Expertise
Areas of focus where I bring critical analysis, practical frameworks, and leadership to the social work profession.
AI Ethics in Social Work
As artificial intelligence reshapes healthcare and mental health services, social workers face unprecedented ethical challenges. The profession must lead in defining how AI tools are developed, deployed, and evaluated in clinical settings.
I believe social workers must be at the table where AI systems are designed, not merely trained to use them. Our ethical framework, grounded in dignity and social justice, offers critical counterweight to efficiency-driven technology development. The question is not whether AI will enter our field, but whether we will shape it.
I work with organizations to develop AI ethics protocols, train clinicians on responsible AI integration, and advocate for practitioner involvement in technology governance.
Diagnostic Practice & Assessment
The DSM and standardized assessment tools dominate clinical practice, often obscuring the contextual, cultural, and relational factors that shape human distress. Social work's ecological perspective demands more expansive approaches to understanding clients.
Diagnosis is a political act, not a neutral description. Every label carries implications for identity, access to services, and the client-clinician relationship. I advocate for diagnostic humility and collaborative assessment practices that center client narratives over categorical certainty.
My teaching and writing examine how power operates through diagnostic language and how clinicians can adopt assessment practices aligned with social work values.
Mental Health Education in Schools
Schools are often the first point of contact for youth experiencing mental health challenges, yet educators receive minimal training in recognizing distress or responding effectively. Mental health literacy must become foundational to K-12 education.
Mental health education should not pathologize normal adolescent development or place the burden of wellness solely on individual students. Effective programs address systemic factors, promote help-seeking, and equip entire school communities with shared language and skills.
I design evidence-based curricula for students and professional development for educators, focusing on practical skills and destigmatization.
Clinical Supervision & Professional Development
Clinical supervision shapes how social workers think about their work, yet it is often approached as administrative compliance rather than a space for critical reflection. Quality supervision is essential to ethical, effective practice.
Supervision should foster clinical curiosity, ethical reasoning, and practitioner resilience. I prioritize developmental models that adapt to supervisee needs and emphasize parallel process, where the quality of the supervisory relationship mirrors the therapeutic relationship.
I provide individual supervision for post-graduate social workers pursuing licensure and consult with agencies on building supervision cultures that support clinician growth.
Evidence-Based Practice & Research Translation
The gap between research and practice persists in social work, with clinicians often disconnected from emerging evidence and researchers producing work with limited clinical utility. Bridging this divide requires intentional translation efforts.
Evidence-based practice is not about rigid adherence to protocols. It requires integrating best available research, clinical expertise, and client values. Practitioners need accessible summaries of research and permission to adapt interventions to real-world complexity.
I translate research findings into practice-focused formats and train clinicians in critical appraisal of evidence, helping them become informed consumers rather than passive recipients of mandates.
Collaborate
I consult with organizations, educational institutions, and professional associations on these topics. I also provide training, develop curricula, and deliver keynote presentations.
Discuss a Project