Areas of Interest and Expertise
- Washington, DC Practicum Experience
- Policy
- Leadership
- Social Welfare History
Education
- B.S. Psychology, The University of Alabama (1992)
- MSW, The University of Alabama (1994)
- Certificate in Diversity and Inclusion, Cornell University (2020)
- DSW, Simmons University (2024)
Bio
I am originally from Muscle Shoals, Alabama, and I am deeply grateful for the opportunities that have brought me to where I am today. I attended The University of Alabama, where I obtained my Bachelor of Science in Psychology and my Master of Social Work degree with a concentration in mental health. I received my Doctor of Social Work degree from Simmons University in Boston, Massachusetts, focusing on the pillars of advanced practice, leadership, and teaching. I now live in the Washington, DC area with my husband, Jeffrey Falk (a retired social worker and Howard University MSW graduate), and our greyhound, Pepper. In addition to teaching as a part time adjunct instructor in the University of Alabama School of Social Work for BSW, MSW, and DSW students, I am the faculty liaison for the School’s Washington, DC program,
My thirty-year career in direct and macro practice has focused on finding solutions to improve access to care, prevention, and treatment for individuals with life-threatening conditions. I have enjoyed building and leading teams in community-based settings, local & state public health, and the pharmaceutical industry with an emphasis on diversity and inclusion in the workplace. I am a passionate advocate for social work education and leadership, as evidenced by my volunteer work and philanthropy with the University of Alabama School of Social Work, where I am a member of the Board of Friends and currently serve as chairperson of the School’s Rising Tide Campaign steering committee. I am a member of the Denny Society and in 2024 was honored as a Graduate Centennial Scholar by the University. My husband, Jeffrey, and I endowed a scholarship in the School of Social Work to help students interested in participating in the University’s Washington, DC, MSW internship program.
Awards
- Centennial Graduate Scholar – Issued by The University of Alabama Graduate School – October 2024
- Resolution – Classroom Naming – Issued by University of Alabama Board of Trustees · April 2017
Selected Publications
Treatment Preferences and Experiences Among Patients With Postpartum Depression
Christena Raines, Cynthia B. Saacks, Tina H. Chiang et al. Treatment Preferences and Experiences Among Patients With Postpartum Depression, 04 October 2023, PREPRINT (Version 1) available at Research Square [https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-3346403/v1]