Biography
Academic and Professional Qualifications
PhD, Social Work, Barry University
MSW, Barry University
Level 1 Certified Ropes Course Practitioner
Equine Assisted Therapy Practitioner
Trauma-Informed Clinical Practice
Dr. Lewis is a social worker and trauma-informed practitioner whose work bridges clinical insight with systemic change. Her career spans decades of research, policy, and practice—addressing complex social issues including HIV/AIDS advocacy, domestic violence, homelessness, addiction, and human trafficking.
She is the developer of the Crisis State Assessment Scale, a clinical tool used across four continents to assess acute emotional distress in community and clinical mental health settings. Her trauma response model—developed and implemented after 9/11 at Columbia University—has been recognized nationally as an institutional exemplar for coordinated and compassionate care.
Commitment to Trauma-Informed Education
At Barry University, she is the Founding Director at the Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning, where she supports faculty across disciplines in designing inclusive, tech-integrated learning environments. Her scholarship spans trauma-informed pedagogy, AI in education, and social work innovation, and she frequently presents at national and international conferences on these topics. She also developed the professional development model on trauma-informed teaching at Barry University during the COVID pandemic. Despite her many publications and prior tenure at a major research institution, Dr. Lewis often reminds students and colleagues that it is belonging—not prestige—that fosters transformation. In the classroom and through faculty development initiatives, Dr. Lewis promotes the ethical and equitable use of technology, especially generative AI, as a tool for expanding—not replacing—human connection in education.
Community Engagement
Dr. Lewis has spent her career in close collaboration with communities—whether building out trauma-informed policy, coaching field supervisors, or creating technology to improve access to care. Her work spans child welfare, housing instability, and educational equity, always centered on the belief that systems should respond to people, not the other way around.
She continues to co-design tools that support crisis intervention, parent advocacy, and professional development, often through tech-enhanced platforms accessible to underserved populations. Her scholarship and consulting advance models of care that are culturally grounded, ethically rigorous, and adaptable to real-world complexity.