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Dear Friends,
I hope everyone is enjoying our beautiful Southern New England summer. As our clients and staff are getting into their summer routines, we are marveling at all we have accomplished this past spring and early summer. As you can see below, we held our 42nd annual John Trimble Fund of Autism golf tournament and biennial Sea Side Reception at the Dunes, both of which were immensely successful, not only from a fundraising perspective, but also in bringing our community together. This spring, thanks to staff and many dedicated family members, we sent two teams of athletes to compete in the Special Olympics at Bryant and URI. June 10 was a very special day as we graduated 5 students from our day school and celebrated all that they accomplished as students. In some cases we have seen them grow and progress since pre-school.
As we go into “deep summer”, our residents are tending to vegetable gardens and enjoying outdoor water fun, especially the children who come to our ABA clinic in Smithfield, who have a new splash pad, swing set and other outdoor play equipment to enjoy at "summer camp" thanks to a grant from Bank Newport.
On the clinical side, I am very excited to announce that thanks to a “start up” grant from the Fred M. Roddy Foundation, we are in the midst of transitioning the Network to Electronic Health Records (EHR). Upgrading our technology has been a goal of mine ever since I came to the Network over 2 years ago, and this is key to moving in that direction. It will free up clinician time and hopefully in doing so, increase our overall capacity to support those with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
These are just the highlights, I encourage you to take the time to read and explore what we have been up to.
As always, check us out on Facebook and Linkedin to catch-up on the latest news and please to not hesitate to reach out to me at askmichael@grodencenter.org whenever you have any comments, questions or concerns.
Best,
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Michael L. Pearis
Chief Executive Officer
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The Groden Network Staff at The Dunes Club in Narragansett, RI | |
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Dr. June Groden and Ms. Sammi Robertson of
Bailey's Team for Autism
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Michael Pearis, Catherine Nassa, with Lt. Governor Sabina Matos and the Cooney Family | |
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We closed out the evening with a live performance
by R.I.'s own Billy Gilman.
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Our host, Alison Bolonga, was swept right off her feet. | |
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It was a great day for golf on Monday, May 23rd when we hosted the 42nd Annual John Trimble Fund for Autism Golf Tournament. Over 25 teams joined us on the course at Wannamoisett Country Club and helped raise over $50,000 for our organization. All profits from this year’s tournament will be made available through an internal grant program to support clients. Of course we would be remiss, if we didn't congratulate Dave Willoughby and his team on their win. This makes them 3 for 3 with 2 wins and a 2nd place finish last year.
Want to try to beat them next year, be on the lookout for "Save The Date" information in our next issue.
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Congratulations to our two-time champs David Willoughby, Joe Medcalf, Chris Clarke & John Caldarone! | |
Electronic Health Records
Thanks to a grant from the Fred M. Roddy Foundation, the Network is currently moving all of its records into a new electronic health record system, Noteable (www.noteablenow.com). The new platform will increase our capacity to take on new clients, create a centralized intake process, and allow for better clinical decision making by integrating patient information from multiple sources into one centralized space.
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Improvements at Branch Pike | |
The Branch Pike clinic received a grant from Bank Newport this past spring to spruce up their yard. In addition to the purchase of a big, beautiful, wooden playset, the yard was fenced in and staff purchased trikes, splash pads, balls, and other outside fun activities. Maintenance worked diligently to put it together before the “summer camp” themed sessions started. | |
Landscaping at Sienna Rd. | |
New Gazebo at Halcyon & Residential Generators | |
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Summer Fun
Our Community and Home Therapeutic Services (CHTS) team is taking full advantage of their new backyard. Summer camp themed sessions like dinosaur week, Paw Patrol week, and shark week have been a huge hit with the kids. The Smithfield Fire Dept. even paid a visit during Paw Patrol week. Water fun has been the biggest hit and provided a lot of opportunities for the children to interact with one another, a skill that is hard for many of our clients. The children are taking turns on the slide, throwing water balloons at each other and working together to fill the splash pad.
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2022 Special Olympics
On Sunday, May 1st The Groden and Cove Special Olympic teams competed in this year's Area Games and the State Games at URI. The athletes had one of the best days ever, weather wise, helping contribute to a successful and fun filled day. Special thanks to John Schwartz, Jill Podolski, Kerri Donecker Joyce Hutchinson for their contributions that day. The athletes really appreciated seeing many faces that they don't usually get to see and the support they received from their families and friends who attended the games.
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Cove client Jacob and mom, Oretha | |
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Groden Graduation 2022
Joined by close family and friends, five Groden Day students celebrated their graduation with a ceremony and party in the Groden Courtyard on Friday, June 10th. Congratulations to our graduates!
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Congrats to all our graduates!
We miss you already.
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Jill Podolski
Groden’s Physical Education Teacher
Jill has worked at The Groden Center for over 21 years. As the PE Teacher in the Day Program, Jill shows passion for our students’ physical and mental well-being and a dedication to every student reaching his or her maximum capability. Jill consistently does special programming focused on Phys Ed (like a recent unit focusing on The Special Olympics). Her enthusiasm for students’ progress toward goals in infectious. Jill encourages each student to keep trying and cheers each new achievement. Jill is a great collaborator with other Groden Day staff and helps facilitate a range of learning tasks. Jill also implements building-wide fitness challenges (how many squats can YOU do in a month?) to help our staff stay fit and strong, and to build positive morale in the building. Finally, if there is a gap or a need for something to be done, Jill is often the first person to volunteer. We are very fortunate to have Jill’s experience, expertise, and enthusiasm at Groden Day.
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Carol LaFrance
We are thrilled to announce that Carol LaFrance has been named the Special Education Director of the Groden Day Program. Carol had been working as an Interim Special Education Director at Groden Day since mid-March and has been a fabulous addition to the Groden Day team.
Carol has worked within the Groden Network for more than 13 years and brings a wealth of experience. Carol will remain Director of Groden Network’s Early Intervention Program and will split her time between the two programs.
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National DDNA Conference
This past May, Kelly Scott and Pat Fiske attended the annual National Developmental Disability Nurses Association (DDNA) conference; a conference for Developmental Disability nurses. This conference focused on medication management, seizures, health equity, challenges faced in DD nursing, new psychotropic drugs / psychiatric disorders, DSP training, Temple Grandin and her personal story and other trending topics.
CDDN certification in the specialty demonstrates that a nurse possesses specialized knowledge in DD nursing, indicating advanced experience, competence, and proficiency beyond that required for basic nursing licensure. It requires an initial test, bi annual renewal and continuing education requirements in the field. Currently in the small state of RI there are three certified nurses and two of those nurses are with the Groden Network in both our RI and MA locations.
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We are saddened by the loss of one of the most vital members of our community, Robert Considine.
Bob came to the Groden Family via marriage when he married Anne Pentecost, a Groden teacher, almost 30 years ago. That began a decades-long relationship where respect and admiration were mutual. Upon her retirement, Bob decided that Anne was not busy enough and they both wanted to give back to Groden. Thus, the Sea Side Reception at the Dunes was born. Over the past 2 decades under Bob and Anne’s leadership, the event has become a highlight of the social calendar in South County and has raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for the Network.
You could always count on Bob for sound advice, a great idea and even securing a last-minute donation. His absence leaves a void in the Network that will be impossible to fill.
To read more about Bob and his contributions to The Groden Network, Click Here for a 2014 news article that appeared in The Independent.
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Save the date for an exclusive
Groden community screening of
"In a Different Key"
September 29th 2022
The story of a mother who tracks down the first person ever diagnosed with autism, now an elderly man in rural Mississippi, to learn if his life story holds promise for her own autistic son. Her journey exposes a startling record of cruelty and kindness alike, framed by forces like race, money and privilege – but leads to hope that more of us are learning to have the backs of those who are "different."
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After the movie, directors Caren Zucker and John Donovan will join us for a discussion about Autism
and the work we do at Groden.
Left: Caren Zucker, John Donvan, and Donald Triplett
Stay tuned for your exclusive invite
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New England Ride for AUTISM & disABILITIES
September 17th, 2022
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BCBA/Clinician *$2,500 Sign-On Bonus*
The Groden Center's Community and Home Therapeutic Services(CHTS) is now hiring a full-time BCBA Clinician to work with children diagnosed with autism or other special healthcare needs. As a BCBA Clinician, you'll be part of our team of experienced and creative professionals, providing clinical oversight and staff supervision of home and clinic-based treatment programs for children and youth between the ages of 3 and 21.
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Interested in joining our dynamic team of heroes?
For a complete list of employment opportunities please visit our career page.
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