(BusinessWest- 11/8/2024) The Massachusetts Council of Human Service Providers recently presented state Sen. John Velis with the 2024 Legislator of the Year Award during the council’s 49th annual convention and expo in Boston.
“Our human-service workers are truly some of the most selfless people out there, directly caring for those in our communities with disabilities or those struggling with a behavioral-health challenge. I am truly beyond honored to be recognized by the Providers’ Council and their members for my work advocating for these frontline heroes,” said Velis, who serves as the Senate chair of the Joint Committee on Mental Health, Substance Use, and Recovery.
Velis was joined the Providers’ Council at Westfield State University as a guest speaker this past September during the organization’s Western Massachusetts Caring Force Rally, which highlighted the essential services provided by direct-support professionals.
In the current legislative session, Velis helped usher an expansive substance-use and recovery bill through the Senate, which would establish a licensure process for recovery coaches in the Commonwealth. If included in the final Senate-House compromise package, this provision would provide recognition of the importance of lived experience and help grow this profession within the human-services sector.
“Senator Velis demonstrates his commitment to the individuals of Massachusetts who need support and services to manage the challenges that substance use and behavioral health bring to their lives. His support of our industry, the providers that work hard every day to make a difference, is unwavering, and he ensures his advocacy for the resources we need to carry out our missions,” said Lois Nesci, CEO of Gándara Center. “He does this in both words and action. I have often shared with the senator that, when he visits a program or attends an event, he truly shows up — ready to support, ready to listen, and ready to take the next steps. My sincere congratulations to someone who makes an incredible difference every day.”
Added Velis, “I am particularly grateful to my dear friend Lois Nesci and all those at the Gándara Center for nominating me for this award. It is such a privilege to be able to work alongside such dedicated community partners like the Gándara Center to learn about the challenges that need to be addressed to make behavioral healthcare more accessible.”
The Massachusetts Council of Human Service Providers is Massachusetts’s largest human-services membership association, representing more than 220 community-based agencies around the Commonwealth, including Gándara Center. During the ceremony, the Providers’ Council recognized 13 other individuals from across the state for their work in the human-services sector.