People with disabilities belong in our communities

People with disabilities belong in our communities

About CPNRI

We have been changing lives since 1985. We are a group of passionate people supporting people with disabilities across Rhode Island. Together, we are 36 providers who support 20,000+ Rhode Islanders and employ more than 5,000 people.

CPNRI Team

Tina Spears

Executive Director

Jenna Husted

Director of Programs

Nick Friend

Director of Communications

Carissa Groccia

Project Manager

Doreen McConaghy

Pooled Trust Coordinator

Grace Duffy

Advocacy and Policy Intern

Leadership

CPNRI’s 2024 Executive Committee

Liz Wiedenhofer

President
Michael (1)

Michael Pearis

Vice President

Carrie Miranda

Secretary

Casey Gartland

Treasurer
ray (1)

Ray Memery

Member-At-Large

Marissa Ruff

Member-At-Large

Our Mission

Our mission is to empower member agencies to create, innovate and operate support models that ensure inclusive lives in the community.

Our Members

Organization
Address
City
State
Zip
Phone
Fax
URL
AccessPoint RI
111 Comstock Parkway
Cranston
RI
02920
401-941-1112
401-383-8751
Action Based Enterprises (ABE)
821 Mendon Rd
Woonsocket
RI
02895
401-597-0402
-
Arc of Blackstone Valley
500 Prospect St
Pawtucket
RI
02860
401-727-0150
401-727-1545
Avatar
33 College Hill Rd, Bldg 33
Warwick
RI
02886
401-826-7500
401-826-7503
C.O.V.E. Center
610 Manton Ave
Providence
RI
02909
401-751-0459
-
Community Residences, Inc.
50 Rockwell Road
Newington
CT
06111
(860) 621-7600
-
Corliss Institute
290 Main St
Warren
RI
02885
401-245-3609
-
Gateways to Change
1060 Park Ave
Cranston
RI
02910
(401) 463-0000
-
J. Arthur Trudeau Memorial Center
3445 Post Road
Warwick
RI
02886
401-739-2700
-
James L. Maher Center
906 Aquidneck Ave
Middletown
RI
02842
401-846-0340
401-847-9459
Justice Resource Institute
PO Box 8215
Cranston
RI
02920
401-944-5694
781-559-4901
L.I.F.E, Inc.
490 Metacom Ave
Bristol
RI
02809
401-396-8010
401-254-2912
Living Innovations
535 Centerville Rd, Ste P
Warwick
RI
02886
401-732-0304
401-732-0307
Looking Upwards
P.O. Box 4289, Middletown, RI 02842
Middletown
RI
02842
401-847-0960
401-849-0290
Opportunities Unlimited
1 Worthington Rd
Cranston
RI
02920
401-369-5318
401-942-9043
Perspectives Corporation
1130 Ten Rd, Ste B101
North Kingstown
RI
02852
401-294-3990
401-294-9879
RIProject Friends
1372 Main St
Coventry
RI
02816
401-822-9127
401-822-9128
ReFocus, Inc.
45 Greeley St
Providence
RI
02904
401-272-1600
401-751-1378
Seven Hills RI
68 Cumberland St
Woonsocket
RI
02895
401-597-6700
401-597-6706
The Fogarty Center
310 Maple Ave, Ste 102
Barrington
RI
02806
401-245-7900
401-245-7910
The Olean Center
93 Airport Road
Westerly
RI
02891
401-596-2091
401-596-3945
United Cerebral Palsy of RI
RI200 Main Street, Suite 210
Pawtucket
RI
02860
(401) 728-1800
(401) 728-0182
West Bay RI
158 Knight St
Warwick
RI
02886
401-738-9300
401-738-2787
Whitmarsh House
1055 North Main Street
Providence
RI
02904
401-351-7230
-
proABILITY/The Arc of Bristol County
25 Thurber Blvd
Smithfield
RI
02917
401-233-1634
401-233-1674
spurwink|RI
1 Spurwink Place
Cranston
RI
02910
401-781-4380
401-781-4396

Associate Members

Organization
Address
City/Town
State
Zip
Phone
Fax
URL
Children's Friend
153 Summer Street
Providence
RI
02903
(401) 276-4300
(401) 331-3285
Family Behavior Solutions
225 Newman Ave
Rumford
RI
02916
(401) 270-7110
-
Family Service of Rhode Island
PO Box 6688
Providence
RI
02940
(401 331-1350
-
Meaningful Outcomes
PO Box 40243
Providence
RI
02940
(401) 684-0747
-
Meeting Street
1000 Eddy St #4739
Providence
RI
02905
(401) 533-9100
-
Momentum, Inc.
491 Kilvert Street, Warwick, RI 02886
Greenville
RI
02828
(401) 618-6991
(401) 618-6995
Northeast Behavioral Health
2348 Post Rd, Ste 107
Warwick
RI
02886
(401) 681-4637
-
Ocean State Behavioral
2733 Post Rd
Warwick
RI
02886
(401) 921-4825
-
The Autism Project
1516 Atwood Ave
Johnston
RI
02919
(401) 785-2666
-

Tina Spears

Executive Director

Tina Spears joined the CPNRI Team in 2019. She brings a wealth of experience and dedication to CPNRI. Under her leadership, the organization has significantly expanded its capacity to serve members while spearheading initiatives to raise public awareness on the financing of public services and fostering an anti-ableism movement.

Tina’s academic background includes a Bachelor of Science and a Master’s of Public Administration from the University of Rhode Island. However, her true passion for advocacy arises from her personal journey as a parent raising a child with significant health challenges. This first hand experience ignited her commitment to supporting families of children with disabilities. 

In her free time you can find Tina hiking, spending time with her family and exploring her love of travel.

Jenna Husted

Director of Programs

Jenna joined the CPNRI Team in 2020. Before that, she worked with the organization in a consulting role for two years.

As Director of Programs, Jenna manages many aspects of day-to-day operations including events, grants and member relations.

In her free time you can find Jenna playing soccer, watching football and exploring with her dogs.

Nick Friend

Director of Communications

Nick Friend joined the CPNRI Team in 2022. His passion for communication started at 13 when he started a podcast in his childhood bedroom. From there, Nick has a decade of in-the-field communications experience including in public relations, newspapers, radio, podcasts and most recently TV News.

Nick oversees CPNRI’s communication including our growing social media presence, communication with our members, our advocacy work at the State House and so much more. Nick is a graduate of Ithaca College and looks forward to continuing his work with the CPNRI Team.

Outside of work, you will find Nick spending time with his fiancée, riding his bike, playing a board game and practicing his new-found love of instant photography.

Carissa Groccia

Project Manager

Carissa Groccia joined the CPNRI Team in 2021. A year later, she received her Master’s degree in Applied Community Development and was promoted to Project Manager. 

Carissa’s passion for social justice and nonprofits began in middle school and continued throughout her college career, where she broadened her horizons through a transformative study abroad experience in Bangkok, Thailand. There, she delved into Thai Civilization and Environmental Science, gaining a global perspective on our world’s interconnected challenges. 

In her free time, Carissa enjoys listening to audiobooks, true crime podcasts and visiting local coffee shops; bringing along her forever foster pup whenever possible.

Doreen McConaghy

Pooled Trust Coordinator

Doreen joined the CPNRI Team in 2012. She left the medical field in 1974 after the birth of our daughter. Her disabilities were such that childcare in those days was not an option.

As her daughter grew, Doreen moved into the world of advocacy. She began working at Parents and Friends for Alternate Living (PAL) in 1987. PAL worked with families and individuals with disabilities, creating partnerships with families, provider agencies and state agencies. Ever since retiring, Doreen has been coordinating the RI Pooled Trust.

Grace Duffy

Advocacy and Policy Intern

Grace Duffy joined the CPNRI Team in 2023. She is a current government and public health student at Connecticut College. Grace’s work with CPNRI began by working on DEIAB efforts and eventually moving to policy creation and advocacy. 

Grace found a passion for advocacy at the age of eleven, when she became involved in the childhood cancer community. Since then she expanded her interests into the world of equitable healthcare and has spoken at dozens of events, advocating on behalf of people with medical challenges everywhere. 

When not in the office, you can find Grace on walks with her goldendoodle, Addie or volunteering at The Hole In The Wall Gang Camp. 

Early Invention

Organization
Phone
URL
Children’s Friend
(401) 276-4300
https://www.cfsri.org/
Family Service of RI
(401 331-1350
https://www.familyserviceri.org/
Groden Center
401-751-0459
http://www.grodencenter.org/
J. Arthur Trudeau Memorial Center
401-739-2700
http://www.trudeaucenter.org/
Looking Upwards
401-847-0960
http://www.lookingupwards.org/
Meeting Street
(401) 533-9100
https://www.meetingstreet.org/
Perspectives Corporation
401-294-3990
http://www.perspectivescorporation.com/index.asp
Seven Hills RI
401-597-6700
http://www.sevenhills.org/affiliates/seven-hills-rhode-island/