Welcome Center Services Division

Sean Read came to Friendship Place in 2011 as a Case Manager with the Neighbors First Permanent Supportive Housing program and has been promoted three times since then: first to Project Coordinator with the Veterans First program, responsible for supervision of Case Management and Specialty Services; then to Assistant Director of that program, where he oversaw the expansion of services into Northern Virginia and the coordination of services across five Continuums of Care, and provided support to communities participating in the Mayors Challenge to End Veteran Homelessness; and, in 2015, to his current position as Director of the Welcome Center Division.

Sean began his career in social services in high school and college as a volunteer providing mentoring to youth and young adults, and received a BA in Psychology from Houghton College (NY). He has extensive experience working with children and adults with Autism Spectrum Disorders. During his career he has gained expertise in trauma-informed services, housing first, participant-centered services, community outreach and engagement, and program development/assessment. In 2015, he received a Masters in Human Development from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, for which he wrote his thesis on training service providers on the unique needs of women veterans experiencing homelessness.

The Welcome Center division encompasses street outreach (adults and youth), drop-in, clinic, shelters, Direct Housing (privately funded rapid rehousing), all permanent supportive housing programs except Neighbors First and La Casa, and Amazon-funded Family Connect.