Springfield/Westfield Family Support Team
Mary Beattie
Director of Family Support – Springfield/Westfield
Mary joined the Westfield MCS office 25 years ago and now manages the Family Support program for the Springfield/Westfield area office.
Carmen Torres
Intake Specialist and Community Liaison
Carmen has been with MCS since 1999, initially as a Direct Care worker, then as the leader of the Hispanic Family Support Group, and later as a Service Navigator. Currently, Carmen is the Intake Specialist and the Community Connections representative.
Dana Dansereau
Administrative Assistant
Dana has been with MCS for over 30 years in a variety of positions. He is currently back after “retiring” last year, working as the Administrative Assistant for Family Supports.
Autism Without ID
Jessica Fuentes
Project Manager, Autism
Jessy joined MCS as an Adult Services navigator and now oversees the Autism program. She brings a wealth of experience in fields ranging from substance abuse counseling, geriatrics, HIV education/advocacy, and LGBTQ advocacy. Jessy recently completed her master’s degree in Social Work. She is passionate about the work she does supporting individuals with Autism.
Ida Borrero
ASD Navigator
Ida worked in Family Support before joining the ASD program. Ida is a go-to source for information on generic services available to families.
Timothy Lieu
Autism Group Coordinator
Tim coordinates all of the group activities for the ASD program. He has been with MCS since he was a kid, working as a direct service provider.
Suleika Ferrer
ASD Navigator
Suleika is the newest member of the ASD team. She will be starting in September 2023.
Children Services
Mary (Tate) Paquette
Family Support Program Coordinator
Tate is the supervisor for Children’s Services. She began working for MCS after agreeing to temporarily help out on a project 10 years ago.
Maribell Dones
Navigator
Maribell is a bilingual navigator who joined MCS after making a career change from business to human services.
Anaili Lopez
Navigator
Anaili is a bilingual navigator who came to us from Wayfinders. She is shown here with her sister, Iliana, who left us for greener pastures and will be missed
Kristal Melendez-Castro
Navigator
Kristal is a bilingual navigator who previously worked at Wayfinders as a Housing Support Advisor with Anaili, who Kristal believes is her long-lost sister.
Felicia Rios
Navigator
Felicia (seen here in a rare photo without her signature fanny pack) is a newer addition to the team, and she fits right in!
IFFS/Transition
Roz Mestre
Family Support Program Coordinator
Roz has been with MCS for over 25 years. During that time, she has worked in virtually every program at MCS. We are fortunate to have her as the supervisor for the IFFS (under 22) and Transition programs. Roz’ dedication to the families we support is unparalleled. She enjoys Family Supports because she learns something new every day. Roz supports the majority of the IFFS families.
Doritza Hernandez
Transition Navigator
Doritza was pressed into service as an MCS navigator by friends in the ranks. She was previously a pre-school teacher. Doritza works with Transition and Adult families.
Marissa Phelan
Transition Navigator
Like many of our navigators, Marissa was referred to Family Support by a friend at MCS. She is a wonderful addition to the Transition team.
Takisha Holley
Transition/Children Navigator
Kisha has worked at MCS in various capacities before we had the good fortune of having her land in Family Support. She has caseloads in both the Transition and Children’s programs.
Adult Services
Leslie DesRoberts
Coordinator of Adult Programs
Leslie has been working with the adult population for the last decade. She currently oversees all adult services. She is also our resident grant writer and handywoman around the office.
Maggie Serrano
Navigator
After years of pressure by friends at MCS, Maggie finally broke down and joined the team. We are grateful we finally wore her down. She has worked in most of the Family Support programs and is bilingual.
David Hill
Navigator/IFFS
David is a hands-on Navigator who joined our team after working as a support counselor. He also runs the Men’s Group and is part of the adult IFFS team.
Geisser (Gigi) Oliveira
Navigator/IFFS
Gigi worked as a direct care worker for many years before joining Family Support as a navigator. She is exceptionally creative finding generic supports for families. Gigi is part of the adult IFFS team.
Senaida Peguero
Navigator
Senaida joined MCS with years of Human Services experience. Her compassion and positive attitude lighten the atmosphere wherever she goes.
Nilda Reyes
Navigator
Nilda has been with MCS for over 25 years. She is known for her dedication to the families she supports and is like a member of the family to many of them. She also makes a mean pot of rice.
Cultural Programs
Van Nguyen
ILP Program Manager
Van is the Program Manager for the ILP. She is originally from Vietnam and is an expert in immigration matters. Her dedication to families is extraordinary.
Syuzanna Malyarenko
ILP Navigator
Syuzanna previously worked in the MCS residential department, but, fortunately for us, moved over to Family Support to join the ILP. Syuzanna is originally from Ukraine and is bilingual Russian/English.
Marissa Phelan
Transition Navigator
Like many of our navigators, Marissa was referred to Family Support by a friend at MCS. She is a wonderful addition to the Transition team.
Planned Respite
Ashley Davis-Morasi
Coordinator, Planned Respite
Referrals to the respite house are generated by DDS Service Coordinators. Ashley will match guests according to interests and abilities.
Group Respite
Joe Pirro
Coordinator, Group Respite
Joe started working for us at age 18, and we haven’t let him leave since. He coordinates the 3 Activity Clubs – adults, kids ages 8 to 15, and teens ages 15 – 21. The AC groups are for families living on the Westfield/West Springfield side of the river.
Tony & Sue Restivo
Fun & Fitnesss
Tony ran the Fun & Fitness program through the city of Springfield for many years before moving the program over to MCS. Tony and his wife, Sue, continue to offer an amazing array of activities through this program, which is geared towards more independent individuals. Tony’s commitment to Fun & Fitness and the people he supports is inspiring.
Ivonne Berrios
WEP/WEPA
Ivonne works full time at the Center School, and runs two groups through MCS in her spare time. The groups are for people in the Springfield area, and one of them is specifically for Spanish-speaking adults. Ivonne is extremely creative and dedicated to ensuring that the WEP participants have a wide variety of opportunities for activities, including overnight trips.