Cristino N. Chavez Jr. (he/him/his) is a Licensed Master Social Worker (LMSW) and Certified Trauma Professional (CTP) and currently holds several roles including forensic social worker, adjunct professor at NYU Silver School of Social Work, nonprofit board member, and an immigration court mental health consultant. Cristino received his BA in Psychology at SUNY Old Westbury and MSW at Adelphi University. Cristino is a doctoral student at Yeshiva University Wurzweiler School of Social Work, on his journey toward earning his Ph.D. in Social Welfare. His research, teaching, and practice focuses on criminal & juvenile justice, immigration, and federal, state, and city social policy.

Shavonne Simmons is a Ph.D. student at Howard University and is using her numerous years of experience as a social worker to obtain her doctorate in this field. She received her MSW from Washington University in St. Louis and her BSW at Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, IL.

Aldazia Green is a PhD student at UC Berkeley’s School of Social Welfare. Her research examines racial fairness of algorithmic risk assessment tools utilized in the criminal justice system. Through her commitment to both research and practice, she has gained experience in policy advocacy, program implementation, and computational analysis. As an emerging quantitative and critical scholar, Aldazia strives to improve mental health treatment and criminal justice policy in the United States. Aldazia holds an MSW from UC Berkeley School of Social Welfare and a BA in Psychology from Rutgers University, New Brunswick.

Stephen Martin is a Master’s student at Columbia University School of Social Work, specializing in policy practice. He is a CRISP Fellow and serves as the Director of Program Development at Educational Solutions, where I focus on program design and evaluation for neurodivergent and personalized learning initiatives. Stephen earned his BSW from Alabama A&M University and is deeply committed to community improvement, particularly in public health and safe prescribing practices. Stephen strives to create equitable and effective solutions that bridge gaps in healthcare, education, and social services.

Sydney Wood (she/her) is a Master of Social Work candidate at the University of Michigan, specializing in Policy and Political Social Work. She holds dual B.A. degrees in Women’s Studies and Criminology & Law from the University of Florida. She is an AmeriCorps NCCC alum and a former Holistic Defense Fellow with the Genesee County Public Defender’s Office. Currently, she works with the ACLU of Michigan legislative department and is particularly passionate about advancing environmental and criminal justice reform. Outside of work, she enjoys exploring National Parks, reading, and tuning into NPR.

Caroline Lohr (she/her) is a graduate student pursuing her Master of Social Work at the University of Michigan, with an emphasis on Policy & Politics and Management and Leadership. She obtained a B.S. in Psychology and a minor in Africana Studies from Virginia Tech. She is passionate about prevention education and restorative practices, specifically in Sexual and Gender-based Misconduct (SGBM). In her free time she enjoys weightlifting, writing, and policy investigation.