Family Services and Behavioral Health at Brookside Community Health Center

The Family Services Department's mission is to provide a wide range of behavioral health treatment to children, adolescents, and adults, regardless of their ability to pay. Although its services are available to the community at large, in order to promote collaboration with primary care providers, priority is given to medical patients of Brookside Community Health Center. Our staff consists of psychologists, psychiatrists, social workers, addiction counselors, community resource specialists, and a domestic violence advocate. Our bilingual, culturally competent staff provides services in English and Spanish. Translation is available for other languages through the Brigham and Women's Hospital Interpreter Services.

Services Provided

The department provides treatment for adults, adolescents, and children dealing with the following issues:

  • Alcohol and other substance use disorders
  • Depression and anxiety
  • Family violence
  • Domestic violence
  • Acute and chronic trauma

Our Staff

Juan Avila, MD

Education: University of Michigan School of Medicine; University Hospital Ann Arbor and University Hospital Boston, Residency in Psychiatry; Boston University Hospital, Fellowship in Psychiatry

Interests: Psychopharmacotherapy; bipolar disorder; cross-cultural psychiatry; major depressive disorder; medical psychiatry; mood disorders.

Languages: English and Spanish

Alexandra Castillo, Community Resource Specialist

Languages: English and Spanish

Niva Cruz, Community Resource Specialist

Languages: English and Spanish

David Green, MD

Education: Union Theological Seminary, M.Div.; Michigan State University College of Human Medicine; Menninger School of Psychiatry, Adult Psychiatry; Boston Children's Hospital, Child Psychiatry

Interests: Cross-cultural issues and class bias in healthcare; third-culture children; poetry and photography

Languages: English and Spanish

Manuela Gonzalez, Manager of Community Support

Joanna Imbert, LICSW

Education: Salem State University, MSW

Interests: Healthcare inequities, cross-cultural impacts on health, chronic mental health conditions, trauma, grief, mood disorders, acceptance and commitment therapy, cognitive behavioral therapy

Languages: English and Spanish

Sabaska Laracuente, PhD

Education: Carlos Abizu University, PhD in Clinical Psychology

Interests: Mood disorders; Cognitive Behavioral Therapy; Dialectical Behavioral Therapy; domestic violence

Languages: English and Spanish

Judith Lischetti, LICSW

Education: Boston University School of Social Work, MSW

Interests: Addictions/Dually diagnosed individuals; domestic violence; trauma; issues related to sexual orientation.

Languages: English and Spanish

Courtney Loring, LICSW

Education: University of Chicago: MSW

Languages: English, Spanish

Interests: Trauma, Child Sexual Abuse, Sexual Assault, EMDR, Children and Adolescents, Mind/Body Techniques, Immigration and Cross Cultural Living

Brenda Ramos, Practice Assistant

Languages: English and Spanish

Sari Sanchez, Community Resource Specialist

Languages: English and Spanish

Carmen Santiago, Practice Assistant

Languages: English and Spanish

Miriam Shapiro, LICSW

Education: Simmons College, MSW

Interests: Working with children, adolescents and adults; meditation and stress reduction

Languages: English and Spanish

Stephanie Valerio, Community Resource Specialist

Languages: English and Spanish

Katherine White, LMHC

Education: Boston University, M.Ed in Counseling

Interests: Working with children, adolescents and adults; trauma; mood disorders; use of mind/body techniques

Languages: English and Spanish

Other Resources

The Brookside Family Services Department works with the Brigham and Women's Passageway Program, which offers domestic violence prevention and intervention services through Passageway, run by the Center for Community Health and Health Equity.

Contact Us

The Brookside Family Services Department can be reached at 617-983-6047 (Fax 617-983-6069).

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