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MHA’s Resource Center Impacts Lives Through Virtual Engagement
SPRINGFIELD — Late last win- ter, with COVID-19 spreading rap- idly, the state closed all communi- ty-based day programs. These day programs, such as MHA’s Resource Center, support individuals who are survivors of acquired brain injury or who have other signifi- cant medical conditions, including multiple sclerosis, chronic pain, and severe mental illness.
MHA’s Resource Center offers its members a welcoming community of peers and staff who under- stand what individuals are going through and can help them work toward their current and future goals. The state’s closing was a proactive measure for the safety
of program participants and staff, given the in-person and highly social nature of these programs; even before the state mandate,
the Resource Center had closed. But Program Coordinator Emily Gracewski was determined to keep serving members.
“Everyone thought the pan- demic was going to be short-lived, maybe just a few short months, which today we know is not
the case,” Gracewski explained. “Initially, we started to connect with our members by phone on
a regular basis, just to continue the connections and relationships we have built. That’s important because our members have a voice in programming so it addresses their individual needs. We were engaging with folks who live in MHA residences, in other residen- tial programs, and at home with their family, so we had to figure out how to reach our members in a variety of settings. There was a lot to think about.”
Gracewski and her team put their minds to work and came up with a four-part engagement plan, including phone calls to connect
Emily Gracewski says MHA’s four-part engagement plan during the pandemic includes daily Zoom groups (pictured), one-on-one phone calls, activity pack- ets delivered to members, and and weekly in-person visits to residences, with strict COVID-19 protocols.
the Resource Center drops off an activity packet to our home, which is wonderful. Kate has been going to the Resource Cen-
ter again since they reopened on Tuesdays and Thursdays, and we hope that can continue. I can’t say enough good things about the people who work there. Kate’s eyes are sparkling and she’s smiling when she gets home. We
are so happy she has this great resource of people, activity, and engagement.”
Added Gracewski, “we didn’t let the pandemic get in the way of providing
services that people rely on for their overall emotional health and wellness. It would have been easier to be passive and shut down and say we’ll pick this up when things are better, but that wouldn’t have been helpful to anyone, especially to our members. Our team real- ized we had to make people know that we’re still here, that we still care about them and will keep supporting them during what is the scariest time most of us have lived through. A creative, problem- solving approach has delivered outreach through virtual engage- ment, and it speaks about the person-centered culture of MHA and the Resource Center. Con- stant, continual engagement is key to cognitive recovery, and people can regress quickly if that engage- ment goes away. We’re working to keep people engaged and moving forward.”
one-on-one, daily Zoom groups, activity packets delivered to mem- bers on weekly basis, and weekly in-person visits (with full CO- VID-19 protocols) to engage with program members at MHA resi- dences. MHA operates programs in dozens of residential sites, offering a wide range of housing options and person-centered support services to encourage the greatest level of independence in the least restrictive setting.
Even months after the team’s plan took shape, Gracewski is still at work before the official start of the day, creating and assembling dozens of activity packets for Resource Center members in their various locations. Each packet includes multiple items for folks to enjoy each day, all organized and
presented so they can dive right in. Examples of activities include mindfulness exercises, this week in history, memory games, trivia, a weekly creative-writing prompt, word searches, and stories of cur- rent events. Physical activities
are included, too, such as a craft project including materials and instructions.
Kate Cook, 43, is a Resource Center member. “Kate started there about two years ago,” her mother, Linda Cook, recalled. “Socialization is important for her, and it’s so nice to see other people. When COVID came and things had to close, Emily Gracewski started up with Zoom, and now Kate looks forward to it every day. It takes her away for that hour
to another world. Someone from
HCC, STCC Nursing Programs Rank Among Top 10 in Massachusetts
SPRINGFIELD — A national independent nursing information and education website recently listed the Nursing programs at Holyoke Community College (HCC) and Springfield Techni-
cal Community College (STCC) among the best in Massachusetts.
In its nursing-school rankings for 2020, Nursing Process lists
HCC’s program fifth overall, and STCC’s program eighth overall, out of the 60 accedited associate- degree nursing programs in Mas- sachusetts that it considered for review.
“We’re grateful for the recogni- tion,” said Clare Lamontagne, dean of Health Sciences at HCC. “We take great pride in our nurs-
ing program at HCC and work very hard to make sure we offer our students an unparalleled edu- cational experience.”
According to its website, Nursing Process considers factors such as graduation rate, student-to-faculty ratio, affordability, reputation, and NCLEX-RN first-time pass rate in its ranking methodology.
“I’m proud of our talented faculty and staff who have gone the extra distance to make sure our students get the best educa- tional experience possible,” said Lisa Fugiel, director of Nursing at STCC. “Our program has served as a launching pad for many success- ful careers in healthcare.”