Joe Ramsay's remarkable transition
By Patricia Whitney
Published: Wednesday, November 12, 2008
At the Market Basket in Londonderry, Joe Ramsay bags groceries for his “regular customers”— people who choose his register line because they enjoy Joe’s sense of humor. It’s an amazing accomplishment for a young man who at one time could only concentrate on a task for 10 or 15 minutes at a time.
Joe is a graduate of Crotched Mountain School in Greenfield, which is a school that provides educational, therapeutic and residential services to students in kindergarten through grade 12 who have developmental and physical disabilities.
“Crotched Mountain was outstanding from our first visit,” says Joe’s dad, Bob Ramsay, “Beginning with the camaraderie between students, the caring staff and the wide array of activities, right through transition planning.”
Joe enrolled in Crotched Mountain School at age 11. When he turned 18, his parents, Bob and Cindy, began meeting with a transition team to plan for the day Joe would leave Crotched Mountain. Over the next three years, the team would meet more than 20 times to talk about how Joe would integrate back into his community. Members of this team included the Londonderry school system, where Joe had begun his education, and the Moore Center in Manchester, the area agency serving Joe.
Partners make perfect
Crotched Mountain provided an environment where Joe could succeed on many levels. Vocational classes, on-the-job training and a variety of work experiences helped him identify his aptitudes and affinities. Joe’s parents worked with his case manager and teachers to guide his development from a child who required constant attention and motivation to the young man who greets you with a firm handshake and an eye-contact “hello.” The boy who once could not complete one job could now complete three or four, all the while interacting appropriately with customers and staff. He learned to be safe in the community, to watch for traffic and to work within a busy environment.
In the last six months before graduation in June 2007, Joe spent one day a week at Crotched Mountain School and the other days in his community, working and volunteering. Joe’s parents also played a major role in finding the right person to be Joe’s aide to help him negotiate all of his experiences in the community.
A meaningful life
These days, Joe has a busy schedule. He volunteers at the police station in Londonderry and the Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Manchester, as well as works at the Best Western Hotel, where he cleans the game and exercise rooms and then swims in the pool. On Fridays and Saturdays, he dresses in a white shirt and tie to bag groceries at Market Basket.
“Joe likes to feel productive,” his mom said.
“Joe’s successful transition from Crotched Mountain to a productive place in his community has been a three-way synergy between Crotched Mountain School, the Londonderry school system and the Moore Center,” Bob Ramsay said. “We were guided to the Mountain for a reason, and it’s been a blessing for all of us.”
For information on Crotched Mountain visit www.crotchedmountain.org or call
547-3311
<i>Patricia C. Whitney is director of annual giving with the Crotched Mountain Foundation.</i>