Services
Adult Foster Care of the North Shore provides exceptional support and solutions for caregivers, clients and professionals including:
Financial Support – AFCNS is a MassHealth-funded program that provides a monthly payment to the caregiver. Caregivers can receive up to $1,500 per month, per client.
Health & Social Support - Our staff members become an extension to the clients' and caregivers' families. Clients and caregivers are assigned a nurse and care manager who visit the homes regularly. Staff members can answer questions about health issues and serve as a resource for medical training, education and needed interventions. We provide on-call support 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Family Support - At AFCNS, we provide a foundation to maintain and improve existing relationships. We help our clients and their families navigate the complexities of living with a disability or illness.
General Resource Support - Seasoned nurses and care managers work to identify vital resources for the client. These can include:
- Adult Day Health Programs
- Specialized work and community support programs
- Mental health counseling
- Guardianship and health care proxy information
- Transportation services
- Information about other adult foster care programs outside our area
Testimonial
"I had to quit my job so I could dedicate all of my time to working with our disabled son. It was so much to coordinate and manage I felt like I was spinning out of control. Things changed when we found AFCNS. They provided us with an incredible support team of people we trust. A team that is at the forefront of all health regulations and program options. Because of AFCNS, we were finally able to go to a friend’s house without our son.
It sounds small - but it’s a big deal for us. We are so thankful for AFCNS."
~ Tom and Eva, Caregivers to Son
Mission Statement
Adult Foster Care of the North Shore is committed to providing and supporting stable home placements for adults with disabilities. Our mission is to enable our clients to remain a vital part of the community.
The AFCNS Difference
Adult Foster Care of the North Shore was founded in 2001 by Cynthia Bjorlie, M.D. to provide financial, emotional and clinical support solutions to families who are in need of care for a disabled or chronically ill loved one. We are a single-focused agency that is dedicated to keeping clients happy, healthy and engaged in the community.
Originally focused in Gloucester and neighboring North Shore towns, AFCNS now serves over 350 families throughout Essex County. For 20 years, our committed team has been working closely with clients, caregivers and professionals to maintain safe and stable housing placements and enable our clients to remain a vital part of their community.
The AFCNS Team
Our passion, commitment and dedication can be seen in every one of our employees. When a client and/or caregiver works with Adult Foster Care of the North Shore, they become part of our family and acquire a true support system.
Cynthia Bjorlie, MD
Program DirectorCynthia is board certified in internal medicine and was a primary care doctor for many years before starting Adult Foster Care of the North Shore in 2001.
Joanna Adrien
Director of Nurses, RNJoanna came to AFCNS after working as a case manager and nursing manager at a hospice. As our Director of Nurses, she enjoys working with our diverse nursing staff and ensuring they have the tools and information they need to serve our clients. In her off time, Joanne spends quality time with her family, especially her grandchildren.
Bonnie Griffith
Assistant Program DirectorBonnie has worked for AFCNS since 2009. Prior to AFCNS, she was employed by the Department of Developmental Services for 29 years. Bonnie is an active board member for the Massachusetts Council of Adult Foster Care and involved with the local cultural council. Working for AFCNS has given Bonnie the opportunity to learn about and understand the wide range of services available to disabled people and values the opportunity to share this information with those who need it.
Deanna Benjamin
Director of OperationsAs AFCNS’ Director of Operations, Deanna runs the day-to-day operations and oversees the office staff. In her time off, she enjoys spending time with her husband and three beautiful daughters.
Marcia Lindquist
RNMarcia joined AFCNS in 2009 with nearly 30 years of work-related experience under her belt. As an RN, her main responsibility is managing social and medical cases of individual clients and caregivers. She enjoys the ongoing relationships that are formed, preventing clients and caregivers from feeling like they are alone. When Marcia isn’t busy at work, she enjoys cooking, reading and participating in activities at her church.
Maureen O’Brien-Hidalgo
LPNWhen Maureen joined AFCNS eight years ago, she brought more than two decades of experience working in long-term care, sub-acute rehab and mental health environments. Being able to provide support for her clients and caregivers has been an extremely rewarding experience. When Maureen is not busy with her work at AFCNS, you can find her working with her husband at their kettle corn business, Kettle Masters of New England.
Tom Hoang
Care ManagerAs a Care Manager, Tom specializes in case management, conducting monthly visits with clients and providing assistance with navigating available social services. He came to AFCNS with previous experience at CDF, CCD and residential day programs. Always up for an adventure when he’s not working with his clients, he can be found riding motorcycles, boating, camping and traveling.
Ronna Resnick
Care ManagerRonna is dedicated to providing comfort, support and knowledge to her clients and their caregivers. From finding appropriate resources, to bridging the gap between the home settings, day programs and work environments, she thrives on finding solutions to make their lives better. An avid reader, Ronna also enjoys being active and staying connected with old friends.
Katia Cuevas, M.A.
Care ManagerKatia joined AFCNS in 2011 with a strong background in residential case management, social service advocacy and as a Shelter Plus Care Manager. She appreciates the dedication of her fellow team members and the care and compassion they show for their clients through their work. In her off time, Katia enjoys baking, reading, boxing and spending time with her family.
Shirley Tarr
RNShirley came to AFCNS with over 20 years of experience working with the developmentally disabled. She appreciates the ability to work one-on-one with her caregivers and clients in their home settings. Outside of work, she is an active volunteer working with the elderly, and enjoys traveling and discussing good books with her book club.
Geoffrey Small
Care ManagerAfter receiving his Bachelor’s degree at UMass Lowell, Geoffrey knew he wanted a career where he could be involved in the community and provide resources to families in need. Joining AFCNS has given him the opportunity to carry out this goal every day. Since 2012, Geoffrey has helped provide support and supervision to families and households that are part of the AFCNS organization. Aside from his work, he enjoys spending time with his wife and daughter.
GerryAnne Brown
LCSW, Care ManagerAfter retiring from Action, Inc. as the Director of HomeCare Services with 38 years experience, GerryAnne joined AFCNS to provide assistance and support to their many clients and caregivers. Her biggest reward is being able to utilize her life-learned skills for organization, making her clients’ needs a top priority. In her off time, GerryAnne loves spending time in the mountains of New Hampshire. Whether it’s kayaking, golfing or just soaking up the fresh air, she just can’t get enough of the great outdoors.
Jailyn Youngblood
Care ManagerJailyn describes AFCNS as an excellent and supportive agency that succeeds with teamwork. As a Care Manager, she makes her contribution by providing case management and support to many caregivers and clients. In addition to helping others, Jailyn enjoys participating in 5Ks and spending time with her family.
Bomi Cozzens
RNBomi Cozzens, RN, joined AFCNS in 2013. Her previous experience has been in med-surg and psychiatric areas in hospital settings. Fluent in both English and Korean, she lives in Haverhill with her husband and daughter.
Winnie Thuo
RNWinnie came to us with a wealth of experience in nursing, specifically with clients dealing with mental illness and addiction. During her free time, she loves most outdoor activities like bike riding. She usually rides the 50 mile Boston Hub on Wheels to support Boston public schools. She has participated in the two-day 39.9 mile Avon Breast Cancer Walk. She loves to travel and resides in Malden.
Glenny Lora
Care ManagerAfter graduating with a bachelor’s of science in 2007, Glenny worked in community case management with different organizations providing services to adults and elderly living in their homes. She earned her LSW in 2014 and has since managed large caseloads with as many as 70 clients. Outside of work, Glenny is part of the Latino Caregiver Event Committee and enjoys reading spiritual, inspirational books.
Kristine Saltonstall
Office AssistantKristine began working at AFCNS in November 2017. She enjoys working in an environment that has such a positive impact on the lives of others. Outside of work, she can be found with her husband walking, hiking and biking the Rail Trails throughout New England.
Lori-ann Giamanco
Care ManagerLori-ann joined AFCNS after working several years as a residential group home director. As the mother of a child with disabilities, she was inspired to pursue a career in social work after having gained a personal understanding of the challenges associated with obtaining relevant services. She is passionate about helping others navigate their way through the social services system. She has a strong focus on working with the family unit to ensure that the client and his/her loved one obtains the highest quality of care. A lifelong resident of Gloucester, Lori-ann loves to spend time at the beach. She enjoys traveling, learning new things and spending time with her beloved family.
Eduvina Hernandez
RNAs an RN and Certified Diabetes Educator, Eduvina visits regularly with clients to monitor their care and ensure documentation, medications and appointments are up to date. When she isn’t working, Eduvina enjoys long distance running, cooking and reading.
Bethany Hallinan
RNBethany joined AFCNS in 2019 as an RN. With a strong background in nursing and physical therapy she is responsible for overseeing the medical needs of her clients. Bethany truly enjoys helping families care for their loved ones.
Karen Clarke
Care ManagerAs a Care Manager, Karen coordinates and monitors the needs of her clients. Her previous work at Cape Ann Early Intervention honed her skills at working with families in a home setting. Karen is an active community volunteer and enjoys hiking, running, playing with her puppy, Bauer, and attending her children’s sporting events.
Isabel Hernandez
Care ManagerIsabel brings over 20 years of experience working with families and seniors as a Licensed Social Worker and Spanish Legal Interpreter to her role as Care Manager. At AFCNS, she values the teamwork that goes into providing services and making sure client needs are being met. Outside of work, Isabel can be found salsa dancing, keeping fit with family and enjoying her grandbabies.
Carol Ferrant
Care ManagerCarol joined AFCNS in 2020 after a 30-year career with Northeast ARC. As a Care Manager, she works closely with our nurses to support and educate clients and caregivers. As caregiver for her own mother, Carol understands what our families are going through. When she’s not at work, you can find Carol in her gardens.
Arnaldo Camero-Mallard
RNArnie joined AFCNS in 2021 with broad healthcare experience. In addition to nursing and case management work, he has also served as a guidance counselor and an assistant professor of psychology. When he isn't busy assisting his clients and caregivers, Arnie spends much of his free time being creative. He is a talented singer, photographer and gardener, all skills that bring lots of joy and smiles to our team!
Annette Pelletier
Nurse, RNAnnette joined AFCNS in 2021 with 40 years of experience as a registered nurse. At that time, nearly one-third of her career had been spent caring for patients in the Adult Foster Care program. Prior to her entering that field, Annette spent time working in home care, ICUs, CCUs and abroad as a traveling nurse. When she’s not helping her clients and caregivers here at AFCNS, Annette spends much of her time with her family, listening to audiobooks or solving Sudoku puzzles.
Beth Stedman
LICSWBeth joined the AFCNS team in 2021. She is a licensed independent social worker (LICSW) in Massachusetts, which is the highest level of social work licensure available. Prior to joining our team, Beth served others in organizations such as the Harbor Schools, Pathways for Children and Cape Ann Early Intervention. She also ran a daycare from her home when her own children were growing up. Outside of the office, Beth enjoys spending time with her family and friends, as well as exploring the outdoors with her dog, Tucker.
Sonia Marquez
RNSonia joined AFCNS in 2021 with over 20 years of nursing experience. She is fluent in Spanish, and she uses this skill–along with her practical work experience–to help AFCNS’ clients and caregivers achieve their goals and feel supported along the way. Sonia’s favorite thing about AFCNS is the extreme level of kindness and respect that our team has, not only for our clients, but for our caregivers, family members and fellow employees alike.
Vanessa Lenertz
Office AssistantVanessa has worked in an administrative capacity for nearly 15 years with companies of varying sizes and across multiple industries. She joined AFC in 2022 to support office operations. In her spare time, Vanessa enjoys spending time with her family, reading, dining out and exploring New England.
Julie Romano
Outreach CoordinatorJulie recently joined the team at AFCNS in November 2022. She brings 25+ years of experience serving diverse populations in a variety of roles within human service agencies and educational institutions. Julie truly enjoys working with adults and families and engaging the greater community to support the work and mission that her colleagues at AFCNS are doing. When she is not working, she is enjoying time with her husband, their four active children and dog Tucker. She also enjoys volunteering her time coaching youth basketball, as a board member and cooking for community suppers (and her own family!) and all things outdoors!
CARF International
Adult Foster Care of the North Shore (AFCNS) has received a Three-Year Accreditation from CARF International.
By pursuing and achieving accreditation, AFCNS has demonstrated that it meets international standards for quality and is committed to pursuing excellence.
This decision represents the highest level of accreditation that can be given to an organization and reflects our substantial conformance to the CARF standards. An organization receiving a Three-Year Accreditation has put itself through a rigorous peer review process and has demonstrated its commitment to offering programs and services that are measurable, accountable, and of the highest quality.
AFCNS has been providing and supporting home placements for adults with disabilities and chronic illnesses in Essex County since 2001.
CARF is an independent, nonprofit accrediting body whose mission is to promote the quality, value and optimal outcomes of services through a consultative accreditation process and continuous improvement of services that center on enhancing the lives of people served. Founded in 1966 as the Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities, and now known as CARF International, the accrediting body establishes consumer-focused standards to help organizations measure and improve the quality of their programs and services.
We welcome the opportunity to further acquaint you with our services and respond to your questions. AFCNS is a valuable asset and our CARF accreditation underscores our commitment to the community we serve.
Please contact us for more information or to discuss how we can work with your organizations and clients.