CARDINAL CUSHING Hanover employee receives Direct Support Professional Award

Abington resident and Cardinal Cushing Centers employee Tom Phair has won the Direct Support Professional Award for the Southeast region from the Association of Developmental Disabilities Providers, the organization announced.

Phair received his award at the ADDP Lead! Conference and Expo on May 4 at the DCU Center, 50 Foster St., Worcester.

Phair has created many programs to stimulate interest among individuals. He has always been supportive of individuals and their passions, going above and beyond to try to turn those passions into goals and actions. He shows dedication to his job by showing up outside of scheduled hours, listening to the individuals he supports and offering solutions to the problems they face.

“I have been working alongside Tom for about four years and still not a day goes by where I am not incredibly impressed with something he has done” said Brendan McGuirk, director of employment, South Shore Industries Hanover. “One of Tom’s many great qualities is his ability to connect with the folk he supports. He opens himself up to each individual and adapts himself to their needs in the moment”.

“Direct Support Professionals like Tom are the foundation of the human services sector in Massachusetts,” said Gary Blumenthal, president and CEO of ADDP. “There are hundreds of thousands of people living with disabilities in Massachusetts who rely on Direct Support Professionals to provide critical services so they can live, work, play and thrive in their home communities. Tom and his colleagues enable this to happen every day all across our Commonwealth.”

The Framingham-based ADDP is committed to ensuring, strengthening and promoting the viability of community-based organizations that support people with developmental disabilities and their families.