Message from President and CEO

May 18, 2020

Dear Family Members, Caregivers, and Friends,

I hope everyone is safe and healthy. That is the goal for all of us in these times of constant risk.

Perhaps no one has it rougher than the individuals we serve. Their loss of routine, their inability to see family and friends, the odd world of social distancing, masks, for some the inability to understand the situation we are in, and countless hours in the house can create disruption in any home. Yet, to the credit of their resiliency, and the hard work of our staff, everyone is doing quite well. Nurses, behavior specialists, family support & advocacy, and direct care staff have been working together to balance engagement with health and safety.

Recently, the state has increased testing in congregate care settings, testing up to 40 BCArc
employees a day. As a result, some employees have turned up positive, placing many of our homes
under quarantine. Staff “shelter-in” for weeks at a time, demonstrating enormous commitment to the people we serve. Following all protocol, home after home have come off quarantine without infecting more individuals or staff. Our staff are brave, professional, and compassionate and I am proud of them.

While this crisis puts a strain on the system, we are doing everything in our powers to maintain the
safety of our homes, and protect the individuals we serve. Our protocol is working.
We know the no-visitor rule creates a hardship on families and the individuals. Understand that
we do this for the benefit of everyone. Our offices also prohibit outside visitors. We distribute all house needs without personal contact, and without entering facilities. Our Family Support Department has reached out to many families caring for loved ones at home ensuring needs are met.

As many of you know, our day programs are closed for the time being. As Massachusetts begins
to “open up,” or at least plan for it, we too are planning for a phased-in return. Just as many of us
cannot picture the future for eating at restaurants, or seeing movies or live sports, no one yet has a clear picture of future day programs. But together we are working toward a vision, and preparing for the bestand the worst-case scenario.

Meanwhile, we are committed to supporting every family, whether through online
programming, phone calls, or providing personal protective equipment. We appreciate your flexibility. Feel free to reach out to your contact person—or me—if you need to tell us anything.

Forty years I have worked at BCArc, and I have never seen anything like this. I have also never
seen such amazing teamwork, collaboration, and passion. I look forward to the good that will continue to come out of this. And I look forward to a COVID-free world once again.

Sincerely,
Kenneth Singer
President & CEO

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