While the pandemic has not yet disappeared, thanks to our leadership, staff, and donors, BGV has emerged from 2021 stronger than ever. We continue our important work of creating pathways of care for children and families to succeed in life. We have been able to add even more programs that address the challenges facing youth and families in our community and I cannot stress enough that this would not be possible without the extraordinary individuals working for and with BGV.
As discussed in this report, in 2021 we were up for an accreditation review and it went exceptionally well. Each reviewer remarked on the enthusiasm and excellence of our staff. Nothing makes me prouder than to have others take note of and compliment the quality of our team.
BGV employs more than 250 staff members each year. Our employees' skills range from programming specialists, therapists, and teachers to security guards, job coaches, and nurses. We rely on all these individuals to help ensure that the kids and families in our region are given every opportunity to be happy, healthy, and successful. For this reason, we are highlighting some of those individuals who work tirelessly every day to keep BGV's mission going and who care deeply about making a difference in the world.
Kim Shaunesey, Ph.D.
President & CEO
Greg M. Fenn* Chair
Brian E. R. Moles Vice-Chair
Gregory M. Raucci Treasurer
Aaron T. Kriss* Secretary
Lauren Barone
Ellen Beatty, Ph.D.
Portia Bonner
Njeri Collier, CPA*
Renu Dadlani*
Joseph N. Enright
Richard Epstein**
Carol Smith Harker**
Gina Carloni Hart
Joseph J. Mager, III, Esq.
Gayle McMillan**
Edward Rivera**
Michael Sirochman*
Keith Somers**
Joseph Tramuta, Esq.
Kim Shaunesey, Ph.D. President & CEO
BGV's wide range of behavioral health services offers a variety of interventions, therapies, and residential group homes. No matter what challenge a child faces, BGV wants to ensure that he or she is given every chance to overcome the obstacles they are facing and build a fulfilling future.
Through multiple family reunification and parent support programs, BGV works with families to help them relate to each other in a safe and constructive manner so the child can stay with his or her family. When this isn't possible, BGV offers therapeutic foster care. BGV ensures that every child has someone looking out for them and wanting them to succeed.
BGV offers residential programs and in-home therapy with a goal to keep youth out of detention centers and prevent the life-altering experience of being incarcerated.
Charles F. Hayden School, a K-12 special education school, welcomes children who are having trouble finding the support they need in their home school. Our teachers and therapists are skillfully trained and ready to help any child in need to succeed academically, socially, and emotionally. The new Vocational Learning Center offers a wide range of life and job skills opportunities for its upper school students.
In 2021, BGV passed re-accreditation from the Council on Accreditation (COA) with flying colors! Every four years the COA conducts an in-depth review of our agency. Preparation for the review requires hard work and cooperation from all our staff and we are very proud of the accolades we received from the Council, which validate the hard work and devotion of our employees.
Through multiple family reunification and parent support programs, BGV works with families to help them relate to each other in a safe and constructive manner so the child can stay with his or her family. When this isn't possible, BGV offers therapeutic foster care. BGV ensures that every child has someone looking out for them and wanting them to succeed.
This year the doors opened to our Vocational Learning Center on the Milford campus. This center creates real world experiences in the areas of automotive repair, computer-aided design (CAD), and culinary arts in addition to developing the necessary life skills to face the challenges of adulthood, build self-confidence, and continue with higher learning.
Chef Bill Weitzler, who teaches the Culinary Arts course at the Vocational Learning Center, understands that his job is to prepare BGV students for the future. He treats the kids in his class not as students, but as prospective employees. They are expected to show up ready to work in their chef jacket, with proper shoes and a willingness to learn. Bill says this approach has paid off and the students are not only enjoying the class, but they are all respectful and attentive throughout the course.
As a longtime hotel and restaurant manager and owner, Chef Bill has created his own curriculum for the culinary arts course and has geared it toward ensuring that the kids have the basic entry level skills one would need for a job in the industry. The course consists of 18 units including Safety and Sanitation, Basic Knife Skills, Soups, Sauces, Baking, and Cooking in Volume.
You can hear the passion in Chef Bill's voice as he talks about the students. He takes a lot of pride in the enthusiasm and connection he has seen in the kids. He has one student who has been using what he learns in class to mend his relationship with his grandmother. Last year a graduating senior, who had been learning from Chef Bill in the Hayden Upper School kitchen expressed an interest in pursuing culinary arts. Bill found her a job, and because of her commitment and the preparation she had received, she was very successful in her new position.
Bill stresses that even if the students don't end up with a career in culinary arts, these are skills that will last them a lifetime. After taking his class, they will always be able to cook for themselves and others, an important step in independence as an adult. Also, these skills will give them something they can always fall back on. In his own words, “There is work in this business in every corner of the world.”
Jenna Cappellieri is the Program Coordinator for BGV's new Link Mentoring Program. This program connects LGBTQIA+ youth between the ages of 14 and 21 with a positive and affirming adult mentor. Jenna comes from a background of managing mentorships for youth involved in the juvenile justice system. She oversaw the recruiting, interviewing, and training of mentors that worked with the youth, in addition to supervising them throughout their mentor/mentee relationship. She also coordinated events to further engage the mentor relationships.
This background made her the perfect person to step into the role of Program Coordinator when BGV started the Link Program. Prior to this, Jenna had been a Reintegration Mentor at the REGIONS residence in Milford. "I believe that the Link Program is very important because we are servicing a vulnerable population,” says Jenna. “For LGBTQIA+ youth to have supportive long-term relationships while they are navigating their lives is crucial. A mentor will be able to provide them with the support that they may not be getting within their homes, community, or with peers. A mentor can also help guide youth towards a successful future by assisting with education, vocation, social, and life skills. Having a mentor can provide this population of youth with an outlet to talk about different areas of their life with a trusting adult as they try to figure out who they are."
When asked what Jenna likes best about working at BGV, she responds,"What I like most about working at BGV is the positive impact we can have on our clients and the population we serve. Although we may not always see immediate changes, being able to support clients and families in empowering themselves for their futures is inspiring. I also like the opportunities for professional growth within the agency."
Dusan has been at BGV for just over seven years and has been the Director of Business Intelligence since 2018. While many are unaware of what the staff in his department do, the work Dusan produces is essential to maintaining and improving the complex services BGV provides. Dusan is in charge of gathering the data from every aspect of the organization and turning it into dashboards, visualizations, and reports that can be easily understood and analyzed. The information he provides becomes a crucial part of any decision made within the agency and has been instrumental in leading BGV forward.
Because data and outcome measurement is an important part of demonstrating successful service delivery, Dusan is also an invaluable member of BGV's grant writing team.
"I've volunteered my time to helping bring assistive technology to children with physical disabilities for a long time," Dusan explains, "so BGV's mission of helping kids with behavioral and emotional problems really resonates with me. BGV fosters innovation in everything it does, and I like that my technical expertise helps with that through the utilization of various technologies."
