Goretti Poulard

Life Skills Coach

Goretti serves as a Life Skills Coach at the Grugan Center. As a Life Skills
Coach, she works with individuals to achieve goals and to acquire skills that
help build self-confidence and independence. Most rewarding part of her job?
“The excitement I feel when I see the individuals’ faces in the morning. They
each have their own unique way of greeting me and connecting with me.” Although
she had never worked professionally with individuals with disabilities before
she accepted the job at the Charles River Center, she spent a lot of time
advocating for her disabled nephew, back in her native country of Haiti. She
feels like that experience helped prepare her for the job she has been at for
the past seven years.

For Goretti, it is immensely satisfying to help our persons served in any
way she can, and she has made it a point to keep expanding her knowledge and to
acquire new skills. She took a CNA course and completed all the coursework for
MAP certification. This training has served her well – she was recently
recognized for her response to a choking incident in one of our Day Programs.
She acted quickly and professionally, performing the Heimlich Maneuver, thereby
averting a potentially more serious medical situation.

Outside work, Goretti enjoys going out with her two children, aged 9 and 4.
She is an avid reader and an accomplished seamstress. She especially enjoys
doing sewing projects with her young daughter.

Thank you, Goretti, for your energy and enthusiasm. You bring so much to
Charles River, and we appreciate your passion for improving the lives of the
individuals we serve.