Overview:
The United Arc has reopened its Residential Program at the Greenfield home, which offers assisted living for individuals with intellectual or developmental disabilities. The program was temporarily transitioned to another agency five years ago after the organization failed to manage client health conditions and train staff properly. However, The United Arc made changes to its leadership and secured a new license for the program, which now offers support to five individuals and provides opportunities for social inclusion.
GREENFIELD — Five years after The United Arc surrendered its Residential Program license and management of the service shifted to another agency, the nonprofit is celebrating the return of this valued support option.
The Residential Program offers 24-hour assisted living for individuals with intellectual or developmental disabilities, and provides help in daily activities. Families are able to have their children live at the Hastings Street home with the support of The United Arc staff.
Staff and clients with The United Arc celebrated the transition with a private ribbon-cutting ceremony at the home earlier this month. It first opened in the mid-1990s.
Fred Warren, CEO of The United Arc, said the Residential Program creates bonds between staff, residents and their families. He equated the relationship to an “extended family” and said the program is special because it goes beyond meeting basic needs for residents by offering social inclusion through activities outside of the home.
“Where it becomes, I think, really special beyond that is just the ensuring of socialization and having people in their lives who are caring and compassionate, and checking in with them to see how things are going every day,” he said. “Then the next level beyond that is ensuring that there’s opportunities for social inclusion. Maybe [that’s] getting out to Magic Wings for a day … or checking out a movie in downtown Greenfield.”
The United Arc, founded in 1951 by Rita Marguerite Canedy and incorporated in 1960, serves clients living with developmental and intellectual disabilities in Franklin, Hampshire, Hampden, Worcester and Berkshire counties.
In 2021, The United Arc was ordered by the Department of Developmental Services to surrender its Residential and Shared-Living program contracts to ServiceNet, a Northampton-based mental health and human services organization, after a state Office of Quality Enhancement report found The United Arc failed to manage client health conditions, train staff properly and manage internal affairs.
Warren explained The United Arc made changes to its leadership and brought in people who could resume the residential programming, with a “main emphasis” on making sure The United Arc could provide clients “an opportunity to stay with The Arc throughout their entire lifespan.”
Former Executive Director Lynne Bielecki was removed by the board of directors, and Warren took the helm in April 2022 after having been with the organization for three and a half years at that time. That year, The United Arc was able to secure a two-year license for the Individual Home Supports program, and eventually, an application to return the Residential Program to The United Arc was approved by the state.
“To be able to … return to residential [programming] at Hastings [Street], specifically, was just a monumental event and something that healed some wounds for a lot of families who are an important part of The Arc’s history,” Warren said.
Warren said that during the transition period, ServiceNet staff came into the Greenfield home to continue offering the service for the residents, limiting disruptions to the people living there. During this time, internal changes were made at the leadership level, and staff received better training before any license reapplications were filed.
Through coordinating with the Department of Developmental Services, the Individual Home Supports program continued, which allowed The United Arc to continue providing services to individuals living independently. Warren said that the partnerships developed with the state and ServiceNet allowed The United Arc to open discussions about reapplying for the Residential Program license in August 2024. The nonprofit applied in January 2025 and received notification of a successful relicense in August 2025.
The program now serves five individuals, with ServiceNet continuing to offer assistance as the new era of the Residential Program begins.
“I am incredibly proud of the work everyone put in to get our residential services back at Hastings Street,” The United Arc board of directors President Doreen Gallien wrote in an email. “It has been a long journey, and seeing this program reopen is a huge milestone for The United Arc and the individuals we support. Restoring this sense of home and stability for the residents is exactly why we do what we do.”
Gallien has been involved with The United Arc for 40 years and has served as board president for six years. She said her daughter, Michelle Gallien, has been supported by The United Arc and its programs as well.
Doreen Gallien said it was a “hard time” for the organization in 2021 amid the transition of the Residential Program. Along with fostering social inclusion, she said the program provides education about, and for, people with intellectual disabilities.
In reflecting on the last few years of transition, Warren said he’s happy to see the Residential Program back under The United Arc’s purview for the staff who’ve grown close with the residents of the Greenfield home, and even more so for the families and other stakeholders who went through a challenging time in 2021.
“It’s an indication of amazing work,” Warren said about the program’s return, and the partnerships required to get to this point.