MAB Community Services
Newsletter
March 2016
In This Issue
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Give the gift of opportunity
 
SAVE THE DATE:
Ivy Street School
Extravaganza  
   
An Ivy Street School student sings into a standing microphone at Extravaganza

Extravaganza is Ivy Street School's annual night of singing, dancing, acting, and more, as our students take to the stage to show the world what we already know - that they truly are stars!

Mark your calendars for June 9th to join us for this FREE evening of fun and celebration! Learn more
on our website .
MABVI's 
Team With A Vision
   
Two Team With A Vision runners - one guiding the other - run in the rain at the Boston Marathon 2015

With less than a month to go until the historic 120th running of the Boston Marathon, our Team With A Vision is training hard to once again prove that "disability" does not mean "inability."  
 
Learn more about the incredible athletes on this year's Team and how you can support them on our website here
Meet MABVI's Megan Briggs
   
Megan Briggs

Megan Briggs joined MABVI last summer as the Director of Vision Rehabilitation, bringing with her a wealth of experience and passion for helping others.

In this new staff profile on our Insight blog, learn about Megan's background, what she enjoys most about her work, and what exactly we mean when we talk about OT Vision Rehabilitation services.

Read the full article here.
  Volunteer
 
Make a difference in someone's life by lending your sight for just a few hours each week or month. Sign up to be a one-on-one volunteer with MABVI! 
 
Solutions in Sight:  
A Summit to Address the  
Vision Loss Crisis 

A mountain range surrounded by trees reflected in a lake below

On May 4th, the Massachusetts Association for the Blind and Visually Impaired (MABVI) is hosting a forward-thinking, solutions-driven summit to address gaps in services for individuals who are visually impaired.

Panelists will include thought leaders in technology, healthcare, and business discussing how to address the needs of the growing population of older adults with vision loss as well as continue to serve the younger generation of people who are blind.

If we are not prepared to meet the need, we will have a service delivery crisis with severe economic and quality-of-life repercussions. Learn more about Solutions in Sight here .
Adult Disability Services
Recruitment & Retention Initiative 
 
An Adult Disability Services staff talks with an individual in a wheelchair
 
As part of MAB's Adult Disability Services (ADS) Recruitment and Retention Initiative, ADS is welcoming college graduates with a passion for helping others and making a difference into rewarding and challenging career-entry positions in direct service and case management roles.
 
Under this initiative, staff have a career path from direct care through to program management, receiving extensive training and career assistant throughout. Staff attend onsite "big picture" seminars on important topics in the disabilities field and "ground rounds" discussions with an outside social work professional to learn about more complex care situations.  
 
If you or someone you know is interested in learning more about these opportunities to have a meaningful career in the human services field, contact ADS Director Rick Kalish at 617-732-0214 or rkalish@mabcommunity.org.
Ivy Street School Launches
"Skills for Life"

Skills for Life_ Learn what matter_ where it matters
 
Ivy Street School has announced Skills for Life, a new home- and community-based program for transition-aged youth.

These one-on-one services take place in the individual's natural environment, at home or in the community, and help them to identify, prioritize and develop the life skills they need to maximize their independence.

This service is available to young adults 16-26 who are able to set goals and work towards those goals given structure and moderate support. Diagnoses include autism spectrum disorder, brain injury, behavioral health, non-verbal learning disability, and learning disability.
 

For more information or to schedule a free 30 minute consultation with an Occupational Therapist, call (617) 879-0305 or visit the program's web page, ivystreetschool/org/skillsforlife
About Us:
 
MAB has been creating opportunities for individuals with disabilities since 1903. Our experience allows us to forge strong community partnerships to meet the pressing need for high quality services and transform lives.

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