For Families

From the beginning of our work with every client and their family, JRI’s professional caregivers seek to learn from, support and strengthen the close bonds between our clients and their families. When we think of families, we include anyone that our clients identify as part of a permanent, lifelong relationship that sustains them.

Because we believe that permanency in human relationships is essential to the health and well-being of every individual, JRI seeks to nurture and help strengthen those permanent connections throughout our interaction with all of our clients. Family engagement is the lens through which we provide services and make decisions with each of our clients, whether they are receiving assistance in one of our residential programs, outpatient clinical programs, group homes, foster care or community-based programs.

We encourage families to assist in JRI’s program development and quality improvement efforts by participating in our Family Advisory Council, which advises JRI leadership and staff on how best to serve our clients.

Family Advisory Council Virtual Open House

Join the council and help us create a greater sense of family partnership, engagement & collaboration as we improve treatment for individual.

Learn about the mission and accomplishments of the Family Advisory Council.

Caregiver Connection Series include:

Tips for Managing and Understanding Challenging Behaviors
Reality of Crisis Planning
What No One Tells You About When Planning for an IEP Meeting
Turning Pain into Power- Stories of Resiliency

Reserve a spot for event here.

Family Advisory Council

JRI’s Family Advisory Council offers a supportive space where caregivers have a guiding voice and work side by side with agency leaders to set goals to improve care for the individuals we serve and their families.

We want to hear your thoughts!

Help us create a greater sense of family partnership, engagement and collaboration as we improve treatment for individuals and families at JRI. Together, we’ll create a stronger support network within the agency for navigating any challenges that may arise.

If you are interested in joining JRI’s Family Advisory Council, please contact Rachel Arruda at rarruda@jri.org.

Check out the 15 tips to help bridge the gap between family and support.

Join the Family Forum Facebook Group!

Are you currently on a waiting list for services and not sure where to look next? JRI's Family Advisory Council developed this Families Sharing Resources list to help while you are waiting for services.

Resources for Talking to Children About School Violence

In response to the devastating shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, here are some resources to help families talk with their children and to help navigate this horrendous situation.

I am proud to be part of this group. I feel like what I say and how I feel as a parent matters. A little understanding of where I’m at in my child’s treatment/journey and where my child is at in their journey goes a long way.

Permanent

Connections are Vital for a Child's Success

We all need the people in our lives who know us and care about us, who celebrate our successes and comfort us in hard times. These are the people we call when we get a new job, lock our keys in the car or are facing a big decision. Listen to this podcast episode featuring Jason Galli; who entered the social services system from birth, and found permanency for himself; Meredith Rapoza, division director of permanency and latency services for JRI, and Rachel Arruda, director of service coordination and family engagement at JRI.

Meet Rachel Arruda, JRI's Director of Service Coordination and Family Engagement at JRI.

Picture of Rachel at her desk with a bio, which says: Rachel has been a part of the JRI team since January, 2000. For over 20 years, Rachel has been working in the field of human services assisting families with accessing and navigating services. Rachel received her Bachelors degree in psychology and Masters Degree in Public Administration from Bridgewater State University. She was promoted in July 2005 to Family Networks Program Director where she closely worked with the Department of Children Families for 10 years ensuring that children and families received the highest quality of individualized services ranging from community based through residential care. Rachel is very dedicated to helping the individuals she works with and is committed to improving the lives of children and families. Rachel’s passion for creative service programming inspires her in her role as JRI Service Navigator.

How to contact Rachel:


(508) 468-6042	navigator@jri.org

Joy's quote I was with JRI for 3 years and each person that came into our lives had such compassion and love for their job. The skills and knowledge that JRI staff bring is incredible. Each person at JRI brought a ray of sunshine to my family and today we are shining so bright because of the work that we all did together.