Richard began working in the mental health field in 2005 following graduating from Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts. He began work in a residential treatment facility and worked with teens and young adults supporting the treatment and the repair of long-term abuse and complex trauma. He returned to school in 2017 and completed his master’s degree in social work. Upon exiting Richard worked a job called in-home therapy for two years before he felt called to work with more traumatized individuals again and began working with crisis services. Where he worked at honing his skills in identifying and supporting those experiencing acute psychiatric trauma.
A new job was created in 2019 the roll of co-responder, and this involved continuing to respond to those in acute psychiatric trauma but alongside the police officers of the Holyoke Police Department. Where Richard worked for three years before being promoted to run multiple teams of co-responders in other cities but continuing to work out of the Holyoke Police department. During this time, Richard further refined his skills at working with individuals that either didn’t want to participate, had acute psychiatric problems and/or were experiencing domestic violence, critical incident trauma, substance use and abuse disorders.
In 2023 Richard opened the private outpatient services location of Responder’s Refuge where he provided much needed services to Police, Fire, EMS, and mental health responders, groups traditionally resistant to seek help due to concerns doing so would negatively impact their careers or promotional prospects. Responders Refuge offered a location devoid of these risks and a space to seek treatment for the traumas experienced by these groups by the very nature of their job.
Richard has also assisted in the development and implementation of training offered and put on by MPTC, CIT and TTAC, as well as trainings for BHN and their local law enforcement partners. He also volunteers as a member of the Alumni Counsel for Westfield State University.
