Hi. I'm Cassie. I have spent almost 20 years in the field of mental health and social work. I have learned a lot, and I hope to use the knowledge and experience I have gained to work with your organization or agency in the way you deliver mental health care.
I am a first-generation college graduate with nearly 20 years of experience guiding large, interdisciplinary teams in the creation, development, and management of counseling and psychotherapy services across the mental health (including trauma, work with children, teens, and families, and severe mental illness), healthcare, and education sectors.
I have extensive experience working, supervising, and training individuals in hospitals, private practice, and nonprofits. I earned my Bachelor of Arts in English and Psychology from Pace University, my Master of Social Work from SUNY Albany, Master’s Degree in Nonprofit Management from Northeastern University, and my Doctor of Social Work from the University of Southern California.
Since 2019, I have been teaching at VCU School of Social Work, which is another opportunity to expand and deliver information on the importance of mental health care. In July 2024, I assumed the role of Director of Mental Health Initiatives at VCU. The mental health initiative focuses on growing the VCU School of Social Work’s mental health and behavioral health coursework and other educational opportunities, with a particular focus on severe mental illnesses (SMI).
Outside of VCU, I continue to work with a small caseload of clients, as well as collaborate with agencies and organizations to provide training in trauma-informed care, the treatment of serious mental illness, polyvagal theory, and the implementation of crisis-informed care.
You can find my linked in here.
Klara is an assistant professor in teaching at Virginia Commonwealth University’s School of Social Work, where she teaches clinical courses in the M.S.W. Program. She is passionate about building clinical course content and contributed to developing courses for VCU’s SSW Mental Health Certificate. She is a former community-embedded faculty and current course sequence lead for SLWK 704/705.
Klara is a licensed clinical social worker (LCSW) in Virginia and Massachusetts, treating individuals with OCD and anxiety disorders. Klara has 15 years of experience working in community mental health, including crisis mental health, serious mental illness, trauma, substance abuse, incarcerated individuals and veterans. Klara also currently serves on the NASW-Virginia Board of Directors and provides clinical supervision toward licensure.
