Our Mission
Revitalizing communities through people and places.
Centerboard provides holistic support to adults and youth in Greater Lynn and on the North Shore facing unimaginable difficulties such as housing insecurity, trauma, exploitation, domestic violence, and substance use—offering not just housing but also a wide range of services designed to help each person heal, gain stability, and pursue a safe and stable life.
Every person deserves the chance to thrive, no matter their starting point.
What we do.
As one of the state’s largest providers of housing and services, Centerboard never shies away from the complex issues so many face; instead, we address them head on with compassion and innovation, helping individuals and families rebuild their lives and become contributing members of our community.
We do this work in deep collaboration with local schools, healthcare providers, state agencies, local businesses, and other nonprofit organizations.
Centerboard’s three domains of service—Group Residences for Youth, Community Outreach and Education Programs, and Family Housing on the North Shore—all provide extensive support to families and youth on the Northshore.
As a result of these efforts, we serve more than 3,000 people each year through 15+ programs.
Person-Centered Philosophy
Centerboard embraces a person-centered philosophy that is focused on the individual needs and preferences of each person served.
At Centerboard, our staff and advocates engage in ongoing assessments with participants aimed at creating an individualized path from adversity to hope. With our person-centered services, individuals and families are provided with the tools to help them achieve independence and success through support, education, training, and a focus on healthy living and community connections.
Centerboard implements this philosophy throughout our organization via training, education, printed materials, and, most importantly, our deep commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion work.
Social Determinants of Health
Social Determinants of Health (SDoH) are the community-wide social, economic, and physical conditions we experience where we are born, work, live, play, and age. These conditions are shaped by a wider set of forces, including power, policies, institutions, resources, and systems beyond an individual's control. These conditions determine an uneven distribution of opportunities for good health, leading to differences in health behaviors and outcomes between communities that are avoidable and unjust. Historical, institutional, and interpersonal racism have contributed substantially to these inequities, such as through policies like redlining, which can lead to poorer health outcomes.
These factors are amenable to change through policies and programs designed to repair harms and facilitate improved health outcomes and Centerboard is dedicated to implementing an understanding of these conditions into the work we do.
