|
|||||||||
|
Communities of Care is fortunate to have a committed group of individuals that represent a variety of life experiences and training. The staff below are available as trainers and/or consultants around specific topics and subject matter for which they have expertise.
Anthony has been working with children and families in a variety of settings for over 20 years. These have included recreational programs, group homes, residential treatment, in-patient hospital units, and outpatient facilities. He holds a doctorate degree in Psychology from St. John’s University, where he specialized in child-clinical psychology and family therapy. His interest in strength based and family driven work stretches back nearly 15 years. For the past 5 years, Anthony has overseen the development and implementation of two successful wraparound projects through WCC. He teaches Family Therapy to social work and psychology interns through the Community Healthlink training programs, and has active consulting relationships with the Worcester Public Schools and Worcester Area Department of Social Services. He has conducted numerous workshops, trainings and consultations on the wraparound process and strength based work with families. Anthony is currently the Clinical Director for both WCC and CMCC, and the Coordinator of Professional Training for the WCC Training and Learning Collaborative.
Toni DuBrino, M.A. Toni has been working with children and families professionally since 1995. This work has included individual and group counseling and working with youth in an alternative to suspension program. She holds a Masters Degree in Counseling Psychology from Anna Maria College. Toni has personal experience as a primary caregiver for teenage boys who have behavioral and emotional challenges. For the past 3 years, she has been teaching the NAMI sponsored “Visions for Tomorrow”-- a psychoeducational course offered to caregivers of children with serious emotional problems. Toni is also trained by the Federation for Children with Special Needs on Special Education Advocacy. For the past 5 years, Toni has conducted numerous workshops, trainings, and consultations around strength based and family driven work—often drawing on her experiential expertise of caring for youth living with behavioral and emotional challenges to communicate the family perspective. Currently, Toni is serving as the Director of Family Involvement for the CMCC initiative, and is the Coordinator of Family Training for the WCC Training and Learning Collaborative. Patricia Farrow, M.S. Patty has been working with children and families for over 25 years. These have included residential schools and inpatient hospital units, psycho/social rehabilitative club house programs, intensive case management community programs, group homes, supported housing programs, and deinstutionalization and eligibility determination services within the Departments of Mental Health and Mental Retardation in both Massachusetts and Connecticut. Patty holds a Masters Degree in Not–for–Profit Management from Worcester State College and a Bachelors degree in Social and Rehabilitative Services from Assumption College. Having been in “special classes” as a child and the parent of a child with mental health and neurological challenges, Patty has been interested in strength-based work for over 20 years. For the past 6 years she has been actively involved with the implementation and direct service delivery of WCC’s two wraparound projects within the city of Worcester. During this time she developed a specialty for strength-based wraparound with refugee families. Patty is certified as a trainer in the Child and Adolescent Functional Assessment Scales (CAFAS), and is one of WCC’s wraparound trainers and coaches. She currently serves as Coordinator of Quality Assurance, and is the primary wraparound coach for the Worcester Public Schools through the WCC Training and Learning Collaborative.
Suzanne Hannigan, M.A., C.A.G.S, LICSW Suzanne has been working with youth and their families in Central Massachusetts for the past 28 years. She is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and has a Master of Arts in Counseling/ Psychology from Assumption College and a Certificate of Advanced Graduate Studies from Anna Maria College. Prior to becoming to Project Director for the Communities of Care initiatives, she held various positions with the Department of Social Services, including Regional Clinical Manager and Area Director of the Worcester Area Office. In addition, she has provided counseling for adolescents and their families. Suzanne has been widely praised for her successful efforts creating working partnerships between state and community organizations, courts, schools and families. She was instrumental in the successful creation of a community based respite program for families with children with emotional and behavioral challenges. In collaboration with the Parent-Professional Advocacy League (Worcester Chapter), her leadership was a key factor in the development of the Worcester Youth and Family Network. Suzanne has also been a passionate advocate for improved cultural competence within state, community and provider systems. She currently serves on state and regional committees addressing family-professional partnerships and innovative models of care. She has presented on these and other topics related to Systems of Care at National and Regional conferences.
Peter Metz, M.D., Peter is Director of Child Psychiatry and Professor of Clinical Psychiatry and Pediatrics at UMass Medical School and UMassMemorial Medical Center. He was previously the Training Director of the Residency Training Program in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at UMass Medical School. He is the Co-Principal Investigator for Worcester Communities of Care and Central MA Communities of Care. He also serves on the Workgroup on Community-Based Systems of Care of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. Dr. Metz has spoken and written to child psychiatric audiences and others locally and nationally on a variety of topics, with an emphasis on integrating CASSP/New Freedom Commission values and principles into Child Psychiatric practice. He has also participated in workshops aimed at increasing family-professional collaboration regarding prescribing of psychotropic medications.
Eugene Thompson, MSW Gene has over 30 years experience in senior level behavioral and primary healthcare administration in both staff and consultation roles. His consultation specialties include strategic planning, and the development of complex collaborative ventures. Gene has extensive experience in grant writing and was active in the development of the federal grants that led to both the Worcester and Central Massachusetts Communities of Care projects. He served as Asst. Project Director and Technical Assistance Coordinator for both. Gene has been closely involved in the implementation of Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports initiatives in the Worcester Public Schools, as well as for two prospective districts in Central Massachusetts.
Jacqueline B. Coppedge, B.A. Jackie holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology from North Carolina Central University, as well as having taken courses through the Boston College Graduate School of Social Work. She has worked in the field of human services for over 22 years as social work professional with families who have been involved with the DSS, DYS, and / or DMH systems. For the past 6 years, Jackie has been a key member of the WCC Care Coordination staff helping to implement 2 successful wraparound programs within the city of Worcester. Jackie has an extensive background and experience with strength based and family driven family work, wraparound team facilitation, strength based assessments and crisis support. She currently specializes in training and consultation around issues of cultural competence and employee diversity. She is a Voices of Color group facilitator, and founder of Creative Cultural Connection.
Melodie Wenz-Gross, Ph.D., Melodie is a research psychologist who holds a doctoral degree in Social Psychology from Boston College, and a Masters degree in Counseling Psychology from Boston University. She has always had an interest in merging research and intervention, and for the past 20 years has specialized in child and adolescent development, life transitions (developmental, educational, family), and the contribution of family and peer relationships to adjustment. She has a particular interest in the ways in which development and life transitions are impacted by the challenges of having a disability and the role that family, peer, and other relationships play in adjustment. Melodie developed and published a curriculum to help ease the transition into middle school for adolescents with and without learning problems, has been involved in the development and evaluation of an intervention for preschoolers with severe behavior problems, and has been involved in the evaluation of WCC. Melodie is also the parent of a child with a physical disability and has conducted workshops with parents on balancing the needs of the child with a disability with the needs of the rest of the family, and issues around the child’s need for independence when the disability requires continued parental support. Currently, Melodie is the Director of Evaluation for the CMCC initiative.
|
|
||||||||
