Jo Lynn Smith has nearly 30 years of experience working with at-risk and troubled adolescent girls at Eckerd E-Nini-Hassee and is considered one of the foremost experts in gender-specific programming in the state of Florida.
Jo Lynn joined E-Nini-Hassee as a Youth Counselor in 1985, and later received her Master’s degree in Education with an emphasis in Emotional Disturbances from American University in Washington, DC. Her natural leadership skills, compassionate nature and remarkable ability to connect with and mentor troubled girls allowed her to quickly become the Director of E-Nini-Hassee in 1994.
As Director, Jo Lynn has guided E-Nini-Hassee to become one of the finest outdoor therapeutic schools for girls in the United States. Best practice treatment approaches she and her leadership team have strengthened at E-Nini-Hassee include competency-focused modules, reflective practices, peer accountability and support, personal mastery activities that help strengthen girls’ self-awareness, as well as evidence-based practices such as Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Motivational Interviewing and concepts from MK Mueller’s “8 to Great” approach to life change.
Jo Lynn is certified in Reality Therapy/Choice Theory by the William Glasser Institute, and is also specially trained in Trauma Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Motivational Interviewing, and 8 to Great by MK Mueller.