BOSTON (February 24, 2021) – Doc Wayne Youth Services (“Doc Wayne”), a Boston nonprofit that fuses sport and therapy to heal and strengthen at-risk youth, is pleased to announce it has brought on 12 new team members in varying roles throughout the organization to accommodate the increasing demand for its services due to the enduring pandemic, and the recent political and racial strife.
Doc Wayne also added a professional credentialing program to its online Champions Network™ training platform that provides guidance on trauma-informed mental health skills leveraging sport-based therapies. The skills are supportive to the work of community organizations and individuals such as teachers, coaches and clinicians.
The ability to expand its team and its global reach via the Champions Network was made possible by a number of recent grants as well as donations from corporations and individuals. David Cohen, CEO of Doc Wayne, commented, “I cannot overstate how grateful we are for the generous support of our work, especially during this last tumultuous year. The need for our mental health services has grown significantly and continues to escalate.” He concluded, “Our expanded, talented and diverse team in place enables us to help far more people locally and globally than ever before.”
Among the new members of Doc Wayne’s team are:
- Sam Acker – Operations Coordinator
- Amanda Bonilla – Facilitator for the Champions Network
- Beth Caronna – Facilitator for the Champions Network
- Olivia Emerich, MSW – Clinical Game Changer
- Natasha Goss – Facilitator for the Champions Network
- Brianna Jimenez – Social Media and Communications Coordinator
- Cat Raster, LCSW – Clinical Game Changer
- Jasmine Reed – Therapeutic Mentor/Youth Coach
- April Rowell, MSW – Clinical Game Changer
- Joshua Salter, Ed.M. – Facilitator for the Champions Network
- Ivy Watts – Facilitator for the Champions Network
- Maggie Yuan, ED.D., LMHC – Program Director
Doc Wayne’s programs take place in a gym or on a field (virtually during the pandemic) versus a clinical setting, and clinicians referred to as “coaches” engage with youth ages 5-18. This approach fosters openness and trust and enables the development of new life skills and learning teamwork with the benefits of physical activity. Doc Wayne, recognized with the prestigious Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Sports Award, among others, was formed by Susan Wayne in 2002 in memory of her brother Dr. Eli Wayne, a pediatrician and tremendous supporter of using sport as a medium for positive youth development.
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Doc Wayne delivers sport-based group/individual therapy and 1-on-1 therapeutic mentoring services for youth (ages 5-18) that face difficulties associated with mental health, chronic trauma and domestic or community violence. Engaging with kids in a gym or on a field setting fosters openness and trust, enabling the development of new skills and learning teamwork, with the benefits of physical activity. Its Chalk Talk® program combines clinical work with sports, where clinicians, referred to as “coaches,” travel to schools, community centers and residential treatment settings. Training in its sport-based mental health approach is offered to individuals and organizations around the globe through its online Champions Network™ portal, which includes a professional credentialing program. Telehealth is being used during the pandemic and will continue thereafter in conjunction with in-person activities to expand access. The organization is headquartered in Boston with an office in Framingham, MA.
Contact:
Heidi Boie
heidi@goodwin-consulting.com