Smalley Promoted to Interim Clinical Director

Shortridge Academy, a private therapeutic boarding school located near the Lakes Region of southeastern New Hampshire has promoted Christina Smalley, LMHC to the position of Clinical and Counseling Director on an interim basis as the search for a Clinical and Program Director continues. This move comes alongside the repositioning of Kay Patch to Medical Director and the departure of Julie Barker to the private practice world.

The Clinical and Counseling Director works closely with the Residential Program Director, Medical Director, Director of Studies and Director of Academic Support and serve on the Shortridge Academy management team. The position will directly supervise the team of master's level Counselors in the delivery of their duties providing individual, group and family counseling to support the authoritative therapeutic milieu and academic areas of Shortridge Academy. Functioning as the Clinical Director, Christina will be part of the Clinical Management Team consisting of Kay Patch, Medical Director, Brian Laing, Residential Director and Christina to ensure integrated counseling services and clinical oversight of all program components.

Christina is not a "newbie" to Shortridge. She began as an admissions counselor in 2006 and began supporting the clinical program, overseeing the adoption programming and providing individual counseling. Christina has an MA in Counseling from Lesley University and prior to coming to Shortridge served as a Program Director for a facility serving adjudicated and displaced teenagers. She loves being outside, making music, and having healthy relaxation time, all of which she incorporates into her therapeutic time with students. When not at work, Christina loves being with her two daughters, Lilah and Ella.

Shortridge Academy is a year round, college preparatory, therapeutic boarding school for young men and women ages 14-17 years old at enrollment, grades 9-12. Shortridge Academy is one of only a few therapeutic boarding schools in the Northeast accredited by the rigorous New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC) and the only school of its kind that explicitly utilizes the evidenced-based Positive Youth Development (PYD) philosophy to guide the individualized therapeutic programming for students. Since 2002, Shortridge Academy has been helping students and families who are struggling with academic performance, loss of interest in activities and increased conflict in family or peer relationships.