Employee of The Arc of Opportunity Cited for Outstanding Work From Association of Developmental Disabilities Providers
Fitchburg native Mallery Guastini has won the Direct Support Professional Award for the North region from the Association of Developmental Disabilities Providers, the organization announced today. Guastini will receive her award at the ADDP Conference and Expo on April 28 at the DCU Center in Worcester.
Guastini, who has worked for The Arc of Opportunity in Fitchburg for nearly two years, was cited for her outstanding work in providing supports and services to all individuals, and particularly her work with The Arc’s self-advocacy group/”
“Mallery is a professional through and through,” said Mary Heafy, President and Chief Executive Officer of The Arc. “She brings out the creativity in everyone, inspiring the idea for our “Bone Appetite” project, which supports local animal rescue effort. She always takes a person-centered approach to direct support, and that has led to fostering positive relationships with clients by respecting dignity and human rights, and encouraging independence and self-advocacy.”
“Direct Support Professionals like Mallery are the foundation of the human services sector in Massachusetts,” said Gary Blumenthal, the President and Chief Executive Officer of ADDP. “There are hundreds of thousands of people living with disabilities in Massachusetts who rely on Direct Support Professionals to provide critical services so they can live, work, play and thrive in their home communities. Mallery and her colleagues enable this to happen every day all across our Commonwealth.”
The Framingham-based ADDP is committed to ensuring, strengthening and promoting the viability of community-based organizations that support people with developmental disabilities and their families.