Assistant Professor, Clinical
Wayne State University
I am an assistant professor at Wayne State University. My responsibilities in this positions have centered on enriching the educational experience of social work students by facilitating community engagement initiatives that help students gain a deeper understanding of black youth and families. I have been consistently invited to contribute my expertise to research projects addressing behavioral health disparities in Black communities. My research has contributed to understanding the interplay between mental health and behavioral outcomes among black families in urban settings. By exploring the influence of caregivers' mental health, familial incarceration, and substance use on the risk behaviors and victimization experiences of adolescents, my work has looked at pathways through which these familial factors affect adolescents and young adults. Recently, I have been engaged in community-based interventions that enhance adolescents' socio-emotional and physical well-being as they transition into adulthood in various settings (e.g., youth-serving organizations, schools, and therapeutic offices). My research is informed by my thirteen years of experience as a licensed social worker, where I have provided my expertise in helping individuals build better relationships and alleviate symptoms of traumatic stress, anxiety, and depression. I have served as Co-Principal Investigator on a grant funded by SAMHSA, in partnership with Black Family Development, Inc. In addition, I am the lead evaluator for a grant from the Family and Youth Services Bureau (FYSB), collaborating with The Yunion, Inc. Furthermore, I am a Co-Investigator on a grant to enhance social work students’ competencies in behavioral health settings.
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