were also higher in the House. The House also included the original language of the Real Lives bill as an outside section of their budget.

The Senate budget included $5M in funding for the employment initiative to place more individuals into integrated, community-based employment. Community Residen-tial and MRC employment were also higher in the Senate.

As we go to print, the House and Senate are negotiating the differ-ences between their two budget versions into one final document to send to the Governor. The Arc’s Government Affairs committee members, ADDP and many others are advocating for the higher fund-ing amounts for Family Supports and Employment and the inclusion of the Real Lives language into the final budget.

real Lives Bill (H4151):The Real Lives bill expands the abil-ity of people to decide where and with whom they want to live and work by self-directing their DDS service dollars. The bill requires that the administration implement certain new policies and proce-dures to allow public funds to be used as flexibly as possible by the individual or family and provides for the utilization of fiscal interme-diaries to assist if desired.

This bill has had many twists and

turns. It was filed by Representative Tom Sannicandro as H 151; then substantially rewritten by Sena-tor Mike Barrett (H4063) when reported out of the Committee on Children and Families; and then returned to the original version (now H4151) when reported out of the Health Care Finance Commit-tee to House Ways and Means. The original language also was included in the House version of the budget and, if adopted into the final bud-get, would then be added into the DDS statute. The Arc and MA21 continue to advocate on behalf of the passage of this important legislation.

National Criminal

Background Check

(H4125):The National Criminal Back-ground bill was originally filed by former Rep-resentative and current Boston Mayor Martin Walsh. Pas-sage of the bill would require that anyone who has poten-tial for unsuper-vised contact with a client of DDS submit

their fingerprints to be checked against a national criminal data-base. This would extend to DDS and its vendor agencies.

Currently, DDS and vendor agen-cies are required to conduct statewide CORI checks, but no national check, which means that an applicant’s criminal record out-side of Massachusetts may not be identified.

The bill was re-written to comport with federal regulations and is pat-terned after a similar law passed to protect students up to age 22. The

Government Affairs Update contd from p. 1

continued on page 10


Government Affairs

authors of the re-write included Geoff Misilo of The Arc’s Govern-ment Affairs Committee and Tara Hopper-Zeltner of ADDP among others. The Massachusetts Down Syndrome Congress has led coor-dination of the bill and Paul Willen-brock and Barbara L’Italien of The Arc have been part of the advoca-cy effort. The bill is in House Ways and Means and we are hopeful for its passage this year.

House passes Omnibus Autism Bill (H4047), awaiting

action in the Senate:On April 17, the House of Repre-sentatives unanimously passed a comprehensive Autism bill, House 4047, filed by House Ways and Means. The bill was a combination of many of the pieces of legisla-tion filed by Representative Garrett Bradley in January of 2013 as a re-sult of the work by the Governor’s Autism Commission. The legisla-tion would reestablish the Autism Commission as a permanent and autonomous entity, necessary since the previous commission sun-set-ted upon release of the report. It provides for an executive director to support autism advocacy, train-ing and reporting.

There are two specific areas direct-ed to study -- the long-term needs for housing and employment -- in addition to the areas of study and recommendations previously cov-ered by the commission.

DDS will now be directed to in-

clude in its eligibility guidelines the federal definition of developmental disability for people on the autism spectrum and those with Prader Willi. This change will assist many whose functional needs are not re-flected by their IQ score and who are now denied access to DDS.

Public school teachers will have the option to attain an “Autism Endorsement” certification – a con-centration in autism coursework and training to be leaders within their school communities.

A tax-free savings account will be established -- patterned after the federal ABLE ACT legislation -- to allow all disabled families to save in a 529-style plan for expenses including education, housing, and any other needed supports and services.

After passage in the House, the bill was sent to the Senate Ways and Means Committee where histori-cally there has been support for the development of autism sup-ports. Members of The Arc, AFAM, and AANE have been meeting with key Senate decision makers on the bill during April and May (and are trying to add MassHealth cover-age of autism treatments) and are working toward its passage.

An Act to increase the Commonwealth’s compliance

with federal law meeting requirements of the

ADA (H136):This bill directs the Executive

Office of Administration and Finance (A&F) to develop stan-dards to identify and recruit quali-fied applicants with disabilities for employment and would require agencies or businesses which contract with the state to comply with those benchmarks. Results of those hiring efforts would be required to be reported annually to the legislature. The bill was filed by Representative Jim O’Day and is currently in House Ways and Means. The Arc has been working on this as part of an Easter Seals-led group of cross-disability advo-cacy groups to create a pipeline of new job opportunities for people with disabilities.

Additional Priorities of The Arc in House Ways and Means:

H4067- An Act for Passage to Independence

H87/S24 – An Act to Support the Transition to Adult Services for Persons with Disabilities

H4068 – An Act facilitating the development of underutilized facilities and state-owned property

H3997 – An Act for Healthy Families

H149 – An Act creating a means for tracking the unmet need of individuals with developmental disabilities

S601 – Resolve providing for investigation and study by a special commission relative to the need for accessible homes



Achieve with us. 11

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Living independently. Staying healthy. Taking part in all the opportunities our communities have to offer.

These are goals we all share, but they can be hard to achieve – particularly for individuals with an intellectual or developmental disability.

“Mary,” a 25-year-old with devel-opmental disabilities, shares these goals. So does her mother, guard-ian and caregiver, who knows she needs help coordinating and man-aging Mary’s complex care needs.

In November 2013, Mary’s mother enrolled Mary in the Common-wealth Care Alliance One Care program. Soon afterwards, Mary and her mother began working with a team of care givers focused on coordinating Mary’s care and

Commonwealth Care Alliance’s One Care: A coordinated, customized approach

to I/DD health careneeded services. Mary’s Nurse Practitioner, part of her team, communicated with all of Mary’s specialists to ensure that each of her providers were appropriately informed about Mary’s health and other care needs. In addition, a Behavioral Health Specialist was added to Mary’s team to ad-dress issues at Mary’s work. The specialist attended an Individual Service Plan meeting and met with representatives from DDS and her day program in order to ensure that her services were in place and would remain stable for Mary.

With the help of her care team, Mary has been enjoying an in-creased sense of security and support. At the same time, Mary’s mother has experienced truly dramatic changes. With Mary enrolled in One Care, she now has

several people she can turn to for support. If Mary is sick, she can get help by just making a phone call. In addition, Mary is going through a change in guardianship, and Mary’s mother can work directly with members of the care team to complete the needed documentation.

In partnership with MassHealth and Medicare, Commonwealth Care Alliance began its One Care program last fall, and its unique care model is already bringing pos-itive results to many members like Mary. The program has been effec-tive in reducing emergency room visits, improving people’s quality of life and health, and addressing unmet needs for long term services and supports (LTSS).

One Care is part of a national demonstration created under the Affordable Care Act. A collabo-ration between the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and the Massachusetts Medicaid office, One Care serves individuals under the age of 65 who qualify for both Medicare and Medicaid and are not currently served under a Medicaid waiver program. With One Care, I/DD individuals con-tinue to receive all the benefits of MassHealth and Medicare, as well as any other services under State DDS programs and have access to increased care coordination and expanded services to meet the unique needs of each enrolled person. continued on page 13



Officers, Board Members elected at The Arc’s Annual Meeting

The 2014 Annual Meeting of The Arc of Massachusetts was held at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Natick on May 22. Executives from chapters of The Arc from across the Commonwealth joined board

members, staff and others to hear a report of The Arc’s activities for the past year, approve the budget for the next fiscal year, elect of-ficers and members of The Arc of Mas-sachusetts Board of Directors and hear heartfelt comments from two speakers.

Daniel Sullivan was elected President of the organiza-tion, Tracy Atkinson was elected Vice President and Deborah Norton was re-elected to another term as Treasurer. The post of Secretary will be filled by Kathy Ricciardi. Former

board president Frank Sally will now serve as Immediate Past President.

Three new members were elected to the Board: Martin Courage, Man-aging Direc-tor – Wealth & Investment Management, Barclays; Geof-frey Misilo, attorney with FletcherTilton; and Nurse Practitioner Janet Sweeney Rico, Ph.D.,

Cynthia R. Haddad, CFP® & John W. Nadworny, CFP®

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Executive Director Leo Sarkissian and Board Member, Adam Hill

Barbara L’Italian, Director of Government Affairs

who previously served on the Board from 2004 to 2010. Re-elect-ed to serve an additional three-year term were Board members Justin Bernard, Adam Hill and Kathy Ricciardi.

Retiring Board members Elizabeth Bostic and Chris Andry were recog-nized for their service.

A highlight of the evening was a preview showing of a new video about The Arc of Massachusetts. The featured speakers were Bar-bara L’Italien, The Arc’s Director of Government Affairs, and Board member Adam Hill. Barbara spoke

Achieve with us. 13

The Arc of South Norfolk’s Family Autism Center

was created in 1996 by a dedicated group of parents to meet the needs of people diagnosed with

Autism Spectrum Disorders and their families.

Today, Family Autism Center serves over 600 families throughout Norfolk County by offering the following programs:

• Outreach Services/Information & Referrals • Advocacy & Assistance • Family Support • Resource Library • Education and Training For Families and Educators • The ALEC Program (Autism & Law Enforcement

Education Coalition)- Specialized training for First Responders

For more information and to become involved with Family Autism Center, please contact The Arc of South Norfolk at

781-762-4001 www.arcsouthnorfolk.org Family Autism Center is one of the 7 DDS-funded autism

support centers in Massachusetts

about her son Rudy, who has Asperger’s Syndrome, and movingly described the challenges he has faced as well as her vision for his future. Adam, a self-advocate, elo-quently responded to questions from Executive Director Leo Sarkissian about his life and hopes.

We are grateful to the following for

Officers, Board Members elected at The Arc’s Annual Meeting

contd from p. 12

Incoming President of The Arc’s Board of Directors, Dan Sullivan

Greg Blume, Frye Insurance, greets Daryl-Ann Cook, Executive Director of The Arc of the South Shore

their generous sponsorship of this year’s annual meeting: Charm Medical Supply, Frye Agency – Insurance and Real Estate, Kevin P. Martin & Associ-ates PC and Justice Resource Institute.

Commonwealth Care Alliance’s One Care contd from p. 11

Central to the One Care model is care integration relating to medical, behavioral, social, and community integration needs. Commonwealth Care Alliance One Care members have an integrated team of health and social services profes-sionals and others, including family members or guardians. Care is delivered in the home, the community, or in a tra-ditional health care setting—whatever works best. Working together, this team delivers on a personal care plan crafted to meet the unique needs and objectives of each member – not just Mary, but the 7,500 other people with intellectual, physi-cal, and behavioral disabilities that have joined CCA’s One Care Plan since October 2013.

To learn more about Commonwealth Care Alliance’s One Care plan, and our personalized, coordinated care model, call 866-610-2273 (TTY 711) seven days a week, 8 am to 8 pm, or visit www.commonwealthonecare.org. You can also call MassHealth’s Customer Service Center at 800-842-2900 (TTY 800-49-4648), Monday through Friday, 8 am to 5 pm.

Achieve with us. 15

Operation House Call

Three years ago, when Jennifer Williams was asked by Maura Buckley to consider participating in Operation House Call as a Host Family, she happily agreed. She was motivated by her awareness that every time she took her daughter, Sierra, to a medical appointment, she felt that she had to do a lot of teaching because so many doctors and other health professionals had not had any training about dis-abilities. “Having an opportunity through OHC to reach medical students is really important,” she says. “The program not only gives them valuable information but also direct experience.” That experience includes both the child with a dis-ability and the entire family.

Jenn’s commitment to the pro-gram led her and her daughter to become co-teachers at both Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM) and Tufts Medical School, and now she has become a mem-ber of the OHC team in another

Another member of the OHC Team: Jennifer Williams, Family Coordinator

way: she is the Family Coordinator for the BUSM program. In this role she is the interface between the OHC team and the volunteer fami-lies, recruiting families and match-ing them with students.

Profiles are developed both for students and for host families. Students, for example, are queried about their past experience with people with disabilities – which may range from none at all to having a family member with a disability. Families are asked to provide infor-mation about the family structure and dynamics – whether or not there are two parents, siblings, or grandparents living in the home, whether the child also has medical complications, and what sort of ac-tivities the child enjoys. Students al-most always visit the family in pairs and often the pair is composed of a male and female student.

Although Operation House Call is a component of a student’s academic training for a career in medicine or

allied health sciences, Jenn notes that the program goes beyond a strictly academic approach by introducing the student to the per-spective of families. “We subscribe to the concept of ‘Nothing about us without us’,” she says. That approach is reflected in OHC’s six learning objectives:

• Building rapport with families

• Understanding sibling issues

• Using people-first language

• Understanding community resources

• Delivering difficult news

• Monitoring their own (i. e., the student’s) biases

Operation House Call depends on the families who volunteer to serve as hosts. If you are interested in learning more about this op-portunity, contact Jennifer Williams at 978-496-7511 or at [email protected]

Co-teacher Tiny addresses Tufts medical students

Priority of The Arc in Senate Ways and Means:

H1366 – An Act relative to uni-form guardianship and protective proceedings jurisdiction

The Arc of Massachusetts’ advo-cacy efforts are year-round. We will give an update in the fall issue of Advocate.



Friendship Corner

GWArc participants bring personal experience to Brandeis event

Three GWArc participants were powerful guest speakers at an event at Brandeis University in March entitled “Spread the Word to End the Word.” The event’s purpose was to raise awareness and sensitivity about casual use of the words “retard” or “retarded,” also referred to as the R word, among students.

Kristina Smith, a participant in GWArc’s GSE Program, and Joe O’Connell and Marci Simons, par-ticipants in GWArc’s Plus Program, represented GWArc’s Watch City Self Advocates at the event. Each spoke about what the R word means to them. Kristina’s speech is printed in full below. Joe said “No one should use the R word. It’s not nice.” Marci, following up on Kristina’s remarks, added “People with developmental disabilities can do anything,” and said that she has plans to go back to school for medical technology..

Massachusetts State Representa-tive Tom Sannicandro (D-Ash-land), a developmental disabilities advocate, was a featured speaker at the event, and spoke about discrimination he has experienced with his son, who has Down Syn-drome. Although discrimination toward those with developmen-tal disabilities has not ended, he thinks society is progressing in the right direction as state legislatures

work to eliminate dehumanizing attitudes.

GWArc’s short film “Our Question,” which asks over 30 GWArc partici-pants what they like about them-selves or what they like, was also shown at the event. The movie, filmed in 2013 with assistance from WCAC-TV, The Waltham Channel, can be viewed by visiting www.gwarc.org.

Leah Igdalsky, Brandeis ’14, and GWArc Development Associate, helped coordinate the event, which was jointly presented by

Brandeis Buddies and SPECTRUM. Brandeis Buddies works to build friendships between Brandeis students and adults with devel-opmental disabilities who work at Brandeis, while SPECTRUM is a disability awareness group that aims to develop bonds between Brandeis students and families of children with developmental dis-abilities. “We wanted to make sure our campus and community is aware that language matters and the way you talk affects people,” Igdalsky said.

Remarks by Kristina SmithHello my name is Kristina Smith.

Today I have been asked to talk about the R word and what it means to me. The R word means slow or limited in intellectual understand-ing. The slang meaning is dumb or stupid. This word was used to de-scribe people with developmental disabilities in the past but it is no longer used today. Because nothing about the R word has anything to do with people who have developmental disabilities.

People with developmental disabilities are so much more than that word. We are athletes, artists, dancers, workers, singers, teachers, sisters, brothers, mothers, fathers and friends. We are just as smart and capable as anyone else!

I am an advocate and I stand up for myself and other people. If someone used the R word to hurt someone else’s feelings, I would stand up for them. It is wrong to use this word to hurt people. If you still choose to use this word, know that it has nothing to do with me or anyone else with developmental disabilities! We are so much more than a word!! Thank you!

Achieve with us. 17

Friendship Corner

Over the last 2 years The real Friends Project has provided dozens of trainings and presentations to over 2,000 individuals. The “In-troduction to Friends” workshop includes a segment where par-ticipants brainstorm and explore various benefits that “friendships” bestow upon people with and without disabilities. Very quickly people will list the obvious (but important) benefits of companion-ship, reduced isolation, increased opportunities for activities, sense of self-worth, etc. But it usually takes a while -- and often requires prompting from the facilitator -- for participants to list “better health” as a proven and crucial benefit of friendship.

The link between having friends and an individual’s physical and

People with friends are healthier!By Jim ross and Mary Ann Brennen

Coordinators, The real Friends Project(With contribution from Elizabeth Pell, Human Services research Institute)

emotional health has received some study. To name just a few resources:

• The World Health Organization credits “our relationships with friends and family” as one of the determinants of health (http://www.who.int/hia/ evidence/doh/en/).

• “The Health Benefits of Strong Relationships” (December 2010 Harvard Medical School-Health Publication) touts that “Good connections can improve health and increase longevity” (http://www.health.harvard.edu/newsletters/Harvard_Womens_Health_Watch/2010/December/the-health-benefits-of-strong-relationships).

• “Friendships: Enrich your life and improve your health”, by the

Mayo Clinic Staff, emphasizes that “Good friends are good for your health” (http://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-living/adult-health/in-depth/friend-ships/art-20044860).

Too often we hear human services staff say that they do not have the time to spend helping people with disabilities they support to connect with other individuals in ways that might lead to friend-ships. They say they need to con-centrate on “mandates” related to health and safety. The sooner that everyone realizes that friendships contribute to good health, the sooner they can begin doing the challenging but rewarding work of bringing people together to ben-efit everyone in many ways.

o YES! I will support The Arc of Massachusetts with a tax-deductible gift.

Name: ____________________________________________________________

Address: ___________________________________________________________

Amount: $_________________

Phone: ____________________ Email: ________________________________

Please make checks payable to The Arc of Massachusetts and mail to:

The Arc of Massachusetts, 217 South Street, Waltham, MA 02453

To donate by credit card, go to: www.arcmass.org and click on Donate Now

For more Information:

www.arcmass.org 781-891-6270 [email protected]


News from the chapters of The Arc

Gene Pelkey has worked as a production worker in the Ship-ping and Receiving Department of Zip ‘N Sort Mail Services for the past five years. Zip ‘N Sort Mail Services, a large mail business in Pittsfield, Massachusetts operated by Berkshire County Arc, employs 18 individuals with disabilities and 16 additional production and cus-tomer service employees. Zip ‘N Sort employees use state-of-the art equipment to satisfy its customer base of nearly 400 local, national and international entities, includ-ing schools, colleges and univer-sities, insurance companies and non-profit organizations.

Zip ‘N Sort Mail Services provides meaningful employment experiences

By Paul Gavrity, Associate Executive Director, Berkshire County Arc

Gene has achieved a sense of balance and meaning in his personal and work life, feels challenged by his job and is happy to come to work each day. This was not always the case; after high school, Gene had numerous jobs, lacked discipline and a solid work ethic. When he was hired at Zip ‘N Sort Mail Services, Gene quickly became an integral part of the team and was given increased responsi-bilities due to his achieved competencies.

In his position at Zip ‘N Sort Mail Services, Gene

moves large quantities of materials from trucks to work areas for mail processing and shipping prepa-ration. Gene’s experience and efficiency has helped Zip ‘N Sort greatly improve its productivity. In addition, Gene’s position provides him with the opportunity to work independently, as well as part of a team. “I like working here, espe-cially in Shipping and Receiving. I like being busy and independent at work,” Gene commented. When he’s not at work, Gene and his wife are active participants in their church, and Gene is the lead drummer in the church band.

According to the U.S. Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statis-tics, individuals with disabilities often experience barriers to gainful employment, including lack of education and/or training and the need for accommodations, and factors relating to their disabilities that impede their ability to per-form certain job functions. Fortu-nately, due to legislation — such as the Americans with Disabilities Act in 1990 — and increased sup-ported employment opportunities, individuals with disabilities in the United States who are working in full- and part-time positions cur-rently represent 17 percent of the nation’s workforce. Gene’s success is a great example of the positive outcomes that can be achieved when job matching is successful.

Gene Pelkey at work at Zip ‘N Sort Mail Services

Target Your

Advertising

Achieve with us. 19


Minute Man Arc is moving to a bigger and better site!

We’re looking for a few exceptional

women!

Stockbridge, Massachusetts • 413.298.4926 • www.riverbrook.org

Riverbrook women are exceptional…not because of their developmental

disabilities, but because of their will tosucceed. At Riverbrook, we nurture that

spirit with a whirlwind of quality activities,personalized care, jobs in the community,cultural excursions and fun. The result—women who are more accomplished and

confident with each passing day.

After more than three years of searching for a new home that will accommodate Minute Man Arc, the agency is moving to a new location at 35 Forest Ridge Road in Concord beginning in the fall. MMA’s adult participants will be

the first to move to this larger, more modern facility that is abun-dant with natural light and high ceilings. Programs will spread out over two levels and 14,000 square feet of space. Individuals will be able to enjoy five acres of outdoor recreational space in a beautiful wooded area with walking access into the community.

Currently, the agency is utilizing two sites while it continues to grow and attract more people to its programs in Early Intervention, Em-ployment, Family Services, Residen-

tial Services and Day Habilitation. With a larger facility at hand, Min-ute Man Arc will soon have room to improve and expand participant services, and offer new experiences like outdoor gardening, picnicking, walking to the grocery store and hiking on forest trails.

Minute Man Arc is very excited to begin the next chapter in its 56-year history with a new facility that will support the people it serves for years to come. Stay tuned for more information and photos as we ap-proach move-in day!

Minute Man Arc’s new home

Living Longer:Aging with Intellectual

Disability

A full-day conference for health care management, clinicians, direct care professionals, families and guardians.

Thursday, Sept. 18, 2014Sheraton Framingham Conference Center

www.bridgewell.org/livinglonger

In partnership with Alzheimer’s Association of MA/NH, Center for Professional Innovation, MA Dept. of Developmental Services, National

Down Syndrome Society, National Task Group on Intellectual Disabilities and Dementia Practices, Road to Responsibility and UMass Boston

Lead SponsorsThe Charles River Center Road to Responsibility



For four months, students enjoyed beyond-the-textbook learning on the campus of Merrimack College, more and more a common occur-rence. The college is laser focused on providing real-world work experience for their students and many are engaged in community projects. One class in particular hooked together research and physical activity promotion – Health Sciences students were matched up with individuals attending CLASS programs to develop physical fitness goals.

And the results are in.

“The outcomes were predictable in some respects but we had some surprises, too,” said Lisa Beck, di-rector of the Day Habilitation pro-grams at CLASS. “For one, bonds developed between our folks and the students, which we expected, but some students are contemplat-ing changing their concentration of studies because they found working with our population so

A healthy dose of learning for students…and CLASSBy robin Ellington, The Arc of Greater Lawrence/CLASS, Inc.

rewarding and enjoy-able. Stu-dents were transformed and genuine affection developed. They still inquire how our folks are doing.”

What started as an idea in the fall semes-ter of 2013 developed into a class the following semester, with full support from the state Department of Developmental Services. Drs. Zi Yan, Michael Corcoran and Kevin Finn of Merrimack College devel-oped the curriculum after being awarded the 2014-2015 Paul E. Murray Fellowship in Science and Engineering for their proposal, “Promoting Physical Activity and Fitness among Individuals with Intellectual Disabilities.”

The collaboration was one of several between the college and CLASS, but this is the first to take place in the gym, with a hop, skip and a jump.

About 30 students from the Health Behavior and Promotion course were matched with 30 individuals with I/DD from the Turning 22 program at CLASS, those who most recently have left high school. After the kickoff with assessments of each indi-

vidual, including weight, balance and strength testing, students met twice a week for six weeks to check in, calculate changes and exchange pep talks.

“This was the trial year, and all the prep work has been done,” Beck said. “It’s typical for a professor to win one grant for one year, but Dr. Yan has won yet another grant to continue the work in the fall, which is remarkable. And this time the length of classes will be a full 10 weeks.”

People with I/DD face unique personal, social and environmental barriers that may reduce their ac-cess to physical activity opportuni-ties. Drs. Yan, Corcoran and Finn developed the model to promote


Tina and Ben high five during their assessments conducted by Health Sciences students at Merrimack College.

Jannelle concentrates on her balance while is timed by Merrimack College students time her endurance.

Achieve with us. 21


A healthy dose of learning for students

… and CLASScontd from p. 20

Success Story: Noel LevasseurBy Jaelle Bopp, Director of Day Habilitation Services, The Arc of Bristol County

Each morning at the Middle-boro Day Habilitation Services, Noel Levasseur stands in front of his peers and teaches American Sign Language. Noel takes great pride in sharing his knowledge of American Sign Language with fel-low program attendees. Thanks to grants from Staples and the Doug Flutie, Jr. Foundation for Autism, Noel is able to use iPads that were donated to record his peers sign-ing some of the words and phras-es that they have learned from him. These videos are accessible from The Arc of Bristol County’s website, www.arcnbc.org.

Noel has been a participant of The Arc of Bristol County’s Day Ha-bilitation program since 2011. He exemplifies what it means to be a peer leader. Besides his sign lan-guage lessons, he creates project ideas within program groups and cultivates the creativity in others. On most days after lunch Noel can often be found reading jokes to friends to put a smile on their faces, or to keep the mood light. Naturally kindhearted, genuine and caring, Noel is always sure to include others in projects, and is a willing participant in the activities of others. Noel is able to shine in the spotlight, but more important-ly he encourages his peers to shine as well, and happily sits back to cheer them on. When asked about teaching sign language Noel said “I like to teach all the people at

Noel Levasseur signs for “heart.”

The Arc signs about the seasons.”

Noel participates in volunteer activities both at the program and outside. Noel volunteers his nights and weekends during the Halloween season each year at the Lakeville Haunted House, a non-profit organization that donates its proceeds to area non- profits. For the past two years, after being nominated by Noel, The Arc of Bristol County has received chari-table donations from the Lakeville Haunted House to support partici-pant activities

Noel is the recipient of this year’s Self-Determination Award from The Arc of Bristol County.

About The Arc of Bristol Coun-ty’s Day Habilitation Services in Middleborough, MA: While safety, health and well-being are first in priority, so is the personal growth and self-expression of those who attend. The Arc strives to create a Day Habilitation program that is responsive to the needs and creativity of our partici-pants. The program fosters these ideals by incorporating groups like drama, newsletter, sign language, videography and photography into the program schedule. It is often observed that participants encourage each other to find new and creative means of self-expres-sion to share with the program and the community.

physical activity as a cost-efficient in-tervention program, and hope it will further benefit 6.5 million people with I/DD in the United States.

“With this project, we are promot-ing physical activity in hopes par-ticipants will learn new and fun ways to be active that can lead to a healthier lifestyle,” Yan said. “For our students, this is a great experi-ential learning opportunity for them to apply the concepts that they are learning in class and to interact with a population many of them have limited experience working with. Overall, I am excited for the oppor-tunities that exist for both the CLASS participants and the Merrimack Health Sciences students.”



Two new programs launched with support from Northeast Arc’s com-munity partners and donors are putting young adults on the path to successful careers.

Project Search, offered in partner-ship with Salem State University (SSU) and the Department of Devel-opmental Services, provides employ-ment training and internships on campus for 10 young adults with developmental or intellectual dis-abilities. Using a model developed by Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, Project Search pro-vides classroom instruction coupled with three internships per partici-pant over the course of a year. Upon completion of the program, partici-pants are prepared for employment with the host organization or in local businesses using the same skill sets.

Project Search participant Kristen Davarich is interning at the Gassett Fitness Center at SSU.

“I’m conducting a survey. I clean

treadmills, bikes, mats and windows. I do some office work. I’ve been shredding and sometimes I collect laundry (gym towels), wash it and fold it,” said Kristen. What does she like best about her internship? “Helping out others. I like being here and learning new things.”

Kristen’s mom, Eileen Davarich, also raves about the program. “It’s raised her self-confi-dence. She’s been presented with some challenges in her internship that a few years ago she could not have handled, but the training she received at Heritage reduced her anxiety. She sees she can be success-ful. I just think it’s been fabulous. The people at SSU are very accept-ing of her. I couldn’t be prouder,” said Eileen.

Reviews from SSU have been equally positive.

“She’s doing an amazing job. She’s very excited to be here so it makes it that much better. She’s always smiling,” said Brittani Field, Facility Supervisor for the Gassett Fitness Center.

Meanwhile, an initiative for students who already know which field they want to pursue is ramping up. A grant from The Peter and Elizabeth C. Tower Foundation is enabling

North Shore Community College (NSCC) and Northeast Arc to devel-op a postsecondary, vocationally-fo-cused noncredit education program for Essex County residents ages 18-26, with intellectual and develop-mental disabilities, including autism.

The College and Career Access Program (CCAP), launching this fall, will offer noncredit certificate train-ing for up to 10 participants in each of three career areas: Horticulture, Animal Care, and Arts/Entrepreneur-ship. Courses offered will be based on NSCC credit courses with imbed-ded accommodations to meet the learning needs of young adults with intellectual and developmental dis-abilities. The program will provide work readiness seminars, coursework in specific career pathways as well as supported internships. Together these elements will help the par-ticipants find, and be successful in, meaningful employment.

The CCAP is a tuition- based pro-gram. Northeast Arc donors at our 60th Anniversary Gala gave addition-al gifts to raise scholarship funds for participants in the Arts/Entrepreneur-ship track which will be based at the ArcWorks Community Art Center and supported by Montserrat College of Art, in addition to NSCC.

For CCAP application information, please visit http://ne-arc.org/servic-es/transition-2/college-career-access-project/.

Kristen is conducting a survey as part of her internship.

Northeast Arc College Partnerships Benefit Young Adults with Disabilities

Applications now being accepted for the College and Career Access ProjectBy Susan ring Brown, Director of Development, Northeast Arc

Achieve with us. 23


On September 23, 1954, Mrs. Ruth Holman of Walpole, Massachusetts placed a notice in the local papers: “Parents of Exceptional Children Are Asked to Share Problem Together” was the way the Norwood Tribune titled it. The notice was directed towards parents of children with developmental disabilities in Can-ton, Medfield, Sharon, Walpole and Westwood, in order to “help bring the children out of the shadows and into the light.” The posting drew a re-sponse from families that are credited with establishing The Arc of South Norfolk, and many are still affiliated with the organization today.

Since that ad in 1954, the programs and services offered by The Arc of South Norfolk have evolved and ex-panded to meet the changing needs of the people and families served throughout Norfolk County.

To kick off the year of celebrating 60 Years of Achievements, The Arc of South Norfolk hosted their first ever “Dancing With The Arc!” at the Nor-wood Elks in Norwood, MA on April 25th. The event was a huge success, raising close to $10,000 and promot-ing inclusion and awareness for peo-ple diagnosed with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Fun was had by all, as guests came to watch our celebrities dance the night away as they competed to be the winners of the event. Celebrities included: Leo Sarkissian, Executive Director of The Arc of Massachusetts; Lisa Borges, Executive Director of The Doug Flutie,

The Arc of South Norfolk Celebrates 60 Years of Achievements!

Jr. Foundation for Autism; Dan Burke, President and CEO of The Arc of South Norfolk and Lifeworks, Inc.; Representative Paul McMurtry, State Representative from the 11th Norfolk District in Massachusetts; and Karen Powell, Self-Advocate at The Arc of South Norfolk. Lisa Borges and her dance partner, Jan Ondrias of Savaria Dance Studio, took home trophies for best performance while Karen Powell and her dance partner, Shane Fitzgerald, an internationally recog-nized Irish Step Dancer, took home the trophies as the crowd winning performers. The Arc of South Norfolk would like to thank all of our partici-pants and supporters who helped make the event such a success and invite you to watch the performances

at The Arc of South Norfolk website www.arcsouthnorfolk.org.

The Arc of South Norfolk will con-tinue the celebration of 60 Years of Achievements by hosting a 60th Anniversary Gala Event at The Four Points Sheraton in Norwood, MA on Thursday, November 13, 2014. Save the date, as it will be an event you will not want to miss! Come be a part of the night as The Arc of South Nor-folk looks back on its achievements and accomplishments, and outlines its path for the future.

More details to follow- we look forward to seeing you there! For information, contact The Arc of South Norfolk, 789 Clapboardtree St, Westwood, MA 02090 781-762-4001 www.arcsouthnorfolk.org

Pictured are the celebrities and dancers who donated their time in helping The Arc of South Norfolk celebrate their 60 Years of Achievements at the first ever “Dancing with The Arc” event. From left: Dan Burke, Lisa Borges, Jan Ondrias, Dana Pellitteri, Shane Fitzgerald, Karen Powell, Leo Sarkissian, Samantha Graham, Stephanie Montgomery, Representative Paul McMurtry


217 South StreetWaltham, MA 02453(781) 891-6270www.arcmass.org

List of AdvertisersThe Arc of South Norfolk

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support the mission of The Arc of Massachusetts.

Achieve with us.

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Berkshire County Arc launches Youth Mentoring Program

Berkshire County Arc has launched a new Youth Mentoring Program. Through the program, volunteer mentors provide guidance and support either one-on-one or in small groups to youth ages

14 to 25. Examples of activities in which mentors participate include recreational activities, such as go-ing to the movies and out to eat, and social and creative activities, including dances, arts-and-crafts and field trips to local places of interest.

“I love being involved with the Youth Mentoring Program. It’s a truly rewarding experience,” commented Berkshire County Arc Family Advocate Chris Ferrari.

For more information about Berkshire County Arc’s Youth Mentoring Program, contact Maryann at 413-499-4241, ext. 227 or [email protected], or visit http://bcarc.org/program- volunteer-programs.asp.

Holly Vacchina and her mentor, Berkshire County Arc Family Advocate Chris Ferrari.

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