Staff Spotlight – Allison Cavanagh

Program Coordinator, Community Supports program, Developmental Services

Allison Cavanagh is Program Coordinator for the Community Supports program at United Counseling Service, within the agency’s division of Developmental Services. She appreciates the opportunities her job gives her each day to connect with and support clients and staff. Allison started just eight months ago and feels she found a great fit in her role at UCS.

“I’m new at the position,” says Allison, “But I think it’s a really good match for me, with my background and what I like to do. I love being a part of the community and sharing that with our clients and staff.”

The Community Supports program centers on working toward each client’s goals and participation in community engagement opportunities that align with client interests. Direct support professionals (DSPs) help clients work on their goals by facilitating outings in the community that might include activities like exercising at the local YMCA, visiting a museum, and developing practical life skills such as budgeting through shopping trips. Community Supports facilitates several of its own activities as well, including Cooking Class, Exploring Emotion & Self Expression Through Art, Garden Club, Men’s and Women’s Groups, and tennis lessons depending on the season.

The core of the program is building clients’ Community Supports hours around what they want to do and the goals they set for themselves. “It’s really about building that relationship,” says Allison. “We’re not just transporting clients from here to there. We’re building a relationship and trust, and encouraging them to learn about and be a part of their community.” Many clients also contribute to their local communities through volunteer opportunities like Meals on Wheels.

As Program Coordinator, Allison’s day-to-day work includes supervising program staff, ensuring all program activities and events run smoothly, and building connections with community partners. She values being able to work with and help people through her daily work. “It’s very rewarding on my end. One thing I like about my job is the ability to work one on one with clients and support my staff.”

Allison has always enjoyed working with people. For more of her adult life, she worked in the restaurant industry. Before starting at UCS, she worked as a manager at the Shaftsbury Country Store, as well as a membership manager at the Southwestern Vermont Chamber of Commerce. Allison worked in Early Intervention Services, a program of the State of Vermont providing children from birth through age three and their families with support services. Working at Early Intervention Services prepared Allison for her role at UCS by giving her experience supporting individuals with developmental disabilities and providing case management services. Building on her past work experiences, Allison is confident in her work managing program staff and organizing activities for staff to participate in with clients. She looks forward to each day as an opportunity to help someone fulfill their goals and make plans for the future.

For others considering entering this kind of work, Allison offers some advice: “It’s a great opportunity to help someone and make a difference in someone’s life. It’s a very rewarding job. If you enjoy helping people and want a schedule that changes, and you have the ability to help someone, this is definitely a great opportunity.”  

Having great coworkers makes Allison’s work even more fulfilling. She is thankful to be part of the Community Supports team and praises the DSPs she supervises for the work they do empowering clients to try new things and explore their communities. “The DSPs are great about encouraging clients—I think we have an amazing team,” she says.

Supporting clients and staff in her work life requires maintaining well-being at home. Outside of work, Allison loves getting out in nature, hiking, biking, paddleboarding, and traveling. As a grandparent with most of her family and grandchildren living in the area, she is happy to be able to spend a lot of time with family and friends. “I family and friends, and really being outside in nature and community—keeping the child in me happy.”