Joe started at BHA in 2014 as an Instructional Assistant with what was known at the time as BHA Academy. Within a matter of a few weeks, an opportunity came up for him to become an Educational Therapist for BHA’s new full-time emotional support program, the PRIDE Program. He took advantage of this opportunity, and for the following two years, was tasked with facilitating group therapy for the program. Then, in 2016, Joe was offered the position of Assistant Director, where he learned firsthand what encompasses being an effective school administrator. Now, in 2020, as BHA looks to expand to even greater heights, he has the privilege of being the Director of the PRIDE Program. As Director, Joe is in a position where he can ensure that every single day, PRIDE takes a step closer to accomplishing their goal of being a fully restorative school.

Joe’s role at PRIDE consists of fulfilling all the administrative duties that are required to ensure that the PRIDE Program continues to deliver high-quality services to the surrounding districts and families. Core to those duties is maintaining a safe learning environment for all students so that with PRIDE’s help, they can work towards fostering positive change in their own lives. This is achieved by employing Restorative Practices throughout the PRIDE Program. Restorative Practices is an emerging social science that studies how to strengthen relationships between individuals as well as social connections within communities. By falling back on the principles found within this discipline, students are presented with an opportunity to learn the strategies necessary to become more informed individuals