Mark Greenfield to be Reform Judaism’s first Young People’s Mental Health Welfare Officer

Reform Judaism has announced a groundbreaking new appointment setting a new precedent for young people’s mental health care in the Jewish community.

The role has been funded by the generosity of a single donor and responds to the needs of our communities and our desire to provide a safe and inclusive environment for participants on our programmes for young people.

Mark Greenfield has been appointed as Reform Judaism’s first Young People’s Mental Health Welfare Officer, starting on 24 April.

The Mental Health Welfare Officer’s role is to give training and advice to Reform communities. He will also create effective strategies for including young people with special needs – with a focus on mental health, child protection, training, policies and procedures – within RSY-Netzer youth movement events.

Mark Greenfield comes to Reform Judaism from JW3 where he has worked as Head of Community Programming. He was previously a family support worker in Hackney supporting young people though challenging family circumstances. He has a long history of close involvement with Reform Judaism supporting summer camp participants as a Welfare Officer, leading on Israel Tour and playing percussion and leading alternative services at three Reform synagogues in London. He is also a member of the well-known Sephardi music project Los Desterrados.

Rabbi Laura Janner-Klausner, Senior Rabbi to Reform Judaism said: “The establishment of this new role takes us to a new level of inclusion and our duty to care and safeguarding. Mark is an exceptional person who brings both mental health expertise and a youth movement background.

“We feel blessed to have received this donation and to have such a fabulous person to implement our mental health strategy in partnership with our existing team”.

Mark Greenfield said: “I am thrilled to be back at Reform Judaism focussing on mental health issues and raising awareness of this vital area of wellbeing. I will be working closely with all of our communities to help increase capacity through training and researching their particular needs as well as getting stuck in to Israel tour and summer camp preparation and training”.