Our Staff

Phenice became the Director of the Charlestown Coalition in April of 2023. She oversees the Charlestown Family Support Circle, a program designed to identify and intervene with at-risk youth and their families as well as improve the connection among Charlestown service providers to support local youth and families. Phenice came to the Charlestown Coalition from Youth Villages-Germaine Lawrence Campus in Arlington, where she was a Clinical Supervisor and Family Clinician working with at risk youth, adolescents, young children and their families. She also worked at the Department of Children and Family Services in Los Angeles, CA. Phenice received her bachelor’s degree in psychology from the University of Massachusetts at Boston and her Masters in Social Work from the University of Southern California.

Mel is a Macro Social Worker devoted to social justice, intersectional feminism and contributing to a more equitable future for the LGBTQIA+ community. She was born and raised in Boston, but shares that the people of South End are what truly raised her. She credits her experience as an adolescent in youth work and development to be the core of who she is and who she strives to be. As the Community Resource Specialist, she will assist in coordinating the local resources through collaboration with partner organizations within Charlestown. In addition to resource coordination, Mel will be utilizing her experience in government policy to source grant funding and inform local legislation through community partnerships. Mel graduated from Wheelock College with a Bachelors of Social Work and Juvenile Justice and earned a Masters of Social Work at Bridgewater State University.