Branching out
Rooted in community, growing together, Branching Tree is committed to providing inclusive housing and meaningful daily experiences for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities in Massachusetts. We foster independence, dignity, and well-being. We empower individuals to lead fulfilling lives through strong community connections and a true sense of belonging.
Located in Williamsburg, MA, just 10 minutes outside of Northampton on 12.5 acres surrounded by 288 acres of preservation land, learn more about Branching Tree and the inclusive community that we’re creating, and why we’re creating it.
An inclusive Community
Values at heart
Branching Tree community is committed to creating a true sense of community, not simply filling a service slot or offering a room. Each person is known, valued, and missed when they're not there. They are a part of the setting.
Daily rhythms prioritize connection, with shared meals and welcoming common spaces. Relationships are nurtured beyond the service system, creating a full and diverse social circle, and ensuring decisions are made with individuals, not just for them.
Belonging over placement
Supports are designed with and around each individual, honoring unique preferences, strengths, dreams, and needs. Every person actively shapes their own life and services at Branching Tree community.
Person-centered supports
Relationships are essential to well-being, joy, and community life. We cultivate deep, reciprocal friendships in and out of our community that enrich every day.
Meaningful relationships
Dignity & respect
Interdependence
We believe everyone thrives from mutual support and shared community life, creating Interdependence within our community.
Families, self-advocates, and allies co-create this vision and its future. People with disabilities and their families hold real voice and power in shaping the community through shared decision-making.
Shared leadership & decision-making
We honor each individual’s gifts, passions, history, and hopes, seeing the whole person beyond a diagnosis.
Respect for the whole person
Sustainability and stewardship
We care for our resources, land, and relationships with intention and love.
Why Branching Tree?
We’ve created Branching Tree because we believe in belonging over placement. Across Massachusetts, there’s a housing crisis for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Not nearly enough housing options are rooted in connection, choice, and community. Families often wait years for placements, only to find that availability is prioritized over individuality, and routine is prioritized over relationships.
Branching Tree is a small, inclusive, person-centered community where adults with and without disabilities live, grow, and thrive together. Our housing models combines a shared living philosophy with group home supports and self-directed choices. We’re not just creating housing, we’re cultivating a home environment with connection, choice, and contribution. At Branching Tree, we believe that every person deserves more than just a placement, they deserve belonging.
Events & Updates
Deborah Pacheco Joins the Branching Tree Board of Directors
Branching Tree is proud to announce the election of Deborah Pacheco to the Board of Directors. Deborah is an accomplished special education leader with extensive experience in program compliance, residential education, and organizational training. She currently serves as the Senior Administrator of Special Education Compliance for Springfield Public Schools, where she collaborates with principals and district leaders to ensure adherence to local, state, and federal regulations, strengthen program practices, and enhance outcomes for students with disabilities.
Before joining Springfield Public Schools, Deborah served as the Director of Residential Education at the League School for Autism, where she led the design and implementation of residential programming, staff training, and cross-departmental collaboration. Her work focused on developing student-centered goals and ensuring delivery of services in a respectful, therapeutic environment. Deborah previously held leadership positions in training and quality assurance and gained extensive clinical and behavioral experience in residential treatment settings.
Deborah is currently a doctoral candidate in Educational Leadership at Johnson & Wales University. She holds a Master’s in Education from the University of Massachusetts Boston and a Bachelor of Science in Human Development and Family Studies from the University of Rhode Island. She also holds advanced certificates in Diversity, Equity & Inclusion, Applied Behavior Analysis for Special Populations, Organizational Behavior Management, and a Certificate of Advanced Graduate Studies.
Deborah is dedicated to building collaborative, equitable systems that empower educators and ensure students receive high-quality, compliant, and compassionate special education services.
Sabrina Manno, Co-founder of Branching Tree, stated “Deborah’s vast experience with residential operations and program compliance will help Branching Tree establish critical policies, ensure regulatory compliance, and develop resident-centric operations as part of a strong program foundation. Deb is an outstanding addition to the Branching Tree Board of Directors and we’re so grateful that she’s agreed to join our community.”
Branching Tree Welcomes Melissa Devine to the Board of Directors
Branching Tree is thrilled to announce the election of Melissa Devine to its Board of Directors. With more than 25 years of experience facilitating inclusion and creating programming for learners with high support needs, Melissa brings invaluable expertise and compassion to the Branching Tree Board of Directors.
Melissa began her career as an Inclusion Facilitator in Hopkinton Public Schools, then went on to work as a Behavior Specialist at ACCEPT Education Collaborative and Medfield Public Schools. While in Medfield, she elevated to the role of Special Education Coordinator serving their PK-12 community across 5 school sites. From there, she transitioned to the role of Director of Autism and Inclusion Programming / Director of Special Education K-8 at Brookline Public Schools.
In 2021, Melissa joined CASE Collaborative as the Assistant Executive Director, where she remains today. CASE Collaborative is made up of 11 regional and municipal districts serving the Greater Boston metropolitan area. There, she furthers their mission of “empowering potential with inclusivity” to maximize the full potential of students with disabilities by promoting academically enriching and supportive environments within inclusive school communities.
Melissa is a graduate of Emmanuel College with a BS in Psychology, and Simmons College with a Masters of Science in Education. She received her Graduate Certificate in Applied Behavior Analysis from Endicott College and her Special Education Administrative License from Boston University. She lives in Walpole and is an avid outdoor enthusiast who enjoys hiking, skiing, and spending time with family. In her free time, she volunteers at Special Olympics and New England Disabilities Adaptive Sports, where she teaches ski lessons.
“We are absolutely delighted to welcome Melissa Devine to the Board of Directors,” said Sabrina Manno, Co-founder of Branching Tree. “Melissa’s commitment to facilitating inclusion in special education, and her authentic compassion for those with high support needs in the intellectual and developmental disabilities community make her a vitally important addition to our Board. We look forward to her insight and impact on ongoing educational programming for our residents as they age and grow with their community.”