Incorporating Diversity and Inclusion into Trauma-Informed Social Work

Laura Quiros, PhD, LMSW, is an associate professor at Montclair State University and a trauma-informed diversity, equity and inclusion consultant. She teaches social work at the doctoral and master’s levels.

"This is more than an academic read; it is a real how-to book that will benefit those in and out of the academic sphere. The writing touched me in so many ways as it brought to bear issues I have faced as a student, a black male, and a CEO. What I most appreciated was the way that the author exposed her true self as a means of helping the reader understand her viewpoint. This book is truly a must read for those who call themselves or seek to become leaders." — Damyn Kelly, PhD, JD, President and CEO, Lutheran Social Services of New York, USA "As former dean of a social work school, I spent a lot of time working with students, faculty, and staff on three central ideas that are also a core part of this important book: How do we get students and faculty to understand the importance of thinking comprehensively about race and racism? Are there ways to short-circuit hard and fast distinctions between theory and practice, and between macro and clinical scales of analysis/intervention, so that people recognize and mobilize the inextricable links between them? And are there ways to reframe discussions of diversity and inclusion that truly address the foundational traumas caused by America's most fundamental commitments to racial hierarchies and exclusions? Incorporating Diversity and Inclusion into Trauma Informed Social Work does a masterful job of tackling all three of these questions—and more—by showing their interrelated nature and pushing us beyond our commonsensical assumptions about how we talk, work, counsel, create policy, and lead institutions in the context of the many forms of difference that define our social world. This is a very powerful book, and I can't wait to use it in my own work as a scholar and an administrator." — John L. Jackson, Jr., PhD, Richard Perry University Professor, University of Pennsylvania, USA "This is a timely and highly relevant book for anyone interested in the fields of trauma or leadership. Dr. Laura Quiros uses her personal narrative, research, and professional experiences to fill a void in the trauma field by addressing structural racism in the trauma narrative. Dr. Quiros uses her own story to explore trauma informed practice through a lens of diversity and equity. Embedded in the work is a discussion of the COVID-19 pandemic as an example of the need for transformational leadership to address racial trauma. Her story as a trauma survivor, combined with her experiences of racism and anti-Semitism and her professional work as a clinician and academic, make this an important read for understanding the connections of trauma, inclusion, and social justice." — Lisa M. Najavits, PhD, Director, Treatment Innovations, Adjunct Professor, University of Massachusetts Medical School, USA

• Preface Acknowledgments Introduction: Locating Myself in Purpose 1. Lived Experience as a Teaching Tool for Disruption of my Lens 2. Trauma-Informed Practice as the Foundation for Positive Disruption 3. Leadership in Social Work 4. Transformational Leadership 5. Challenges to Transformational Leadership 6. Envision a New Trainings, Workshops and Dialogues Case Studies Conclusion: The Work Begins at Home References Index