Meet Our Staff:

 

Damien Licata, Executive Director

Damien came to the MPS as executive director in August of 2007. He has been a Keene, NH area resident since 1994 and is a class of 2000 graduate of Keene State College with a BA in Psychology and has done some post graduate work at Antioch New England Graduate School. Damien is also trained in Intentional Peer Support. He co-facilitated a men’s support group in Keene for 6 years and has completed the NAMI Connection recovery support group facilitator training. He is the current Chairperson of the New Hampshire Mental Health Consumer Council and co-hosts the stigma busting TV program, “The Padded Room”, seen on Cheshire TV.  

 

Jude Grophear, Programming Coordinator

Jude joined MPS staff in November 2011. She has felt drawn to the field of human services after having had some personal experiences dealing with mental health issues. She holds a bachelor of arts in English and a bachelor of science in early childhood education, as well as a minor in French. Her job roles have included teaching, care giving and co-directing. In her free time, Jude likes to spend time reading, writing, hiking, singing and watching movies; she has a cat and two ferrets. 

 

 

 

 

Evelyn Stewart, Administrative Assistant and WRAP facilitator

In 1988, Evelyn graduated from the Meeting School in Rindge, NH. She later moved to Maine where she became certified as a Word Processor at the Penobscot Job Corps. From there, she transferred to St. Paul, MN where she completed and was certified in the Transportation and Communication Union’s advanced clerical program. After graduation, Evelyn continued to live in St. Paul for the next 8 years until illness brought her back to New Hampshire where she later became a member at Monadnock Area Peer Support Agency. Evelyn joined our staff in 2006.

 

 

  

  

Marla Stefflre, Warmline Operator and Group Facilitator

Marla was born in California and grew up in California and New York City. She is a 1982 graduate of the Meeting School in Rindge, NH, The National Shakespeare Conservatory in NYC in 1987, and earned her BA in Psychology from Keene State College, Keene NH in 2009. She is the mother of a 20-year-old daughter. She facilitates Creative Writing, Psych Survivors, Love and Spirituality group.  She is also the co-facilitator of Empowerment.

 

 

 

 

 

Erin Rushalko, Peer Support Staff
Erin is thirty-something college student, majoring in Human Services.  She is also the mother of a very vibrant and creative daughter who often helps out at MPS events.  She is in recovery from mental illness and works her program to the best of her ability.  She absolutely loves her job and is so grateful to be at MPS, and advocating for other consumers, like herself.  She facilitates Dual-Diagnosis and Advocay in Action.  She also started up and is an administrator of the MPS facebook page.  She enjoys reading anything (ask about her book collection), playing online games, listening to music and drinking copious amounts of coffee.  Erin joined our staff in July 2010.

    

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          

 

Sarah Johnston, Warmline Operator per-diem, InShape trainee and Group Facilitator

Sarah Johnston has been employed by MPS since January of 2008, working and volunteering in various capacities. Currently, Sarah is a per-diem warm-line staff person, a group co-facilitator, a fitness and wellness mentor for MPS through our collaboration with the Monadnock Family Services InShape program, and an as-needed volunteer. Sarah also has experience working in the mental health field and is a member of NAMI NH .Sarah is a 2011 graduate of Mount Wachusett Community College in Gardner, MA.

 

                                                                                                   

    

                           

 

 

Jodie Cota,  Van Driver and InShape trainee
Jodie has been associated with Monadnock Area Peer Support Agency since we first began, both as a member and in various capacities on our staff over the past 13 years - currently as a safe and courteous van driver providing transportation for our members and participants. She lives in Keene, New Hampshire.

 

 

 

 

                                     Robert Hilton, Van Driver