Sherry Mergner, MSW, is a Clinical Associate Professor and the AHEC Liaison at UNC-CH, School of Social Work, where she has coordinated continuing professional development training for mental health, substance abuse and developmental disability professionals for the past 27 years.
In 1997, Sherry co-founded the Substance Use and Addiction Specialist Program at the School of Social Work. She has been teaching the summer course on Autism and Neurodiversity-Affirming Practice at the School for the past six year and has been a faculty mentor and practicum instructor for neurodivergent/disabled students and those interested in the disability field.
From 2013-2021 she served as clinical social work faculty mentor for the Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental Disorders (LEND) training program at the Carolina Institute for Developmental Disabilities, where she recruited social work graduate students for this specialized training in Developmental Disabilities. During that time, she also provided clinical services to individuals and families at the CIDD.
In 2019, Sherry founded Neurodiversity Empowerment Services, a private practice based in Cary, NC. As the Co-Director, she provides clinical supervision to the clinicians in the practice and sees several clients remotely from her home in Pennsylvania. Sherry also serves as a Practicum Instructor for Social Work students from UNC and Mental Health Counseling students from NC State University.
Sherry is a licensed clinical social worker in both North Carolina and Pennsylvania. She received her MSW from Florida State University in 1987 and has worked in a variety of clinical and educational settings for the past 40 years. Over the last 15 years, Sherry’s clinical work has focused on working with neurodivergent, autistic, and disabled children, teens and adults and their families/caregivers from a wide range of ethnic and racial backgrounds as well as those who identify as LGBTQ+. She takes a neurodiversity affirming approach in all aspects of her clinical work, including the supervision and mentorship she provides. In 2022, Sherry received the Excellence in Advancing Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Award from UNC, School of Social Work for her work in the area of Autism, Neurodiversity, and Intellectual/Developmental Disabilities.
