About Coastal Connections

Coastal Connections, Inc. is a new name and corporate status for a well established, well respected program on the North Shore of Massachusetts (our Credentials). The roots of our organization are long and deep, and began as a school program at the Penn Brook Elementary school in Georgetown Massachusetts. From 1976-1990 two teachers worked tirelessly to develop and provide exemplary special education services to students in the Greater Newburyport Educational Collaborative. The year 1986 saw this program awarded the School Program of the Year award by Work, Inc. The “Penn Brook” program, as it was usually referred to, was operated by teachers Deb Plumer and Vicky Hunt, two of the principles in the now Coastal Connections, Inc. In 1990 Penn Brook morphed into Petalworks and began providing services to adults with multiple disabilities. The Petalworks program was sited at Essex Agricultural and Technical School in Danvers and grew from 10 adults to 16 adults in several years time, again earning “exemplary” certifications and status for each and every quality survey performed by the Department of Developmental Services, our primary stakeholder and funding source at that time.

In 1996, Petalworks moved its operations to the Salisbury area and became part of the rebirth of a strip mall called Crossroads Plaza. The years saw growth and changes in the services provided and, at the recommendation of the Department of Developmental Services, we applied for and became a provider of Day Habilitation services through the state Medicaid Program. Since 1996, our population has grown as has the array of services we offer; from providing services to 16 individuals we now provide a menu of services to approximately 70 individuals and families. The original Penn Brook teacher, Deb Plumer, is now and has been the director of Petalworks for the past 10 years. Vicky Hunt is the current Chairman of the newly formed Board of Directors of Coastal Connections, Inc., after retiring in 2006 from GNEC. The continuity of vision, shared philosophy and hard work has catapulted Petalworks to being one of the best day programs for adults with disabilities on the North Shore. CARF, the internationally recognized organization that certifies Day Habilitation services, has given Petalworks the highest level of certification available for each survey conducted.

The adult service system has expanded its services and currently provides vocational services, through a program called Vocational Ventures. This program began as a pilot program funded through the Department of Developmental Services and because of the success of this pilot program, funding was given to develop Vocational Ventures as a full time program. A second avenue of providing vocational services is through the Massachusetts Rehabilitation Commission. This funding source uses our services to provide those extra supports someone in a job may require for extended periods of time. We assist individuals in determining their job preferences, finding placements and allowing them to pursue jobs that interest them, while providing support to the employer.

In January 2008, our umbrella agency, Greater Newburyport Educational Collaborative, doing business as Coastal Educational Collaborative, informed all staff and stakeholders that it would no longer be doing business as a public entity and the Collaborative was perhaps looking to merge with another collaborative. This information was a signal to those people who provided services to the adult population; the time was right to become our own agency. The Board of Coastal Educational Collaborative was supportive of pursuing this outcome and voted as such. The Department of Developmental Services, a major and primary stakeholder, was extremely supportive of this endeavor at the local and at the regional level. The Board determined that a July 1, 2008 start date would be appropriate for this new entity called Coastal Connections, Inc. to commence operations. This is the beginning of the fiscal year, and little or no disruption is anticipated for the individuals served.

The employees of Coastal Connections, Inc. have varied job descriptions. The majority of staff is considered direct care staff and they provide day to day services to individuals. This group is usually about 7-8 full time equivalents. There are also job coaches and job developers, as well as professionals who are licensed to provide ancillary services such as speech/language, occupational therapy, and physical therapy. Volunteers are welcomed but much regulated and must have training before any contact or interactions with individuals. In summary, Coastal Connections, Inc. is not “new”. Our name and corporate structure may be new, but the entity and all that it is made up of…the people, the policies, the philosophy, the values, mission and goals have been developed and honed over the past 32 years. We bring a wealth of knowledge… academic, financial, philosophical and basic common sense and hard work to this project. We will succeed and the individuals and families we provide service to will benefit from that wealth of knowledge.

The roots we have go deep and the branches of our tree grow slowly, but strong and steady. We believe that everyone has the right to live, work and play in the community; we believe in ‘ability’ and that each of us has something to offer and all lives are enriched by the lives that we help support.