Community & Culture
Critical Social Work in Action: A Praxis for Liberation, Healing & Justice
The Critical Social Work Collective (CSWC) at New York University is proud to host our Inaugural 2025 Conference, Critical Social Work in Action: A Praxis for Liberation, Healing, and Justice.
This full-day conference will feature presentations, workshops, and panel discussions from scholars, practitioners, educators, and community leaders whose work pushes social work beyond its traditional boundaries. Together, we will explore how critical, justice-oriented approaches can transform practice, education, and policy.
Critical Social Work Praxis serves as an umbrella for a diverse range of approaches rooted in the critical tradition of examining systemic barriers of equity and justice, combining like-minded approaches rooted in anti-oppressive and social justice social work paradigms. This conference will explore postmodern critical feminist theories, anti-racist initiatives, post-colonial perspectives, narrative techniques, and liberatory practices, among others. Through diverse perspectives of personal and professional experiences, we aim to inspire dialogue and new strategies for creating a more just and equitable society.
CE Credit: This conference offers 4 Continuing Education Units (CEUs) for qualifying professionals.
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Following the conference, we invite all attendees to join us for a post-conference mixer beginning at 4:30PM. Location: The Half Pint - 76 West 3rd Street. (Must be 21+ to enter)
This informal gathering will provide an opportunity to:
The mixer is a chance to move from dialogue to relationship-building, strengthening the community of critical social workers committed to liberation, healing, and justice.
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About the Critical Social Work Collective (CSWC)
The NYU Critical Social Work Collective (CSWC) is a student-led group dedicated to creating spaces where social work students critically engage with clinical practices, research, traditions, and interventions through an anti-oppressive, de-colonial, and justice-oriented lens. We aim to challenge dominant paradigms in clinical social work by interrogating power, positionality, and systemic inequities while amplifying alternative approaches centered on liberation, healing, and community care.
CSWC was founded to create intentional spaces for social work students to critically reflect on and discuss the social, political, and historical forces shaping clinical social work. We believe that critical traditions, social justice, and the lived experiences of marginalized communities must inform ethical and effective clinical practice. This collective seeks to build a network of social workers committed to transforming the field through advocacy, scholarship, and practice.
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We are committed to making this conference accessible to all. If the cost of attendance presents a barrier, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us at silver.csw.collective@nyu.edu
For questions about accessibility or to request accommodations, please contact us at silver.csw.collective@nyu.edu. Requests should be made at least one week in advance of the event.
Click here to view a description of the 2025 CSWC conference workshops.
PRESENTER BIOS
Dr. Kirk "Jae" James, LMSW, DSW
Dr. Kirk “Jae” James is an immigrant, formerly incarcerated black man committed to creating a world in which everyone can self-actualize. In 2013, Jae completed a dissertation from the University of Pennsylvania School of Social Practice titled: The Invisible Epidemic: Educating Social Work Students towards Holistic Practice in a Period of Mass Incarceration. Jae has utilized the content from his research and his lived experience to consult, coach, and develop educational content for The University of Pennsylvania, Temple University, City College, Fordham University, York College, and Columbia University, to name a few.
Jae is currently a Clinical Associate Professor and Director of the DSW program at NYU Silver School of Social Work. He also sits on the editorial board of the journal Abolitionist Perspectives in Social Work. Jae has authored numerous academic articles and book chapters; and speaks internationally on mass incarceration, anti-oppression, human rights, trauma, abolition praxis, and liberatory pedagogy. He has written and shared his lived experience and research with HuffPost, the Jamaican Gleaner, Truth Out, Forbes Magazine, and Bloomberg news. Jae also leads NYU Silver's Evolving Justice — an educational initiative to build community, co-create brave spaces, and facilitate various dialogue(s) toward the emancipatory exploration of justice in theory and action. He believes that social justice, human rights, and the abolition of oppressive systems and ideologies can only happen if we build and nurture individuals, communities, and systems truly committed to evolving with what bell hooks terms a “Love Ethic.” Jae was inducted into the inaugural Alumni Hall of Fame at the University of Pennsylvania School of Social Policy and Practice in 2018. In addition, he is a recipient of the 2020 New York University Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Faculty Award. Jae is also a son, brother, uncle, and father to Keiana, Keiam, and Brooklyn James.
Jae is also completing his first book, titled 94A6325: Coming of Age In The Era of Mass Incarceration, which is a reflection and amalgamation of his lived experience and research within carceral systems.
Dr. Willard W C Ashley, Sr. MDIV. DMIN. REV. SCP. CGP.
The Reverend Dr. Willard Walden Christopher Ashley, Sr. is the President and CEO of Dr. Willard Ashley Sr., LLC. Through his LLC, Dr. Ashley is in demand as a keynote speaker, preacher, consultant, educator, psychoanalyst, marriage and family therapist, and group therapist.
Dr. Ashley is the second African American in the long history of the New Brunswick Theological Seminary to be granted tenure. He made history as the first African American Dean of the Seminary. Dr. Ashley is an Advisory Board Member of Andover Newton Seminary at Yale Divinity School. Ashley teaches Doctor of Social Work students at New York University (NYU).
Since 1996, he has been the founder and senior pastor of the Abundant Joy Community Church in Jersey City, New Jersey. His pastoral journey began in 1982, and he has since served as senior pastor at four American Baptist churches.
Dr. Ashley has authored four articles in The Men of Color Study Bible, published four books, and contributed to numerous articles and chapters. His reach extends to the media, as he has hosted a Black Entertainment Television (BET) program and appeared on radio in New York City.
Rev. Ashley was a staff psychotherapist at The Riverside Church in New York City. He is a fellow in The American Association of Marriage Family Therapists. Ashley also holds memberships in Black Psychoanalysts Speak, the American Group Psychotherapy Association, and the National Association for the Advancement of Psychoanalysis.
Dr. Ashley has received numerous awards and is listed in Who’s Who in Medicine and Healthcare, Who’s Who in America, and Who’s Who in the World. He is the proud father of an adult son, Chris, and is married to Tanya Pagan Raggio-Ashley, MD, FAAP, MPH. Dr. Ashley and his wife, Tanya, are emotional support humans to Serafina, their 13-pound Shih Tzu.
Dr. Adam Brown, PhD.
Adam Brown is Professor of Psychology at The New School for Social Research. He has extensive experience developing programs to promote mental health awareness, providing trainings, technical guidance, and support in the creation, implementation, and evaluation of scalable, evidence-based strategies that can delivered in a wide range of contexts by non-specialists.
Head of the New School Center for Global Mental Health and the Global Mental Health graduate minor, Dr. Brown focuses his research on the adaptation of mental health and psychosocial interventions that can be delivered globally by non-mental health professionals, and works closely with cross-sector partners to carry out this work. Additionally, he has extensive experience in the study of traumatic stress and the identification of factors that contribute to mental health risks and resilience.
He has served as a consultant for organizations such as the United Nations, UNICEF, and Amnesty International. He is the recipient of grants from the National Institute of Health, USAID, Fulbright, and numerous private foundations. His work has appeared in numerous peer-reviewed journals and as book chapters.
Heather Day, LMSW
Heather Day is a Licensed Master Social Worker (LMSW) with experience in workforce development, education, community engagement, and youth development. Heather is the Director of Community and Workforce Initiatives with the NYC Mayor's Office of Community Mental Health (OCMH). In this role she spearheads the development of new initiatives and strategic planning processes to build and support the behavioral health workforce and expand the footprint of community-based care.
Heather previously served as the Program Manager for the Neighborhood Opportunity Network (NeON) with the NYC Department of Probation, managing a suite of community-based initiatives focused on job-readiness, vocational certification, and educational pathways, as well as pro-social wellness activities, arts and media creation, and more. Prior to joining NeON, Heather contributed to multiple non-profit organizations where she led teams of staff and peer leaders engaging community members impacted by gun violence, the criminal legal system, and economic and racial inequity. Heather has also worked in the New York City public school system and in residential shelters for survivors of domestic violence.
In her work and personal life, Heather is dedicated to creating opportunities for all people to thrive, challenging injustice and dismantling oppression, supporting the learning and growth of individuals at all levels of expertise, and enhancing sustainable changemaking and access to resources.
Saharra L. Dixon, MA, CHES®
Saharra embodies what it means to be a change-maker. She is a health behavior scientist, public health storyteller, and health equity researcher who thrives at the intersection of these roles. With a deep commitment in helping communities dream of healthful futures, Dixon explores their unique and powerful stories to facilitate meaningful change and health policy. As a Public Health PhD Candidate in the Department of Health Promotion and Policy at UMass Amherst, Saharra primarily pursues research in partnership with the Health, Environment and the Arts (HEART) Initiative. Dixon has presented her research and praxis for the American Public Health Association, National Organization for Arts in Health, the Society for Public Health Education, and the Association for Theatre in Higher Education. Additionally, Saharra is the part-time Program Director of Club Imani for BFRBs, OCD, & and Related Disorders, a charitable organization focused on mental health equity. Saharra’s advocacy work has been featured in both Elle Magazine and the New York Times.
Nicole Lee, LCSW
Nicole Lee is a nonprofit and mental health leader with experience spanning clinical operations, crisis response, and program development. She has contributed to national efforts with the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline and held leadership roles across New York City’s behavioral health and transitional residential systems, where she is recognized for building responsive, equity-focused programs that expand access to care. An alumna of NYU and a purpose-driven social worker, she is honored to participate in the inaugural edition of The Critical Social Work Conference.
Kelly Lennon-Martucci, LCSW, RYT
Kelly Lennon-Martucci, Director of School Based Mental Health Services at Henry Street Settlement since 2012, oversees mental health clinics in eight public schools. After graduating from the University of Vermont with a bachelor’s degree in Social Work, Kelly worked in the foster care field, providing home based crisis intervention and behavioral support to foster families. Upon earning a Master of Social Work degree from Columbia University, she became a psychiatric social worker at a New York City hospital, where she worked in the psychiatric emergency department and the child and adolescent outpatient clinic. Additionally, she developed the hospital’s first School Based Mental Health Clinic. In 2014 Kelly received the Emerging Leader Award from the National Association for Social Workers in NYC and in 2016 received the “40 under 40” New York Non-Profit Rising Star Award from New York Nonprofit Media. In 2021, Henry Street Settlement’s School Based Mental Health Clinics Program received top honors from the Office of Mental Health “What’s Great in New York State” in the organization/community group category. Kelly’s passion is program development and clinical work, guided by social justice and the lifelong journey of antiracist and anti bias work. Kelly is SIFI certified and has received post-master’s certificates in Clinical Supervision, Adolescent Psychotherapy and Trauma Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT). Kelly is a Registered Yoga Teacher, has a private practice in NYC, is an Adjunct Professor in Field Advisement and SIFI Instructor at Hunter Silberman School of Social Work.
Dr. Gabriella McBride, LCSW, SIFI, DSW
Gabriella McBride, LCSW, DSW ’23, is a social work educator and leader with nearly two decades of experience in school-based practice. She began her career at New York Foundling and went on to serve as the Founding Social Worker and Director of Social Services at Mott Haven Academy Charter School, where she built trauma-sensitive, family-centered programming. Since 2007, she has supervised MSW students and, since 2016, has taught at NYU Silver School of Social Work, where her teaching is grounded in critical pedagogy and practice-based learning. Currently, she directs the School Social Work Training Academy and Post-Master’s Certificate in Clinical School Social Work Practice at NYU Silver, advancing workforce development for school social workers in New York City. She also serves on the Board of Directors for the New York State Social Work Education Association and has been its President since April 2024.
Shonda Murphy, LMSW
Shonda Murphy is a dynamic and mission-driven human services executive with over two decades of experience leading youth and young adult development initiatives across New York City. As a Licensed Master Social Worker, she brings deep expertise in program strategy, workforce development, mental health policy, and cross-sector partnership building.
Currently serving as the Senior Policy Advisor in the Commissioner’s Office of Mental Health Support at the NYC Department of Youth and Community Development (DYCD), Shonda is shaping citywide mental health strategies that prioritize access, equity, and sustainability. She has led the development of DYCD’s first agency-wide mental health framework, championed staff training in suicide prevention, and fostered innovative collaborations with community partners and government agencies.
Shonda is a Doctoral candidate in Social Work with research focused on advancing cultural competence in social-emotional learning (SEL) instruction for youth of color. She holds a Master of Social Work from Hunter College and a Bachelor’s in Criminal Justice from Long Island University. She is certified in Change Management (ProSci), Lean Six Sigma (White Belt), and has completed several executive leadership programs, including the High Performing Managers Initiative and Facilitative Leadership Training.
A proud member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated, Shonda is committed to community service and youth empowerment, including the development of a successful youth program for middle school girls. Her career reflects an unwavering commitment to equity, opportunity, and the lifelong success of young people and families.
Nishanna Ramoutar, LCSW, MS.Ed. IMH-E
Nishanna Ramoutar, LCSW, MS.Ed. IMH-E, is a clinical social work leader with over 15 years of experience, specializing in infant and early childhood mental health and child welfare. As the Director of the Social Work Residency Program at The Jewish Board, Nishanna oversees program strategy, clinical curriculum, strategic partnerships working to build an equitable and sustainable behavioral health workforce by bridging the developmental gap between graduate educational and clinical practice. As an adjunct professor at the Silberman School of Social Work and Erikson Institute, she supports early-career social workers and infant mental health specialists by cultivating critical thinking, reflective practice and imagination. A passionate advocate for Infant and early childhood mental health, she contributes to the professional development of early childhood practitioners through initiatives like the Irving Harris Foundation’s Professional Development Network and her involvement in various IECMH and social work associations. Nishanna received her MSW from the Silberman School of Social Work and her MSEd from Bank Street College of Education. She also holds a postgraduate certificate in Infant Mental Health and Trauma from Adelphi University.
Xavier Salas, MSW, LMSW, MAADC II
Xavier Salas, MSW, LMSW, MAADC II, is a licensed social worker and substance use counselor based in Kansas City, Missouri. He earned his Master of Science in Social Work from Columbia University, where he published his work Mereces Todo Lo Bonito: Queer Latinx Mental Health Professionals & Gay Latino Identity Development in the Columbia Social Work Review.
Xavier has been recognized for his leadership and contributions to the Latinx community, receiving scholarships from the Latino Social Work Coalition and the Hispanic Development Fund, among others.
With over seven years of experience in the mental health field, he specializes in trauma-informed care,cultural humility, and advocacy for underserved populations. He currently serves as a school-based licensed therapist at Guadalupe Centers Charter Schools, providing culturally responsive mental health services to Latinx youth and families. His research and practice focus on advancing equity in mental health, with a particular emphasis on queer Latinx identity development and representation within the
Erica Sandoval, LCSW, SIFI
Erica Priscilla Sandoval, LCSW, SIFI is an award-winning mental health practitioner, speaker, executive coach, entrepreneur, podcaster, philanthropist, and author. Erica is the Executive Director of Siembra Today, a women-run, BIPOC-led nonprofit devoted to providing accessible mental health and wellness support through narrative storytelling, books, workshops, healing circles, conferences, and social media campaigns. Siembra Today’s goal is to destigmatize and promote mental health and wellness for the Latinx/e and BIPOC community, so that they can plant seeds of hope for themselves and future generations.
Erica is the founder and CEO of Sandoval Psychotherapy Consultation—known as Sandoval CoLab—which offers talk therapy, ketamine-assisted psychotherapy (KAP), and holistic offerings. She is also the creator of the book series Latinx/e in Social Work, three volumes of personal narratives available in both English and Spanish that amplify the voices of Latinx/e social workers nationwide.
Erica holds a Post Master’s in Clinical Adolescent Psychology and a Master’s in Social Work from New York University, Silver School of Social Work. She is a President Emeritus of NASW-NYC, where she was the first immigrant Latina Board President of that chapter. As a proud immigrant from Ecuador, her passion is fueled by supporting her community.
Ilana Yamin, LMSW, MPA
Ilana Yamin is an experienced social sector leader, Ilana has dedicated her 18+ year career to pioneering new initiatives and designing innovative programming to advance social justice and expand opportunities for diverse communities. In her roles at OCMH, and previously at the NYC Department of Social Services, she helped launch and manage numerous new programs to enhance the behavioral health workforce, expand access to benefits and services for low-income New Yorkers and create professional development opportunities for staff. Before coming to City government Ilana developed equity initiatives at The Annie E. Casey Foundation, and economic empowerment programs for survivors of gender-based violence at Sanctuary for Families. She holds an LMSW from Hunter College and an MPA from Baruch College.
PANELIST BIOS
Candice Aparicio, LCSW
Candice Aparicio, LCSW (she, her, ella), a Los Angeles native, holds a B.A. in Sociology and Criminal Justice Studies from San Francisco State University. She later moved to New York City in 2015 to pursue her Master’s of Social Work at Columbia University. Upon completion of her MSW degree, Candice had the desire to understand how trauma impacts the body and later completed a two-year integrated trauma studies program at the Institute for Contemporary Psychotherapy (ICP). Through ICP, she became EMDR trained and is currently in the process of getting her certification in Somatic Experiencing through the Somatic Experiencing Institute (SEI). Over the past 10+ years, she has worked in a variety of settings such as schools, courthouses, hospitals, outpatient clinics, and non-profit organizations. She is currently in her final year as a doctoral student at New York University Silver School of Social Work where she is focusing her research on community-based methods to disrupt cycles of intergenerational trauma within Latine communities. Candice recently founded her private practice this year, Cycles End With Me Therapy, where she prioritizes supporting self-identified cycle-breakers in their healing.
Monique Russell, LCSW
Monique M. Russell, Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW), is dedicated to empowering women through the essence of true self-care and honesty. She earned her Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from Clark Atlanta University and her Master of Social Work from Stony Brook University. Monique holds clinical licenses in New York, Minnesota, South Carolina, and Georgia. She integrates evidence-based therapies—including Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Dialectical Behavior Therapy, Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Person-Centered Therapy, and Solution-Focused Therapy—to provide trauma-informed, compassionate care that honors each client’s authentic experience.
As founder of The Garden Counseling and Consulting Firm, Monique creates safe, nurturing spaces where women can embrace healing, resilience, and self-empowerment. She specializes in supporting women through perinatal challenges, grief, and the complexities of married single motherhood, helping clients reconnect with their true selves by fostering honesty, vulnerability, and authentic self-care during life transitions.
Monique’s holistic approach encourages processing trauma, cultivating balance, and returning to life rejuvenated and strengthened. Her dedication to women’s mental health and wellness has been featured in Voyage ATL Magazine and on the Nailed It: Motherhood Podcast, where she shares insights on healing, empowerment, and the transformative power of honesty.
Javonia Smith, LMSW
Javonia Smith is the co-founder of ReForum Consulting, a community-rooted firm advancing wellness, equity, and engagement through culturally relevant tools, capacity building, and technical assistance. With experience spanning grassroots organizing, public-sector partnerships, and faith- and school-based initiatives, Javonia curates participatory processes that center lived experience and community voice. Her practice includes training, program design, event curation/hosting, and facilitation focused on wellness-centered engagement, narrative change, and holistic care. She is the creator of the EngageMat, an interactive storytelling and learning tool used by agencies, congregations, and community groups to spark dialogue and strengthen belonging. Javonia’s work bridges scholarship and practice—elevating local knowledge, advancing collective care, and resourcing communities to build power. She holds degrees in Social Work and Criminal Justice and serves as a frequent contributor to wellness events, capacity building, and cross-sector collaboration.
Daniel B. Tanh, LCSW
Daniel B. Tanh, LCSW, is a Chinese American take-out kid, son of Teochew Chinese Cambodian refugees who survived genocide, Brooklyn resident, and Philadelphia native. Whether clinician, consultant, or citizen, he incorporates social justice within expanded conceptualizations of mental health and focuses on how the intersection of societal ideologies, community institutions, interpersonal interactions, and internalized beliefs impacts individual and community wellness. He co-leads the New York Coalition for Asian American Mental Health and supports the implementation of New York's Youth ACT teams as Assistant Director of Learning Innovation at the NYU McSilver Institute for Poverty Policy and Research. He recently completed the NYU Social Sector Leadership Diversity Fellowship and received recognition as the recipient of the NYU Silver Social Work Values in Practice Award. As a Doctorate of Clinical Social Work student at NYU Silver, he hopes to expand the use of anti-oppressive methods and concepts to support the mental health and well-being of the Southeast Asian American refugee diaspora community.
Dr. Joseph (Joe) Williams, DSW, LCSW
Dr. Joe Williams is a formerly incarcerated Licensed Clinical Social Worker from Brooklyn, NY, with over 15 years of prison experience, who received his Doctorate of Social Work (DSW ‘25) from NYU, researching the need for more “Credible Clinicians.”
Dr. Joe honed his clinical skills in Psychiatric ERs; on Mobile Crisis Teams; in several NYC High-Schools; with dialysis patients; and while working at Brooklyn Defender Services.
Dr. Joe established a therapy practice, Joe Williams LCSW, PLLC, and is the CEO of Lyfe-Chess YNK (pronounced INK), LLC, a trauma-informed, professional-development and consulting firm, providing crisis-care to individuals, families, and communities in need of clinical interventions.
