SMILE

Support My Independent Life

Meet the SMILE Team

Meet the SMILE Team

Barbara McNamara*
SMILE Director and SMILE broker.

She supports her own caseload of SD individuals as well as supports the entire SMILE team, mentoring the brokers. She acts as backup when situations arise. The LIDDRO has an ongoing relationship with Barbara to instruct the incoming brokers in the district at the yearly training. Barbara continually involves herself in the latest training across the state. Insuring the protection of the Self Determined Life for all SMILE families.

Patricia Calandra*

Wading River area, works as a SMILE broker. She has a strong connection to the Suffolk community and all it has to offer our individuals Due to Trish’s initiatives, we are partnering with the NY Alliance under housing
navigation. Trish is Region 5s Master Housing Navigator. She is supporting Long
Island families by partnering with developers and local politicians to address the
housing issues for individuals with IDD on Long Island.

Ann Pizano*

Holbrook area, works as a SMILE broker and DSP. She is committed to individuals living their optimum day and life and connecting to their community. She is a strong advocate.

Victoria Robertson*

Lake Ronkonkoma area, she is a SMILE broker and DSP. She is a strong advocate and passionate about the Self Direction movement. Don’t get in her way! Vicki is our staffing coordinator. Her tasks include researching resumes and interviewing in preparation for SMILE family’s needs. Vicki keeps an ongoing list of staff availability to provide backup staff for SMILE families. Vicki will support potential staff as they go through the daunting hiring process.

Meghan Kelly*

Ronkonkoma area, works as the SMILE office manager. Meghan is in the SMILE office Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.
She is available to all SMILE brokers to back them up in various areas. Meghan is available to SMILE families during these hours for any questions.
In addition, Meghan is a broker and works part time as as a DSP. She is totally committed to her families and a strong advocate. Meghan is excited about the SD growth

Barbara Rentz

Western Suffolk works as a SMILE broker and Natural Support Liaison. Barbara has many years of DSP experience. Barbara will be supporting the team as we embark on our NSL initiative.

Brian Doscher

Brian is a great asset to the SMILE team as he supports us in organizing and filing of our documentation.

Phil Barbarello*

Phil is from the Wading River area and will be supporting SMILE families in the Suffolk area. Phil is a retired Air Traffic Controller. He brings a lot of energy and life experience to our team. Phil is excited to begin supporting SMILE circles. Phil has hit the ground running as he is working with SDMNY. Phil is partnering
with individuals and their circles to facilitate Supported Decision-Making meetings.
Phil is excited to be educating people on Long Island about this new initiative for
individuals with IDD.

John McNamara*

Lake Grove area, works as a SMILE broker. He is a great includer. He brings his financial background to the SMILE team. John supports the broker team in assisting in review of the fiscal reposts on a regular basis. In addition, John supports the team in the ongoing area of billing and payment.

Maria Mauro*

Lindenhurst area, works as a SMILE broker. She brings her Special Ed background to support the SMILE team. She is dedicated to her families and is a really out of the box thinker. Maria supports the SMILE team helping us organize and prioritize intakes. Maria brings her experience to the team in a supervisory way. In addition, Maria works to assist families that need assistance in transitioning.

Gabrielle Sharp

Central Suffolk works as a SMILE broker. Gabrielle has many years of experience as a DSP in self-direction and is a great asset to our SMILE team.

William McNamara

SMILE Information and Technology support. Billy brings a life time of experience working in the above field for many big named companies.
He is excited to bring his experience to our non-profit world. He is mission driven.
His goal is to assist not only the SMILE team but the SMILE families in the utilizing technologies to better support our circles.

Emily Newman*

Emily is from the Holbrook area and excited to be starting her career as a Self-Directed Broker.
Emily will be supporting the team in the area of office management as well as beginning a few plans of her own. Emily’s experience in the areas of Business Administration will be a great support to the team.
In addition, Emily’s innate ability to seek out inclusive opportunities for all will be a great asset to all our SMILE families.

Regina Giunta*

Bayport, South shore area, works as a SMILE broker and assists in the area of transition. Regina comes to us with many years of experience in the education field including an administrative background. This experience makes Regina a great support to the SMILE team as well as the SMILE families in the area of transition.

John O’ Sullivan*

Oceanside area, works as a SMILE broker and DSP. He is a dedicated and compassionate member of every circle he sits on. His ability to create community connections for our individuals has resulted in invaluable experiences on both sides of the table

Kristen Robertson

SMILE social media coordinator. She is a great support to the SMILE team in the area of getting our message of total inclusion out in the social media world.

Kristen Kopf

SMILE administrative assistant and scanner. She is a great support to the team in the area of scanning monthly billing and other essential documents. This helps us to stay organized.

Brittany Schiavone

SMILE administrative assistance and flier. She is essential in helping the SMILE team to stay organized as the need for documentation grows
* The above team members are OPWDD certified Self-Directed Brokers.

Support Services

  • Point Broker: the broker working directly with you and your family
  • Staffing Broker: the broker you or your point broker goes to for staffing needs
  • Financial Broker: the broker that your point broker may rely on to review the monthly financial report and review css11s.
  • Community Broker: the broker you or your point broker goes to for community development needs
  • SMILE point broker will be available to you for all your general and ongoing needs. This will include developing and maintaining of the hab plan. Seek out staff, and interview. Continually train staff. Facilitate circle meetings, ideally every other month, but minimally 4 times a year. Keep attendance sheet and case notes, edit and present to FI. Have an ongoing relationship with the SD coordinator to insure that all necessary documents are in their possession. Connect with the clinician and other professionals on the circle to insure the continued implementation of the behavior plan.
  • SMILE will be prepared to have a broker on call for you staffing needs.
  • The SMILE staffing broker will accept calls and e mails from 8:00 AM thru 6:00 PM Monday through Friday for staffing needs including additional staff needed, replacement staff, as well as subs needed for future dates 2 days out. If an emergency occurs where in which staff is unable to make a shift the next day or the morning of, the SMILE staffing broker will accept text after 6:00 PM thru 10:00PM and as early as 7:00 AM.
  • SMILE financial broker will review the monthly fiscal report to insure that all lines are not being over spent or under spent. The financial broker will connect with the point broker to identify a potential need in moving money. The financial broker will assist and review the needed css11.
  • SMILE community broker will be on hand for individuals who find themselves in need of a creative connection being made to their community. If an individual is seeking an opportunity that may be volunteer in nature of simply a non paid work experience they are able to reach out to their point broker to have a community broker join the circle to assist in developing the needed opportunity. The community broker may be asked to adjust their level of involvement in the circle based on the current need of the individual.
  • Master Housing Navigator is on hand to support our SMILE families in all areas of housing and the ongoing housing conversation. We are supporting conversations in the area of person centered housing.