Research Areas
- The use of spirituality and religion to overcome substance use-related disorders and mental health challenges among African American women
- School-based mental health services for school counselors and clinicians
- College and career readiness among urban youth
Scientific Achievements
- Supported African American women in recovery from substance use through spirituality and religion
- Provided school counselors with strategies to increase college and career readiness and support students at risk of dropping out
- Studied the use of Ghanaian indigenous cultural art practices to promote creativity in counseling
- Received the 2025 North Carolina School Counselor Educator of the Year Award (November 2025)
- Received the 2025 North Carolina Counseling Association Innovation and Creativity in Counseling Award
Funding
RCMI Funding
- U54MD012392, NIH/NIMHD: Pilot Project “A Phenomenological Investigation of School Based Mental Health Clinicians Providing School Based Mental Health Counseling in Urban Areas”
Scientific Advance
Implementing effective school-based mental health services: A guide for school counselors. Professional School Counseling, 28(1).
This study provides an overview of implementation science and case examples detailing how school counselors implement school-based mental health services. Research indicates that access to and utilization of mental health services vary greatly. As such, school counselors are well positioned to support the development, implementation, and sustainability of effective school-based mental health programming.
School Counselor Involvement in the Implementation of School-Based Mental Health Services: A Phenomenological Investigation (currently interviewing phase will conclude Match 2026).
The purpose of this research study is to explore school counselors’ involvement in implementing school-based mental health services and examine how they collaborate with school-based mental health counselors to support student success. To address the increasing mental health issues experienced by children and adolescents and their limited access to treatment, many school systems have adopted models of school-based mental health (SBMH; Lakind, 2023). According to Appling, Tuttle, and May (2020), the number of K–12 students who can benefit from mental health services continues to grow.
