Walker Receives AmeriCorps Funding for Innovative Project

Needham, MA: Walker Therapeutic & Educational Programs (Walker) has received funding from the Massachusetts Service Alliance AmeriCorps program in support of Walker’s Wellness Coaching Project, a new initiative designed to meet the increasing behavioral health needs of middle and high school youth through an expanded pipeline of behavioral health professionals.

Thanks to this generous funding from AmeriCorps, Walker is able to provide up to 20 half-time AmeriCorps members with a stipend for the time they will spend as Wellness Coaches, including participating in orientation and fulfilling responsibilities at their respective schools. Once placed at their schools, coaches will employ evidence-informed strategies, tailored to students’ unique circumstances and needs, to inspire positive behavioral change, promote self-care practices, and foster long-term healthy habits. Coaches may assist students, via individual or group sessions and/or psychoeducational workshops, with developing prosocial skills that address issues such as anxiety, social isolation, feelings of hopelessness, and unhealthy sleep, eating, and screentime patterns.

“Our coaches are recruited from the communities they serve, and we are thrilled to provide them with tools to become a bridge of hope for the youth they will support”, said Ausubel Pichardo, Director of the Wellness Coaching Project. “With AmeriCorps funding and support, we are able to introduce a typically underrepresented group of young adults to the field of behavioral health and wellness.”

Recruitment for Wellness Coaches is still under way. For more information about the Wellness Coach Project or to inquire about becoming a Wellness Coach, please contact: Ausubel Pichardo, Project Director, Walker Therapeutic & Educational Programs, by phone (857-626-5150) or email ([email protected]). Those interested can fill out an application form – here.

About AmeriCorps: AmeriCorps, the federal agency for national service and volunteerism, provides opportunities for Americans to serve their country domestically, address the nation’s most pressing challenges, improve lives and communities, and strengthen civic engagement. Each year, the agency places more than 200,000 AmeriCorps members and AmeriCorps Seniors volunteers in intensive service roles; and empowers millions more to serve as long-term, short-term, or one-time volunteers. Learn more at AmeriCorps.gov.

About Walker: Founded in 1961, Walker Therapeutic & Educational Programs is a leading non profit organization providing a continuum of intensive, highly therapeutic academic and behavioral health programs to children, youth, and families across the Commonwealth. Walker’s continuum includes residential and group home programs, community-based programs, outpatient and in-home services, and coaching, consultation, and professional development. Learn more at WalkerCares.org.