Board of Directors

(Board officer)

Founder and Executive Director Jonathan Diamond is a writer, consultant and practicing psychotherapist in Northampton MA specializing in trauma, addictions and the clinical needs of adolescents. Author of the critically acclaimed Narrative Means to Sober Ends: Treating Addiction and Its Aftermath and Fatherless Sons: Healing the Legacy of Loss he was a Contributing Editor to Janus Head (2004-2011): “An interdisciplinary journal of phenomenological psychology, continental philosophy, literature and the arts.” A popular trainer and presenter, Jonathan taught at Smith College School for Social Work (2003-2010) and was a guest lecturer at Harvard Medical School, UMASS Boston Graduate College of Education, Antioch University, Hampshire College and numerous other programs. Prior to his adventures in academia, he served for 5 years as a Wilderness Programmer and Outdoor Education Leader for the Association in Manhattan for Autistic Children. Working as the youngest labor organizer for the Communications Workers of America on one of the largest public worker drives in the country is where he honed any directorial skills he possesses and found the moxie to lead troupes of young people through wooded streams and up mountaintops to perform Shakespeare at sunset for hundreds of theatergoers. In 2011, Dr. Diamond was the recipient of the Mary Lyon Foundation Spirit of Adventure award for his innovative work in bringing the performing arts into the schools. Writes one former principal, “Collaboration is at the heart of the work Jonathan has led with students in Franklin County. In addition to the collaborations involved in making theatre, Jonathan has been the architect of joining schools, both public and private to each other and to professional artists and organizations. I have been involved in academic theatre for 28 years spanning five states and four regions of this country and I have never seen this level of working together shoulder to shoulder between institutions and people traditionally pitted in competition against each other.” When Jonathan is asked why he founded Hilltown Youth, he often says, “People that had happy childhoods don’t start programs like this one. We have an expression at the Recovery Theatre, ‘The less broken take care of the more broken.’ I learned that from my clients.”