Working for the state VS.
I’m an occupational therapist who worked for the Massachusetts Department of developmental Services in the 1990s… It was during these 6 years -I wrote The Recycling Occupational Therapist and enjoyed a relatively high salary and benefits. The state labor union benefitted all employees, offering excellent health insurance options and retirement plans. Turnover was low and the union was strong… although I will admit it was difficult to fire less competent staff…
During this time (early 1990s) the state sought to save money by contracting out food delivery and other services to vendors who provided lower salaries and fewer benefits. This followed the Reagan era cruel cost saving policies such as emptying psychiatric hospital residents onto the streets.
Working for Non-Profit human service agencies…
Before becoming an OT I worked in New York state holding entry level human service jobs at the non-profits- Catholic Charities and The ARC. My first post graduate occupational therapy position was with another non-profit, United Cerebral Palsy in Lynn and my last position (lasting 8 years) before retiring -Shore Educational Collaborative in Peabody, MA.
My job as “house parent” while employed by Catholic Charities
The following post shares my experience living with and teaching life skills to 9 developmentally disabled men who had spent their lives in the notorious Willowbrook Institution in New York.
Personally, as an OT – I had a competitive salary, but watched my non-clinical colleagues leave for better pay at retail jobs, some colleagues worked 2 or 3 jobs to make ends meet and chronic short staffing impacted employees and “individuals”… receiving services…
Massachusetts cuts funding for human service employees…
So I am very sad and angry at Massachusetts balancing their books by cutting funding to non- profits such as Vinfen… because the state does not offer adequate alternatives…
I often write critically about MA having 68,000 non-profits competing for state grant money ( our taxes) … Non-profits are typically unregulated, meaning -money comes in and out with no required bookkeeping, no accountability… Directors are allowed to earn up to half a million$$$ salary. However, human service non-profits do have to answer to Boards and watchdogs to assure quality medical care and prevent abuse…
The AANE website (in Massachusetts) describes how a 22 year old leaving the public schools special education programs has choice of 3 state departments-depending on the type of disability… Many in need of residential and day programs are funneled into non-profits such as Vinfen or Bridgewell….
So when the state contracts out their obligations to serve our most vulnerable populations and then cuts funding to balance the state budget- its deplorable… governor Healey is shameless 
The following article is from the Lowell Sun. It is written by Jean Yang, president and
CEO of Vinfen.
Relevant links:
https://aane.org/…/a-guide-to-adult-services-and…
https://www.mass.gov/…/department-of-developmental….
https://vinfen.org/services/behavioral-health-clinics
Info on how human service agencies are monitored….
https://mackcenter.berkeley.edu/sites/
https://humanservicesandhealthcare.org/
an older but interesting article about non-profits and the welfare state… https://www.siue.edu/
Below are websites of the non-profits mentioned in my post. The photographs accompany the website information. I would never reveal an individual’s name or photo; I respect their privacy…. However, the smiling gentleman in the photo is using the curvy ring stack made out of a bird watering device that I came across in a yard sale. I am rather stunned to see it here!!! and I share the link below that explains how I made it and how it is therapeutically used…