The Trauma Center Team

Since the 1990s, Riverside Community Care has helped Massachusetts communities deal with emotional trauma and recovery after critical incidents. In 2006, Riverside received funding from the Massachusetts Department of Mental Health to establish Riverside Trauma Center, with the mission of providing trauma response services to the cities and towns in its core service areas of eastern and central Massachusetts. In November 2007, the Massachusetts Department of Public Health gave funds to expand the Suicide Prevention program statewide (with the exception of Boston).

Over the years, we have been on-site after many incidents to provide community outreach, consultation, and/or counseling to those in need. Notable examples include:

September 11th – we assisted the Red Cross in supporting Logan Airport employees and the families of passengers on the ill-fated planes that left from Boston.

The Boston Marathon bombing – we helped people who attended the Marathon as well as local residents and businesses.

Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico – we joined with our partner agency, Behavioral Health Network, and supported evacuees in the communities of Dedham and Springfield.

The COVID-19 pandemic – we deployed our trauma response and crisis intervention expertise in a statewide initiative through FEMA to bring behavioral health resources, information, and referrals to individuals and communities.

Trauma Center Staff

Larry Berkowitz, EdD, Director

Larry is the Co-Founder of Riverside Trauma Center. He has provided direct therapeutic services for over 30 years and managed mental health services for over 25 years. His clinical areas of expertise include work with children, adolescents, adults, and families who are trauma survivors and/or suicide survivors. He coordinates and provides disaster response services and post-suicide intervention for individuals, schools, workplaces, and communities, and conducts trainings on suicide prevention. Larry holds a doctoral degree in Counseling and Consulting Psychology from Harvard University and is a licensed Psychologist in Massachusetts. He is on the Executive Committee of the Massachusetts Coalition for Suicide Prevention, serves as the Co-Chair of the Northeast Massachusetts Coalition for Suicide Prevention, and holds an appointment as a Teaching Associate in Psychology, Part Time, at Harvard Medical School’s Department of Psychiatry.

James McCauley, LICSW, Assistant Program Director

As the Co-Founder and Assistant Program Director, Jim provides mental health support for schools, workplaces, and communities affected by traumatic events. He has consulted with numerous schools and communities in Massachusetts and New England on trauma responses. He provides consultations and trainings on suicide postvention services, suicide clusters, and suicide prevention coalitions. He has presented at statewide, national, and international conferences on these topics. He also has extensive experience providing therapy to children, adolescents, and adults and previously managed outpatient mental health clinics and programs for children for more than 20 years. Jim is a graduate of the Boston University School of Social Work and also was a Senior Lecturer in the Sociology Department at Suffolk University for more than 30 years. An Army veteran, he has a special interest in developing and providing services for returning vets.

Jenny Huynh, LMHC, Operations Manager

Since 2004, Jenny has been providing individual and family therapy services in various outreach settings. She started working at Riverside Community Care in 2008 as a home-based family therapist for Riverside Alternative Youth Service – a town funded home-based family services program. Her position evolved as the program grew and she took on the role of intake coordinator and on-call supervisor. Jenny’s wide range of skills make her indispensable to Riverside Trauma Center as she develops and manages fiscal systems; implements methods to improve daily productivity, efficiency, and organization; and supports the work of our staff by assisting with trainings, screenings, research and resource development, and critical incident responses. Jenny has a Master of Science in Mental Health Counseling from Suffolk University.

Waheeda Saif, LMHC, Senior Crisis Clinician

Waheeda has worked with adolescents and adults for over 10 years, providing therapy to survivors of abuse, sexual assault, and domestic violence. Prior to that, she served as a Guardian ad Litem for the Florida court system. She has been with Riverside Trauma Center since 2008, providing consultation after traumatic events, as well as conducting trainings on a range of issues regarding trauma and suicide. She served as a Team Leader in our FEMA-funded response to the tornados in central and western Massachusetts in 2011. Waheeda is trained specifically in trauma therapy modalities, including Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR). She has a graduate degree in Mental Health Counseling from Boston College.

Tamiya McAuley, Senior Trauma Responder and Administrative Assistant

Tamiya McAuley is a Senior Trauma Responder and Administrative Assistant for Riverside Trauma Center. A graduate of Pine Manor College, Tamiya has a B.A in Communications and is also a Certified Peer Specialist. Tamiya started her recovery journey as a person served by Riverside’s Day Treatment program, and from there, it has been her mission to use her platform to connect and serve her peers. Tamiya is also a cancer survivor and believes in making every day count. Her courage and resilience along with her compassion for others, allows Tamiya to serve as an advocate for the mental health community. She describes herself as a fun-loving person with a wonderful sense of humor.

Julia Campion, LICSW, Ed.M., Senior Manager of Trauma Informed Care

Julia is a clinical social worker with 10 years of experience in direct service and program management across diverse clinical and educational settings. As Senior Manager of Trauma Informed Care, Julia develops accessible trainings in trauma-informed practices. She works closely with schools, organizations, and workplaces to learn and implement trauma-informed systems of support. Julia started at Riverside Community Care in 2014 providing community-based Wraparound services within the Child and Family Services division. Julia served as the Program Director of Riverside’s Life Skills Center, a supportive, therapeutic program for adolescents presenting with major mental illness and experiencing disruptions in their homes, schools, and communities. She has experience working in trauma-informed interdisciplinary settings as both a clinician and educator, including community-based Wraparound services, a public defense practice, and public and therapeutic schools.

Rebecca Ames, LICSW, Senior Clinical Manager

Rebecca has been with Riverside Community Care since 2008, working with adolescents, families, and communities in a variety of roles. She oversaw the first expansion of the MindWise SOS Signs of Suicide Program in the early 2010s and has gained additional clinical experience in palliative and end-of-life care. As Senior Clinical Manager, Rebecca leads national trainings on trauma, suicide prevention, resilience, and related mental health issues; she also supports communities in recovering from stressful events. Rebecca sits on the 988 Commission for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. She is a trained yoga and meditation teacher and certified in Reiki and Ayurvedic healing practices.

Michael Bonadio Jr, LMFT, Program Coordinator, Workplace Suicide Prevention

Michael Bonadio Jr is a Licensed Marriage & Family Counselor (LMFT) who has worked with youth, adolescence, adults, and families. Michael’s work has focused on in-home therapy with families in both the Child Behavioral Health Insinuative (CBHI) and Department of Mental Health (DMH). He has provided trauma informed prevention and postvention consultation to schools and businesses. Michael also has experience providing behavioral health trainings to businesses and organizations. Michael serves as Program Coordinator for suicide prevention targeting working age men, in higher risk industries.

Liz Georgakopoulos, MDiv, Senior Trauma Center Responder

Liz has spent 17 years working as a program director for a Positive Youth Development program with youth aged 14-18 and their families. They have spent time as a chaplain intern in a hospital setting as well. Liz has devoted a great deal of learning to DEI theory and practices. They have been with the Riverside Trauma Center since 2021, working with schools and community groups following traumatic incidents. Liz is an adjunct professor at Massasoit Community College for the ESOL program. They serve as a Senior Trauma Responder.