Our Staff
As a teacher of the Deaf in the beginning of Elisa's career, she came to realize students and children are not going to effectively learn if their emotional and mental health needs were not being met which prompted her to leave the education field as an English teacher and return to graduate school for a MA in counseling. In graduate school, Elisa learned trauma-informed care, family systems, and how to use different skills to really help empower children and families to make the changes they want to make rather than be told.
Elisa found an internship at Walden Community Services (WCS) in 2015 and fell in love with the organization and with New England. She has been with WCS since 2016 starting out as an Intensive Care Coordinator and In-home Therapist, before becoming the Clinical Director and then the Director of Walden Community Services. Through WCS, Elisa has come to embrace the concept of community work and truly tries to amplify community as a way to work with families and children.
Elisa holds Massachusetts and Maryland licensure as a Mental Health Therapist. She has provided numerous trainings in trauma-informed care for clinical professionals. She is also a Board Member of Our Deaf Survivor Center (ODSC) and board member of Massachusetts State Association of the Deaf.
Dr. Frank Adams earned his Ph.D in Clinical Psychology from Gallaudet University. He completed his doctoral internship in the United States Department of Justice, Federal Bureau of Prisons. His dissertation was titled "Does The Crab Theory Hold Water? Investigating Intragroup Discriminatory Attitudes in the Deaf Community", and was the first systematic investigation of the crab theory phenomenon as it pertains to hiring in Deaf organizations.
Dr. Adams has worked at TLC since 2008 in a variety of clinical roles including Walden School Therapist, WCS Intensive Care Coordinator, WCS In-Home Therapist, and now serves as the Community Clinical Director. Prior to joining TLC, he worked with children and adults in numerous positions within civilian and veteran's hospitals, a university mental health center, group home programs, and federal prisons. He has presented at the local, state, and national level on topics related to mental health, Deaf advocacy, implicit bias, and behavioral health interventions.
In his spare time, Frank enjoys kayaking, laser engraving, and traveling with his family.
Kelley Crocker is true Cape Codder, born and raised. She was mainstreamed until high school where she discovered her Deaf identity while attending MSSD in Washington, DC. From there, she found her roots and began to deeply connect with her family in the Deaf community.
Kelly has four children, who are now adults with their own children! She is a social creature, and loves sharing stories with families about how she survived the system, divorces, and dysfunctional family upbringing. She believes strongly in family choice and voice, and will always passionately advocate for parents' rights in any situation.
She has been a family partner for 10 years with WCS.
Amy brings more than 35 years of experience to the WCS team. She grew up in Rhode Island, the daughter of Deaf parents who did not use ASL, but rather, an oral method of communication. After graduation, Amy attended Gallaudet University for a short time, and then joined AmeriCorps (National Civilian Community Corps) NCCC for 11 months of service. She was on the Deaf Mosaic TV program in 1995 as the first Deaf person to join AmeriCorps.
She is a skilled outdoorsperson and adventure seeker, holding numerous certifications, including: Outdoor Leadership Program Certification by the Association for Experiential Education; Back-country Organizational Leadership Level 2 Co-Leader; Rock Climbing Organizational Leadership Level 1 Co-Leader, Professional Climbing Instructors Association Bottom-Managed Certification; Sea Kayaking American Canoe Association Essentials of Kayak Touring; and ARIE Level 1 Avalanche Certifications.
Amy holds a MassHealth ARC Training Certificate, and finds joy in providing families and Deaf youth with therapeutic mentor and support services.
With a Master's in Clinical Mental Health Counseling, LeAnha has a strong passion in making connections within the community and sharing transparent information with family about services at Walden Community Services (WCS).
With a strong educational background, LeAnha is familiar with clinical assessments, and making connections with the community about mental health. Her previous background in Human Resources has helped expand her skillset in engagement and interviewing.
When she is not supporting children and families across the state, and managing referrals to WCS, LeAnha enjoys enjoys coaching Track and Field, spending quality time with her family and dog, and listening to music.
Kristie has over 25 years experience as a provider in the social services sector in both residential and community-based settings. She is a Certified Massachusetts Community Health Worker and has presented at numerous conferences and workshops.
Kristie enjoys gardening, traveling, home decor, cooking, mediating, reading, volunteering, and spending time with her husband and son.
