Center Updates:
Meet Our Staff
Executive Director - He/Him
Ken handles the administrative duties, social media, website, outreach training, and Nutrition Education in the center. He started in 2015 as a facilitator of the Support in Transition group. In 2016, he was hired as the Peer Support Specialist, and in 2017, became the Program Director at Hearts & Ears. He is a member of the National Association of Peer Supporters (NAPS) , and currently has certifications in Wellness and Recovery Action Planning (WRAP), Whole Health Action Management (WHAM), Trauma Informed Care for Peer Support, CCAR, and is a Cohort IV & V Peer Recovery Coach through MPAC ALP. He is also a current graduate of Auguste Escoffier School of Culinary Arts where he majored in Holistic Nutrition and Wellness.
Ken has facilitated trainings at various wellness centers and conferences, as well as training Crisis intervention Officers (CIT) within the Baltimore City Police Department. As a transgender man in the LGBTQIA+ community and one of the founders of The Baltimore Transgender Alliance, Ken is very involved in advocacy and helping to address issues of discrimination and violence against transgender individuals in Baltimore City.
Program Director - She/Her
Mary handles all of the centers programming. She statrted working as a Peer Support Specialist in 2009, and from June 2015 to June 2020, was the Executive Director of Hearts and Ears. Mary's passion to help others came after a long struggle with mental health and addiction issues. She has since dedicated herself to helping others on their road to recovery.
Educated in both Psychology/Sociology and a certification in Case Management from the Community College of Baltimore County, Mary is also a graduate of the Shapiro Training and Employment Program (STEP). She is a registered member of the National Association of Peer Supporters (NAPS) and holds certifications in Wellness and Recovery Action Planning (WRAP). Trauma Informed Care for Peer Support, and Whole Health Action Management (WHAM). Her plan is to return to college to eventually become a therapist.
