MCRI is a not-for-profit organization and we accept donations. If you wish to make a donation, please contact Melanie Martin at (506) 524-8809, or drop into our office to donate.
By 1980 plans were underway to close institutions, so not for profit organizations set up Community Residences across the province that could house both children and adults. MCRI was the leading organization in N.B. in this project, and at one time operated 15 Community Residences for adults and youth.
MCRI wanted to provide more self-sufficient and less costly living options, and lead the pathway to transition adults from Community Residences to live on their own. In 1981 the Supported Independent Living Program started, providing supports so that people could live in their own home with supports coming in to assist them. In 1985 the Peer Program opened providing supports for adults of all ages who were somewhat self-sufficient but still needed live-in help for some aspects of their lives.
Over time the Peer and House Parent programs saw a shift in thinking and launched the Associate Family Program, which was the same concept except the place of residence now belonged to those providing the care (Associate families later changed its name to Residential Associates). In the late eighties the Residential Associate Program was changed to the Alternate Family Living Arrangement (AFLA). AFLA members are welcomed as equal members of the paid family, and the natural families of members often help the paid providers with support.
Soon after, a shift in government meant reduced funding to Community Residences, and moved individuals back into institutional settings. Many not for profits could no longer operate safely, and others increased the number of residents to generate enough income, and MCRI eventually closed most of the residences.
The Supported Independent Living Program (SILP) continued to prosper over time, and now includes a 24/7 on call service, a larger variety of supports, and meets the growing interest for one to be living on his/her own, in his/her own home, while having safe structure over his/her own life. Each person has a customized service plan specifically tailored to his/her needs.
Today, we have 4 Community Residence programs supporting youth, and our AFLA and SILP Programs are actively used by Social Development and considered valued and cost-effective service options for government.
- People affected by developmental disabilities are entitled to the same opportunities as other citizens, and are entitled to the same quality of life and respect for their rights as individual citizens.
- Doing what is best for the people and the organization are top priorities.
- Providing a life that is as normal as possible, including the opportunity to interact with non-developmentally disabled people in the community, and the right to access and use the generic services in the community.
- Recognizing and developing each person’s individuality.
- That the developed services enable each individual to be challenged in order to help them learn and grow.
- That to the greatest extent possible, such individuals should have the right of choice and be empowered to make decisions with their own life.
- That families and/or advocates be involved in the decision making process.
Support Philosophies represent the attitude and philosophy used when providing people services. These concepts are based on the Mission Statement, Guiding Principle, Program Goals and relationship building strategies. The main philosophies we teach to our trained staff is through Mandt Relationship building.
Using the MANDT System, we teach concepts and techniques in building healthy relationships as the foundation of all support strategies. All supports are tailored to meet the person’s needs; therefore, we provide a wide range of evidence based approach’s that have been analyzed by research. All supports are created with the goal that everyone feels safe, in the workplace, in their home, with the surrounding support. The main topics also include building healthy Communication, Conflict Resolution, and Trauma Informed Services.
She is also the liaison staff support for the Bennett and Albert County Health Care Foundation supporting the Albert County Community Health Centre in Riverside-Albert.
She was involved with many organizations when her children were young including the Riverview Skating Club – many roles including President for many years, Williams Syndrome Association as the Provincial Rep, as well as other areas pertinent to her family and their activities. Most recently she stepped down as an advisory board member for the Salvation Army after several years.
She is married to her husband, David and has two adult children, a son, Drew, 28 who is a client in the SILP program for MCRI and a daughter Lexi, 25 who previously worked as summer student and caregiver for MCRI, currently living in Montreal. In her downtime Marianne enjoys reading, cooking, entertaining, swimming and travelling when afforded the time and opportunity.
VICE PRESIDENT – Chantal Landry joined MCRI’s board of directors in 2017. Her initial connection with MCRI was a summer job (2001) taking clients out for recreational activities and running Club Shades. She learned so much and had such a great summer experience! Since then, she has gotten her college diploma as a Youth Care Worker, worked for a variety of not-for-profit organizations, worked on a cruise ship tall ship in the Caribbean, and got her degree in Organizational Management while working part-time and as a single mom.
In December 2021, she decided to leave her position as Executive Director of Habitat for Humanity Moncton and become a college instructor at NBCC in the school of business. This major career change has given her more time and energy to focus on her son, hobbies and volunteer work. I am also a board member of the Economic and Social Inclusion Corporation, the NB Common Front for Social Justice and La maison des
jeunes de Dieppe.
Chantal loves learning and trying new things, innovative and creative ideas, finding new ways of doing things and always focused on how to improve herself. She really enjoys being a board member and learning about governance. She is focused on how MCRI can bring our board to the next level so that they can best govern and support the organization so that it can continue to grow and serve its clients.
TREASURER – Kristen Steeves is a native of Riverview. After receiving her Bachelor of Commerce degree from Mount Allison University, she then obtained a professional accounting designation. For the majority of her career, she has worked in non-profit member organizations. She is currently the CFO at CPA New Brunswick.
When not working, she loves spending time with her family. As a mother of two teenage boys, she spends hours at the rink watching competitive hockey or running a taxi service for them. As a family, they love to travel and find new adventures. She loves to exercise – walk, run, bike – anything that keeps her moving.
SECRETARY – Beverly Gaudet is 54 years old, and has 2 children, 2 stepchildren, one grandchild, and also have 2 dogs, Nicco and Molly who are very spoiled. Ryan, her stepson, is special needs and will hopefully be placed with the SILP program within a couple of years. She is personally and professionally thrilled that MCRI provides a service that allows many who would otherwise not be, assisted living. Allowing them to learn and live life to its fullest potential.
Beverly is a Registered Nurse of 28 yrs. Fresh out of nursing school, she had the opportunity to manage Private Care Inc; a homecare agency that provided various support services for individuals in the community. She has had the privilege of working within the community (Extra Mural, Southeast Regional Corrections and currently Mental Health & Addictions) as well as hospital expertise. She has worked with every age in almost every scenario, having had the privilege of learning various skills and providing her expertise to those in need.
Beverly previously owned a Level 2 Special Care Home. During this period of time, she was President of the local, and VP of the provincial Special Care Home Association over a 4-year period. She worked closely with various community organizations and routinely spoke with government officials, Department of Social Develpoment, and numerous other community resources. She joined the Board of directors with MCRI in July of 2021. Her goal is to promote and support the awesome services/housing programs that MCRI provides each and every day while working in the constraints of today’s world.
SANDY SCOTT-THIBODEAU – As she retired from her position of Social Worker with the Department of Social Development after 20 plus years working within the Child Welfare Sector, she was invited to join MCRI’s Board of Directors; needless to say, she graciously accepted this without any hesitation. For the last 16 years, she was a Children’s Resource Services Social Worker, more specifically, a Foster Home and Group Home Coordinator, assigned to MCRI as the Department’s liaison for Children’s Residences. Come to find out, she shares the same perspective and philosophy as the agency when it comes to working with children and families, based on building positive relationships and meeting their individual needs. Her working relationship with MCRI Management and Staff was always positive; they did a lot of great work and accompanied several youth as they successfully aged out of the Minister’s care. Indeed, there were often challenges and obstacles along the way, they faced them as a team, supported one another, and always remained focused on the children’s best interest.
Given this experience, Sandy brings to the Board of Directors a wealth of knowledge and insight into government Policy and Procedures, Standards and Guidelines that benefits the agency and clientele. She looks forward to once again being part of the MCRI family in this capacity and sees a very bright future ahead for our Members. She decided that she is not ready to completely retire and will be starting a new journey as a Clinical Therapist with EROS Inc., a private agency that provide therapeutic services to the community, both in person and on-line.
MARGIE MCFEE – She has been a board member at MCRI for some time. So long ago, that she is not quite sure exactly when she joined. When she started Jerry K was the Executive Director and John Bout was the President of the board, so that goes back a few years! She has a daughter who has been a client of MCRI for 20 years, and who was initially involved in the AFLA program, then Read street program, and eventually to the SILP program where she currently shares an apartment with a roommate. As a family, she will be forever grateful for the ongoing support MCRI has given her. She has grown in leaps and bounds over the years and continues to do well in her apartment living. It seems only fitting that Margie gives back, and one way to do that is giving her time to the board.
What does she bring to the table? Well, a family perspective for one. Her nursing background both in hospital and community nursing with Extra Mural which also included assessing folks for Long Term Care. Volunteerism has always been a part of her family. Over the years she served on the Board for our Community Kindergarten (back in the day when it was not part of the school program), Beaver leader, Girl Guides, Social chair for hospital staff, VP for our local union, Skate Club and many years with the Sackville swim Club to name a few. Margie appreciates the new board members and welcomes the energy it brings to the board. Change is not always better, but better is a change!
KEN ROSS – Ken Ross has worked in the NGO sector, municipal government and the provincial government. He worked within the YMCA movement and was the provincial Executive Director for the Canadian Mental Health Association. His past employment with the provincial government was as the Executive Director and Board Chair of the Mental Health Commission of New Brunswick, and with the integration of the Commission into the Department of Health Ken was appointed as Assistant Deputy Minister for Institutional and Community Services.
He retired in 2014 and has been a volunteer on the MCRI board for several years. He is also on the Board of Mental Health Research Canada and is a member of their Executive Committee. He resides in Sussex with his wife Cindy and they have 3 adult children, and his youngest daughter is currently a member of MCRI services.
MAMADOU OURY DIALLO – After his first degree in Business Law, he came to Canada in 2016 to pursue his master’s degree in Public Administration at the Université de Moncton. His first involvement began at the university and far beyond. He was involved in the Association of International Students of the University of Moncton (AEEICUM) where he was involved in the board of directors to defend the rights of his student friends; the Association of Guineans and Friends of Moncton (AGAM) of which he was the president for two years, and the World Youth for Development organization of which he was also the president and founding member. In 2019, this involvement earned him a place in the top 30 young francophones under 30 to watch in NB, a ranking that is done every year by the newspaper Acadie Nouvelle to recognize the contribution of young francophones to the advancement of the province of NB. During the same year, he worked in the
summer for the federal government of Canada, specifically in the public service payroll centre.
After graduation, he worked as an outreach and development officer for Chantiers jeunesse. His role was to support young volunteers aged 15 to 30 to develop their leadership and entrepreneurial skills by taking charge of their own projects, from development to implementation. Currently, he chairs the New Brunswick Provincial Council of People of African Descent, which is pursuing the goals of the International Decade of People of
African Descent declared by the United Nations Assembly in 2014. He also advocates for the rights and interests of people of African descent while working with the different levels of government to achieve our goals.
He enjoys learning, serving others, and helping to advance his community by getting involved in the governance of the associations that host me while helping to bring it to the top. On the side, he loves soccer, video games and reading.
JOHN LUNNEY – John is first and foremost a family man. He is married to his beautiful wife of 27 years, Tammy and he has two children a son Mitchell and a daughter Madelaine, who are both attending post-secondary training. John is also an animal lover and currently has one golden retriever as part of his family.
John has been an employee of the Department of Justice and Public Safety for the past 30 years he has held several positions including being responsible for Commercial Vehicle Enforcement and Off-Road Vehicle Enforcement. He is currently the Deputy Chief of Inspection and Enforcement NB, IENB is the province’s second largest law enforcement organization that employees more than 300 staff. It has responsibility for Conservation Enforcement, Gaming and Regulatory Enforcement, Facial Recognition, Liquor, Lottery, Tobacco and Cannabis Enforcement, Safer Communities programs, Highway Safety Enforcement and many other initiatives. John is a graduate of Loyalist College in Ontario, he holds university certificates from Queens University and the University of New Brunswick, the Canadian institute of Justice, and the Atlantic Police
Academy.
Outside of work John has volunteered as a coach of our youth in hockey, soccer, football and basketball, and he has also chaired several Parent School support committees in his hometown of Riverview and was successful in obtaining a new school for east Riverview. John has served as a chairperson of multiple committees and was an elected board of director member and executive of the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance an international non-profit agency representing all provinces and states responsible for policing the commercial trucking industry. John joins the MCRI board as it is important to him to continue to give back to his community.
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