Online Resources Library

AUGUSTA – Executive Director and former State Representative Richard R. Farnsworth was recently honored by the Maine State House of Representatives for a long and accomplished career in the fields of health and human services.  The Legislative Sentiment was sponsored by Rep. Anne Haskell of Portland and co-sponsored by the entire Portland and Westbrook delegations.  Mr. Farnsworth attended a legislative session with family and colleagues in April, where he received a standing ovation from the House of Representatives.

The following is the text of the Legislative Sentiment adopted by the House on April 7, 2010:

“Be it known to all that we, the members of the Senate and House of Representatives join in recognizing the Honorable Richard R. Farnsworth, of Portland, former member of the Maine House of Representatives, who is retiring after a long and accomplished career in the field of health and human services. For the past 18 years, Mr. Farnsworth has served as the Executive Director of Woodfords Family Services, a nonprofit organization that is committed to the support and inclusion of individuals with special needs and their families in Maine communities.  During his time there, he transformed the agency into one of the leading agencies for children and adults with developmental disabilities. He worked to add a diverse set of programs to the services the agency offers and oversaw the agency's receiving accreditation from the Council on Accreditation.  Before coming to Maine, Mr. Farnsworth served as Director of Developmental Services at COMHAR, Inc. in Philadelphia,  Executive Director of Region Ten Client Management, Inc. in New Hampshire and Assistant Professor at Temple University's School of Social Administration.   Mr. Farnsworth's career has spanned decades and touched thousands of lives.  He has worked as a tireless advocate for some of our state's most vulnerable citizens, and his civic and volunteer activities demonstrate his commitment to improving the lives of others.  We send our appreciation to Mr. Farnsworth for his dedication, compassion and leadership not only at Woodfords Family Services but throughout his entire career. His hard work has made life better for thousands of individuals with special needs.  We extend our congratulations and best wishes to him on his retirement.”

WATERVILLE – Woodfords Family Services was recently honored as a leader in nonprofit excellence at the Maine Association of Nonprofits’ Annual Leadership Conference at Colby College in April.  Woodfords received a runner up award in the large business division of the 2010 Governor’s Awards for Nonprofit Excellence, which came with a $1,000 prize. These awards are given annually to organizations that have achieved significant results by utilizing ingenuity combined with sound management practices.

According to a press release from the Maine Association of Nonprofits, “‘All award winners represent excellent examples of organizations that are adapting to the challenging funding environment currently facing nonprofits,’ says Scott Schnapp, Executive Director of MANP, ‘they utilize innovation and ingenuity to achieve a greater social mission impact.’"

Woodfords received the award in part for its creativity in creating the Maine Autism Program (MAP), a recently-launched program designed to help parents navigate the complex system of accessing a comprehensive set of services, and its Site-Based Case Management Program, which is designed to provide better case management services by engaging entire communities while reducing overall costs.  The awards committee also mentioned Woodfords’ commitment to transparency and staff input in decision making as a reason for the honor.

Thank you for checking out the new Woodfords Family Services Website. Along with updated agency information, there are now many new features to explore!

The Woodfords’ Online Resource Library has been generously funded through our Early Childhood Transitions grant from the Department of Education. We hope you use it as an informative guide to help you navigate information related to diagnoses, legislation, state/federal regulations and so much more. Check back often, as it will be updated frequently!

Also, our training catalog is now online! Click on the Training page to download our latest course offerings and registration information!

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We hope you spend a few minutes checking out our new website! Check back often for updates!