Oscar Oliveira Soens (He/Him/His) - Program Director
Bio coming soon!
Sydney Chomicz (She/Her) - Program Coordinator
Sydney is the Program Coordinator for Safe Homes. She is absolutely thrilled to be a part of the team and looks forward to making new connections within the program. She attended Eastern Connecticut State University and studied Developmental Psychology and Sociology and was part of their University Volleyball Team. Before Safe Homes, Sydney was the Transition Case Manager for the young adult access center, The PLACE For Empowerment. She also worked previously as a Preschool Teacher. Sydney absolutely loves the outdoors, specifically the beach, and summer is her most favorite time of the year. In her free time, she enjoys cooking, being surrounded by family and friends and most of all, shopping.
Otto Ruderman (They/Them) - Lead Peer
![[Image Description: photo of Safe Homes' Lead Peer, Otto Ruderman, a white, queer, nonbinary person. They are wearing a brown shirt and glasses. They have several piercings on their nose, lips and ears.]](/ottostaffpicsh.jpg)
Otto is the Lead Peer at Safe Homes. A recent college grad, they studied Psychology to further their knowledge and skills in supporting the mental health of young adults. Otto has been regularly attending Safe Homes since 2016, and was a peer leader for three years prior to their current role. Otto also manages Safe Homes' Transgender Resource Center, which is a vital space for trans and non-conforming youth to gain support and access to gender-affirming supplies. In Otto's free time, they enjoy baking, crocheting and listening to music.
Brigitte Manseau (She/Her) - Clinician
B currently works between two programs at Open Sky: Safe Homes and the Bridge Counseling Center. B graduated from Assumption University where she received her master's degree in Clinical Counseling Psychology with a concentration in Cognitive-Behavioral Therapies. B has worked with marginalized youth and young adults in outpatient clinic and school-based settings. As a teenager, B attended Safe Homes Worcester. Her experience as a youth participant inspired her to pursue a career in counseling and specialize in working with LGBTQIA+ youth. In B's free time, she enjoys listening to music, going for drives, playing ukulele, and spending quality time with her loved ones.
Maxwell Farrell (He/Him) - Peer Leader
Maxwell is currently a college student and is majoring in Psychology. He hopes to work in the field of mental health, particularly in a role involving the LGBTQIA+ community, in the future. Maxwell has been attending Safe Homes since 2018, and has been working as a Peer Leader since 2020. He spends his free time making art, baking, and spending time with his pets.
Alice Cleghorn (She/Her) - Peer Leader
Alice is serving with Safe Homes for 2022-2023 as a Commonwealth Corps Intern. She is passionate about giving back to her community, in the same way Safe Homes was there for her years ago when she would attend as a youth. Alice hopes to apply her newfound knowledge and skills from working with LGBTQIA+ individuals to the field of STEM, in efforts to combat misrepresentation and discrimination of marginalized peoples in the science community. Apart from Safe Homes, Alice enjoys all things art related, such as electric guitar, drawing, singing, and crafting.