Our Team

Meet Members of Your Kiva Centers Team

Meet Our Kiva Team

The Kiva Centers’ focus is the development, promotion, and delivery of healing communities for people experiencing different social class impacts like trauma, mental health, and substance use.

Your dedicated team in the trauma-informed, peer support community.

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BRENDA VEZINA

Chief Executive Officer and Executive Director

bvezina@kivacenters.org
508-864-0958
Pronouns: She/Her/Hers

Brenda Vezina is the CEO and Executive Director of The Transformation Center DBA Kiva Centers.

Kiva Centers mission and vision is achieved through her dynamic leadership and close community involvement. She has over 30 years of experience working within communities of people who have experienced mental health issues, substance use and all traumatic experiences as a program creator, administrator and direct service worker. Brenda is a survivor of childhood trauma and a thought-leader regarding the effects of childhood trauma and its lasting effects in adulthood. Brenda oversees Kiva Centers’ statewide Certified Peer Specialist Program and is also a skilled trainer in that program. Brenda has grown the Kiva Centers in both depth and breadth of service delivery and seeks the opportunities for the advancement of trauma-informed care approaches for recovering or creating the life that everyone deserves. Recently, Brenda was elected to serve on the 2021-2024 Board for the National Association for Rural Mental Health (NARMH).

VESPER MOORE

Chief Operating Officer

vmoore@kivacenters.org
Pronouns: They/Them/Elle

Vesper Moore is a community activist, survivor, trainer, and writer. They have been a part of the Kiva Centers for several years and have been instrumental in the Kiva Centers’ growth as an organization. They have brought the perspectives of survivors to national and international spaces. They have experience working as a consultant for both the United States government and the United Nations in shaping strategies around trauma, intersectionality, and disability rights. They gave an address on “Intersectionality as a Human Rights Issue” for the UN’s Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD). They have been at the forefront of legislative reform to shift the societal paradigm around mental health.

Vesper concentrates on building social movements and public knowledge to facilitate and sustain systems change. They are a skilled certified trainer of Intentional Peer Support and the MA Certified Peer Specialist Training. They have supported the development of peer-run organizations in different parts of the world. They have been a lecturer for many universities and institutions across the United States. They are a very well-known leader in peer support and are known as a powerful advocate. Vesper is also a skilled chess player and enjoys the late 80s/early 90s goth fashion, music, and film.

DONNA MACOMBER-CASSIDY

DIRECTOR OF ADMINSTRATION

dmcassidy@kivacenters.org
508-751-9600
Pronouns: She/Her/Hers

A Certified Psychiatric Rehabilitation Practitioner (CPRP), Certified Peer Specialist (CPS), and person with lived experience with mental health and trauma issues, Donna has worked in the mental health recovery field for 27 years. Donna was a 2008 Eli Lilly Reintegration Award recipient for Mentor-ship. She is currently the Director of Operations at the Central Mass RLC and Kiva Center, and is a trained WRAP facilitator, Hearing Voices Network facilitator, and Human Rights Advocate. Donna is a firm believer in “nothing about us without us.”

Donna’s favorite author is Jane Austen, and she likes to spend time with her 4 grandchildren, read, cook, figure out crossword puzzles, and watch really bad monster movies (such as Tremors, Mega Shark vs. Crocosaurus, and Sharknado).

JASMINE QUINONES

DIRECTOR OF SOUTH COUNTY AND MULTICULTURAL SERVICES

jquinones@kivacenters
Pronouns: She/Her/They

Jasmine Quinones has been with the Kiva Centers for 5 years, building solid working relationships throughout Massachusetts and serving as the consummate goodwill ambassador for our Kiva Centers. Jasmine is a MA Certified Peer Specialist, certified WRAP (Wellness Recovery Action Plan) and TIPS (Trauma-Informed Peer Support) instructor, and has completed IPS, Hearing Voices Network, Alternatives to Suicide, and Children and Family advocacy training. Jasmine received the Angel Award in the South County CHNA area two years in a row for excellence in community collaboration.

She has been recognized by the Salvation Army for her collaborative community work in South County as well as being awarded as an “unsung hero” of the Salvation Army’s Disaster Relief team. One of Jasmine’s greatest professional achievements was the honor to work alongside ASSMCA Puerto Rico’s Department of Mental Health on the island, bringing the Kiva Centers model of Trauma-Informed Peer Support to their population in need. Because of Jasmine’s coaching and dedication to the cause, Puerto Rico will soon be opening peer-run centers inspired by the Kiva Centers model throughout many areas of Puerto Rico. Outside of work, Jasmine is a mother of two wonderful children, who she loves to dote on. The beach is her happy place, where she goes to recharge her soul.

MIKE MACINNIS

DIRECTOR OF GLOBAL MARKETING AND PUBLIC RELATIONS

mmacinnis@kivacenters.org
Pronouns: He/Him/His

Mike has been with the Kiva Centers for many years in many capacities. Mike’s primary focus is communications and public relations, working with potential funders, legislators, and organizations as Kiva Centers continues to move forward.

Mike is a MA State Certified Peer Specialist and is also certified to train WRAP, Trauma-Informed Peer Support, and the Parenting Journey ™. He is a tireless advocate in the fight against mental health prejudice, with many speaking appearances on radio and television, representing those of us with lived experience. He has often spoken in front of state senators and legislators representing Kiva Centers and the community that we serve.

Mike’s goals and aspirations are to continue to make the Kiva Centers team a force, both statewide and nationally as sought-after change agents, trainers, and speakers. Mike is a relationship builder and is committed to making Kiva Centers “the go-to” organization for trauma-informed peer support.
You can catch Mike every Thursday on WUTY 97.9 FM on his highly-rated “Talking Wellness” show, which covers the eight dimensions of wellness, Kiva news, and guests who are allies of the peer support community and leaders in the fight against mental health prejudice.

When not at work, you can usually find Mike at the gym, or traveling New England in search of the perfect meal. He still on occasion performs stand-up comedy throughout New England. He is a dad to three beautiful children and has never met a dog he hasn’t wanted to take home and raise.

JOYCE LAFORTUNE

OFFICE MANAGER & CERTIFIED ALTERNATIVE HEALTH PRACTITIONER/TEACHER

Pronouns: She/Her/Hers

Joyce has been with Kiva Centers for almost 11 years. As Office Manager, she strives to have things run smoothly and efficiently.

Joyce has received several certifications while with Kiva Centers, however, most of her education and certifications were acquired prior to the position of Alternative Health Practitioner. These modalities played a big role in her well-being. And she lovingly shares with any who is interested.

Outside of work, Joyce is a mother, grandmother, and friend. Her family means the world to her. She enjoys warm weather, so in Spring, Summer, and Fall you will find her outside doing “something” whenever possible. Favorite things are planting things and getting her hands in the dirt and of course, playing golf. Her“peaceful places” are by the ocean/water and mountains or walking in nature.

Joyce’s motto: “If I can contribute in any way to help to make someone’s life a bit easier and happier, then I am achieving my goal.”

CRISTALIZ ARROYO

YOUNG ADULT PEER ADVOCATE

carroyo@kivacenters.org
Pronouns: She/He/They

Cristaliz Arroyo is a Young Adult Peer Advocate who works at the Zia Young Adult Access Center to provide peer support, advocacy, and linkages between individuals and services. They have been a member in the Kiva community for nearly four years and have been working for Zia for over two. Cristaliz has had experience in starting a peer support session within a newer site for behavioral health in Westborough with two other colleagues and has also worked with the Spanish-speaking community within the Worcester community at large and has supported the deaf and hard-of-hearing community.

Cristaliz believes that her lived experience and resources of the mental health system and substance use can be beneficial for youth and young adults of transition-age. They believe that transition-age youth are not always as informed as they could be on services available and/or who to reach out to for specific services; instructors, providers, and other adults in the lives of young adults and/or transition-age youth are also not as informed as they could be on the topics of human experience and youth rights. She believes that with some knowledge, transparency, and clarity, the youth of transition-age and everyone in contact with the young adult can reach whatever goal they choose to put forth (together).

Cristaliz has had training like Intentional Peer Support, Core Elements, Certified Peer Specialist training, G.I.F.T., and other trainings in aspects pertaining to the work she/they do(es). Cristaliz has come to be a part of the ever-growing family that is the Kiva Centers. You can talk to Cristaliz about anything!

Outside of work, Cristaliz plays video games, hangs out with friends, spends time with her family and long-hair chihuahua, takes long car rides and sings karaoke very loudly while doing so, and writes poetry when they feel inspired.

SHULAMITH JACOBI

COMMUNITY BRIDGER AND EQUITY ADVISOR

sjacobi@kivacenters.org
508-751-9600
Pronouns: she/her/hers

In her role as the Community Bridger, Shulamith is dedicated to systems change and meeting people from the heart. So often, mental health services, especially in inpatient settings focus on risk mitigation at the expense of living a full and meaningful life. Shulamith believes firmly that a core and invaluable part of trauma healing and mental health is the ability to find connection, meaning, and support throughout the lifetime. In short, Shulamith takes dreams seriously. For Shulamith, Bridging is advocacy during treatment team meetings to ensure consensual healthcare, connection to outside resources such as legal aid and financial support, and equally, living, breathing, singing, dancing, discovering, and creating with one another in the community setting.

As the Equity Advisor, Shulamith is responsible for creating and reviewing policies to ensure greater access, equity, cultural humility, and self-determination of services within the Kiva Centers. Shulamith is also responsible for developing trainings on trauma, suicide, relationships, COVID-19 and other topics to ensure continuous education and advancement of the collective wisdom and learning done in the community. As part of this effort, Shulamith created the state Peer Trauma Guide (PTG), Connecting After Trauma (CAT), and Living with Suicide Training curricula, available to community members, non-profits, and other stakeholders within mental health services of care.

In her personal life, Shulamith is a short story writer, avid adventurer, and hiker, artist, and activist. She graduated Clark University summa cum laude with a Bachelor’s in sociology and a focus on how to enact criminal justice reform by learning from the history of deinstitutionalization of psychiatric hospitals during the 1960s-70s in order to decarcerate prisons. Her passion for restorative justice informs her approach to individuals and systems.

LINDSEY VEZINA

WELLNESS COORDINATOR

lvezina@kivacenters.org
508-626-2206
Pronouns: She/Her/Hers

Lindsey Vezina is the Coordinator of our Kiva Metrowest Center and with the Kiva organization for a decade. She brings her qualifications and expertise as a certified Yoga Instructor to all of our centers as well as her training experience. She is trained by the Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination and has organized multiple Trauma Informed Peer Facilitation Trainings as well as is a facilitator for The Parenting Journey receiving her training in the Somerville, MA.

Lindsey is also the owner and operator of Yoga by Lindsey and her young persons yoga studio Yo Omies both located in Putnam, CT. She received her Trauma Informed Yoga training in Brooklyn, NY in 2017. She travels throughout school systems teaching yoga and mindfulness with a focus on the reduction of anxious feelings. Her mental health career began in NYC at the Chelton Loft Clubhouse as a community coordinator. She is active in advocacy for the fair treatment of all persons particularly in mental health , domestic violence and childhood trauma. Lindsey is currently studying to become bi-lingual in Spanish. She interested in paddle boarding, travel, spending time with her family and friends and particularly with her 8 year old Pomeranian, Alice. Lindsey is a Boston sports team aficionado, and never misses the opportunity to attend live games and support her favorite teams. She’s the real deal-no Pink Hat for this real fan!

KRISTINA WALTERS

MASS CERTIFIED PEER SPECIALIST COORDINATOR

kwalters@kivacenters.org
Pronouns: She/Her/Hers

Kristina Walters has worked in the peer support community for over ten years. She has a vast array of experiences, from working at a Recovery Learning Community to an inpatient hospital setting. Kristina has been with the Kiva Centers for over a year. Her current position is the Coordinator for the Massachusetts Certified Peer Specialist training. She has a love and passion for her work. Inspiring and encouraging people is her life-long dream and her current position is by far her favorite. She loves interacting with incoming students and discovering how people’s lives are changed after taking the training. Kristina’s first love though is her family. She shares her life with her husband. Her nephew is the light of her life and the main reason she pushed through some of her darkest moments. Kristina comes from a large family, being the oldest of 35 cousins and still counting. Her favorite thing to do is be together with her whole family, which she often does.

AROLDO FERREIRA

MASS CERTIFIED PEER SPECIALIST DIRECTOR

aferreira@kivacenters.org
Pronouns: He/Him/His

Aroldo is the Massachusetts Certified Peer Specialist Program Director, responsible for all the logistics for the Peer Certification process for the state of Massachusetts. Including managing and delivering quality training practices to prepare prospective CPS’s the certification process.
Prior to this position, Aroldo has worked as a Program Coordinator and Director of Multicultural Affairs. For the Central Mass Recovery Learning Community since January 2010. Aroldo coordinated all Kiva’s meetings, built Peer facilitators’ teams and brought Peer Support to different communities, such as the Latino, Brazilian, Young Adult, LGBTQIA, and others.

For these years, Aroldo has been a lead multi-lingual trainer for the Central Mass RLC, teaching different Peer-oriented workshops, such as Trauma-Informed Peer Facilitation training, Wellness Recovery Action Plan, Parenting Journey, Trauma and Healing Dialogues and others.

Aroldo is inquisitive about people’s cultures and has as a priority to understand different values, beliefs, and habits, to help diversify groups with mutual support.

Aroldo is known to be happy and outgoing. He strives to keep up the quality and integrity of our Peer services throughout the Peer certification process as well as throughout the community. Overall, he is driven by the belief that everybody can achieve a fulfilling and meaningful life of their choice and that Peer to Peer support is an essential part of this process.

Interested in Joining Our Team?

View Our Job Opportunities

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