Brightside for Families & Children

 

Key Staff

Mark Paglia, Director of Outpatient Behavioral Health Services

Mark Paglia has dedicated his career to the management and provision of human services, with a focus on children and their families.  He graduated from American International College, Springfield MA, with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration, and a Master's degree in Special Education.  Mark began his career as a teacher for EastConn, in Connecticut at the Stafford Day Treatment Program.  Mark's work with special needs children then lead him to The Gandara Center in 1999.  While at Gandara, Mark was Senior Manager of the Adolescent and Families (AFS) Department and increased the AFS Department revenue from 4.6M to 8.2M within five years, while increasing staffing to meet the unique needs of children served.  Mark also spearheaded the development and implementation of four STARR programs in Springfield, Greenfield and Holyoke.  Joining the Sisters of Providence Health System in 2009, Mark lead Brightside through the very challenging transition from Brightside's primarily residentially based services to "In-Home Wrap-Around" Outpatient services. Under Mark's leadership, Brightside has expanded and doubled the number of children and their families served to over 500 in 2012.  Currently, Mark is responsible for Brightside for Families and Children and the Providence Behavioral Health Hospital Outpatient Services Department.  Mark is a Board Member of the Human Service Forum (HSF) and is on the Advocacy/Community building committee. In addition, Mark has been an HSF Service Award Trustee selecting the prestigious annual HSF award winners.  Mark also volunteers his time to coach youth wrestling, baseball, and soccer at the West Springfield Park and Recreation Department.

Maria Zygmont, MA, LMFT, Family Support Program Director

Maria has over 25 years of mental health experience.  She graduated from Springfield College with a Masters in Marriage and Family Therapy, and is a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist.  She is an approved supervisor and clinical member of the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy.  Maria has been the Director of the Brightside Family Stabilization and Community Support Program since 1993.  In November of 2009, the Children's Behavioral Health Initiative (CBHI) services of In-home Therapy and Therapeutic Mentoring were added.  Under her direction the program has grown from three employees to 40 staff and master's level interns.  Prior to 1993, Maria received extensive Cognitive and Behavioral training as a Director at Goodwill Industries Psychological Service Department.  Here she was responsible for the placement of individuals with cognitive and emotional impairments into supportive community-based living arrangments, as well as psychological testing and developing and implementing behavioral management plans within the framework of family system theory.  Maria also has experience in out-patient mental health clinics, as a Special Education Teacher, and an Occupational Therapist Assistant..

Dr. Bob Ferguson, Ph.D., Assessments

Bob Ferguson, Ph. D. has over 25 years of experience working with children, adults, and families.  While on internship at UMass Medical Center he was trained in assessment and treatment of ADHD and other disorders of childhood.  Also at UMass he became interested in Dialectical Behavior Therapy.  After serving in leadership roles in day treatment and emergency settings, he went into private practice in order to focus on assessment and treatment of children, specializing in children with disruptive behavior disorders.  Dr. Bob came to Brightside in order to apply Dialectical Behavior Therapy with challenging children.  The complex needs of the children treated at Brightside prompted him to explore a neuropsychological understanding of the impact of neglect and abuse on childhood neurodevelopment.  Brightside encouraged him to pursue this interest and he completed a two-year postdoctoral certificate in Neuropsychology.  Dr. Bob's clinical interests include: attention, impulse control, executive functioning, developmental trauma disorder, and temporal lobe epilepsy.