My current position as a Licensed Mental Health Professional (formerly Social Services Specialist) requires me to both perform and support a number of the duties for this clinical teaching role that I believe would make me a unique fit for this position. My passion for advocating for high quality public education, especially for communities that are historically underserved, is equally matched by my professional and personal experience in school social work.
community. I have remained connected to academia for the last ten years in many roles. Most recently, I worked with the Office of Admissions as a member of their team to help implement the inaugural reformation of
the admissions review process at UT-Austin for the incoming freshman class, a process developed to address campus diversity through increasing the equity between the sociocultural and academic lens through which applicant admits are reviewed. I have been an invited guest lecturer at UT-Austin and Texas State for the last three years and continue to provide regularly scheduled professional development in Austin ISD that covers a variety of topics including crisis management, suicide and self-injury risk, multi-tiered systems of support and school ethics. I also have continued my work as a restorative justice advocate
and facilitator, stemming from my work with Dr. Armor as a facilitator for the Institute for Restorative Justice, training district administrators all over Texas on the implementation of school-based restorative practice. From working critical incidents and crisis response, to identifying and facilitating professional development needs of faculty and administration, to analyzing academic, behavioral and sociocultural data and designing evidence-based intervention within our district, I have remained committed to action and
advocacy for the exceptional needs that have come with serving as a clinical professional in an
environment still learning the magnitude and impact of the work that we do. As a clinical faculty member, the practical social work skill set that I have built would easily support learning and growth as our students process their own experiences in field and build bridges across disciplines that intersect with social work. I have had the unique opportunity to connect with many community knowledge I have gained through my own diverse experiences. Additionally, I work to provide an evidence base for social work in the education system through my work as a researcher at the university level, both collecting and analyzing data around complex trauma, educational equity, systems of intervention for sociocultural trauma and the significance of social capital for culturally and linguistically diverse communities.