New VP of Behavioral Health Services Named to Advocates

Advocates, a provider of services to individuals facing life challenges, announced on Monday that Brenda Miele Soares has been appointed vice president of Behavioral Health Services.

“After more than a decade of running the Mental Health Division, Brenda has agreed to accept this exciting new challenge,” said Beth Lacey, senior vice president of Community Services at Advocates in a statement. “I am looking forward to working with Brenda to strengthen our services, eliminate the barriers that exist between service lines, and help our agency continue to anticipate and adapt to the changing landscape of health care reform. Brenda is and always has been a hardworking, dedicated and values-driven leader, and I can think of no one more qualified to take this on.”

Soares has enjoyed a long career as a therapist and social worker and previously worked at Westridge Healthcare in Malborough. In 1990, she became clinical director at the former Alternative Home of Newton, which merged with Advocates in 1999.

Following a year overseeing an Alzheimer’s unit in Marlboro from 2001 to 2002, Soares rejoined Advocates. She began overseeing the Mental Health Division in 2003, serving approximately 400 residential clients. In 2008, she joined Advocates’ senior management team when she was named Director of Psychiatric Rehabilitation Services, where her duties included oversight of state and federal housing programs, a crisis stabilization program, and addiction recovery programs.

“I love working at Advocates,” Soares said in the announcement. “There is a strong work ethic here, and the work that we do always stays true to clinical work’s best practices.”

Outside of Advocates, Soares is known for her work as a trainer of Newfoundland dogs for water rescue.