New Beginnings – Staff
Joanna Morillo, Program Director
Phone: 978-965-8895
Email: Joanna.Morillo@spectrumhealthsystems.org
Joanna has been the Director of New Beginnings Peer Recovery Center in Lawrence, MA since October 2018. She joined Spectrum Health Systems in 1999 and has dedicated many years to supporting individuals in the field of addiction and recovery. Joanna is currently pursuing her Recovery Coach Certification from the State of Massachusetts. Her educational background in human services has allowed her to pursue the love of what she does day to day. She is committed to helping people and her community improve and sustain a better way of life.
Socrates Dominguez, Assistant Program Director
Phone: 978-965-8876
Email: Socrates.Dominguez@spectrumhealthsystems.org
Socrates is the Assistant Program Director at New Beginnings Peer Recovery Center. He has lived in Lawrence since 1988 and is a father of three. Socrates graduated from Lawrence High School and obtained his associate’s degree at Northern Essex Community College. For the past eight years, he’s worked with the Lawrence/Methuen Community Coalition and the Lawrence Police Department to advocate for individuals in obtaining needed services within the Lawrence court system. Socrates is committed to helping individuals improve their day-to-day lives and assist them in realizing their goals and attaining a better quality of life.
Jose Cruz, Peer Coordinator
Phone: 978-965-8896
Email: Jose.Cruz@spectrumhealthsytems.org
Jose is a father of two in a twenty-five-year marriage. He is a person of faith and a positive speaker for the recovery community. He enjoys giving back by volunteering at Time for Change ministries and the House of Mercy drop-in center. Raised in the Bronx, NY, Jose began using drugs at the age of twelve. He found himself going through rehab in his 50’s as he was feeling that his life wasn’t going anywhere, and he was tired of being in and out of rehabilitation programs and living in homeless shelters. Jose eventually began his recovery journey and is now dedicated to his recovery. He started coming to New Beginnings, later volunteering and becoming a peer leader. Today, a little over eight years into his recovery and two years of employment at Spectrum Health Systems, Jose is passionate about helping others through similar struggles because he firmly believes, “Recovery is Possible!”
Demira Ramirez, Peer Coordinator
Phone: 978-965-8948
Email: Demira.Ramirez@spectrumhealthsystems.org
My name is Demira Ramirez (aka “Demi”) and I am the newest member of the New Beginnings Peer Recovery Center staff. I began working as a Peer Coordinator in March 2024. I take pride in being able to connect with others. I started at the center as a member, looking for help in my own recovery, and from there, I genuinely fell in love with the program and what it means. I felt empowered sitting at a table being able to share my experiences and hearing other people’s stories. I truly felt like my voice was heard and that what I had to say mattered. Now I dedicate my time to supporting others so that they too can grow, get the help they want, and most importantly, feel like they are supported in this process. My long-term goal is to work as a recovery coach, and hopefully open more sober homes, and/or recovery programs here in Lawrence, giving back to the community where I’ve grown so much.
Douglas Washington, Community Engagement Specialist
Phone: 978-965-8896
Email: Douglas.Washington@spectrumhealthsystems.org
My name is Douglas Washington (aka “Huggie Dougie”). I started working at the New Beginnings Peer Recovery Center as a Peer Coordinator in April 2015. I worked from 3pm till closing and some Saturdays until COVID hit. During that time, I led three to four groups a week on the virtual platform until the center re-opened in December 2020. When the center re-opened, it was only open till 4pm at the latest so I went to work for Life Connections in Lowell. A position at New Beginnings Peer Recovery Center opened last year and I was able to return here last October. I am a person in recovery who moved to this area and much of my recovery and meetings were here in the Lawrence area. My own recovery process has brought me from homelessness to being able to retire from a job that I have held for the last 25 years.