Thank you to all who joined us for our May Paint Night Fundraiser. We had an absolute blast with you! And we’re so thankful for your support of the Creative Process, an arts program for the Residents of our youth residential program.
We held our first ever Paint Night Fundraiser on May 26th at American Training in Andover. And this first class nearly sold out!
Our attendees were treated to a delicious smorgasbord of sandwiches, snacks, and the now famous Painter’s Punch (yum!), as our Colleague Maxine guided the class, step-by-step, through the painting of the beautiful cherry blossoms below.
“I thought that the night was fun, relaxing, and all for a great cause,” said attendee Val.
“Spending time with a group of fun, interesting, supportive women was the best part for me,” said Carolyn, another attendee.
“I was happy to be doing something relaxing and positive while contributing to a very worthwhile cause,” said attendee Robin.
“WOW! is the best thing I can say about this Paint Night! I enjoyed every minute of it,” said Brianna, another attendee. “It was a night to relax, have fun, and spend the evening with great women, creating masterpieces.”
Check out photos from the night below. Then stay tuned for more information, coming soon, about another Paint Night coming in June.
We’ve accomplished a lot in the last year! CARF International awarded our Day Services a Three Year Accreditation! The Massachusetts DDS Office of Quality Enhancement awarded us a Two Year License! The Executive Office of Health and Human Services, MassHealth Office of Long Term Services and Supports determined our Day Habilitation is in Full Compliance! And Massachusetts DDS, DCF, and DMH determined our Highfields Rehab Options is in Full Compliance!
We couldn’t have made it happen without the support and efforts of our amazing Colleagues. The Exceptional People who make up the American Training family are behind each every accomplishment.
So we celebrated them at our Licensed to Celebrate party, where we showered them with appreciation! There was a delicious pasta bar and more great food from our friends at Simply Elegant Catering, delectable cupcakes from Buttermilk Baking Co., a green screen photo booth that took our Colleagues on a trip to a tropical destination, speeches by a few of our VP’s, door prizes, a live photo feed, and so much more!
Check out a few photos from the evening below!
Thank you to all who joined us on our adventure to the Second Star to the Right and Straight on ‘Til Morning. Our trip to Neverland for the 2016 Celebrate Good Times Gala wouldn’t have been the WOW! Magic evening it was, if it wasn’t for each and every one of you!
Check out news coverage of the event in the Eagle Tribune here and Rumbo News below.
All of our favorite characters were in attendance, among them, Peter Pan, Tinkerbell, Captain Hook, and more! The detailed map of Neverland took us all over, enjoying the hand-built decorations like the Jolly Roger, the Lost Boys’ camp, Mermaid Lagoon, the magical Storybook, and more.
The outrageously memorable evening was filled with celebration of our Guests, dancing with our favorite characters, a delicious dinner and dessert, entertainment (sword fights!), and our signature WOW! Magic (we think you get the point)!
Congratulations to the evening’s award winners:
Danielle Bowman – The Dreamer Award
In recognition of your positive attitude, hard work and dedication to reaching your goals and because you enthusiastically inspire others to never give up on theirs.
Linda Pearson – The Adventurer Award
In recognition of your courageous and bold spirit and your willingness to step out of your comfort zone and explore new interests.
Robert Nash – The Believer Award
In recognition of your enthusiasm, warmth and inspirational outlook toward all those around you. Your positive attitude helps to bring out the best in everyone.
Check out their full write-ups below:
Check out photos from the evening, and all the outrageously memorable fun we had, below.
Thank you to all of our wonderful event supporters and participants: DJ Greg and his team from NRG Entertainment, Ninety-Nine Restaurant of Haverhill, Bedford Occupational Acute Care, New England Furniture, Orzo Trattoria, Bates Insurance Agency, Butch’s Uptown, China Blossom, Buono Bistro, Wamesit Lanes, The Savings Bank, Internet & Telephone, Enterprise Bank, Haverhill Bank, Butcher Boy, Jay Gee’s, Barking Dog Ale House, Moore Staffing Services, Beth Colbath, Vanway Team, Clinical Services Team, Andover Country Club, our Fund-A-WOW! Sponsor Mary Miserlis, and all of our Colleagues and volunteers who helped put the evening and all of its WOW! Magic together.
“The moment you doubt whether you can fly, you cease for ever to be able to do it.”
– J. M. Barrie, Peter Pan
Thank you for flying with us at our fourth annual Celebrate Good Times Gala in Neverland!
March is Brain Injury Awarness Month, and here at ATI, we went green in support of it! With our new ABI, Acquired Brain Injury, program in Day Services, we were proud to participate. Through this new program, we will be providing day and community services to Guests with acquired brain injuries.
For our Go Green day, we asked Colleagues to wear green and had an informational booth in our Andover lobby which featured snacks, information on the brain and how it functions, and facts about brain injury.
Many showed their support by wearing green ribbons for the day while others learned a little more about brain injury. Learn more about brain injury here and check out a few photos from the day below.
This American Red Cross Adult & Pediatric First Aid, CPR and AED Course will be held Wednesday, April 27, 2016, 12 p.m. to 4 p.m. at 6 Campanelli Drive in Andover.
One in every four Americans say they’ve been in a situation where someone needed CPR. If you were one of them, would you know what to do? Studies have shown that being trained in CPR can make the lifesaving difference when someone suffers sudden cardiac arrest.
Course Description
During this one-day course, you will be trained in American Red Cross First Aid and CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation), and the use of an AED (automated external defibrillator). This training meets the needs of workplace responders, school staff, professional responders, healthcare providers, as well as the general public. Upon successful completion of the course, you will be issued a digital certificate, good for two years.
At the end of this course, you will be able to:
• Respond to common first aid emergencies including burns, cuts, head, neck and back injuries, and more.
• Respond to cardiac and breathing emergencies.
• Know how to use an automated external defibrillator (AED).
Meet Our Trainer
Donny Wise is a training specialist and Certified Health Care Instructor with more than 10 years experience in providing training to diverse individuals. He has dedicated 15 years to caring for adults with disabilities in residential and day program settings.
Costs
This course is $110 per person. The price includes training and all course materials.
Registration
To register, please contact Danielle LaPointe at 978-655-6850 or daniellelapointe@americantraininginc.com.
Questions
Please contact Danielle LaPointe at 978-655-6850 or daniellelapointe@americantraininginc.com with any questions.
Tuition must be paid prior to the day of the course.
Space is limited!
Search for other training opportunities on our events page.
This MAP Training will be held Monday & Tuesday, May 16-17 and Thursday & Friday, May 19-20, 2016 from 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. at 6 Campanelli Drive in Andover. All attendees must arrive by 8:45 a.m. on the first day, May 16.
Course Description
Completion of this 4-day course meets the 16-hour requirement to prepare and qualify you to take the MAP test. At the end of this session, you will be able to:
• Safely administer medications as regulated by the Massachusetts Department of Public Health
• Learn the technique of medication administration and management
• Properly document, record, and store medication, including countable medication
• Accurately transcribe doctor’s orders
Meet Our Trainers
Maxine Pierce is a registered nurse, with over 30 years of experience, providing quality care to diverse individuals. She has dedicated her career to medical/surgical and geriatric patients, as well as intellectually disabled populations. She is an experienced MAP instructor and MAP monitor and has conducted specialized trainings and competencies under the MAP program, which certifies individuals to safety administer medications and is recognized in the DDS and DCF/DMH systems.
Karen Grundy is a registered nurse who has been in the health care field for 24 years, specializing in a variety of settings including Family Practice, Internal Medicine, and Ophthalmology before joining American Training. Karen has experience in facilitating orientation and competencies of other health care professionals, and she recently expanded her credentials to include MAP Trainer. She looks forward to conducting MAP classes.
Costs
Course fee is $250 per person. Includes four-day training, lunch on day two, and all course materials. Course fee must be paid prior to beginning the course, and you must present a current photo ID. Please note that D&S Diversified Technologies may require you to pay additional testing fees if you are not covered by the Department of Mental Health (DMH) or Department of Developmental Services (DDS).
Registration
To register, please contact Danielle LaPointe at 978-685-2151, ext. 6850 or daniellelapointe@americantraininginc.com.
Cancellation Policy
Cancellations made 10+ days prior to the course will receive a FULL REFUND. Cancellations made 5-9 days prior to course will receive a 50% REFUND. Cancellations within 4 business days or for absentees will receive NO REFUND.
Questions
Please contact Danielle LaPointe at 978-685-2151, ext. 6850 or daniellelapointe@americantraininginc.com with any questions.
Tuition must be paid prior to beginning the course and you must present a current photo ID.
Space is limited!
Search for other training opportunities on our events page.
We traveled, by pixie dust, to Neverland for Spring Break 2016! Second star to the right and straight on ’til morning. There we arrived to find Mermaid Lagoon, the infamous Croc, Big Ben, and more.
The day, an annual event, is meant to train, inspire, and bring our Colleagues together. And like all Spring Breaks before this, all of that and more was accomplished. But this year brought its own WOW! Magic in the form of Neverland, and the idea of never growing up. We helped each and every adult in the room find his or her inner child with our “No Grown Ups Allowed” Competition. Each branch elected team members to compete in the three main events.
The competition began with Musical Chairs, but with a special ATI twist. In our version, each song was the signature song of a specific dance, like the Macarena or the Cupid Shuffle. Participants danced their way around the chairs, Walking Like an Egyptian or doing the Charleston, until we had our winner, Priyana from Team Admin.
Next up was Jeoprdy-style trivia, with various categories and values under each category. Participants were required to answer in question form with topics ranging from television shows from our yesteryears to company history to the silly things we believed as children (like a moon made of cheese). Again Team Admin. walked away with the win, with Specialized Housing coming in second.
Scores were tight heading into the final round with Admin., Specialized Housing, and Day Services just a few points apart. Then Simon Says began. After several commands, it was apparent that Simon couldn’t confuse our final five Colleagues and each of the competitors left were awarded first place finishes.
The competition ended with Team Admin. in first, taking home the WOW! Magic trophy for the first time ever! The final scores were as follows:
Total Scores
Team Admin. – 24
Team Day Services – 16
Team Specialized Housing – 11
Team LARE – 9
Team Vanway – 7
Team Clinical – 7
Immediately following the competition, we were treated to the world premiere of Neverland’s Got Talent, and WOW! what a talented community! We were treated to singing, dancing, and beautiful displays of artistic expression. In the end, our top three finishers were: a beautiful dance called Dominican Palos at Neverland starring Annalise Vasquez, Glenys Caceres, Johanny Catalino, Karen Morales, and Dalynet Santiago in third; A rendition of Adele’s “When We Were Young” by Amy Martens in second; and a visual and musical performance called The Dedication performed by Sam Hy and Ya Rath in first.
But before all the fun was had, our day began with a very significant and important training called Active Shooter: Suviving an Incident of Violence by Blue-U Defense. Two NH officers, Lt. Terry Choate and Det. Joseph Hileman, shared with us the key to survival: the ability to “make the right decision in fractions of a second”. Their training was thought provoking and empowering. Learn more about this training and other trainings they offer here.
Check out more photos from the day below with a full album here and photos from 2015’s Spring Break Bootcamp here.
The world turns blue every April in an effort to raise Autism Awareness, and so does our little world here at ATI. We went blue Monday, April 4, at all of our locations, in support of our ATI family members and friends with autism. We learned a little more at our Autism Fair and even got to partake in some sensory experiences.
Check out a few pictures from the day below. Then make sure you head to AutismSpeaks.org to learn more about #LightItUpBlue and autism.
Our LARE students, past and present, joined us with their families on Good Friday to share in our annual Easter Celebration. We had snacks, decorations galore, sweet treats for each of the little ones, and gifts for all of the kiddos. But perhaps the most exciting part of the celebration was our visit from the Easter Bunny himself.
Our LARE Colleagues were happy to bring the WOW! Magic and create the special day for their Students. And our Students were happy to share their LARE family with their own families.
Araliz Caraballo, a medical assisting student said her daughter was thrilled to visit mom’s school. “She sees me do it every day and she’s excited to be a part of it.”
Julissa Millares, another student, said her daughter felt proud. “I’m showing her that I’m continuing my education. I feel really accomplished and proud.”
Check out a few photos from the day below.
Happy Easter!
Thank you, once again, to our friends from St. John’s Prep, who have been joining us every spring for their annual Day of Caring. Each year, for nearly ten years now, they’ve come to American Training to help with special projects. These projects have ranged from building accessible garden boxes at our residential homes to painting at our day programs, and everything in between.
This year, they joined us on March 24 to help with painting, yard work (and even built a shelf!) at a few of our Specialized Housing homes. And we were so thankful to have their help and company! They provided some great volunteer work and we provided delicious snacks and an ATI WOW! Magic water bottle for each of them, our small way of expressing our gratitude.
They left behind newly cleaned yards and freshly painted rooms which really made our Residents (and us) so happy and thankful.
“Today was a great day. The volunteers were really interested in American Training and they all said they would love to come back next year to help out again,” said residential manager Amy Fitzgerald.
“They were all so friendly and had no problem rolling up their sleeves and getting dirty,” added residential manager Sarah Mallett.
Check out pictures of them “rolling up their sleeves and getting dirty” at this year’s visit below and read more about their visit last year, when they built garden boxes, and how we’ve used them since here and here.
Thank you, St. John’s Prep!