Supporting Those in Need
At Samaritan's Southcoast, we are dedicated to providing immediate support and guidance to individuals facing a crisis. Our trained counselors are here to listen, offer compassion, and help navigate through difficult times. We understand the importance of reaching out for help, and we are committed to being a source of comfort and hope. You are not alone; we are here for you.
Leadership
Board of Directors
Jocelyn M. Oliveira, CISR Elite, CPPL, CPIA
BayCoast Insurance
President
Vice President
Michaela DeMattio, MA
Balanced Learning Center
Treasurer
Tracey L. Lee, ABR, PSA, RENE, e-Pro
BOLD Real Estate
Secretary
Kate C. Miller, MPP
City of New Bedford
Board Member
Zachary Boyer, BA
Coastline Elderly Services
Board Member
April C. Funches, BS
Taunton Diversity Network, Inc.
Board Member
Kathleen King, BBA
Accenture
Board Member
Darcy H. Lee, BA
Samaritans Southcoast
Ex Officio
Board Member
Frederic C. Mock, JD
Board Member
Sara Rodrigues, DSW, LICSW
Balanced Learning Center
Board Member
Joseph R. Schwab, PhD
Bridgewater State University
Board Member
Lisa Sugarman, BA
Author, Advocate, Columnist, and Podcaster, The HelpHUB; The Trevor Project
Board Member
Anna Schierberl Scherr, PhD
UMass Dartmouth, Brown Universitya
Board Member
Wendy Vieira, BA
Southcoast Health - St. Luke's Hospital
Executive Director
Darcy H. Lee
Darcy H. Lee began her career at the John F. Kennedy Library and Foundation in Boston, going on to work as Press Aide to U. S. Senator Edward M. Kennedy, after which she worked in fundraising and as a consultant for different organizations, including Clark University, Orchard House - Home of the Alcotts, Pilgrim Hall Museum, and the Women's Fund of Southeastern Massachusetts, among others. In addition, she served the Plymouth County region as Executive Director of Mayflower RSVP. Lee is the author of two books - the award-winning Ghosts of Plymouth, Massachusetts (2017) and The Fantastic, Fabulous, Funny, and Factual Follies of a Facebook Friend (2010). She is a co-chair of the Norfolk County Suicide Prevention Coalition and serves on the Executive Committee of the Massachusetts Coalition for Suicide Prevention, as well as the Rotary Club of Fall River and the Rotary Club of Fall River Charitable Foundation Trust. Lee is a member of the National Association of Crisis Organization Directors and the New Bedford Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution. She is a 2018 graduate of Leadership Southcoast and a Paul Harris Fellow through Rotary International. Lee has a BA in history from Marymount College at Fordham University, attended Clark University for graduate studies, and is currently pursuing her Master of Science in Psychology at California Coast University. She lives in southeastern Massachusetts.
Executive Director
Darcy H. Lee
Darcy H. Lee began her career at the John F. Kennedy Library and Foundation in Boston, going on to work as Press Aide to U. S. Senator Edward M. Kennedy, after which she worked in fundraising and as a consultant for different organizations, including Clark University, Orchard House - Home of the Alcotts, Pilgrim Hall Museum, and the Women's Fund of Southeastern Massachusetts, among others. In addition, she served the Plymouth County region as Executive Director of Mayflower RSVP. Lee is the author of two books - the award-winning Ghosts of Plymouth, Massachusetts (2017) and The Fantastic, Fabulous, Funny, and Factual Follies of a Facebook Friend (2010). She is a co-chair of the Norfolk County Suicide Prevention Coalition and serves on the Executive Committee of the Massachusetts Coalition for Suicide Prevention, as well as the Rotary Club of Fall River and the Rotary Club of Fall River Charitable Foundation Trust. Lee is a member of the National Association of Crisis Organization Directors and the New Bedford Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution. She is a 2018 graduate of Leadership Southcoast and a Paul Harris Fellow through Rotary International. Lee has a BA in history from Marymount College at Fordham University, attended Clark University for graduate studies, and is currently pursuing her Master of Science in Psychology at California Coast University. She lives in southeastern Massachusetts.
Program Director
Rebecca Howard
Rebecca Howard’s overall philosophy in operations is that the only way to improve the performance of the company is by nurturing the performance of its people. She is trained and follows Six Sigma practices and strongly believes that success begins with training and development at every level. With more than sixteen years of call center experience with marketing/ Sales and Customer satisfaction, she offers a unique combination of knowledge, expertise, and technical skills to help excel satisfaction while streamlining processes. Rebecca has spent most of her career working with commercial clients such as Gerber Life Insurance, AT&T, DirecTV, SiriusXM, HBO, Starz, Showtime, Cinemax, and NFL Sunday ticket to name a few. Rebecca found her true passion at Leadership Academy, becoming an SME for her company. She went to train Program Managers. Supervisors, and Trainers across the United States and Mexico. Developing core values and processes that allowed them to continue to grow in their careers and impact their leadership team.
Training & Outreach Director
Christine Rzza
Darcy H. Lee began her career at the John F. Kennedy Library and Foundation in Boston, going on to work as Press Aide to U. S. Senator Edward M. Kennedy, after which she worked in fundraising and as a consultant for different organizations, including Clark University, Orchard House - Home of the Alcotts, Pilgrim Hall Museum, and the Women's Fund of Southeastern Massachusetts, among others. Read more...
Staff
Leadership Team
Executive Director
Darcy H. Lee
Darcy H. Lee began her career at the John F. Kennedy Library and Foundation in Boston, going on to work as Press Aide to U. S. Senator Edward M. Kennedy, after which she worked in fundraising and as a consultant for different organizations, including Clark University, Orchard House - Home of the Alcotts, Pilgrim Hall Museum, and the Women's Fund of Southeastern Massachusetts, among others. In addition, she served the Plymouth County region as Executive Director of Mayflower RSVP. Lee is the author of two books - the award-winning Ghosts of Plymouth, Massachusetts (2017) and The Fantastic, Fabulous, Funny, and Factual Follies of a Facebook Friend (2010). She is a co-chair of the Norfolk County Suicide Prevention Coalition and serves on the Executive Committee of the Massachusetts Coalition for Suicide Prevention, as well as the Rotary Club of Fall River and the Rotary Club of Fall River Charitable Foundation Trust. Lee is a member of the National Association of Crisis Organization Directors and the New Bedford Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution. She is a 2018 graduate of Leadership Southcoast and a Paul Harris Fellow through Rotary International. Lee has a BA in history from Marymount College at Fordham University, attended Clark University for graduate studies, and is currently pursuing her Master of Science in Psychology at California Coast University. She lives in southeastern Massachusetts.
Program Director
Rebecca Howard
Rebecca Howard’s overall philosophy in operations is that the only way to improve the performance of the company is by nurturing the performance of its people. She is trained and follows Six Sigma practices and strongly believes that success begins with training and development at every level. With more than sixteen years of call center experience with marketing/ Sales and Customer satisfaction, she offers a unique combination of knowledge, expertise, and technical skills to help excel satisfaction while streamlining processes. Rebecca has spent most of her career working with commercial clients such as Gerber Life Insurance, AT&T, DirecTV, SiriusXM, HBO, Starz, Showtime, Cinemax, and NFL Sunday ticket to name a few. Rebecca found her true passion at Leadership Academy, becoming an SME for her company. She went to train Program Managers. Supervisors, and Trainers across the United States and Mexico. Developing core values and processes that allowed them to continue to grow in their careers and impact their leadership team.
Training & Outreach Director
Christine Rzza
Darcy H. Lee began her career at the John F. Kennedy Library and Foundation in Boston, going on to work as Press Aide to U. S. Senator Edward M. Kennedy, after which she worked in fundraising and as a consultant for different organizations, including Clark University, Orchard House - Home of the Alcotts, Pilgrim Hall Museum, and the Women's Fund of Southeastern Massachusetts, among others. Read more...
Human Resource Director
Natalie Schrager
Natalie Schrager is an experienced human resources generalist with over a decade of experience. She comes to Samaritans Southcoast from Rave Mobile Safety, a software application company providing emergency alert systems, and previously worked at Advenir Living and South Florida Paper Products. At Samaritans, Natalie manages the full spectrum of HR services for prospective employees and staff. Natalie is passionate about helping others, humans, and animals. She is an animal lover and activist and rescues stray and injured animals. Natalie holds a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology with a minor in Sociology/Anthropology from Florida International University. She loves her career because it aligns with her passion for supporting others, breaking down mental health stigma, and positively contributing to the greater community. A lifelong Floridian, Natalie resides in Miami, FL, with her family - human and animal.
Ramona Mello
Ramona Mello, LICSW, has taken the “independent” portion of her social work license seriously; after many years working in private mental health agencies, she more recently moved into self-employment. Throughout her 25-year career, she has gained extensive knowledge and experience working with diverse populations in various settings. Ramona enjoys program development and oversight and finds particular fulfillment in supervising interns and masters-level clinicians working toward their independent licensure. In addition, she is passionate about sharing her knowledge and experience with the next generation of clinicians coming into the field. Her supervisory style involves partnering with supervisees to blend new technology and treatment strategies with tried and true methods, empowering them to develop their own unique therapeutic practice style. Ramona is active in adult athletics and fitness activities, spends quality time with her dog, Mowgli, and participates in many sports carpools. In her ‘spare time,’ she volunteers at her daughter’s school library and sits on the junior member committee for a local community organization.
Vatthanak San
Vatthanak San is a UMass Dartmouth graduate with a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science and an Associate in Computer Programming. He was employed as a Computer Technician for the Fall River Public School System and with experience at Best Buy, Geek Squad, and Fall River Public Schools, he has developed expertise in customer service, technical repairs, consultations, inventory management, and device deployment. Vatthanak is passionate about a wide range of topics, including the latest trends in technology, gaming, automotive advancements, and tabletop role-playing games (TTRPGs). Mental health is a priority for Vatthanak, and always recommends and strives to balance his work life and personal life. Inspired by the support received throughout his life, Vatthanak has combined a passion for helping others with a career in technology.