About Us
We are Heart and Soul, Inc.
Our Staff
(Click the Heart to Learn More)
Acceptance, inclusion, and dignity
for those striving toward self-defined mental wellness...
Founded in 2005, Heart and Soul Inc. is a peer-founded, operated, and governed organization hosting over 6000 program visits per year. Our Self Help Centers and anti-stigma programming offer a variety of mental health recovery-oriented and wellness support opportunities for adults within San Mateo County.
Peer support was declared an evidence-based practice by the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services in 2007. Supporting our participants in taking a whole-person-centered approach toward their mental wellness is our goal. Through one-on-one, peer-to-peer counseling, self-help groups, mindfulness classes, art for wellness, and our highly respected Seeing Through Stigma campaign, we are changing the conversation from Diagnosis to Dialogue and shifting the focus from Mental Illness to Mental Resilience! Our dedicated and passionate staff encourages individuals with mental health challenges to be engaged in their recovery efforts.
Meet Our Management Team
Ophelia Williams
Executive Director
Heart and Soul Inc.
Ophelia comes to us with 20 years of nonprofit experience. Most recently, she served as Executive Director of Peer Resources, a San Francisco-based organization that focuses on youth empowerment and justice. Previously, Ophelia served as Interim Executive Director of the Young Women’s Freedom Center and Director of Finance, Human Resources, and Operations of the W. Haywood Burns Institute. A local advocate and national organizer, Ophelia brings a wealth of experience and a deep commitment to peer-based work. Ophelia deeply understands the value of peer-based support, is committed to Heart & Soul’s mission, and is open to learning and growing with all of you and the organization overall.
Amaal Greenwood Goodwin
Wellness Program Director
Heart and Soul Inc.
I was diagnosed with mental health challenges in 2009. After learning how to support myself in my mental wellness recovery, I became a founding member of the California Clubhouse where I gained stability and employment. It was through the Clubhouse that I got my position as a peer mentor for the HOPE Helping Our Peers Emerge program, a Heart and Soul collaborative pilot program. As of July 1, 2019, I am now Program Director for Total Wellness. I enjoy my role overseeing our wellness centers Friends of Hope, True Hope, The Source, and Coastside. I work on partnering with the local organizations in the mental health community. Feel free to reach out to me if you have any questions or opportunities to collaborate.
Yoshie Hill
Executive Assistant
Heart and Soul Inc.
I joined Heart and Soul in July 2015. Learning about mental wellness and peer support has been a life-affirming journey of personal growth. For me, important aspects of the mental health recovery journey are hope and community.
Recovery has empowered me with new life skills, insights, and ways of thinking to manage my mental health challenges. I am no longer a powerless victim afflicted with an incurable disease, but a survivor with a wellness toolkit to build a happier future. I’ve been able to create a healthy, joyful, and productive life, and I can give back to the peer community who have given me so much support. When I learned that sharing the story of my lived experience can help others, recovery gave meaning to my struggles. When I realized that I am a member of a community that understands my experiences, I no longer felt isolated, stigmatized, and cut off from society. I belong somewhere!
​
It is especially gratifying to use my skills to advocate for the mental health community. Above all, I love feeling so connected to my peer colleagues; whenever I express myself, I know I will be understood.
My hobbies are: Creative calligraphy, watercolors, and Zentangle art; Love of music, especially Jazz and the Gypsy Swing music of Django Reinhardt; Reading and the study of history; Following current events and being politically active; Speed-solving the New York Times crossword puzzles; Networking with my many friends on Facebook; Museum-going in San Francisco; Celebrating my Asian heritage; and the joy of cooking. As a recent contestant on "Jeopardy!", I had the honor of appearing in Alex Trebek's last episodes.
Patrice Massicotte (he/him)
Peer Support Director
Heart & Soul, Inc.
I have joined H&S in June 2022 and my responsibilities include overseeing the H.O.P.E. Program. I'm an experienced certified peer specialist with a business background. I'm particularly passionate about leading teams, building partnerships, developing programs and raising awareness in the field of mental healthcare. I'm personally involved in advocating for more resources around suicide like peer support groups and attempt survivors. In my free time, I enjoy hiking, cycling, traveling, spending time with my wife and dog and expressing my creative side through music, writing or podcasting.