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Announcements
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2022 Explore Possibility Summit

We're excited to officially announce that our first live event in two years is occurring on Thursday, August 18! The 2022 Explore Possibility Summit will be held at the Best Western Royal Plaza Hotel in Marlborough, MA. The day is going to feature workshops and networking opportunities for individuals with disabilities and their families. Our keynote speaker, Matt Savage, a Massachusetts native, is a composer, jazz musician and teacher, who will share his experiences with building a musical career as an autistic prodigy. We encourage all VR and CL team members to talk to the people they serve and take part in this event!
Explore Possibility Summit 2022 (ASL Version)
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MRC and RCC Celebrate Networking Technology Program Graduates

On Friday, July 15, the Massachusetts Rehabilitation Commission (MRC) celebrated its Spring 2022 Networking Technology Program Graduation at Roxbury Community College (RCC). For the second year, the successful program saw 14 graduates earn a certificate in cybersecurity and complete more than 300 hours of training. Hillel Sims, Dean of STEM at RCC, told the students, "This certificate isn't just to celebrate graduation, but a culmination of so much more."
Commissioner Wolf Featured on Podcast

Recently, MRC's Commissioner Wolf appeared on the Manager Minute podcast, hosted by VRTAC-QM. As a guest on the show, Commissioner Wolf discussed about creating a culture of engagement with the people we serve, our partnerships with the Department of Mental Health and Department of Transitional Assistance, and how the agency is changing in a post-COVID world.

"We are incredibly passionate here at MRC. Every staff person is incredibly passionate about the work they do, and yet we also have to translate it so people think differently about us, that we are innovative, that we do really look at servicing the individual and the family in a really robust way."
Riverside Community Care chosen as CBHC Service Provider

We are thrilled to share that Riverside Community Care has been chosen by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts as the service provider for Community Behavioral Health Centers (CBHCs) in the South County (Milford) and Norwood regions.
 
The Community Behavioral Health Center is a new provider model serving as an entry point for timely, flexible, evidence-based treatment for mental health, substance use, and co-occurring disorders including routine appointments, urgent visits, and 24/7 community-based crisis intervention as an alternative to hospital emergency departments. CBHCs are a crucial component of the Roadmap for Behavioral Health Reform, a multi-year blueprint published by the Massachusetts Executive Office of Health and Human Services in 2021.

On Saturday, July 16 the new 988 dialing code that operates through the existing National Suicide Prevention Lifeline’s (1-800-273-8255) became operational.
Revised Travel Policy

The State has approved the mileage reimbursement rate to $0.62/mile, effective July 17, 2022. MRC is aware of this increase and are currently updating the Travel Policy and Reimbursement Form to reflect this change. Please note that this means employees must submit two (2) separate reimbursement forms for July 2022. In the revised policy, OFMB will also be providing an updated email for reimbursement submissions.
No All-Staff Meetings in July and August

We want to thank the MRC Community for always being active and involved in our All Staff Meetings. With the summer months being a time that many of our team members are taking vacation, there will be no All-Staff meetings in July and August. They will resume in September. Enjoy your summer.
Rapid Resources