ABOUT STAR HOUSE

Mission Statement

Star House is a 501(c)(3) organization formed in 2000 dedicated to healing children and their families through expressive arts providing everyone a chance for healthy happy lifetime relationships.

Star House is a beautifully renovated colonial farmhouse with over 3,000 square feet of living space centrally located in Beverly, Massachusetts. It operated as a group home for children ages 5-12 from 2003 until 2009.

Star House Accomplishments:

• 70% success rate of children who transitioned successfully back to their homes, adoptive or foster care placements.
• Friends of Star House, a group of devoted volunteers started Community Work Days where some 30 volunteers offered their services several times a year to paint, garden, re-decorate and provide makeovers.
• Friday Night Eats – a program started by Friends where local restaurants provided a free meal to Star House children.
• Development of a Star House mentoring and visiting resource program.
• 2004 Recipient of the Boston Bruins Wives Carnival.
• 2007 Recipient of the Ipswich Country Club Ladies Night Out.
• Featured in Guideposts “Angels on Earth” magazine.

Organization Values:

• Integrity
• Compassion
• Creativity
• Commitment to families, children and community
• Spiritual hope for healing

Star House History

Star House was born from the vision and concern of the Executive Director, Linda Carden. Linda, an experienced clinician as well as a Lesley University graduate, she had worked with children in both a locked psychiatric unit and a residential facility. She became increasing concerned about the lack of quality programs for children in crisis whose goal was to be reunified with family members. She hoped to provide an innovative community–based solution to this problem by starting a new home using the arts as a primary focus of the treatment. With the help of committed board members, Star House became a non-profit 501© (3) organization and purchased a beautiful, renovated colonial farmhouse in Beverly. On March 25, 2003 Star House opened its doors to children and operated as a group home for seven years. The group home had a 70% rate of children who were successfully transitioned back to loving homes in the community.

The inspiration for Star House and its name came from Linda’s Master’s thesis under the supervision of Shaun McNiff, Dean of Students and founder of the Expressive Therapy program at Lesley University. Her painting “Star House” (shown below) was painted in Shaun’s “Art Therapy and Dreams class in 1991.

Board of Directors

Without their commitment and the generous gift of their time and knowledge, we would not be able to accomplish our mission. We thank them for every moment of their commitment to our children and families. The board meets the last Thursday of every month from 1:00PM to 2:30PM. If you would like to help us change lives in our community please join us!! We are currently interviewing prospective board members.

Meet our current board members:

• Sue Benedict – President
• Carol Kessler – MD, Treasurer
• Marie Stover – RN

Advisory Board:

• John McDougall – McDougall Interactive
• Dr. Jack Weltner

Star House Team

Linda Carden, Founder, has over forty years experience with children as a dedicated advocate, Expressive Therapist, teacher and actress. From Wheelock College she earned her B.S. in Early Childhood Education with a minor in theater in 1973. While there she studied under Dr. Nicholas Groth, a clinical psychologist and pioneer in the field of child abuse. She learned to use drama as a therapeutic tool with abuse victims. She then spent several years as program director for pre-school and day care programs, followed by several years teaching performing arts in middle school. She earned her Master’s degree in Expressive Therapy from Lesley University in 1993. Since then she has had eighteen years of experience treating abused and neglected adults and children. Eleven years ago she founded Star House. Linda is the recipient of the 2002 American Red Cross Heroes Award and the 2008 Boston Celtics “Heroes Among Us” award.

Sally Plone, Director, a licensed mental health counselor, comes to Star House with a rich and multifaceted professional background. She graduated with a Masters in Expressive Therapy from Lesley University in 1983. At Lesley she studied Dance Therapy with Norma Canner the distinguished and inspired pioneer in Dance Movement Therapy as well as other practitioners of Expressive Gestalt Therapy. As a clinician Sally has over twenty-five years experience working in diverse settings with children, adolescents and families. As a manager, she has developed and managed all types of programs from residential treatment to children’s day programs to international spiritual retreats. She is also a filmmaker and has special interest in biographical documentaries. She has a passion for building and participating in healing communities. Sally very much looks forward to creating outstanding and vibrant programming at Star House.

Madalene Pario, Art Therapist, is a licensed mental health counselor, registered art therapist, and artist living on the North Shore. She received her Master’s in Art Therapy from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago in 2007, and has experience working intensively with children and families with a history of abuse and neglect. She also has a certificate in CBT trauma-focused therapy for children. Madelene enjoys working with people of all ages, and uses art therapy to help her clients gain perspective, awareness and comfort. From 2007-2011 she has traveled to Uganda multiple times to facilitate development projects through the arts. Madelene’s passion is using art to heal and strengthen communities, and she truly believes art can be a powerful tool for social change.

Marie Stover, R.N., earned her R.N. at Lawrence General in 1957. She has had over fifty years experience in both hospital and private duty settings. Although she has recently retired from Beverly Hospital (where she practiced for twenty years), she continued her career at Star House providing nursing and educational services to children and families at the group home. She is currently certified in Child and Adolescent Clinical Psychopharmacology.

 

Carol Kessler, M.D., graduated from Stanford Medical Center in 1964. There she also received her pediatric training while studying for a Masters in Public Health. She later earned a certificate for one year in child psychiatry at New England Medical Center. She has had over thirty years experience in pediatrics including serving Mexican-Americans in California and primary care in Marblehead and Beverly. She is on the emeritus staffs of Salem Hospital, North Shore Children’s Hospital and Beverly Hospital. She has been a valued member of Star House’s clinical committee.