Judith Lennett, Esq.
Judith Lennett, Northnode's founder and executive director, has more than 30 years of public service experience,
including: Direct advocacy and supportive services for
battered women and their children, for frail elders and adults in need of guardianship and
related services, and for people in substance abuse treatment;
Policy analysis and advocacy in domestic violence, elder services, and
substance abuse treatment;
Education and training (including training for trainers) on a range of issues including domestic violence, substance abuse and hepatitis C, guardianship systems and services, and best practices in nonprofit management; and
Facilitating inter-system responses to persistent community and human service needs.
Direct Advocacy and Supportive Services
Domestic
Violence Advocacy
Since 1980, Judith has been providing legal advice and
assistance to low-income battered women and their children seeking protection
from abuse, and in related family law matters.
Guardianship Services
As court-appointed guardian or guardian ad litem, Judith investigates the
need for court-sanctioned intervention on behalf of incapacitated adults and
serves as guardian for those in need of substitute decision-makers.
Legal Advocacy for Senior Citizens
Since 1983, Judith has provided legal assistance
to seniors in a range of matters, including health care access and protection
from abuse.
Substance Abuse Services
In the mid-1970's, Judith worked for the Women's Alcoholism Program of CASPAR, Inc. one of the first federally-funded programs of clinical services for women with alcoholism. She initiated and co-facilitated a counseling group for lesbian women struggling with alcoholism as well as a group for lesbians concerned with the drinking of their partners.
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Project Safe Family.
A collaboration between the public and private child welfare systems of Massachusetts and the Commonwealth's network of battered women's organizations, initiated by Judith in the course of her work with the Massachusetts Coalition of Battered Women Services Groups (MCBWSG). This project recommended public policies that are responsive to the both the adult and child victims of family violence. In 1996, this project produced The Children of Domestic Violence, whose recommendations were endorsed by the Governor's Commission on Domestic Violence.
Safely Toward Self-sufficiency.
An inter-system collaboration initiated by Judith and the MCBWSG that documented the extent to which women receiving AFDC struggle with domestic violence. The policy implications of this research are presented in Like Ships That Pass in the Night: AFDC Policy and Battered Women, in Safely Toward Self-Sufficiency: Battered Women's Path Through Welfare Reform, and in A Winning Alliance: Collaboration of Advocates and Researchers on
the Massachusetts Mothers Survey.
Project on Addressing Substance Abuse.
In 1998 Judith was part of a team that worked with the Department of Social Services to develop a long-range strategic plan for enabling the agency to respond to substance abuse in its client community.
Integrating Nicotine Dependence and Substance Abuse Treatment: Perspectives of Consumers and Providers.
In 2000, Judith studied attitudes of consumers and providers of residential substance abuse services regarding the integration of nicotine cessation services and traditional substance abuse treatment.
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Domestic
Violence
Since 1980, Judith has been organizing and delivering domestic violence training events for community social service providers, welfare workers, battered women's advocates, teens, and women in residential substance abuse treatment facilities.
Guardianship
In 1993, under Judith's leadership,
the Massachusetts Guardianship Task Force conceived, created, and produced an interactive training video,
Guardianship: the Hidden Issues, that has been the centerpiece of training seminars for probate and family court judges, court personnel, attorneys, and social service providers throughout Massachusetts and in other states.
In 2002, Judith offered guardianship training for social workers through the Simmons Graduate School of Social Work's continuing education program.
Substance Abuse
Hepatitis C Educational Series of Victory
Programs, Inc. In 2001, Judith completed an extensive re-writing of a training curriculum on hepatitis C for use with individuals who are at high risk for the virus and she conducted statewide trainings for trainers working in substance abuse provider agencies.
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Best Practices in Nonprofit Management
Capacity-Building work with Greater Lawrence YWCA, Massachusetts Office of Emergency Medical Services, Portis Family House (formerly Women, Inc.), and The Art of Compassion
Executive Directors' Roundtables for domestic violence providers covering such topics as: recruiting and retaining skilled staff; team building strategies; performance measures and staff supervision; resolving workplace conflicts; and introduction to service/program evaluation
Project Evaluation projects with Children's Charter, Elizabeth Stone House, Jane Doe, Inc. Massachusetts Executive Office of Health and Human Services; the Massachusetts Department of Social Services, Domestic Violence Unit, and the Massachusetts Department of Transitional Assistance
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- Massachusetts Governor's Commission on Domestic Violence: The Children of Domestic Violence and Safely Toward Self-Sufficiency: Battered Women's Path Through Welfare Reform
- Franklin Hampshire Green Book Initiative, Greenfield and Northampton, MA
- Judicial Oversight Demonstration Project of the Dorchester District Court
- Family Violence Prevention Fund
- National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges
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