October Enews Final by Joshua Murray

Nonotuck’s Neighborhood OCTOBER 2025 We were excited to celebrate Take Your Kids to Work Day in many of our offices across Massachusetts this summer! In Northampton, we asked participants to draw what kindness looks like to them. The resulting “Kindness Wall” is now a colorful reminder of treating one another with care and respect. Read more about the events in this month's enews.

A Letter From George Fleischner Dear Nonotuck Community, Every month, the stories we share remind me that Nonotuck is not just an organization—it is a living expression of our values: love, respect, interdependence, authenticity, and commitment. This October, those values shine through each of the stories featured in this newsletter. Parents and children came together to share what it means to serve with compassion and to see care as a family value during our celebration of "Take Your Kids to Work Day" this summer. When young people experience our community firsthand, they witness love and respect at work. They see what it looks like to build a world where everyone belongs. Our Lee Office Profile highlights the strength of community that defines Nonotuck. The Lee team embodies commitment and continuity, supporting people and families with care that feels like home. Their work reminds us that when people are seen, heard, and valued, they thrive—and so do the communities around them. Our feature on Nonotuck’s Values and Positive Behavior Supports speaks directly to authenticity and respect. This approach recognizes that understanding and compassion are the foundation for meaningful support. It is a beautiful example of how our principles are not just ideals; they are practical guides for daily work grounded in dignity and love. Finally, This Month in Disability Rights History: October 2025 connects our mission to the broader story of advocacy and progress. Reflecting on past struggles and triumphs reminds us of our responsibility to continue building a world where people with disabilities are recognized as full, equal participants in their communities. It reflects our agency’s pledge to protect rights and ensure fairness—a core promise that has guided Nonotuck since its founding. Together, these stories form a mosaic of who we are: a community that celebrates connection, honors individuality, and stands firm in love and respect. Thank you for bringing these values to life each and every day—whether in your homes, your offices, or your hearts. With gratitude and hope, George H. Fleischner President & CEO Nonotuck Resource Associates

Nonotuck Celebrates Take Your Kids to Work Day This summer, Nonotuck Resource Associates opened its doors to the next generation by hosting Take Your Kids to Work Day in several of our offices across Massachusetts, including Prospect Street in Northampton, Lee, Auburn, and Lowell/Lynn.The day offered a chance for children to experience what their parents and caregivers do at Nonotuck—and to connect with our values of love, mutuality of love and respect, and community in a hands-on way.

Activities throughout the offices ranged from playful to practical. Kids practiced CPR skills with guidance from staff, shared their creativity by drawing pictures of what kindness means to them, adding their artwork to kindness walls that now brighten our spaces. And they learned about Nonotuck’s mission by hearing simple, age-appropriate explanations of how we support people in living full and authentic lives.

Office Profile: Lee, MA

Walk into the Nonotuck offices at 14 Park Place in Lee, and you’re likely to be met with a wall of sound—unrestrained laughter, joyful chaos, and, ultimately, great work being done by passionate people. Program Director Jess Schram says the Lee crew—staffed by employees with as much as 26 years of experience—is really more like a family than an office. “We’re really close-knit. In crisis moments, we all have each other’s backs. Everybody’s jumping in on something, even if it’s not from their caseload,” she says. “If someone needs something signed, somebody else will run into that person’s house and get a signature. If you know one staff member from our office, you know all of them because we’ve all done things for each other.” Jess says that sense of connection extends to the people the Lee office serves. “We’re almost like family, and they really get to know us. I remember when I was pregnant—caregivers and members bought gifts for my baby. Moments like that show it’s truly about sharing a life together,” she says. “It’s not just the shared living provider and the member—it’s also the care manager, the clinician, the nurse. Everyone becomes part of the family. It’s so much more nurturing and warmer than I imagine it is at other agencies.” It’s not just crises that unite the Lee office; they also come together for joy. The team frequently holds seasonal celebrations—pumpkin decorating in the fall, painting events, and holiday parties in the winter. Like Nonotuck’s 10 other offices across Massachusetts, the Lee office helps facilitate Adult Family Care (also known as adult foster care) and Shared Living services, in this case serving Berkshire County, including Great Barrington, Pittsfield, and North Adams. In September 2024, Nonotuck dedicated its Lee office to the memory of Kathleen “Kitty” Kelly-Curtin, honoring her 17 years of leadership and her role in founding the Adult Family Care program, as well as decades as a Shared Living caregiver. Surrounded by family, colleagues, and community members, the dedication celebrated Kitty’s lasting legacy of compassion and connection. The Lee office is unique in the Nonotuck organization in that, in addition to Adult Family and Shared Living services, it also facilitates community-based day programs. These flexible services help people build confidence and independence through one-on-one coaching and opportunities to pursue their own interests—whether that means taking a class, volunteering, or enjoying community events.

Office Profile: Lee, MA

Another distinction is the office’s support of the Brooklyn Street program in North Adams. Mark Patenaude, from the Lee office, is a crucial presence on Brooklyn Street—an “intentional community” where he helps foster the spirit of connection and cooperation that defines the neighborhood. Brooklyn Street is an inclusive community where neighbors share resources, garden, play music, care for one another, and work side by side to keep their surroundings vibrant and welcoming. Built on the values of sustainability, belonging, and multigenerational inclusion, the community strikes a balance between privacy and deep mutual support—an effort that Nonotuck proudly helps to sustain. The Lee office is also home to the informally titled Nonotuck Social Group, co-led by Care Manager Tracy Bruno and Clinician Zoe Ayimbora. The group began as a way to rebuild connections after COVID-19 left many people Nonotuck supports feeling isolated and without regular activities. What started as an experiment has grown into a lively program featuring karaoke, miniature golf, fishing, community festivals, and picnic lunches—activities that spark joy while also helping people build friendships, social skills, and independence. The goal is for the group to eventually grow beyond staff facilitation, with people and their providers taking the lead in organizing activities, making natural connections, and broadening their networks. Already, the group has sparked friendships, reignited old hobbies, and opened doors to experiences that participants might not have pursued without encouragement. To President/CEO George H. Fleischner, the Lee office stands as a model of what Nonotuck strives to be across the state. “The Lee team embodies the best of Nonotuck—people who show up for each other, for the people they serve, and for their community day after day,” he says. “Their longevity isn’t just about years of service; it’s about years of commitment, compassion, and deep human connection.”

Nonotuck’s Values and Positive Behavior Supports At Nonotuck, we believe in living our values—not just talking about them. Since our founding in 1972, when four parents said “no” to institutions and “yes” to community, belonging, and respect, we have been guided by principles of dignity, authentic relationships, and mutual respect. Positive Behavior Supports (PBS)—a framework recently enacted by the Massachusetts Department of Developmental Services (DDS)—deepens and formalizes what we have always practiced. Closely aligned with Nonotuck’s values, PBS offers an approach through which exploration, understanding, and action can occur, allowing people to pursue personal interests, experience reciprocity in meaningful relationships, and exercise choice and belonging. By centering the person as the guide of their decisions and experiences, and with the support of their team, PBS helps create a foundation where quality of life, relationships, and opportunities naturally grow. As these areas flourish, behavior—a form of communication—often shifts in more positive and personally fulfilling ways. At its foundation are four interconnected components: • Outcomes: measurable improvements in a person’s quality of life. • Systems: leadership, training, and organizational consistency that sustain support. • Data: ongoing information to guide decisions and improve practice. • Practices: the real-world strategies that build skills and expand choice. Each of these pillars directly reflects Nonotuck’s Key Agency Principles. Outcomes echo our commitment to authentic homes and lives rooted in dignity. Systems reinforce our pledge to provide continuity, stability, and consistency. Data aligns with our responsibility to operate in an accountable and self-critical manner. And practices embody our promise to safeguard rights and nurture meaningful relationships. PBS at Nonotuck reflects a commitment to empowerment and dignity. Support teams, together with the people receiving support and their caregivers, focus on shaping supports that allow people to make their own informed choices. In practice, this can look like encouraging someone to explore new interests that spark joy, providing guidance around safety while still honoring autonomy and choice as guiding principles, or reimagining supports to promote independence and reduce stressors. These LEARN MORE person-centered and relationship-led approaches nurture confidence, stability, and meaningful growth—expanding opportunities for connection, strengthening relationships, and creating more space for joy.

Nonotuck’s Values and Positive Behavior Supports The values embraced by PBS are not new to Nonotuck. It affirms what we have always known: that people flourish through authentic relationships, family respect, and community participation. In the late 1980s, when George H. Fleischner became CEO, he helped lead our transition from group homes to shared living, guided by the belief that people are not “clients and staff,” but companions living full, interdependent lives. PBS builds on that vision, ensuring every person has the support they need in the way that is right for them. Our current PBS pilots in Harvard, Lee, and Plymouth—and more to follow—are a natural extension of Nonotuck’s Wellness Initiative, which emphasizes Healthy Body, Peaceful Mind, Joyful Heart, and Action. Just as wellness is an evolving journey of dignity and self-discovery, PBS honors each person’s right to define their own path while providing proactive, person-centered support. This commitment extends to our staff as well. We believe that to provide excellent care, we must also care for ourselves. PBS encourages us to ask: How can our own well-being strengthen our ability to support others? How can we create systems that reflect the same love and respect we ask staff to model in their daily work? “Positive Behavioral Supports reflects exactly what Nonotuck has always stood for: dignity, choice, authentic relationships, and respect. For us, PBS is a language for what we’ve practiced for decades,” says Nonotuck CEO/President George H. Fleischner. “It deepens our commitment to creating environments where people are not managed or restricted, but supported to thrive in the ways that matter most to them.” PBS isn’t just a set of strategies—it is a philosophy rooted in dignity, choice, inclusion, and empowerment. By embracing PBS, Nonotuck reaffirms its founding vision: that every person deserves a life of belonging, respect, and love.

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This Month In Disability Rights History: October 2025 This month, we have important laws, liberating protests, and don’t forget that it’s Disability Employment Awareness month!

October is Disability Employment Awareness Month This year marks the 80th year of Disability Employment Awareness month. It was first observed in 1945 under the title “National Employ the Physically Handicapped Week”. It was expanded to a full month and given its current name in 1988 and now focuses on the full disability spectrum, not just people with physical disabilities. Many states also recognize October as Disability History and Awareness month… so hey, thanks for watching this video and helping us celebrate!

The Disabilities Assistance and Bill of Rights Act of 2000 is Signed – October 30th, 2000 The Disabilities Assistance and Bill of Rights act of 2000 was signed by President Bill Clinton on October 30th, 2000. The act provided stronger accountability measures for entities receiving federal funds for disability programs, allotted funds for state programs, and provided methods of support for families and workers who assisted people with developmental disabilities. Today, it underpins person-centered, community-based services and ensures that modern innovations in care—like technology and data tools—align with dignity, rights, and inclusion.

This Month In Disability Rights History: October 2025 JFK signs the Community Mental Health Act: October 31st, 1963 Part of President Kennedy’s New Frontier plan, the Community Mental Health Act of 1963, aimed to create community-based care organizations and further the deinstitutionalization movement. Under the act, the National Institute of Mental Health was meant to establish mental health centers so that patients could seek treatment while working and living at home, instead of being institutionalized. Unfortunately, only about half of the proposed centers were ever built, and none were ever fully-funded. A mixed-success at best, the communities that had the resources to provide care found positive results, and those that did not instead saw an increase in homelessness in the population of people with disabilities after closure of state institutions.

ADAPT “Free Our People” protests in Atlanta Georgia: October 1st, 1990 ADAPT (American Disabled for Attendant Programs Today) took to the streets of Atlanta Georgia to advocate for redirecting medicare funds away from institutions and towards community-based care. 60 activists occupied the medical school at Morehouse college, with another 140 activists surrounding the building. The medical school at Morehouse college was chosen because it had been founded by Secretary of Health and Human Services, Dr. Louis Sullivan. The activists occupied the building for 42 hours, then marched on a nearby federal building. Many of them were arrested, and were arraigned on-site by a judge on a bus. The protests brought national attention to the overfunding of institutions compared to community-based care. By using bold direct action, activists helped pave the way for Medicaid Home- and Community-Based Services waivers and reinforced the disability rights movement’s push for full community integration. These efforts influenced long-term policy shifts toward READ MORE independence and inclusion for people with disabilities.

Work Anniversaries

1 Year of Service

7 Years of Services

Mary Anzalone - Direct Support Professional, Plymouth (10/30/2024)

Christopher Sealy - Direct Support Professional, Plymouth (10/19/2018)

Alexandra Strzelewicz - Registered Nurse, Auburn (10/28/2024)

David Lun - Care Manager, Lowell (10/15/2018)

Olivia Goncalves - Direct Support Professional, Brockton (10/17/2024) 8 Years of Services 2 Years of Service

Ryan Gaw - Director of Finance, Admin (10/02/2017)

Susan Witkowski - Care Manager, Auburn (10/30/2023)

Abou Manneh - Direct Support Professional, Auburn (10/01/2017)

Derrick Kollie - Care Manager, Auburn (10/23/2023) Christine Keenan - Registered Nurse, Plymouth (10/10/2023)

9 Years of Services

Natalie Rossoshanskiy - Program Administrative Assistant, Northampton (10/10/2023)

Tracy Bruno - Care Manager, Lee (10/31/2016)

Krista Spencer - Accounts Payable Associate, Admin (10/10/2023) Angela Todisco - Care Manager, Auburn (10/10/2023)

3 Years of Service Chandara Chhit - Care Manager, Brockton (10/31/2022) Jacqueline Lawes - Direct Support Professional, Northampton (10/31/2022)

Saoling Chhit - VP of AFC Northeast Region, Lowell (10/12/2016) Jessica Weeks - Asst. RN Quality Coordinator, Brockton (10/05/2016) Danielle Conroy - Registered Nurse, Brockton (10/04/2016) Suzanne Robichaud - Placement Specialist, Auburn (10/03/2016)

10 Years of Services Vanna Men - AFC Community Support Specialist, Lowell (10/19/2015)

Michael Waweru - Registered Nurse, Lowell (10/24/2022)

Jessica Schram - Program Director, Lee (10/19/2015)

Leanne McCarthy - Registered Nurse, Auburn (08/01/2016 (Rehire Date: 10/17/2022))

Marie Verdieu - Registered Nurse, Brockton (10/05/2015)

Katharine Jones - Registered Nurse, Northampton (10/12/2022) Tania Roy Balthazar - Registered Nurse, Brockton (10/11/2022)

4 Years of Services Raquel Allah - Program Director, Lynn (10/25/2021) Brendan Carlson - Care Manager, Auburn (10/12/2021) Constance Harris - Direct Support Professional, Lee (10/06/2021) Manikol Ouk - Assistant Program Director of NE AFC Services, Lowell (01/08/2018 (Rehire Date: 10/04/2021))

13 Years of Services Serah Muiruri - Clinician, Auburn (10/09/2012)

16 Years of Services Kerrie Paradis - Program Director/Special Projects, Auburn (10/07/2009)

20 Years of Services Sandy Deare-Robinson - Director Berkshire Day Services, Lee (10/03/2005)

Lisa Reno - Program Director, Auburn (10/04/2021)

Nonotuck’s Neighborhood Now Hiring We’re hiring across Massachusetts! Human resources, shared living caregivers, direct support professionals, registered nurses, and more! APPLY TODAY!

Like what you read? Email Murray@nonotuck.com with your favorite story this month and you could win a gift card!

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