SNOW DAY 12/17

SNOW DAY 12/17

All Incompass Human Services facility-based programs and services will be closed tomorrow, December 17, due to inclement weather.

But our telehealth services and virtual programs will proceed as scheduled! Check our virtual calendar here. For Zoom links and passwords, please refer to the weekly calendar of events emailed to you by our program staff.

Incompass Human Services Appoints Shawn Nault Director Of Day Services

Incompass Human Services Appoints Shawn Nault Director Of Day Services

Nault oversees day habilitation, community-based day services, T.R.E.E., Urban Youth Collaborative Program, and employment services as the agency unites its program portfolio around the concept of the “whole person”

CHELMSFORD, MASSACHUSETTS— Incompass Human Services™ (formerly LifeLinks CLASS), a not-for-profit organization that delivers enriching supports to people with intellectual and developmental disabilities and their families throughout Greater Lowell and Greater Lawrence, has appointed Shawn Nault as Director of Day Services.

In this new role, Nault will oversee the entire portfolio of Incompass day programs in Chelmsford and Lawrence, including day habilitation, community-based day services, T.R.E.E., and employment services. Together, these programs enroll nearly 400 individuals from the surrounding communities with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD).

Nault has more than 30 years of experience running I/DD clinical programs, having spent the past seven years leading the day habilitation program in Chelmsford. He also oversees the Incompass Urban Youth Collaborative Program in partnership with Department of Developmental Services, an experiential internship that engages students who are interested in pursuing a career in human services.

“I’m excited about this opportunity, and what the role represents for the Incompass Human Services community,” says Nault. “By leveraging and connecting the full array of our supports, programs, and services, we are uniquely positioned to meet the specific needs of every individual in our program portfolio.”

“I am thrilled to announce Shawn Nault as the new Director of Day Services at Incompass Human Services,” added Al Frugoli, Chief Operating Officer at Incompass Human Services. “Our mission is rooted in providing care for the ‘whole person’ at every stage of their life. But we also need to make it easier on families and caregivers by providing them with a single point of entry and a comprehensive program rooted in in-person and virtual supports. Shawn understands this, given his vast experience working with the I/DD population, and is already moving us in this direction.”

Nault will work out of the Chelmsford and Lawrence facilities, and is a member of the newly-formed program leadership team at Incompass Human Services along with Kelly Trickett, Director of Family and Community Services; Angie Otieno, Director of Residential Services; and Chris Snell, Director of Clinical Services. He will also continue to serve on the Incompass Human Services COVID-19 Task Force.

From the CEO: Happy Thanksgiving!

From my family to yours, I want to wish the entire Incompass Human Services community a happy Thanksgiving. This year has been a challenging one, but I thought this particular holiday was a good opportunity to look back at one of my favorite days of 2020: our Care Champions Caravan. On this day in May, dozens of staff drove to each and every one of our group homes to express appreciation to the Care Champions who are working so hard to keep our community safe.

 

 

For all of the Care Champions, thank you so much for all that you do. The executive leadership team will be handing out some small tokens of our appreciation to each of you in the next few weeks. We are eternally grateful for the dedication you have to every individual, family member, and caregiver we support.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

Jean

LifeLinks CLASS Announces New Brand and New Identity

One year after the merger between LifeLinks, Inc. and CLASS, Inc., Incompass Human Services reflects the combined agency’s comprehensive service portfolio that serves the whole person and promotes inclusion in the community.

The crowd at 4 Omni Way looks on as the new brand is officially unveiled in a ceremony on Monday, October 19.

 

CHELMSFORD, MASSACHUSETTS— LifeLinks CLASS, a human services agency serving nearly 800 people with intellectual and developmental disabilities and their families throughout Greater Lowell and Greater Lawrence, announces a new brand and new identity. The agency, an affiliated chapter of The Arc™, will now be known as Incompass Human Services™. As part of the shift, a new logo, tagline, and web domain (www.incompasshs.org) are all being rolled out.

After the merger between LifeLinks, Inc. and CLASS, Inc. was announced on July 1, 2019, establishing a brand that more accurately represented the services and impact of the combined agency was deemed an immediate priority.

“Since the merger was announced, our focus has been bringing together two human services agencies with a combined 111 years of experience in providing critical services and supports to people with intellectual and developmental disabilities,” said Jean Phelps, Chief Executive Officer of Incompass Human Services. “Today’s announcement reflects the culmination of a year-long process to present ourselves as a unified agency – stronger together, with a longstanding tradition of doing whatever it takes to enrich and transform the lives of others.”

The brand was officially unveiled to the Incompass Human Services community in an outdoor ceremony on October 19 at the Chelmsford facility, where Phelps, chairman Tim Allen, and two members of the agency’s day habilitation program held a ceremonial ribbon cutting that revealed the new logo adorning the building at 4 Omni Way.

“Last summer, even after the merger, a lot of people still referred to us as LifeLinks or CLASS and Chelmsford or Lawrence,” said Allen. “But over the course of the year, by focusing on the people and families we serve, we became a cohesive agency with a comprehensive service portfolio that is able to serve the whole person at every stage of their life. Today, we take the next step as Incompass Human Services.”

“Innovating to help the most vulnerable thrive – that’s our brand position,” said Daniel Esdale, Chief Communications and Marketing Officer. “The new brand embodies a ‘care champion’ culture that is defined by the innovation, expertise, and open hearts that have made us a premier provider of lifelong resources for people with disabilities, and their families.”

The Incompass Human Services brand is a complete reinvention of the LifeLinks CLASS identity and visual system that embraces a brand promise to deliver a more personalized, innovative approach to care that best supports the needs of society’s most vulnerable individuals. The new tagline announced in a launch video on incompasshs.org, “with open hearts, we open doors” further speaks to the impact of the work being done throughout Greater Lowell and Greater Lawrence by Incompass Human Services “care champions.”

“The open heart logo and bold color palette differentiate us in the field of human services and evoke the core qualities of the Incompass Human Services care champion,” according to Esdale.

“As we grow and add new services and supports that address the needs of the people we serve across their lives, Incompass Human Services is a brand that will grow with us,” says Phelps. “And I’m thrilled to present the impact of our work under this new brand umbrella.”

 

The staff at Incompass Human Services gather around the new entrance sign at 4 Omni Way.

 

CEO Jean Phelps addresses the crowd at the unveiling ceremony on October 19.

From the CEO: We have a new brand! Now what?

From the CEO: We have a new brand! Now what?

Dear Care Champions,

It’s been quite a month at LifeLinks CLASS Incompass Human Services! (I still say it occasionally out of habit, but so glad to be able to call ourselves Incompass!)

After the brand launch ceremony, I wanted to sit down and share my thoughts while everything was still fresh. As I watched the video again this week, I realized that my main takeaway is this:

YOU are the brand! YOU are the story!
And we need your help to bring this brand to life!

 

 

In hindsight, I’m glad I filmed this when I did given the pace of these past 30 days! Since we’ve launched the brand, we have:

  • Completed our very first virtual CARF Accreditation visit
  • Opened a new group home in Tyngsboro
  • Hired a new controller to manage finance and accounting operations – the incredibly talented Sheila Dunne
  • Promoted one of our most dedicated Care Champions Shawn Nault to a new position overseeing all day program at Incompass Human Services
  • Announced our very first employee referral bonus program
  • Launched the “All Incompassing Minute” podcast
  • Held our annual meeting with the Incompass Board of Directors

And of course, we’re still managing through this COVID-19 pandemic. It’s getting harder and harder to keep up with you all (in a good way)!

I know that the holiday season will be a lot different for all of us this year – for reasons beyond our control. But as you heard on Monday’s podcast, we have a team of Care Champions actively meeting to brainstorm on ways to spread holiday cheer throughout the agency in these uncertain times. I can’t wait to hear what they come up with over these next few weeks!

Keep doing what you’re doing…#ForEachOther!

Sincerely,