School of Social Work alum returns to Carolina as an assistant professor
by Matthew Smith
Sonyia Richardson has spent much of her life serving her hometown of Charlotte and Mecklenburg County, but another type of homecoming is in order as the UNC School of Social Work alum returned to Chapel Hill as an assistant professor this summer.
The Carolina graduate brings nearly 20 years of academic, clinical and industry experience to the School of Social Work, using her family history to fuel her passion for social work.
A self-described “advocate and disruptor,” Richardson earned her undergraduate degree in psychology from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte before graduating from the MSW program at Carolina in 2001. She received her doctorate in education from UNC Charlotte 19 years later.
“I was driven to academia because I wanted to help train the next generation of social workers and ensure they received their education from a diverse educator,” Richardson said. “I have held numerous roles in academia, including as a lecturer, clinical assistant professor, BSW undergraduate program director, and assistant professor.
“After practicing for nearly 20 years, I realized that there were gaps between research and practice. I was determined to fill those gaps and create interventions that were practical and replicable in the community.”
Black youth mental health
These research and practice gaps have led her to focus her research on identifying and removing barriers — practical, systemic, organizational and cultural — to mental health treatment for Black youth. She develops interventions that support positive outlooks and approaches in mental health treatment.
“I have expertise as a community-engaged, mixed methods researcher with a focus on developing culturally informed and affirming interventions, advancing racial and social equity, and reducing mental health disparities,” she said. “These hold special significance to me due to my experience working with Black populations in mental health and suicide prevention, while witnessing the disparities and consequences of inaccessible, culturally inclusive care.”
She’s furthering her work as the principal investigator of a National Institute of Mental Health R34 grant. The three-year project began in 2022 with the intention of developing an intervention implemented through hubs in Black faith-based organizations aimed to test a suicide detection and intervention model for Black youth.
“(My team and I) worked with community members, including youth, their caregivers and providers,” Richardson said. “They helped inform and guide cultural adaptations. We are conducting the open trial and plan to enroll for the randomized clinical trial in the fall.”
Richardson said she’s learned many lessons over the project’s lifespan, including the need for deep cultural versus surface-level adaptations for interventions designed for Black populations and the need to humanize Black youth populations to ensure they receive access to needed services.
“It feels great to be back, to pursue new opportunities, and to connect with the local community again. I’m back home where my social work career started.”
— Sonyia Richardson, Assistant Professor
“I’m hoping it changes the landscape of the intersection of Black youth and mental health by reinforcing the need for the community to help lead and inform intervention development,” she said,” while demonstrating effective strategies for engaging the community in research.”
Wealth of knowledge
Along with her academic and research credentials, Richardson brings a wealth of clinical and industry knowledge to the School.
She founded her counseling service more than 17 years ago in Mecklenburg County and has worked with businesses to promote wellness initiatives within their industries.
“Another Level Counseling and Consultation is one of the longest-standing Black women-owned behavioral health care practices in Mecklenburg County,” Richardson said. “The practice helps develop my administrative, project management, and direct services skills.
“These skills are transferable, and I use them to develop and manage my research lab and teach macro-level content. I also find community and solace with other practitioners in my practice.”
Richardson has been recognized as a leader in her field, from being appointed by North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper to the Andrea Harris Social, Economic, Environmental, and Health Equity Task Force; to receiving the National Association of Social Workers North Carolina chapter’s 2021 Social Worker of the Year award.
As the new academic year approaches, she’s excited to return to Carolina, start working with students, and carry on the tradition of exceptional School of Social Work leaders.
“It feels great to be back, to pursue new opportunities, and to connect with the local community again,” she said. “I’m back home where my social work career started. I’m also following in the footsteps of amazing Black female professors I had as a student at UNC, including Dr. Iris Carlton-LaNey and Dr. Vanessa Hodges.
“I look forward to connecting with students, growing my research lab, and collaborating with amazing colleagues.”
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