Our Team
Spurwink Services gathered an expert team of individuals to develop Spruce Point, a unique residential option for adult residents with autism, Asperger’s Syndrome and other developmental disabilities and their families. Our goal is to offer tailored services that are important to our residents and to provide a safe and comfortable environment. Below are brief biographies of the leadership team overseeing Spruce Point, offering you confidence in our ability to provide quality service and safe and nurturing homes for your family member.
Experience, evidence-based research and innovation are the key components to how we deliver care and provide educational and behavioral services that exceed industry standards. Spurwink Services is a professional resource for consultation, second opinion, diagnosis and ongoing treatment of individuals with complex needs nationwide.
We welcome you to review our Annual Report (pdf file), Outcome & Accomplishment Report and SpurTeam Members
Dan Bonner, LMSW
Vice President of Operations
Mr. Bonner began his career at Spurwink Services as a direct support professional over 20 years ago. Today, Mr. Bonner is among the key leadership taking Spurwink Services to new frontiers, capitalizing on the organization's strengths and creating opportunities within a volatile environment. As a licensed social worker, Mr. Bonner brings clinical expertise and operational excellence to the management of schools, day and residential programs for young children and older adults throughout the State of Maine, Canada and neighboring States. He has an unwavering commitment and determination to create access of state-of-the art educational and behavioral care services.
As Vice President, Mr. Bonner, has integrated administrative, clinical and educational services agency wide and drives many of the new program development activities. He is recognized internationally for establishing protocol and processes that efficiently deliver care that is client centered. Mr. Bonner continues to lead Spurwink’s evolution to providing residential programs for person’s with developmental disabilities that is rooted in years of providing direct care, case management and program direction. As a result, Spurwink has earned a reputation of building safe and supportive homes that are unique and sought after.
Linda S. Butler, Ph.D., LCSW
Director of Research & Special Projects
Dr. Butler’s work includes outcomes research on multiple residential and outpatient programs and clinical administrative oversight of several programs for Spurwink Services. She also developed and operates Spurwink’s Autism Diagnostic Clinic and Autism Consultation Services Team. Linda has worked with Spurwink since 1995 and was the Associate Director of Clinical Services for 9 years. Her previous work was at the University of Chicago in the Department of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry where she worked as an Instructor of Clinical Psychiatry and operated a diagnostic and treatment clinic for foster children and families. Linda received her Ph.D. in Early Childhood Special Education - Infant Mental Health from the University of Illinois at Chicago - where she was a Training Fellow of the U.S. Department of Education. She also was a fellow of the National Center for Clinical Infant Programs (0 - 3 yrs) in Washington, DC.
Linda's clinical and research interests are in the areas of early childhood, early intervention, residential treatment outcomes and autism spectrum disorders. Linda has numerous publications and presentations that reflect her work, including international presentations in Canada, Finland and Hong Kong.
Cynthia A. Dodge, PhD
Director of Clinical Services
Dr. Dodge, a child and family-counseling psychologist, is the clinical director of Spurwink Services, one of the largest educational and behavioral health agencies in New England that serves children, family and adults through a large continuum of care programming. Spurwink is among the largest employers in the State of Maine with over 850 employees, serving over 4,000 clients yearly, and manages about a 45 million dollar operating budget. In her leadership role at Spurwink, she assures the agency is exceeding national standards through rigorous evidence-based practice and research, staying at the pulse of federal and state regulatory matters concerning contracts, fiscal matters, and accreditation standards.
Dr. Dodge has practiced in both California and Maine for the past 25 years. Her work includes play therapy, using appropriate play therapy theories and techniques to better communicate and help children. Her certification through the American Counseling Association and the Association for Play Therapy (ACS and APT) has afforded Spurwink an opportunity to expand their play therapy services with Dr. Dodge as supervisor. Dr. Dodge also conducts workshops and trainings on a variety of topics including various play therapy techniques, attachment disorders, vicarious traumatization and ethics and self care.
Dr. Dodge publishes a bimonthly column entitled Building Healthy Minds in Parent & Family publication. This column also appears on a web-based site called Good Health New England. She is the published co-author of The Anger Addict and contributor to 101 More Favorite Play Therapy Techniques. Cynthia is the creator and consultant of a sought after strengths-based parent-child attachment assessment technique for families and agencies across the country. Her passion often leads to helping adoptive families avoid a disruptive attachment or adoption experience.
Dr. Dodge holds a doctoral degree in counseling psychology from Columbia Pacific University, a master’s degree in clinical social work from UCLA and completed her bachelor’s degree in psychology from the University of Southern California. We are fortunate to have a progressive thought leader and clinician overseeing and guiding Spurwink’s existing programs and the expansion of new ones.
Sonia Garcia, MBA, PhD
Director of Clinical Business Development
Dr. Garcia comes to Spurwink Services from University of Maryland Health Systems where she managed and assisted in developing various programs within multi-hospitals and freestanding settings. She earned her Masters of Business Administration at the Johns Hopkins University and her doctorate at Capella University. Her research interests include continuum of care planning and access to care throughout one’s lifetime.
Dr. Garcia's work at Spurwink Services includes the development of residential options for individuals with autism, Asperger’s Syndrome and developmental disabilities. Her commitment is to provide services tailored to each resident within a safe and comfortable home where they can thrive and families can trust.
Nancy G. Irving, CPA
Chief Financial Officer
Mrs. Irving joined Spurwink Services in 1998 as Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer. Previously, Mrs. Irving worked at Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Maine and Jackson Brook Institute as Project Manager and Chief Financial Officer respectively. She is among the key leadership involved in strategic planning, maintaining corporate compliance, and assumes the implementation of systems, policies and procedures around finance issues. Mrs. Irving has consistently demonstrated her commitment to improving opportunities for individuals with autism, Asperger’s Syndrome and developmental disabilities through national and community organizational memberships overseeing the financial and long term residential needs of this population.
For the past twenty-five years, Mrs. Irving has worked within the Maine healthcare industry, establishing partnerships to address the needs of consumers and she continues to build relationships within communities to increase awareness of the long-term needs of individuals with special needs and also to develop residential options for families wanting their family member to age in place. As Treasurer, Mrs. Irving, has integrated her financial skills and her passion to serve those in our community, across the State of Maine as well as nationally. Spurwink Services is fortunate to have a seasoned strategic financial planner who is able to successfully drive many of our new program development activities.
Sue Murphy, B.S.
Senior Adult Program Director
Ms. Murphy holds Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education and earned an Associate Degree in Therapeutic Recreation. Her work within the social and humanitarian sectors began with teaching young children in a school setting then later to working with seniors as a recreational therapist. Twenty two years ago, Ms Murphy joined Spurwink as an entry level, direct support professional at a day program. This was the beginning of a meaningful career choice and path. She has grown personally and professionally with the many opportunities afforded to her by Spurwink, along with a passion for working with individuals with Autism, Asperger’s Syndrome, and other developmental disabilities.
Ms Murphy’s career developed progressively from direct care support, weekend respite worker at various Spurwink homes to a range of supervisory positions. Ms. Murphy has grown up in the program, knowing and doing all aspects of the work. She has acquired the experience and expertise of managing staff, homes and providing direct care to moderate to very challenging individuals.
Spurwink is proud to have Ms Murphy on our team as administrator, supervisor, and case manager. We continue to benefit from her skills and enthusiasm to develop and expand new programs. Ms Murphy supports our mission through her role as a leader and mentor for those entering the social science field, and educator by teaching specialized behavior management classes, the Direct Support Curriculum, and teaching classes on autism, the history of mental retardation among many other classes.
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