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Adult Center hires first full-time outreach coordinator

Date: 9/24/2015

LONGMEADOW – The Adult Center recently hired Michael Squindo as its first ever full-time outreach coordinator. The position was created by combing two positions – a part-time social worker job and a part-time volunteer coordinator position.

“His focus is going to be outreach to seniors who maybe don’t have a support network in town like family or other supports and are living in difficult conditions,” Town Manager Stephen Crane said.

“There are more seniors in that situation then I think people would typically believe,” he continued. “We interact with them somewhat regularly through our ambulance service, so we are aware of them and we need to just do a better job not only getting out into the town and finding these people and connecting them with supports, but also doing the case work management and following up and make sure that we track down family members.”

Crane noted that the Board of Health, Fire Department and Council on Aging (COA) are working on creating a report that discusses these needs and the reasons for creating the position.

Squindo, who previously worked at the East Longmeadow Senior Center as an activities and volunteer coordinator, told Reminder Publications he helps seniors with fuel assistance and food donation programs.

“Whatever they need, I try to find them support,” he added. “It’s somewhere between referral and counseling. I also work with the volunteers and that’s pretty much just coordinating all the volunteer needs.”

Squindo noted that he obtained a master’s degree in social work from Springfield College.

COA Director Amy Saada said Squindo’s educational background was one of the main reasons he was chosen for the position.

“I think we got maybe 25 to 30 applicants, but Michael was our best fit,” she added. “What qualified him most was his attitude and enthusiasm, but he has experience working with all populations. Also, he’s done volunteer coordination, so he’s done exactly what we’re looking for.”

Saada said the Adult Center’s social worker left in February and the program coordinator left the position in June.

“Once we had the resignations, I kind of wanted to look how we could get somebody full time to meet the needs of seniors in the community because there’s been increased number of call volumes of people and referrals from police, fire, board of health,” he noted.

Saada said having a full-time outreach coordinator position allows for more stability and continuity for seniors. The social worker was previously in the office one day per week, Saada noted.

“They can come in and know that they can always see the same person,” she added.

The Adult Center also promoted COA secretary Elayne Ayan to program coordinator. Ayan was a COA secretary for more than five years.

Right now, Ayan is working as a program coordinator part time while maintaining secretarial duties until a new person can be found to fill the secretary position, she noted. After that, she would continue as the program coordinator full-time.

Ayan said she would like to plan programs that appeal to younger seniors in the 50- to 60-year-old age bracket, which would include activities on weekends and evenings.

“Right now our hours are for people who are for people who are retired fully,” she added.

For more information about the Adult Center’s outreach coordination contact Squindo by phone at 565-4150 or by email at msquindo@longmeadow.org.