Get to Know: Tammy Laurent (Part 1)

Tammy Laurent recently celebrated 25 years of excellent work for Nonotuck Resource Associates as a Care Manager in our Lee office. Tammy has provided services for people with disabilities since she was a teenager in some form or fashion, and with that brings years of wisdom and insight into the practice.

Tammy came to Nonotuck after 14 years at the Center for Humanistic Change (CHC), later named Berkshire Family and Individual Resources (BFAIR). She was attracted to working at Nonotuck because of her familiarity with former Nonotuck Chief Operations Officer Rich French, as well as her desire for a change of scenery in her career.

Tammy has also served as the Western Massachusetts coordinator for Nonotuck’s Human Rights Committee for 15 years. Nonotuck’s Human Rights Committees, composed of independent volunteers and people served, work to protect and uphold the rights of people served by Nonotuck by reviewing policies, investigating grievances, monitoring behavior programs, and ensuring awareness and accessibility to rights information. Meeting quarterly, the committee is dedicated to affirming human and civil rights through collaboration, education, and advocacy, in line with Department of Developmental Services regulations.

Tammy lives in Pownal, Vermont, which is also the town she grew up in, mere miles from her childhood home.

You reached 25 years here at Nonotuck this year. What’s kept you here so long?

The atmosphere around the Berkshires team—despite changes over the years since I became a Care Manager— has always been really strong and supportive. The benefits have always been great, and we’ve always had flexible schedules. While I’d like to explore a different role than Care Manager simply because I’ve been doing it for so long, I don’t see myself saying “see you later.”

What are some things you’ve learned in your time here?

Diplomacy has been essential for me over the years. When I started, I was around 32, going through a lot—stuck in a difficult marriage with two young kids. It was sometimes hard to separate personal life from work. As time went on, I moved on from the bad marriage. In 2012, my current husband faced some ongoing medical issues, which brought new challenges in learning to balance work with home life. Keeping them separate is still hard at times, but I’ve learned how to manage it better over the years.

How did Nonotuck help you learn that?

I’d say, for the most part, everyone has always been supportive of one another when issues come up, which sometimes made things easier. My coworkers—the team in the Berkshires—have always had each other’s backs. Any time any of us has had an emergency, we’ve helped each other maintain balance. If someone needs to deal with something at home, others step in to help cover.

Being able to take the necessary time off for these situations has been invaluable. In 2016, I broke my ankle and was out for two months, and everyone here covered my caseload. We’ve also covered for people out on maternity leave. When we’re down a team member, we cover for one another.

How would you describe your approach to being a Care Manager?

It has to start with respect for the people’s homes you’re going into, both the person served and the caregivers. It’s their home, not mine. During these visits, you learn  {things like} who’s comfortable with you bringing in your laptop to do notes and who isn’t. You get to know these people, what they like, what they don’t like, how they react to different things—you just learn to understand and respect them.

What are some of your most memorable moments in your time at Nonotuck?

There have been so many moments. Meeting different people, of course, and the impact of those who have passed—people served, caregivers on our caseloads. Supporting everyone through those losses and cherishing their lasting memories, along with the impact they’ve had on me. Watching coworkers advance in their positions, get promoted, and receive the accolades they deserve has also been meaningful. I had the privilege of being the case manager for people like Kitty {Curtin} and Dan {MacDonald}. I believe I was Angela {Procopio-Rahilly} and Carrie {Bona}’s care manager, too.

And speaking of recognition, I would be remiss not to mention (Northampton Care Manager) Dan Zimmerman in this interview. He’s been here far longer than I have and has been not only a mentor but is now very supportive and appreciative. We still collaborate and consult with each other. I became the Human Rights Coordinator for the Western MA committee in 2010. Since then, every time I send out information, Dan thanks me for all the hard work I do on the Human Rights Committee.

Tell me more about the Human Rights Committee: why did you initially get involved with the committee? 

Care managers are the human rights officers for all those on their caseloads. We all attended the quarterly meeting that were, up until 2020, held in the Northampton office. If we had something that required review by the committee, we would present and explain whatever it was. When the person who was coordinator before me left, I volunteered to take over. Since I’m in the position of someone needing to submit, I thought I could do a good job of organizing the meeting, so it ran smoothly and set up the minutes in a way that made sense.

Why is the committee important to you? 

It’s one more safeguard (a big one!) for the people we work for. As a human service agency working for people with intellectual and other disabilities, it’s important to protect and respect everyone’s rights. Protecting rights and respecting people reflects in everything we do.

What other things do you do as part of your job at Nonotuck?

I help train new Care Managers and am always available to support them as needed. I’ve mentored people out east, and I’m on the Positive Behavioral Supports (PBS) Leadership Team, Safety Committee, and Critical Incident Report Committee. I also handle all the ordering for our office, whether it’s through Amazon Prime, Staples, or grocery shopping at Big Y for office supplies, water, and coffee. I do it all.