Editor’s Note: McKnight’s Senior Living, McKnight’s Long-Term Care News and McKnight’s Home Care are profiling the McKnight’s 2024 Women of Distinction honorees daily from July 1 to Aug. 13. For additional McKnight’s Women of Distinction content, visit this page.
Diamond Boone may use her brain to make decisions as the corporate director of therapeutic recreation at Athena Health Care Systems, but her heart always is at the center of her choices.
Overseeing 17 long-term care facilities across Massachusetts and Rhode Island, Boone has created effective mental health and substance use disorder programs across all the Athena Health Care Systems’ facilities in those states. Those initiatives include peer support programs, vocational programs and group support programs.
Throughout her career, Boone has made it a point to work in industries and organizations that advocate for minorities, mental health, substance abuse recovery and LGBTQ+ people. She relishes the opportunity not only to provide people with quality care but also to share their stories to fight misconceptions. It is this purposeful passion and drive that have endeared her to colleagues and residents alike.
“Diamond is a leader who encourages other staff members to want to show up and do their best each and every day. She leads by example and encourages all staff to serve our residents from the heart,” her nominators said. “She has made staff feel educated, valued and knowable in regard to working within this population, and she has made residents feel welcomed — not judged — and respected. Diamond has contributed so much to long-term care and really has the compassion and dedication to work within the industry and to grow within the field.”
- Outside of work, Boone serves food to the unhoused in her community and offers them care packages. She also volunteers to educate community members about how effective programming can help people.
- She has met with state representatives to help advocate and educate them about person-centered care for long-term care residents with mental health or substance use disorders.
- Before joining Athena, she worked at Braintree Manor in Braintree, MA, as the program director overseeing the mental health counselors and providing programming to residents with traumatic brain injuries.
The McKnight’s Women of Distinction program is jointly administered by McKnight’s Senior Living, McKnight’s Long-Term Care News and McKnight’s Home Care. Healthcare Services Group was the Platinum sponsor of this year’s McKnight’s Women of Distinction Awards and Forum. PointClickCare was the Gold sponsor, and PharMerica was the Silver sponsor. Other sponsors included Curana Health, DirecTV for Business, Easyshifts, Hireology, Reliant Rehabilitation, ShiftKey and Sentrics.
Visit this web page to see lists of honorees from 2024 and previous years.
