Staff
Mark Mulhern, Executive Director
Mark joined South Shore Peer Recovery in June 2018 after serving as the Assistant Director at the Miller House, a program of Gosnold on Cape Cod. He assisted men in recovery through supportive living and case management at Miller, where he was responsible for supervision and scheduling of staff members, intake, discharge and provision of individual and group meetings with residents. Aftercare planning was essential to the success of graduates and he experienced the importance of community recovery there personally and professionally.
Mark is a graduate of Assumption College and served in the financial services industry before beginning his career in recovery services. A man in long term recovery he is a strong advocate for people in recovery and their families and believes that community support and the Recovery Community center is a vital link to success for people in early recovery.
Michael Corcoran, Director – Recovery Support Specialist (Scituate)
CARC, NCPRSS
Mike became a part of the South Shore Peer Recovery Team in May 2021. Prior to joining the team, Mike was the House Manager of Gosnold’s Miller house, a men’s residential treatment center on Cape Cod. Mike was responsible for overseeing day to day operations, ensuring the safety of the patients, and supporting their recovery journey.
Mike moved Massachusetts in 2015 from St. Augustine, Florida seeking treatment from substance use disorder. Upon completing treatment, he remained on Cape Cod to focus on his recovery where he lives today. Mike has been in recovery since September 2015 and has been working in the field since 2016, following his passion to help individuals with substance use disorder find recovery. Mike is a CARC and nationally certificated as a Peer Recovery Support Specialist through NAADAC.
Kristen Scully, Outreach & Engagement/PRSS (Scituate)
Kristen came to South Shore Peer Recovery in 2018 seeking support as she began her recovery journey. Kristen began attending multiple groups at the Recovery Center, where she started to meet other people and began to feel part of a community. Kristen has been a core volunteer since walking in the door, participating in many opportunities to represent South Shore Peer Recovery and the recovery community. Kristen facilitates the Refuge Recovery meeting here at the center where she shares her passion for meditation, mindfulness, and recovery. Kristen has completed all the CCAR Recovery Coach certification courses and is currently working towards her CARC. In addition to providing peer recovery support at SSPR, Kristen works as a Peer Support Specialist at the Perinatal Behavioral Health/SHORE at South Shore Hospital’s Bridge Program where she coaches moms on their recovery journey.
South Shore Hospital Based Peer Recovery Support Specialist, Chris D’Ambrosio (South Shore Hospital)
Chris D’Ambrosio joined the South Shore Peer Recovery team in January 2024. Chris is an SSPR Peer Recovery Support Specialist embedded at South Shore Health in the implementation of our collaborative Together We RIZE grant with SSH.
Chris brings peer support to individuals beginning their recovery journey at South Shore Hospital and will help breakdown barriers to care. As an individual in recovery, Chris understands the challenges is eager to help.
Kristen Cole-Esson, PRSC Program Director (Weymouth)
LPN, LADC, NCPRSS
Kristen Cole-Esson joined SSPR as Program Director of the Weymouth Peer Recover Support Center in January 2024. She has been involved at SSPR since the beginning initially as a volunteer and committee chair. Kristen co-facilitated our first recovery group, Faith Finders, that is still thriving today. Kristen is a Weymouth native and is excited to be back working in her hometown. Kristen was the Addictions Nurse Liaison for South Shore Health at South Shore Medical Center starting the OBAT program serving our most vulnerable populations. She has created publications on AUD for ONE Healthy Boston and authored a blog for South Shore Health. Kristen is licensed as an alcohol and drug counselor LADC and obtained a national certification as a Peer Recovery Support Specialist through NAADAC. Kristen has spent the last several years working as the Director of Community Health at East Coast Recovery in Cohasset and remains involved on the steering committee for Safe Harbor Coalition in Cohasset
Since 2020 she has been a Nurse volunteer with Constanza Medical Mission and travels to the Dominican Republic every November providing medical care for in underserved areas. Kristen’s greatest passion is destigmatizing the disease of AUD and SUD by being a strong voice for change and identifying as a person in long term recovery. She is a strong believer that self-care is vital to one’s own recovery and implements a mind, body, soul approach into her everyday life.
Christopher Connell, Outreach & Engagement Coordinator (Weymouth)
Christopher Connell joined the SSPR Weymouth team in April 2024. Chris plays an integral role in developing new community and peer relationships as we implement a “From the Ground Up” approach to our Weymouth Peer Recovery Support Center. After spending over a decade drinking and working in the construction industry, Chis knew he needed to change. He shares, “It wasn’t easy to quit drinking but the support from my peers and community motivated me to put the necessary work in and push through the hard days.” Since entering recovery, Chris has changed careers and enrolled in college with an end goal of becoming a physiatrist.
“Recovery has opened up doors that I never thought were possible and has given me a new outlook on life, but I couldn’t have done it alone. Thats why I am honored and proud to be a part of South Shore Peer Recovery. I believe in what they do and understand on a personal level how important and impactful they are for the community.”
Heather Grady, Peer Recovery Support Specialist (Weymouth)
Heather Grady joined the SSPR Weymouth team in April 2024. Heather is in long term recovery and has worked in a variety of recovery roles across the South Shore over the past 8 years. She “believes everyone is capable of living and thriving in recovery.” As a Peer Recovery Support Specialists, Heather will assist individuals seeking and sustaining their recovery utilizing her experience as a Recovery Coach and, most importantly, as an individual in recovery. Heather has completed all training requirements to be a MA Certified Addiction Recovery Coach and is currently receiving the supervision to be certified.