MetroWest Care Connection
Our Caring Staff
Connecting you to the right support
Our friendly care navigators are here to listen and talk with you about services and supports that may be available to meet your individualized needs.
Shannon Ahern, LMFT
Project Director, MetroWest Care Connection
Shannon has worked in the human services field assisting families with accessing services and navigating systems for more than fifteen years. She earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Penn State University and a master’s degree in marriage & family therapy from the University of Rhode Island. Prior to joining the Behavioral Health Partners team, Shannon worked as an intake coordinator, supervisor, and clinician for Wayside Metrowest Community Services for twelve years. Shannon is dedicated to helping individuals and families successfully navigate the complex and often confusing behavioral health and social service systems of Massachusetts.
Emma Thompson-Fiege, LICSW
Clinical Supervisor, MetroWest Care Connection
Emma has worked in community mental health for over seven years in a variety of different settings, primarily in Department of Mental Health-funded programs. She holds a bachelor’s degree in social work from the University of Maryland, Baltimore County and a master’s degree in social work from Simmons University. Emma is passionate about making the process of accessing social services less overwhelming for individuals and families, and in supporting the next generation of social workers to deliver compassionate, thoughtful care to their communities.
Genilce Santana
Care Navigator
Genilce is a trilingual care navigator at Behavioral Health Partners of MetroWest, where she works to provide patient referrals to improve outcomes and ensure that patients receive quality care by identifying the needs of the patient and best matching those needs to the services available across our network of specialists. A graduate from the University of Massachusetts Boston, Genilce holds a bachelor’s degree in social psychology. Originally from Brazil, Genilce is a long-time resident of Massachusetts. In her spare time, she enjoys attending fine arts, running, as well as taking summertime trips to Cape Cod with her family.
Zineb Atrous
Care Navigator
Zineb is a multilingual care coordinator speaking six languages at the Behavioral Health Partners of MetroWest, where she provides service navigation to callers and helps connect callers to the best matching services, programs, and providers to meet their individualized needs. Zineb is currently pursuing a health sciences degree in nursing at Framingham State University. Zineb has a great deal of experience working as a navigator from her experience as a Certified Medical Assistant at Edward M. Kennedy Health Center. Zineb has been a Massachusetts resident since 1997 and has a passion for helping members of her community get the best support possible. When not taking calls, Zineb enjoys spending time with her family and friends, traveling, but most importantly being with her son and watching him grow.
Nicholas Jennings, MHA, MPH
Project Coordinator, MetroWest Care Connection
Nicholas has worked in direct patient care for 8 years as both a community health worker and EMT. Nicholas earned a bachelor’s degree in public health from the University of Massachusetts Lowell and master’s degrees in both healthcare administration and public health from Southern New Hampshire University. Prior to joining the Behavioral Health Partner’s team, Nicholas worked for a local hospital system as the coordinator of a community outreach program focused on supporting individuals with complex needs. Nicholas has a passion for addressing the social determinants of health and promoting social and racial justice in community health programming.
