Summer 2014 - Amego Inc.

Summer 2014
33 Perry Ave., Attleboro, MA 02703
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Ph: 508-455-6200
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Fax: 508-455-6211
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www.amegoinc.org
Spring and Summer Have Proven to be Busy Times for Amego
This spring we learned that Amego has been approved
as a specialty provider for early intervention services.
This means that Amego is allowed to contract for Applied
Behavior Analysis services for children under the age of
three receiving early intervention services.
Julie Hayes, VP of Consultative Services, spearheaded the
lengthy competitive process that led to being awarded the
approval. Many thanks to Julie for putting this together
and allowing Amego to offer much-needed services to this
population.
In adult services, Chapter 257 rates for residential services
went into effect in the spring. We are happy to be offering
significant pay increases to our collectively bargained staff
as a result of these rate changes. It has been a long time
coming and is well-deserved! Thanks to everyone who
advocated for this much-needed initiative.
As program growth continues to be slower in adult services
(as planned) than in recent years, Amego welcomes a new
Vice President of Adult Services – Kellie Lennon. Kellie
comes to Amego with years of experience in both the public
and private sectors and has a background in developing
and modifying service delivery systems for the adult
population. We welcome her to Amego and look forward
to her leadership in this division.
One of the primary needs in adult services is identifying
a new site for day services in our Northborough Program.
We took this program site on a few years ago and in the
coming months will be looking to relocate. The current
location presents significant limitations to provide the
individuals we support adequate services. This will be a
major challenge, but in the short and long-term, the people
we support and their staff will benefit from the change.
Children’s services continue to be very busy as well. This
division has applied for a day-only license to allow school
districts to refer children to our school without living in
one of our residential homes. This has been a lengthy process and we are hoping to have approval in the near future.
While the approval will be welcome, the reality is that we
will already be close to capacity with students that districts
have already placed.
As part of Amego’s strategic plan, we will be addressing
current and future space issues. As this occurs, input from
stakeholders is sought and welcome.
On the staffing front, one change that occurred in our last
collective bargaining agreement was Amego’s administration’s ability to recognize staff for instances of exceptional
performance.
As a result of this initiative, over 60 direct care staff to date
have received on-the-spot bonuses for going above and
beyond what is typically expected. While staff perform at
high standards every day, it is very
rewarding to be able to recognize
exceptional acts as they occur.
We are thrilled that there has been
much positive momentum this
spring and summer, and are looking forward to the same this fall as
the summer winds down.
John Randall,
President & CEO
After 23 years of dedicated service, Al Brooks left Amego on June 25th to pursue a new career in the computer/
technology field. It is remarkable to point out the fact that Al supported the same group of men during his entire 23 years with Amego and that his commitment and dedication to those men of Brook Street was instrumental in helping them achieve the success they enjoy today. As we told him on his last day of work, he will always
be part of the Amego family and we expect him to drop by and stay in touch. Al will always be remembered for
his compassion and warm smile and we are forever grateful for his 23 years of service.
Congressman Joe Kennedy visits Amego
Clients and staff from Amego have been participating in the Summer Kids Café Program.
Two days a week on Tuesdays and Thursdays
individuals from Amego assist in preparing
and serving lunches to children of economically challenged families. This is a volunteer
program with a lot of heart that our individuals take great pride in being a part of.
Congressman Joe Kennedy with individuals from Amego.
Northborough News
As we hit the halfway point of summer, the folks up here in
Northborough have been keeping quite busy!
The Northborough Day Program had the privilege to
participate in the Special Olympics. We participated in
the opening ceremonies and parade, where our individuals proudly showed off their Team Amego uniforms. We
participated in the softball throw, long jump, assisted run,
as well as swimming. We are proud to report back that we
took home 8 gold, 2 silver, and 2 bronze medals.
This year, our annual beach cookout took place at West Hill
Park, where everyone enjoyed swimming and great food.
As usual, the individuals participated in activities to “give
back” to the community. On the 4th of July, cards were
crafted and dropped off at the local police and fire station
in order to express our gratitude for the jobs they do. Additionally, dog biscuits were baked, delivered, and donated
to the Animal Rescue League of
Holden, MA. Some individuals also volunteered time to
help out the staff at the Green Hill Park Animal Farm.
At the residences, the folks have been taking advantage of
vacation days. They have traveled all around Massachusetts to
take advantage of what it has to offer. These vacation
trips have included but are certainly not limited to the following: New England Aquarium, trips to local beaches, the
Ecotarium, fishing trips, tours of Fenway Park, the Edaville
Festival, Old Sturbridge Village, and Southwick Zoo.
Since last report, we have completed the transition process for
a new individual to both the day
and residential programs. We are
happy to report that the transition
went well! Finally, we have filled
the remaining program coordinator positions in this region.
We would like to welcome Eric
Daniels and Allison Goodman to
the team. Both come to us with
significant experience in the field
as well as an eagerness to join our
awesome Amego family. We are
happy to have them aboard!
Social Services News
The Social Services Department
welcomes Deb Samet, LICSW. Deb
will be providing family support
and social services to the Northborough area programs. Please
join us in welcoming her to Amego.
2 - Summer 2014 Amego Newsletter
Linda Ingram
Director of Social
Services
[email protected]
508-455-6203
Louise Jeffy
Senior Site Director,
Northborough Division
Clinical Department
Amego has recently adopted the Positive Behavior Supports
(PBS) Curriculum for training direct care and their supervisors in the values and practices of Positive Behavior Supports.
The curriculum is designed for direct care staff and supervisors
working in settings which provide supports and services for individuals with developmental disabilities and related disorders.
The developers of the curriculum, Dennis Read and Marsha
Parsons, conducted a three-day “Train the Trainer” at Amego
this past Spring with a group of managers. By March 2015
PBS will be implemented in all of the adult programs and
added to the orientation training.
Paul Mahoney, M.A., BCBA (Assistant Director of Clinical Services) has been instrumental with training PBS in the Northborough programs with the direct care staff. Paul is a valued
member of the clinical department who has worked closely
with the individuals and their families. We are also pleased to
welcome Eve DiPietro, M.A., BCBA as the Assistant Director
of Clinical Services for the adult programs. Eve brings a wealth
of experience in the field of Applied Behavior Analysis. Eve
has already made a positive impact with the individuals she has
come in contact with at Amego. We are fortunate to have both
Paul and Eve as members of our Team.
Nursing News
Many exciting changes have taken place in the nursing division
at Amego. We have hired Susan Lloyd as a full time MAP
trainer. As many of you know all of our staff must go through
the Massachusetts Medication Administration Program (MAP)
to become certified to administer medication to our clients.
Susan is teaching MAP to new hires and recertifying staff every
two years and as needed. She is also teaching health and medical
trainings for our orientation groups. She has proven to be a
vital asset for our staff!
MAP has also recently moved into our children’s program!
Through initiates by DMH and DCF the state of Massachusetts
recently began approving children’s residences as MAP registered sites. While Amego has always followed MAP regulations
in our children and adult residences this new initiative allows for
an increase in oversight and tighter regulations when administering medications to children under 22. We are in the process
of hiring a part time nurse whose role will be
to oversee MAP in the three children’s houses.
He/she will assist the staff with any new or
changed medications or procedures and will
train staff on MAP and any health or medical
needs of the clients. We are excited to begin
this new chapter in the children’s program!
Jennifer
Cullinan
Director of
Health Services
Employees
Recognized for
Outstanding Performance
January
Mohammed Kallon
Theodore Muhlenburg
Jackson Lucas
Fabiola Beaupin
Alfred Gaye
Februaury
Michael Grendell
Washington Oluoch
Manuel Gois
Mohamed Kone
George Jarry
Sidi Ahmed Traore
Joseph Kamau
May
Eric Larsen
Momar Jahateh
Jeff Thuo
Isaac Darku
Motee Kallon
Sheinley Jean
Christopher Tamba
June
Casimir Jeune
Sharon Adickah
Sheila Kumatey
Claudia Dias
Nathaniel Koliyah
Elena Timarac
Justin Valanzola
SherylAnn Campbell
John Abidemi
Emmanuel Lamptey
Neptune Edouard
Ebrima Sonko
Henry Ballayan
Anoumou Adomey
Algonaldo Brooks
Barry Nichols
April
July
March
Sidi Ahmed Traore
Zachariah Jagba
Dahkah Cheaye
Krystal Hutton
Momar Jahateh
Emmanuel Capehart
Moses Sackor
Daniel Ntiamoah
Ebrima Sonko
Mohamed Kone
John Abidemi
Yaya Kone
Michael Grendell
Casey Blodgett
Trust Opara
Julie Quaye
Stephen Sayee
Geraldine Onyejekwe
Frantz Alcindor
Eder Monteiro
Joe Teaway
Zachariah Jagba
Mustapha Opere-Toyin
Crystal Martinez
Joseph Browne
Eugene Carter
Patrick Chiappini
Keyona Powell
Sidi Ahmed Traore
Geraldine Onyejekwe
Jean Chiappini
Zachariah Jagba
Willis Dunbar
Summer 2014 Amego Newsletter -
3
20145K
5KRun/Walk
Run/Walk
2014
for Autism
and
OtherDevelopmental
Developmental Disabilities
for Autism
and
Other
Disabilities
DONOR COMPANY: __________________________________________________
CONTACT PERSON: __________________________________________________
ADDRESS: __________________________________________________________
Registration: 10:00 AM
CITY: _________________________ STATE: _______ ZIP CODE: ____________
Race Time: 11:00 AM
PHONE: ___________________ EMAIL: _________________________________
Where: Amego, Inc.
Please select your sponsorship
level:
33 Perry Avenue
r
MA$250
02703  BRONZE $125
o
f
PLATINUM
$1,000+
GOLD $500 Attleboro,
SILVER
Register
t
Saturday, Sept. 27, 2014
today a
the race o5k.org
eg
______________________________________________________
ww.AmSignature:
wDonor
This year, the Amego 5K website (www.amego5k.org) includes some new features.
Please check here if you would like your donation to remain anonymous 
Direct links to RaceWire for online registration, online donations, and the ability to
set up an individual fundraising page can be found on our race site. Share this link with
If you would like a race day shirt, please specify size:  S  M  L  XL  XXL
friends and family and social networks. Come join us for music, food and an event where we can
all be together for a great cause!
SPONSORSHIP LEVEL
PLATINUM
GOLD
SILVER
BRONZE
Sponsorships are a great way to improve the fundraising
efforts,
share the form$250
on the next page$125
$1,000
+ so please
$500
with any potential sponsors you may know.
LOGO or name on Amego website
Hope
see
you there!
LOGO
on to
tee
shirt*
Company, individual or family name
on tee shirt
Contact:
LOGO on Sponsor banner at
event*
Susan McCarthy
Name on Sponsor banner
event
phone:at
508-455-6229
[email protected]
Recognitionemail:
in newsletter
fax: 508-455-6211
Susan McCarthy
Director of Development
*Please email logo in PDF or EPS form to [email protected] by Aug. 29, 2014
Thank you for your generous contribution. Amego, Inc. is a 501(C)(3) organization. Your donation is
tax deductible
to the
extent permitted by law. If you have any questions, please call Susan
4 - Summer
2014 Amego
Newsletter
McCarthy at 508-455-6229.
2014 5K Run/Walk
for Autism and Other Developmental Disabilities
September 27, 2014
DONOR COMPANY: _____________________________________________________________________
CONTACT PERSON: _ ____________________________________________________________________
ADDRESS: ______________________________________________________________________________
CITY: __________________________________________ STATE: ________ ZIP CODE: ______________
PHONE: ________________________________ EMAIL: ________________________________________
Please select your sponsorship level:
r PLATINUM $1,000+
r GOLD $500
r SILVER $250
r BRONZE $125
Donor Signature: ______________________________________________________
Please check here if you would like your donation to remain anonymous r
If you would like a race day shirt, please specify size:
rS
rM
rL
r XL
r XXL
SPONSORSHIP LEVEL
PLATINUM
GOLD
SILVER BRONZE
$
$
$250
$125
1,000 +
500
LOGO or name on Amego website
H
LOGO on tee shirt*
H
H
Company, individual or family name on tee shirt
H
H
H
LOGO on Sponsor banner at event* H
H
Name on Sponsor banner at event H
H
H
H
Recognition in newsletter
H
H
H
H
*Please email logo in PDF or EPS form to [email protected] by Aug. 29, 2014
Thank you for your generous contribution.
Amego, Inc. is a 501(C)(3) organization.
Your donation is tax deductible to the extent permitted by law.
If you have any questions, please call Susan McCarthy at 508-455-6229.
Please make checks payable to Amego, Inc. and return to:
Amego, Inc., c/o Amego 5K
33 Perry Avenue,
Attleboro, MA 02703
Summer 2014 Amego Newsletter -
5
Amego Satisfaction Survey Results
“(My Son) is so lucky to be there! Thanks so much for taking such good care of him!”
The Amego Annual Satisfaction Survey results for 2013-14
are in and our service recipients seem to be telling us that
overall they are very satisfied with our services and that
there is always room to get even better!
We mailed and emailed all of our
stakeholders within both adult and
children’s programming and asked
them to respond to some questions
that pertained to their role in the
Amego family. Families, guardians,
staff, state funding sources and, most
importantly the individuals we support were asked questions about each
of our programs such as:
“Are you satisfied that your family
member has received the services you
expected?”,
“Are you satisfied with the level of
cooperation of Amego staff in their
interactions with you?”,
“Are you satisfied with the communication you receive from Amego?”,
“Are you satisfied that you have the
training to your job successfully?”,
“If you have a problem or something is
bothering you at the (day program/residence), do you have a staff person you
can talk to?”,
“Do you have input into the activities
that you do?”,
“Do you feel that your rights are protected?”, etc.
We asked each stakeholder to respond
with Satisfied, Neither Satisfied nor Dissatisfied, or Dissatisfied. Thanks to the commitment and investment of so
many of these folks, we received, read and have illustrated
over 650 responses. That’s just the beginning of our work…
Our next goals will be twofold:
1) To make sure all of our interested parties will have the
opportunity to see the complete results of their survey
results... and
2) To make sure we’re doing everything possible to identify,
maintain and improve what you and we think is going well
6 - Summer 2014 Amego Newsletter
– Amego Parent
and identify and improve areas where you and we think we
can do better.
We’re showing some of the data and comments with the
limited space available in the newsletter, but we will be
distributing the complete results to all
program managers to provide for their
staff and individuals they support; as
well as having them available at ISP
and IEP meetings for interested guardians, families and agencies. In addition,
e-copies can be obtained by emailing
Vice President of Quality Assurance &
Staff Development Tom Unsworth @
[email protected] or Q.A. and
Training Coordinator Don Beauvais at
[email protected].
Some additional comments, thoughts
and constructive feedback we received
back are below.
“Very pleased!”; “Great communication, clean environment.”; “Needs to
be outside more.”; “Kids need more
yard equipment.” –Parents, Childrens’
Residential Programs
“(My son) is very happy at Amego!
I am so glad I made the decision to
place him there!”; “We are very grateful for your help!”; “Would like more
regular communication.”;
–Parents, CBDS Program
“I’m always pleased with CBDS
services. I feel Amego’s services are
professional, meaningful and individualized towards
the people they support. A+!”
–MA DDS Service Coordinator
We are incredibly grateful for
everyone’s participation and
feedback! Please continue to let us
know your thoughts whenever possible and know that we are listening
and working hard to improve our
services to you day after day.
Tom Unsworth
Vice President,
Quality Assurance
Amego School News
Growing pains and milestones are two
terms often associated with children. So it
is seems fitting that Amego School is also
experiencing growing pains and celebrating milestones. In the past year, the School
had significant growth in the number of
student admissions, which necessitated the
hiring of additional staffing. The School
has 8 classrooms and each classroom
has a Head Teacher, Case Manager and
Assistant Teachers. In order to provide
better access to academic and clinical
support, the School has been divided into
the Upper and Lower School. The Lower
School consists of four classrooms with
the younger students in the earlier grades.
Laura Zanowski, former Head Teacher, has
been appointed as Educational Director to
oversee the Lower School classrooms. Lisa
Wirth, Director of Student Day Services,
provides oversight and support to The
Upper School, which is comprised of four
classrooms of older students in the upper
grades. As part of classroom supervision
and training, Lisa and Laura conduct
academic reviews for each classroom on an
ongoing schedule. As well, Lisa and Laura
collaborate with Jeff Proos, Clinical Coordinator, to provide clinical and behavioral
reviews for each classroom. This administrative structure has resulted in improved
access for support and training for staff
and enables a more prompt response to
parents, guardians and school districts.
As the number of students increases, more
space is needed to provide the services.
This past year, the School reconfigured the
classrooms. Recently to address the need for
more space for Occupational, Physical and
Speech therapy services, the Therapy Room
and Library traded spaces. The new Therapy
room space is larger and accommodates
services for multiple students concurrently.
While smaller in the size, the Library continues to provide all the curriculum functions needed in a library for students.
On Friday, June 13, Amego School enjoyed
celebrating a milestone with the families
and guardians of students by hosting our
first PROM. The anticipation leading up
to the Prom was palpable by students,
parents and staff. Through an arrangement
with Jos. A. Banks in Mansfield, tuxedo
rental was offered at a nominal cost. The
managers from Jos. A. Banks came to the
School to do measurements for the tuxes
in an environment that was comfortable for the students. Parents and guardians actively participated in the tuxedo
rental and dress shopping. Many parents
expressed appreciation in being able to
celebrate this milestone for their student.
On the evening of the Prom, the gym and
cafeteria were transformed beautifully by
decorations thanks to the efforts of Susan
McCarthy. Guests were treated to a dinner
buffet followed by dancing. Keeping with
the Prom décor, there was a “photo arch”
and professional photographer for pictures
of students, families and staff. The students
looked handsome and beautiful in their
formal attire and enjoyed all that the special night had to offer. As the evening came
to a close, the success of the special event
was affirmed by the appreciation of families and the consensus by all who attended.
A special thanks to the staff both in the
School and at the Children’s residences for
their efforts to make the Prom a memorable event for the students and guests.
Amego students continue to participate
and excel in Special Olympics. During
June and July, students competed in the
state swimming event at Boston University
and the Bocce Tournament in Taunton.
Participation in Special Olympics plays an
important part in the students’ development of social skills in the community
and in personal self-esteem. Following a
Special Olympics event, the students exude
their pride in their accomplishments.
Program growth and quality assurance must
be consistent. Early in July, a Medication Administration Program audit was conducted
by Department of Children and Families at
the children’s residences. This audit
ensures that policies
and procedures are
in place for safe
administration of
medication. Amego
carefully monitors staff training
and certification in
Jack Stokes
Medication AdVice President of
ministration, so the Children’s Services
audit resulted in a
SUMMER FUN in the DAY HAB
We’ve been super busy this summer! We’ve lucked out with
some gorgeous weather and the Day Hab members have
been taking full advantage.
Mile River. Big thanks to the Day Hab group that keeps that
area clear and kept for the citizens of
Attleboro!
Gardening at the Attleboro Public Garden has been going
very well this year. The members are cultivating tomatoes,
peppers, cucumbers—lots of yummy veggies! They also
planted flowers this year—marigolds, to be exact. Did
you know that marigolds are a great insect deterrent?
Especially for the tomatoes!
And as promised, the members are
using the new outside area and
enjoying it to the fullest! Whether
it’s to tend to the herbs in the mini
greenhouse, fill the birdfeeders, or
just sit and relax, everyone is
enjoying their time out there.
Just ask Arthur!
Participation in the Adopt-a-Spot program continues on
this year. The town of Attleboro commended Amego on
the maintenance of the walking path that runs along Ten
Jacqueline Chase
Program Director of
Adult Day Services
Summer 2014 Amego Newsletter -
7
Vocational Program News
Farmer’s Market: We currently have a space at the Norwood
Farmer’s Market. The bakery products are prepared at our
day program by individuals in the Culinary Arts Program.
We are selling Organic Vanilla Scones, Hot Spicy Brownies, Chocolate Chip Cookies and Almond/Sunflower Butter
Granola Bars. The market is open between 12pm and 6pm
every Tuesday. We look forward to seeing you there.
Community Garden: We are part of the Community
Garden in Attleboro tending a garden plot where we have
squash, zucchini, tomatoes, Swiss Chard and Kale growing.
Our individuals are weeding and watering and will eventually reap the harvest. We are hoping to use some of the
products in our Culinary Arts Program.
Attleboro YMCA: Amego has a great relationship with the
Attleboro YMCA. This year the sponsored a step challenge
for local businesses which Amego’s vocational program took
part in. The Step Challenge took place the week of April
28th through May 2nd. All Step Challenge participants wore
a pedometer the entire week which totaled the number of
steps they took each day. Our individuals enjoyed the competition and received an excellent health benefit as well.
In addition to the step-challenge our individuals are enjoying
the Attleboro YMCA’s weekly Cycling Group and ZUMBA
classes. The YMCA has really made it one of their primary
objectives to support individuals with special challenges
participating in programs like our vocational program.
ZUMBA @ Program: We are sponsoring a ZUMBA class
every other Friday here at the Day Program. The trainer is
a very positive person and extremely enthusiastic with her
presentation. Needless to say the individuals have a great
time and are a little bit healthier for their participation in
the program.
Horseback Riding: We have started horseback riding
lessons for some of our individuals at Rainbow’s End. In
addition to the riding lesson, individuals are encouraged to
groom and dress the horse for the lesson.
BMW Go Green Event: On May 2, 2014, our Culinary
Arts Program took part in the BMW Gallery, Go Green
event, in Norwood. At the event BMW introduced their
new totally electric vehicle. We set up in the showroom
with other vendors and sold our bakery goods, coffee, tea
and cocoa. It was a great day and an excellent opportunity
for our individuals who did a fantastic job.
Blueprint for Success: There is currently a state initiative to discontinue sheltered workshops as an option for
services. Their goal is to move individuals from sheltered
work to employment or Community-Based Day Supports
programs. In order to prepare for this change we have
registered our direct care staff to go through an on-line Job
Coaching Strategy training program. The program will begin on August 1st and last through
August 29th. The Job Coaching
Strategies training is sponsored by
UMASS and the Institute of Community Inclusion. The training will
provide our staff with the information necessary to be the most
supportive in assisting individuals
with developing employment skills
and seeking supported employWilliam Barefoot
ment within the community.
Director of Vocational
Services
Please help us welcome the newest member to the Amego family, Kellie Lennon, Vice President of Adult Services.
A message from Kellie Lennon:
I am very excited to be part of such a wonderful organization. Amego provides the highest quality of
care and services to those we support. Over the past month I have had the pleasure of visiting Amego’s
Residential and Day program sites. I continue to be impressed by the commitment and dedication of all
levels of staffing. There is an incredible sense of comradery and teamwork.
As the new Vice President of Adult Services I am pleased to be working in an agency that is dedicated
to the families and loved ones of those we support. My experience over the past 25 year has spanned
across the oversight of nursing homes, behavioral respite, employment services, quality assurance and
overseeing residential services.
For those of you that are getting to know me… I am a hands-on manager. I strive to develop strong relationships with all staff, individuals, and families. Over the past month I have had the pleasure of meeting
a few families. I am eager to get going in my new role and look forward to meeting all of you.
Kellie Lennon, VP Adult Services
8 - Summer 2014 Amego Newsletter