07/29/2022 HopeWell announces hiring of Vice President of Child and Family Programs

HopeWell is excited to announce that Imani Seunarine will join the organization as its new Vice President of Child and Family Programs! 

Imani brings more than 20 years of experience in mental and behavioral health, clinical work, and child and family programming.

“Imani brings a vast background in supporting youth and families from historically marginalized communities and a value orientation that centers hope, strengths, and the voices of those we serve. We are so fortunate she has made the choice to share her talents with us,” remarked Shaheer Mustafa, HopeWell President and CEO

As VP of Child and Family Programs, Imani will lead HopeWell’s foster care and family support programs ― including supporting new program innovations and implementing an evidence-based practice framework that Mustafa says will “help HopeWell in our journey to become a true learning organization.” A self-described “compliance nerd,” Imani brings a wealth of expertise in ensuring HopeWell’s programs and practices adhere to state regulations and policies. Imani is passionate about systems-thinking and is looking forward to “listening to staff, learning about the work they’re doing, and problem-solving to remove any barriers that stand in the way of both making that work easier and getting the outcomes we want.”

“It really resonates with me how HopeWell wants and welcomes dialogue, but then also takes action around whatever that dialogue might be ― not just in the work with kids and families, but also with the work that needs to happen internally for an organization to thrive,” Imani shared.

Imani began her career working in adult mental health in residential and community-based programming. This experience sparked an interest in making the connection back to youth, so she shifted into children’s behavioral health where she was a family home-based community clinician and supervisor. Imani worked at Bay State Community Services as a Site Director, where she supported two different family resource centers and the spectrum of the Children’s Behavioral Health Initiative. She was then promoted to Bay State’s first-ever Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer, where she led efforts to closely examine organizational policies and sponsor important conversations about anti-racist and anti-oppressive practices. Most recently, Imani worked as VP of Behavioral Health and Outpatient Services at The Home for Little Wanderers, where she oversaw outpatient clinic work, state contracts for the Family Resource Center and Early Childhood programming, and The Home’s portfolio of child and family programs.

Imani is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Eastern Nazarene College and a master’s degree in Counseling Psychology from Northeastern University, with concentrations in Health Psychology and Gender, Culture, and Political Psychology. In addition, she holds a clinical certificate in multi-contextual and relational trauma from Simmons College and has completed Boston University’s Nonprofit Management and Leadership certificate program.

Imani enjoys going on adventures with her husband and son, who have helped her bring a personal lens to her daily work. Their fourth family member is a dapper rescue dog named Goose. When she isn’t busy improving child welfare in Boston and across the state, Imani loves to sew (she recently acquired some vintage silk from the ‘60s), cook (Arroz con Pollo and Arancini are her favorite comfort foods), and play video games (especially Super Mario Brothers).