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HMEA Leadership Continues to Grow

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Kristine Biagiotti-Bridges, was recently voted in to join the HMEA Board of Directors. Kristine is an IT professional and the current President of the Disability Employee Resource Group at EMC Corporation in Hopkinton. She brings over 25 years of IT/Engineering experience in the data and software Industries.

With Kristine’s appointment to the HMEA Board of Directors, HMEA and EMC’s 10 year partnership continues to grow allowing both organizations to benefit from each other’s strengths. DisabilityConference_077

At EMC Kristine is committed to a diversified work environment, serving as board member, Vice President and President of the Disability Employee Resource Group. During her tenure at EMC, she has also won several awards including the Motivator Award 2010 for volunteer activity and Excellence at EMC for dedication to Diversity and Inclusion. She has spoken at the EMC quarterly on the importance of volunteering and giving back.

In addition to her accomplishments at EMC, Kristine has received numerous awards and recognition for commitment to inclusion, advocacy, running, and philanthropy including: Commonwealth of Massachusetts Proclamation as First mother/daughter team Boston Marathon, distinction as a Hockomock YMCA Legend, Hockomock YMCA Red Triangle award, Saucony 26 recipient, STC Distinguished Chapter Service, and the opportunity to speak in Washington DC on health care reform and mitochondrial disease research.

She currently volunteers her time as a special education and health care advocate focusing on the needs of those in the disability community. She speaks at local and state levels for health and special education issues involving legislation, awareness and education. She is the race director and founder of a local 5K that raises funds to provide social programs within the community for “all abilities” regardless of their ability to pay.

An active participant in the Boston Marathon, Kristine and her daughter Kayla continue to raise awareness for inclusion and fundraise for local charities. http://espn.go.com/video/clip?id=10776529
She attended Wentworth Institute of Technology and earned a BS in Electronic Engineering Technology.  She is married and the mother to a daughter diagnosed with Mitochondrial Encephalomyopathy, and two step-sons, the youngest with Landau Kleffner Syndrome and is on the autism spectrum.

Highlights from the 2nd Annual Autism Summit

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With over 150 people in attendance, informative and moving presentations from EMC, UMass and Hanover Insurance, as well as the exciting launch of Students For Higher – Rising Up for Autism, there is a great deal of momentum following the 2nd Annual Autism Summit.

HMEA is committed to its goal of making Central Massachusetts THE PLACE to live with children with Autism. As Students for Higher continues mobilizing students to work as ABA therapists for kids with Autism, we will work diligently to decrease the number of families awaiting critical services.

But, that is only one part of creating such a community. It is clear to our agency that in order to live somewhere, you must work somewhere. And, in order to work somewhere as a family with Autism, you need to be part of a culture of openness and acceptance.

It is with that, we invite you to join the Central Mass Taskforce on Autism and The Workplace. HMEA welcomes employers, human resource professionals, providers, policy makers, parents of children with autism, and other interested stakeholders to advance strategies and solutions that help the growing number of employees who have children with autism succeed in the workplace.

Let’s keep the momentum going. We can do this!
For more information, please contact: autismtaskforce@hmea.org.

About the Event | Event Photos | Event Press

Happy Direct Service Professionals Week!

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celebrateNearly 145,000 individuals work in the human services sector to provide support to our most vulnerable residents. This week HMEA joins The Provider’s Council in celebrating “those who make up the backbone – and the golden heart – of our sector, our direct care staff.”

Direct support professionals include direct care workers, residential staff, personal assistants, personal attendants, in-home support workers and paraprofessionals. DSPs provide support in helping those with disabilities and others in need to lead a meaningful life at home, at work and in their communities.

Gov. Charlie Baker and U.S. Senators Elizabeth Warren and Edward Markey have officially declared this week — the second full week of September — Direct Service Professional Recognition Week in Massachusetts.

We have chosen to share one of our agency video’s titled “Building Dreams” as we believe this is an accurate portrayal of what our 650 caring, committed and competent staff do every day as direct care professionals at HMEA, Inc.

“HMEA cannot thank these dedicated men and women enough for the incredible work they do each day which makes it possible for the people we serve to realize their dreams.” ~ Mike Moloney, CEO

 

Faces of HMEA: Brian Kovalski, Parent

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Having a child is one of the greatest joys in the world. As a parent there is a vision that is birthed at the moment of delivery. You begin to project visions of your child exceeding your success at life and finding purpose in their humanity, but for Brian Kovalski that dream changed after finding out his son, Alex, was on the Autism spectrum. He compares finding out to planning his perfect honeymoon in Hawaii and having the flight attendant announce that he had landed in France. “I remember leaving the doctor’s office…she gives you the diagnosis and they hand you a packet and says he has Autism…it was a crazy day.” The whole landscape and itinerary Brian had for Alex’s’ life dramatically changed. Without the proper guidance one may never discover the beauty and uniqueness of France or in this case Autism. For Brian, that guidance came from HMEA’s Autism Resource Central. The Center helped Brian not only learn to become a parent to a child with Autism, but also a leader other parents.

Brian can be described in many ways; a doting father, a full-time employee, a recent MBA graduate (who sacrificed many evenings to achieve his degree) and a person filled with passion. All noble images that would make him blush and modestly wave off these facts. Another title that Brian recently took on was an Autism Advocate; not only for his son but for a network of parents. Some he met learning how to map out the Autism landscape through HMEA’s Intensive Flexible Family Supports (IFFS) and the Family Leadership Series program. IFFS is a program HMEA offers; giving goal-orientated services that provide focus and intensive supports in identifying areas of need and difficulty, and to build family capacity to support a child in the home. The Family Leadership Series is designed to provide education, leadership training and mentoring over a three day period for families with children and adults with disabilities.

“The uniqueness of it (The Family Leadership Series) was learning to frame things differently; especially we learned a lot on the vision. The vision you have for your child and your family and your situation was something I didn’t really think to do and to really create that roadmap between where you are now and how to reach that vision.” He continues to share the valuable impact the weekend had on those who participated, “The weekend that we had spent…where we had discussed vision and roadmap, everyone left there excited and enthused to really go out there and do it because…it was possible and doable.” Since the Leadership Series, Brain says he has accomplished three quarters of his vision.

With all the tools Brian has been armed with he has made strides to have outplacement for his son Alex, where he can attend school outside of the public school district. What scares Brian is that as a child Alex has rights that are mandated for him to be involved in the educational process, but as an adult there are no mandates to include Alex and it will be easy for others to shut him out. “What we’ve gone from in the Autism community is now taking it from awareness to acceptance. It started off as it being Autism Awareness grassroots type of mantra to now acceptance and I believe that’s where the cultural diversity comes into effect.” Another huge accomplishment was creating and implementing a Parent Advisory Committee (PAC). Brian expresses, “Because of the Leadership se-ries I feel equipped enough to lead the other parents.” He also continues to reach out to this Family Leadership network and learn from other parents experiences in order to strengthen his leadership in his community.

Brian has a true passion and calling to help others, whether or not they are affected by Autism. He has become an ardent supporter of Autism Resource Central’s annual fundraiser for the past two years, as well as one of their top fundraisers. He affectionately calls his son “Alexander the Great” but Alex may rename his father “Brian the Brave.”

Suicide does not discriminate

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You have probably heard the reports in the media of the cases of suicide on the rise in America over the past decade. These cases span from young teenage victims to war heroes to celebrities, most recent comedian Robin Williams. The headlines grab at our hearts and even more tragic is how common suicide is with an estimated 41,000 lives lost annually.  This equates to one life lost almost every 13 minutes.  Besides those who end their life’s journey in suicide, there are approximately 1,028,725 Americans who attempt suicide each year and the 4.8 million affected by these attempts and lost.

As much as people hear these stark statistics, there is a population often overlooked when it comes to this epidemic.  Very little data is provided when it comes to the numbers of individuals with disabilities who commit suicide. Though the issue is nothing new, still very little research has been done on the topic.  Thomas Weiss, a writer and editor at disabled-world.com states “It is amazing that even though 18.7% of all non-institutionalized civilians in the United States experience a form of disability, they remain nearly invisible when it comes to the issue of suicide.”

The research that has been conducted on disabilities and depression has often found that disabled individuals state that their unhappiness is due to the lack of intimate encounters and financial stability. Like many, they want fulfilling relationships, to be good at their job and not have to worry if they are in danger of losing their source of income. Those with disabilities already have to deal with the negative social presentation of their lives being less than satisfying or depressing but really they have the same basic needs and concerns as those without disabilities that commit suicide.

It’s not the physical or mental change that is the concern; those become a way of life and overtime many adapt to their new lifestyle.  But, like any human, it is the need to feel part of the world you live in. To have a role to play that makes your life impactful to others you encounter. That has become the purpose driven mission at HMEA, that through the right supports, education and life experiences those with disabilities can find resolve and contentment in their lives.

Many of the Day programs cater to the work and life needs of our consumers. HMEA’s Employment programs give individuals the opportunity to pursue meaningful employment either on a full- or part-time basis. For people in the Employment Program who work part-time, HMEA encourages volunteering for community organizations, or leisure and recreation activities to supplement their day. Our Day Habilitation programs focuses on identifying skill areas that are of interest to individuals. These programs foster growth in community integration, relationship building, social and communication skills, activities for daily living and recreational activities.

Implementing programs that support individuals with disabilities takes away the option for suicide and opens up the door for other opportunities in life some never thought were possible.

~ Kormasa Amos

Let’s talk Autism awareness in the workplace

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2nd Annual Autism SummitAs more children are diagnosed with Autism (1 in 68), more working parents are under increased emotional and financial stress trying to balance home and work life. Lack of ‑sufficient Autism supports can lead to reduced productivity and increased absence at work or the inability to work for family caregivers.

On September 22nd, 2015 HMEA will host the 2nd Annual Autism Summit at Assumption College in Worcester. This year’s event will focus on positive practices in the workplace for supporting employees who are caregivers (parents) to loved ones with Autism as well as highlight the unique qualities that these employees bring to companies.

Kristine Biagiotti, President of EMC‘s Disability Employee Resource Group will kick off the event as keynote speaker followed by a list of professionals including the Director of UMass Medical School’s Eunice Kennedy Shriver Center, Dr. Jean Frazier.

If you work in Human Resources at a mid or large size company in Central MA, we encourage you to attend. Or, if you are an employee at a company that you feel would be open-minded to learning about how to better support their employees, we ask that you get in touch.

 Learn more or register

 

What a difference a fresh coat of paint makes!

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great jobEight employees from EMC2’s manufacturing facilities in Franklin recently spent the day at HMEA’s Plainville Employment Program painting several rooms. EMC2 encourages its staff to organize volunteer activities and Jeff Hulme, Project Manager, and Malcolm Osborne, Senior Manager, were instrumental in rallying a team for the project. Plainville Employment Unit Supervisor, Heather Voisinet said of the project, “It is great that we could get the help with fixing up the program facility. I think that’s awesome.”

Sixty-one individuals with disabilities are supported through this employment program which helps them secure jobs that match their interests and skills. The volunteer team had the opportunity to see firsthand the important work that HMEA staff do each day and to meet the folks that are supported through the program. Jeff Hulme wrote to us after the project to say, “The team had a great experience yesterday and has a lot of respect for the HMEA Organization as well as everyone who works for them.”

Volunteer projects such as this, make a big difference in the lives of individuals with disabilities supported by HMEA. If you’re company is interested in spending a day volunteering at one of HMEA’s programs, please contact Tracy Andryc at: tandryc@hmea.org.

~ Tracy Andryc, Volunteer Coordinator

Horticultural Program at Millbury Program Center

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Horticultural Program

Something wonderful has sprouted!

This spring, HMEA was awarded a grant from the Henry W. Bull Foundation for a Horticultural program at the Millbury Program Center. This grant enabled the program to support the purchase of many supplies, such as soil, plants, a planting table, ergonomically accessible gardening tools, a composter, gloves and much more. In just a few months, the outcome has been amazing and has not only sprouted plants, but also some smiles.
In May, Jan Rusiecke was introduced to the Millbury Day Hab program and she will be assisting us in growing this program and educating our individuals and staff all about gardening. Jan had been with DDS (Department of Development Services) for 35 years and has experience in various positions including education, training and community homes. She is currently retired and is looking to sharing her hobbies with people with disabilities.

Jan has brought some wonderful projects to the program that are interactive for the staff and individuals. The program began by planting sunflowers from seed and learning how to utilize resources such as soda bottles to create green houses for the seedlings. The result—over 100 sprouted seeds! Along with this, individuals have also discovered herbs and vegetables. Tomato plants have been placed in large planters and an herb garden has been planted that has sparked lots of talk about our senses.

Over the summer we have been learning about composting and utilizing it for future planting. On June 26th a group participated in a tour of the Grafton Community Harvest Project. The Project currently has thousands of volunteers that come together every year to help plant, tend and harvest hundreds of thousands of pounds of fresh fruits and vegetables for their neighbors in need. In Worcester County, over 99,000 people use hunger relief services through local food pantries, soup kitchens and shelters. Community Harvest Project provides a consistent supply of high quality, highly nutritious fresh fruits and vegetables that are distributed throughout these hunger relief organizations.

Overall our gardening project is growing and so are our gardens! Jan has been an excellent asset to the project. She has created a planting calendar for us to follow, and has expressed her excitement seeing the socialization and camaraderie that has come from sharing her love of gardening. We are looking forward to seeing what else sprouts up from this amazing project!

HMEA’s Autism Resource Central featured in T&G Series

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Hsloring_staffpicMEA’s Autism Resource Central Director Sue Loring is being featured in a three-part series on Autism to be published by the Worcester Telegram & Gazette this week.

Here is an overview of what to expect in the series:

This three-part series, “Piecing Together the Puzzle,” explores the conundrum of autism in young children, the stage at which it is typically diagnosed and intervention becomes an immediate concern. Today’s article looks at the diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder and the predominant therapy. On Thursday we focus on the crucial transition at age 3 from early intervention to school-based special education. Next Sunday, we examine what researchers know about causes of autism and promising trends in medical and behavioral research.

HMEA’s  Autism Resource Central provides information and referral, education, family support and networking services. The center is designed to help parents, educators, service providers, and medical professionals provide effectively for those diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder. Learn more

 

EMC’s Caregiver Resource Fair

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carging for the caregiverOn Tuesday, July 14th, HMEA’s Family Supports Director Jeanne Clapper and AFC (Adult Family Care) Nurse Gianna Battista participated in EMC’s “Caring for the Caregiver” employee resource fair. The fair is part of an effort known as “EMC Caregiver Circle.” The group’s goal is to promote awareness and understanding of the competing demands placed on caregivers, and to assist EMC employees and their families by creating a support network and providing access to resources and information about care-giving.

Jeanne Gianna EMC

Jeanne & Gianna representing HMEA’s support services at EMC’s “Caring for the Caregiver” Employee Resource Fair

Exhibitors represented many areas of health, well-being, and care-giving support – including financial (eldercare attorney), housing (an assisted living facility), and much more. HMEA supplied resources for families who care for a loved one with a disability including: Family Supports, medically complex wrap services, Adult Family Care and more.

The event was well received by employees. HMEA was happy to give back to the employees of EMC, many of which help with HMEA’s annual Independence 5k Run & Walk hosted each May at EMC in Franklin.

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