Community Advisory Board
Our community advisory board (CAB) is composed of parents, caregivers, teens, and young adults who bring lived experience and/or a deep commitment to mental health advocacy. Our CAB members are essential partners in our work. They provide thoughtful feedback on research, recruitment materials, community engagement strategies, study design and interpretation and sharing of findings. Their perspectives ensure that our research remains grounded in the needs of the communities we serve. We are deeply grateful for their time, insight, and dedication. Their voices continue to shape the direction, relevance, and impact of our work.
-
Lilly is an aspiring high school student, entrepreneur, and speaker. She is passionate about neuroscience and mental health.
-
Christina Copeland completed her associate's degree in arts and science while in high school. She has conducted several research projects, collaborating with Rowan University and Cooper University Hospitals. At Williamstown High School, she conducted a study to measure the effectiveness of mental health programs on student mental health. Currently, she is a Karsh Stem Scholar Biology student at Howard University. Her goal upon graduation is to complete an MD/Ph.D. and become a researcher.
-
Dachon "D" Duvall is a certified peer specialist and trained recovery coach. He has worked for major mental health agencies in and around the Boston area. He believes in total health care. Dachon researches and advises on multiple projects and laws geared towards the improvement of mental health services, especially for areas where information and access is limited. He is passionate about mental health and addiction care for all.
-
Florette Willis is a Patient Liasion and Certified Peer Specialist. Florette brings over a decade of experience working at NAMI Mass, Itinerant Ombudsman of MassHealth’s My Ombudsman Program, and as Co-Chair of MassHealth’s One Care Council. Florette specializes in mental wellness, advocacy, outreach, and supporting individuals, families, and their loved ones to heal, grow & recover in their community of choice.
-
Gautham Ramshankar is an Irvington High School graduate and a current student at Yale University. He has pursued mental health and cancer research in various labs. He looks forward to monthly Advisory Board meetings, where he can learn about his peers' experiences, practice compassion, and advance youth mental health advocacy.
-
Jacquie Martinez is a certified peer specialist and vice president for NAMI Latino in Massachusetts. She also served as president of the Transformation Center’s Board of Directors and is the chair of the Protection and Advocacy for Individuals with Mental Illness (PAIMI) Advisory Council. As a person with lived experience, and as the parent of a child with a mental health condition, Jacquie has a passion for educating parents, teachers, and community members about the need for open communication, training, support, and awareness of services that can help people live life with enjoyment and purpose.
-
Kate Misher is a freshman at the University of Southern California. Service has been a core foundation throughout her life and led her to USC for its unique service-based majors. As an NGO and Social Change major, she wants to learn all the ways to establish organizations that can make a positive impact. Kate is on the pre-law track, pursuing a career in Law and Non-Profits. She is an active member of Jane Goodall’s National Youth Leadership Council and has spent several years working to combat gun violence with the Brady Organization.
-
Maia Sevin is a junior at Friends’ Central School where she is a peer counselor, math tutor, field hockey captain, and member of the inaugural sports leadership development program. Maia serves on the Youth Mental Health Advisory Board of a Harvard NIMHCenter to prevent youth suicide, guiding the development of school- and community-based mental health services. She is also a Research Assistant working on pediatric brain tumor studies and first-authoring a children’s book to combat patient anxiety on strabismus surgery.
-
Marcus Peng is a senior at Brookline High School. He is very passionate about mental health. Marcus is also on the youth advisory board of the BOBA (Building our Bonds Authentically) project.
-
Terry Alves-Hunter is a trained auditor for legal compliance, and she has used those skills to advocate for children and families. She is also a Certified Peer Support Specialist for children’s mental health and a special education advocate.
“I am really appreciative of the way the conversations have always been open, and the way we were using the discussions to do research and write papers that would not only go sit on a shelf but would actually go and help people.”
