Meet Ini Udofia, LCSW

Ini Udofia, West End House’s first full-time social worker has only been at the Club a year but you will find his influence in everything we do. Ini was hired in 2022 to integrate trauma-informed practices into all of our programming, and he got right to work. One of the most successful programs he leads is Fresh, Fit and Healthy, where he and Isaiah Moore, the Sports and Fitness Coordinator, work with teenage boys in the weight room. They lead workouts, stretches and give boys an opportunity to express themselves in a safe, comfortable environment. Ini was drawn to work at the West End House because he wanted to work in a community setting and not a clinical one. While he does have a small caseload of youth that he sees individually, the majority of his work is interacting with youth in the gym, the weight room and around the club. He is a strong proponent of the connection between mind and body and encourages physical activity to relieve stress and build resilience. Ini grew up in Southbridge, MA and after college, he was a City Year Corps member – that experience convinced him to work in youth mental health. He received his Masters of Social Work at Boston University and worked with youth in group homes and a shelter before coming to West End House. “I love the teamwork among staff here to make sure that every youth reaches their potential.”