Susan E. Stevenson, M.Ed.
Susan E. Stevenson, M.Ed., is the executive director of FRIENDS WAY, an affiliate of Gateway Healthcare and Brown University Health, where she is responsible for providing leadership for programs and administrative operations.
Stevenson has served on numerous boards of community organizations and is active on state committees for policies affecting systems of care and children’s well-being. She has taught courses and conducted workshops on early childhood, special needs populations, behavior analysis and positive behavior supports, and specialized treatment strategies. Stevenson has presented widely, written and directed numerous grants, and several professional publications.
Stevenson received her undergraduate degree from the University of Iowa and her graduate degree from Kent State University.
Email Susan: SStevenson2@brownhealth.org
Amy Larson Lazier, LMHC, RDT
Amy Larson Lazier, LMHC, RDT, is the program director at FRIENDS WAY, a Brown University Health partner. Lazier oversees the day-to-day operations of the organization, including intake and referrals, community outreach, and the supervision and support of volunteer facilitators. In this role, Lazier is deeply involved in ensuring that children and families grieving receive compassionate, accessible, and high-quality support. Lazier began her journey with FRIENDS WAY in 2020 as a graduate intern and continued on to serve as a volunteer group facilitator, gaining firsthand experience working directly with grieving children, teens, caregivers, and families. This progression has shaped her leadership approach, grounding organizational oversight in direct clinical and relational experience.
Prior to stepping into the program director role, Lazier maintained a private practice where she worked with individuals navigating substance use disorders, grief and bereavement, and a range of maternal mental health concerns. Across settings, Lazier brings a trauma-informed, relational, and strengths-based lens to her work, with a particular focus on honoring the unique ways people experience and express loss.
Lazier earned her master’s degree in mental health counseling from Lesley University, with a specialization in drama therapy. She integrates creative and expressive modalities into both her clinical and leadership work, believing in the power of play, storytelling, and connection to foster healing, resilience, and meaning-making in the face of loss.
Email Amy: alazier@brownhealth.org
Sophia Baptiste, MEd
Sophia Baptiste, MEd is the program supervisor for FRIENDS WAY. As the program supervisor, Baptiste oversees facilitators and creates art activities relevant to the grieving process as well as emotional regulation.
Prior to joining FRIENDS WAY, Baptiste worked at Pine Street Inn as a residential counselor; counseling a group of women dealing with the trauma of homelessness, substance abuse, and mental health issues. During her time as a master’s student, she counseled her internship and practicum caseloads through academic troubles, mental health struggles, emotional dysregulation, and grief. After receiving a Bachelors in English and a Master of Education in School Counseling from UMASS Boston, she hopes to continue expanding her knowledge through a nonprofit lens and offer support to FRIENDS WAY and the RI community as a new resident.
Email Sophia: Sophia@friendsway.org
