Kevin Gersh, CEO and owner of Gersh Autism, is planning to take over providing services at Crotched Mountain Rehabilitation Center in Greenfield, NH, later this fall.
Change can be difficult, even problematic, for people with Autism spectrum disorder, which affects sensory input and an individual’s reaction to it. And there will be change at Crotched Mountain Rehabilitation Center in Greenfield beginning Nov. 1, if Gersh Autism, a for-profit company, succeeds in taking over full programming and financial responsibility at the previously nonprofit facility.
Among the programs in transition at Crotched are a residential school, long-term residential housing on the Greenfield campus and three community homes. In all, about 50 children and adults will switch residential services from Crotched Mountain to Gersh. Some people in residential housing have long-term health concerns and needs.
Gersh Autism runs a residential program for post-secondary students in New York called Gersh Experiences, according to Kevin Gersh, owner, CEO and self-titled “chief autism officer” of his company.
With the acquisition of Crotched Mountain, Gersh will be operating eight schools in the United States, with three each in New York state and Puerto Rico. It also has a school in Issaquah, Wash. Gersh Autism has also provided in-home support with behavior technicians for about 30 families.
Gersh, however, faces a lawsuit brought by his sisters, who accuse him of defrauding them and using that money to fund his company’s growth.
The sisters claim in a federal civil lawsuit that their brother has also used that money to support a lavish lifestyle, including a multimillion-dollar home in Park City, Utah.
Gersh denies the allegations and told New Hampshire Public Radio that the lawsuit has no merit and that his “sisters have never worked, and they are unemployed, and they are looking for a payday.”
Meanwhile, Ned Olney, Crotched Mountain’s CEO, said the transition to Gersh “is moving forward. Families have been working together with area agencies and districts. Some parents are thrilled to have the stability, but we keep hearing the questions ‘Who is Gersh Autism and will we have the same level of support?’” — JOHN ANGELO
