EDITION
We had an incredible time at our annual conference! A heartfelt thank you to the conference committee and everyone who contributed to making this event a success!
UPCOMING EVENTS
10/7- Maine Best Place to Work Dinner
10/23- New Futures Awards Celebration
10/29- Strengthening Families Summit
Questions about events or have an event you are attending? Email Halie
Chavanelle
HappyOctobereveryone,
Aswereflectontheenergyandinspirationthatemergedfromourrecentamazingconference,one themecontinuestoresonatedeeply:connection.Together,weexploredwhatittrulymeanstobuild strongerrelationshipswitheachother,withthepeopleweserve,andwiththecommunitiesthatrelyon us.Whatbecameclearishowthoseconnectionsfuelinnovation,resilience,andlastingimpact.That sharedsenseofpurposeismoreimportantthaneveraswenavigatealandscapeofrapidchange.Local, state,andfederalpoliciescontinuetoevolveinwaysthatshapeourworkandthelivesofthosewe support.Stayinginformed,beingadaptable,andkeepinganeyeonourorganizationalhealthwillbekey toourcontinuedsuccess.BothNewHampshireandMainearefacingsignificantchallengesrelatedto financesandservicecapacity,andweareanessentialpartofthesolution.
I’mwritingthisinthewakeofCongress’sfailuretoreachanagreementonfederalfunding,whichhasledtoagovernment shutdown.Inatimewhendivisivenessseemstogrowlouderacrossournation,it’smoreimportantthaneverthatwechoose adifferentpath.ThestrengthofNFINorthliesinourabilitytoriseabovenegativitybyshowingupforoneanother, extendingcompassionandempathy,andleaningintothepowerofcommunity.Whileit’seasytofeeldiscouragedbythe challengesaroundus,theseverymomentsofferthegreatestopportunitiestoleadwithgenerosityandhope.
OurOctoberfoodandhygienedriveisjustoneexampleofhowwecanturnconnectionintomeaningfulaction.Similarly,it iswhyit'ssoimportanttosupportourpartnersinthecommunitythrougheventsliketheNAMIWalk.Whenwecome togetherwithsharedpurposeandkindness,wedon’tjustweatherdifficulttimes,weactuallyemergefromthemstronger, moreunited,andmorecommittedthanevertothemissionthatguidesus.Andasweheadintotheholidayseason,let’shold ontothatoptimismandremember:together,thereisnothingwecannotovercomeaswefocusoncreatingaplacetobelong foreveryone.Ourabilitytostayconnected,nomatterwhat,isoneofthereasonswhywecontinuetooneoftheBestPlaces toWorkinbothNewHampshireandMaineforsomanyyearsinarow.Thecongratulationsandcreditgotoallofyou
Best, LukeReynard
HR NEWS AND INFORMATION
October Anniversaries
3 Year Employees
Katelyn Carpenter
Morgan Gamans
Elena Hurley
Caitlin Partridge
5 Year Employees
Sagar Gurung
Stephen Heiser
Karley Hoffstatter
Jennifer Mardin
NEWS
20 Year Employees
David Soto
25 Year Employees
Jennifer Altieri
Direct Deposit Changes/Closing Accounts
Please make sure that you contact the Payroll Department (nfinorthpayroll@nafi.com) before making direct deposit account changes as it can impact your pay. The Payroll Department can advise you on the best time to make changes to your account(s), to ensure a smooth transition of your direct deposit.
Congratulations to Jennifer Altieri our NH Regional Director on 25 Years at NFI North! Enjoysomephotosofherthroughouttheyears includingarecentphotoofherandherbeautifulfamily!
New Hampshire News
Updates from the Children’s Services
Join us at the Mental Health & Wellness Fair on Wednesday, October 24th, from 3:30 PM to 7:30 PM at the Littleton Community Center
Additionally, many of our staff across New Hampshire participated in the Bridges Out of Poverty Training, and it was truly inspiring!
Julianna Chrostowski Youth MOVE Supervisor
Youth MOVE NH, as well as the other CME programs, are incredibly proud to celebrate Julianna Chrostowski for the seamless transition she has made into her new role of Youth MOVE Supervisor. Julianna jumped into this position with both feet and began supporting staff and putting helpful structures in place from day one
Her kindness, dedication, and passion for the work are inspiring Julianna has been with NFI North as a Youth Peer Support Specialist since October of 2019 In this role Julianna has worked 1:1 with many youth participating in the FAST Forward and TrECC programs ensuring that their voice and choice are at the forefront of their planning process In addition to her new supervisory responsibilities, Julianna will continue to utilize her many strengths and her lived experience to empower youth and help them to reach their full potential. Julianna is an asset to our programs and to the youth she serves. We are excited to see her continue to grow in this new role.
Maine News
NAMI Maine Walk
On September 27th NFI North joined other Maine community providers for the NAMI Maine Walk This walk connects participants and providers to celebrate the work NAMI does to increase access and knowledge around Mental Health across the state, and raise money for continued services and advocacy to combat the stigma and prevalence on Mental Health needs throughout the state. NFI North and NAMI have a long-standing partnership built on mutual support on issues challenging the state of Mental Health Services and funding in Maine.
As partners with NAMI it was NFI’s goal to represent the work we do across Maine, make connections with other providers, and answer questions that other walk participants might have about our services The NFI team had a fantastic turnout with staff and participants from 5 programs Staff who attended made it a family affair bringing their children and pets to join us as we walked NAMI set a goal to raise $50,000 and have been able to raise half of that goal through the walk
Angelique Hall
Residential Counselor
Spotlight
Angelique has been a dedicated employee at Miller Terraces since 2023 She works the overnight shift, ensuring participants are safe and sound throughout the night While working late hours can sometimes make it challenging to stay connected to the daily events of the program, Angelique makes every effort to stay involved filling in on other shifts, attending agency events like the Santa Shuffle and conferences, and offering valuable insights during staff meetings
Recently, Angelique volunteered to become the Safety Coordinator at Miller Terraces and has already made a positive impact by suggesting and implementing safety improvements She is currently attending college to become a registered nurse (RN), and we hope she’ll continue her journey with NFI North, applying her skills to support our mission
We know Angelique will be a strong advocate for the future patients in her care, wherever her career path takes her. Way to go, Angelique!
Clinical Connections
Empowering Lives, Inspiring Hope
October is National Depression and Education Awareness Month
National Depression and Mental Health Awareness and Screening Month: This month aims to raise awareness about depression and mental health issues, encourage screenings, and provide support to those affected. This is a month-long initiative to promote understanding, reduce stigma, and encourage mental health screenings.
During the first week of October, SAMHSA recognizes Mental Illness Awareness Week (MIAW) to raise awareness about mental health and provide support and treatment options for mental health conditions This is a specific week within October that also focuses on raising awareness for mental illness and encouraging support.
A Place to Belong: Beacon House
This spring we got started with our new Agricultural Education Program, which is already yielding results in the form of ….tomatoes! This is a hands-on project in which we are building and planting garden boxes with donated plants.
This project is about more than just gardening; it is designed to support and re-engage students who have had difficult school experiences. We want our students to develop community responsibility and a sense of belonging through contributing positively in our school and ultimately the community. These direct, hands-on, and real-world experiences are particularly important as they prepare to transition home or to less restrictive school settings.
Looking toward the future, we are planning an even earlier start next year to maximize the growing season. We are also laying the groundwork for projects such as a greenhouse, taking our produce and preserves to a food bank or a farmers’ market or even volunteering in a community garden. We look forward to seeing this project and the program … grow
