Sonyia Richardson, PhD, LCSW is an Assistant Professor in the School of Social Work and Department of Psychiatry at UNC. Dr. Richardson is a dedicated health equity scholar whose research focuses on identifying and removing barriers (practical, systemic, organizational, and cultural) to mental health treatment for Black youth and developing interventions to support their persistence in mental health treatment.

 

As a community-engaged researcher and clinician with over 20+ years of experience, she has extensive expertise in generating knowledge to enhance wellness among diverse populations and creating interventions that tend to their specific cultural needs. Dr. Richardson has been awarded funding as a principal investigator of a NIMH R34 feasibility study testing a culturally adapted care coordination suicide detection and intervention model for Black youth. Dr. Richardson graduated with a B.A. in psychology from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, an M.S.W. from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and a Ph.D. in education from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. 

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In addition to her work within academia, Dr. Richardson is engaged with local, state, and national initiatives. As a respected scholar in the field of social work, she was appointed for two terms to the Andrea Harris Social, Economic, Environmental, and Health Equity Task Force by North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper in 2020. Additionally, she received the North Carolina National Association of Social Workers Award for the 2021 Social Worker of the Year for her leadership and advocacy efforts. Locally, Dr. Richardson has clinically practiced as a Licensed Clinical Social Worker for over 18 years. She is the founder and CEO of Another Level Counseling and Consultation, a counseling agency in Charlotte, North Carolina. For over 16 years, the agency has been instrumental in providing counseling services, facilitating corporate and community wellness workshops, and providing consultation services internationally to corporations. These entrepreneurial and executive skills support her ability to create successful collaborative research teams. She has facilitated wellness training symposiums internationally and nationally for schools and communities, universities, and Fortune 500 companies. 

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