The Insider is Bay Cove’s monthly newsletter and is delivered via email to everyone in the agency! It’s a great opportunity to celebrate your successes and the adventures happening in your program or on your teams.
A letter from Bill Sprague, Interim CEO
As 2025 begins, I want to extend my best wishes for the New Year to all the members of our Bay Cove community.
On January 20th Donald Trump was inaugurated as the 47th President of the United States. In the first few days of the new Administration, we have seen a flurry of Executive Orders instituting dramatic changes. The country is extremely divided at this time and while there are supporters of the direction things are going, there are many people who are dismayed and alarmed by the anticipated impact. Many members of our staff and the people we serve are worried about what these changes will mean for them, their families, and their friends. Bay Cove is fortunate to have a very diverse staff serving an equally diverse clientele Our commitment to you and the people we serve is unwavering. We embrace and support each and every member of our team.
At Bay Cove, we have always believed that everyone deserves to receive the services they need when they need them. Our commitment has always been to serve those who others couldn’t or wouldn’t and we will always strive to do so in the future.
We want to be particularly supportive of each other as well as those we serve during this time of uncertainty and vulnerability. If you would like additional support, there are several resources available to you including the Responders and the Employee Assistance Program (EAP).
Last week, Senior Staff and the Board of Directors (separately) met with the three final candidates to be the next CEO of Bay Cove. This week we anticipate the Board will make the final decision and engage in a hiring process. Please watch for a communication in the near future announcing our next CEO.
I fully appreciate that this is both an exciting time and one that brings a certain degree of anxiousness. I am confident that our Board will make a great selection of an individual who will lead Bay Cove in the next phase of Agency growth and advancement.
While I have greatly enjoyed the opportunity to once again work with all of you over the past several months, I know it is time to end my Interim role and begin the administration of the next Bay Cove President. The next CEO of Bay Cove will assume leadership of a tremendous organization and my sincere hope and expectation is that they will lead the Agency to even greater achievements. We are a team of 2000 people. Collectively we do incredibly important work that is very challenging and we often do it “short-staffed” due to vacancies. I greatly appreciate how hard everyone is working and your commitment to delivering on our mission.
-Bill
Feature Story
Growthways: The Homes at Beech and Grove Street
By Jessica Lynch
Have you heard the news? Growthways and Bay Cove have teamed up! In 2020, Growthways became an affiliate of Bay Cove. Over the next year, The Insider will showcase the many wonderful programs and employees that make up the fantastic organization.
Growthways, Inc. was first established in 1981 and began providing services to the mental health and developmental services populations in a time when they were severely underserved. Today, Growthways focuses on serving the developmentally disabled community with 14 residential programs/homes throughout Brockton, Abington, Randolph and Rockland.
One such house is managed by Laura Latham. Her program is located at 693 Beech Street in Rockland and houses four men with developmental disabilities. In May of this year, Latham will reach her 27th year of service at Growthways. She started at Growthways as a relief staff member and, 10 years ago, was promoted to a management position. She says, “I enjoy helping people; I’ve been a caretaker my whole life.”
Latham enjoys the fact that her program and the organization teaches individuals to be more independent and gives them choice. She mentioned that Beech Street has a garden maintained by the men that live there. Teaching those with developmental disabilities skills like gardening not only enriches their lives, but also gives them the confidence they need to be independent. When asked to choose one word to describe the work that Growthways does Latham chose, Cont’d on next page...
Shang loves his milk!
Beech St. House
Growthways Feature, Cont’d
...”Amazing.” Beech Street is a shining example of that work.
Growthways’ Grove Street program at 208 Grove Street in Brockton managed by Ryan Drew, who uses the word “Quality” to describe the work Growthways does, is another bright spot of the organization. Four residents with developmental disabilities live in the house at Grove Street and benefit from the services.
Grove St. House
Laura and Shang prepare lunch
Everybody Contributes!
Drew has been with Growthways for 18 years and says that his favorite aspect of his program is the comradery with the ndividuals and witnessing their growth. He says, “I like working with the individuals, talking with them, going into he community, spending time with them, and giving them a better quality of life ”
He was first drawn to apply at Growthways after he owned his own business for some time and was looking to enter into a new field. His mother and sister were working for Growthways and he decided to apply as well. He says his 18year-long journey (and counting!) has had “ups and downs” and “trials and tribulations,” but he has enjoyed his time at Growthways.
“I am looking forward to working with Bay Cove and continuing the good work we’ve been doing here. Working together as a bigger company will allow us to have more opportunities for the individuals.” -Ryan Drew
Ryan Drew and Laura Latham are just two of the incredible employees working for Growthways. Be sure to look out for future Growthways features to learn more about the amazing work taking place just south of Greater Boston
Click here for a video of Laura in action!
Give Warmth - Give Hope a Huge Success!
At Bay Cove Human Services, we recently wrapped up our endof-year Give Warmth Give Hope campaign to provide winter essential packages to over 600 individuals we serve. We also had a lofty goal of reaching $100k in total donations. Thanks to individuals in the community, corporate leadership and local foundations…we surpassed our goals, making this one of the most successful fundraising campaigns in Bay Cove history!
Sprague & Bliss
Austin Spooner at Cambridgeside
Abigail Taylor “shops” for items at the Packing Party
36 Volunteers + Bay Cove staff pack over 600 kits Corporate partner, CohnReznick, packing Kits
The Advancement Team staying organized
Zhiye completes the orders at the Packing Party
Caitie
Rewards & Recognition Subcommittee Intro, Survey Results & Raffle Winners
Hello Bay Cove community,
As you may know, Bay Cove recently formed the Rewards and Recognition Subcommittee! This crossdepartmental team was established to bring diverse perspectives into how we recognize and reward the hard work of our staff, ensuring we do so equitably
The subcommittee's first task was to review Bay Cove's current rewards program, Bay Rewards (Tango Rewards), and identified serious issues, including that rewards were not distributed equitably, appropriately, or with proper vetting. As a result, the subcommittee has continued the pause on Bay Rewards to develop more meaningful, equitable, and financially sustainable ways to celebrate and recognize staff.
Recently, the subcommittee conducted an all staff survey, and received 600+ responses. Some highlights from the survey include: 62% of respondents reported feeling appreciated or above, while 38% reported feeling somewhat appreciated or below, 70% of respondents had never given a Bay Reward, 51% of respondents prefer recognition in the form of verbal or written communication
100 respondents have won a raffle for a $135 HelloFresh gift card. Raffle winners will receive an email with the gift card.
We understand how important having a rewards and recognition program in place is, so our goal is to finalize our recommendations and have a revamped program in place by late Spring 2025. Of course, appreciation does not wait, so we’ll also be working on short-term solutions everyone can enjoy.
Here is a brief overview of what you can expect from the subcommittee over the next several months:
Analyze survey results (Jan 25)
Conduct focus groups (Feb 25)
Develop recommendations (Mar 25)
Receive recommendations approval from Senior Leadership Team (Apr 25)
Implement revamped program(s) (May 25)
Staff Corner!
Congrats to January’s
Birthday Bucks Winners
Each month, 5 Bay Cove employees have their names selected at random from a pool of all employees with birthdays in that particular month. The winners receive a $50 VISA gift card and their names are revealed here in The Insider.
Please join in congratulating (and wishing a Happy Birthday to) the lucky “Birthday Bucks” recipients for January 2025:
Melissa Beaton, Team Leader - PACT
Janet Centeno, Residential Counselor I
Edna Charles, House Manager
Shelvela Daigle, Program Director - Addiction Services, WomanPlace
Mahwish Dar, Outpatient Therapist - Bay Cove Behavioral Health and Wellness Center - Cape Cod
Birthday Bucks winners should claim their prizes by Feb 29 by emailing Fatima at fdoumbia@baycove org Congrats to all!!!
Adeola Oladejo, Residential Counselor I
Angela Cawley, Recovery Specialist
Anne Rush, Senior Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer
Ashley Johnson, Recovery Support Navigator - SOR
Briana Maignan, Engagement Partner IACCS
Brianna Barfield, Residential Support
Charles White, Safety Monitor
Chelsee Barkemeyer, Recovery Coach - SOR
Chibueze Mbawuike, MH Residential Relief Counselor
Christopher Richard, Shelter Support Worker
Cindy Vo, Nurse (RN) - Per DiemDiversionary Services
Cora Wright, Clinical Director - Housing & Homeless Services
Dallas Erven, Receptionist - Bay Cove
Behavioral Health & Wellness Center - Cape Cod
Dave Camant, Residential Counselor II
Emma Billy, Dispensing Nurse
Fabiola Garcon, Residential Support
Favour Adelabu, Engagement Partner IACCS
Grant Butler, Per Diem Nurse/LPNCommunity Crisis Stabilization - Boston
Isabelle Lavallee, Operations/Administrative
Assistant - Bay Cove Behavioral Health and Wellness Center - Cape Cod
Itohan Idehen, Individual Support Navigator
Jack Stuntz, Case Manager - Co-Occurring Enhanced Services
Jamal Brown, Recovery Specialist
Jenna Lundin, Family Support DDS RespitePer Diem
Jennifer Pottle, Recruiter
Jennifer Johnson, Nurse - Admissions
Jessica Torres, Teaching Assistant
Jessica Dasilva, Clinical Team Leader
Johnathon Lopes, Recovery Specialist
Supervisor
Jon Benjamin Yrad, MH Residential Relief Counselor
Lily Tran, Dispensing Nurse
Lorraine Harris, Director - Housing & Homeless Services
Lyle Seymour, Recovery Specialist
Mary Akinmejiwa, Engagement Partner IACCS
Matthew Prince, Mental Health Worker - CCS
Matthew Burton, Residential Counselor I
Merlinda Petit, Care Coordinator - CoOccurring Enhanced Services
Michelle Buckley, 3rd Party Billing Manager
Oludotun Shoneye, Residential Counselor II
THE 129TH BOSTON MARATHON IS AROUND THE CORNER!
Meet Our Team Bay Cove Runners:
Hema Mahase – A Returning Champion
We are especially proud to have Hema Mahase back on Team Bay Cove for her second year. As Bay Cove's Director of Legal Operations, Hema has the unique opportunity to represent Bay Cove both on the course and behind the scenes. This year, Hema is determined to beat her previous marathon time, and we’ll be cheering her on every step of the way!
Burton Ritchie – A New Runner with a Heart for Our Mission
This year, we’re thrilled to have Burton Ritchie from Utah on Team Bay Cove. Burton is running his first-ever marathon. He’s also new to Bay Cove, but his passion for our mission already runs deep His commitment to making a difference will fuel him across the 26 2 miles, and we couldn’t be more excited to have him represent our team.
Andrea Schussler – A Longtime Supporter and Veteran Runner
This will Andrea’s fifth year running for Team Bay Cove. A seasoned marathoner and longtime friend of the organization, Andrea continues to inspire us with her dedication and perseverance. She’s a true ambassador for Bay Cove, and we can’t wait to see her cross the finish line once again
Hannah Mecaskey Conley – Former Staff Member, Always a Friend
Although she’s not running with one of our bibs this year (Hannah secured her spot through her run club), Hannah Mecaskey Conley has committed herself, once again, to Team Bay Cove. A former Bay Cove staff member, she’s joining our team for the third time as a fundraiser and advocate Hannah’s continued support is deeply appreciated, and we’re thrilled to have her on board.
Support Team Bay Cove
While our runners are working hard to prepare for the marathon, you can show your support by sharing or donating to the Team Bay Cove campaign page. If you’re looking to support a specific runner, check out their personal pages for more details.
Don’t Get Scammed!
The internet offers immense opportunities, but it is also a hotspot for scams, especially during:
HOLIDAYS
TAX SEASON
ORGANIZATION’S LEADERSHIP TRANSITION
Below are some tips, tricks, and examples to help protect Bay Cove and yourself from online threats such as phishing, spoofing, and fake ads.
Sarah’s story of getting scammed
During tax season, Sarah received an email appearing to be from the IRS. The email requested personal information to “process his tax refund.”
Worried, Sarah...
Click here to find out what happened to Sarah and others.