Maps Counseling Services has appointed a new leader, after its previous executive director resigned last summer.
Ralph Sperry of Amherst took over the position in December. His predecessor, Bethann Clauss, held the role for two years — and was with Maps for nearly a decade — before taking a position as the adolescent counselor at the Dublin School.
Sperry has more than 40 years of experience in the mental health field, including as a behavioral health consultant for the U.S Department of State. He has a bachelor’s in psychology from Quinnipiac University in Connecticut, a master’s in psychology from the University of Bridgeport in Connecticut and a doctorate in clinical psychology from Saybrook University in California, according to his LinkedIn.
Before arriving at Maps, Sperry was the executive director of mental health services for SolutionHealth — the parent system of Southern New Hampshire Medical Center in Nashua and Elliot Hospital in Manchester — for two years.
Maps is a private nonprofit mental health agency, with locations in Keene and Peterborough, that serves about 1,000 individuals and families each year. The agency offers a range of mental health services, including child and adolescent counseling, substance misuse treatment and emergency mental health services, according to its website.
Sperry said his main goal in his new position is to increase access to mental health services in the community.
“Since COVID, there’s been an increase in individuals seeking mental health services not only in our area, but throughout the state and nationally,” he said, “so everyone is struggling to meet these needs.”
He said he aims to recruit more staff to Maps to help fill this gap. To do this, Sperry said the organization is working to increase the reimbursement rates it receives from insurers to better compensate its mental health counselors.
Funding for the Monadnock Region Health Reporting Lab comes from several sources, including The Sentinel and several local businesses and private donors. We continue to seek additional support. The newsroom maintains full editorial control over all content produced by the lab.Olivia Belanger can be reached at 352-1234, extension 1439, or obelanger@keenesentinel.com. Follow her on Twitter@OBelangerKS.
Olivia Belanger is the health reporter for The Sentinel, covering issues from the opioid crisis and the COVID-19 pandemic to mental health services in the region. A N.H. native, she joined The Sentinel team in August 2019.
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Health Solutions Reporter Olivia Belanger keeps readers informed on issues like mental health, the opioid crisis and the COVID-19 pandemic. Before joining The Sentinel’s staff, Olivia spent a year as the health, nonprofit and education reporter for the Watertown Daily Times in Watertown, N.Y. A 2018 graduate of Keene State College, Olivia decided to move back to the area in the summer of 2019 to tell the unique stories of the Monadnock Region. The Bartlett native now lives in Keene with her fiancé, Ryan, and their Bernese mountain dog, Koa.
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