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Executive Director of Accreditation

Shanéa Thomas, EdD, LICSW, CSE (he/she/Dr.), a proud Howard University School of Social Work alum, is a bold lecturer, seasoned scholar–practitioner, TEDx Speaker, and a Certified Sexuality Educator, with more than 20 years of professional clinical social work and educational experience in the Washington, D.C. metro area, and beyond.  As the Executive Director of Accreditation, Dr. Thomas oversees accreditation operations of more than 900 social work programs and post-Master’s social work fellowship programs across the United States and its territories.  

Shanéa brings experience in curriculum development, strategic planning, training, and organizational accountability to the team. With a Masters in Social Work, Education (from Widener University, specializing in curriculum development), and Organizational Change and Leadership (EdD) from University of Southern California, Shanéa has facilitated over 100 workshops centering DEI needs, mental health, sex and gender, and LGBTQIA+ populations. Dr. Thomas ended his 10-year position at the University of Southern California School of Social Work as a Senior Lecturer in 2022 to further the commitment to LGBTQ+ inclusivity through the University of Maryland School of Public Health as their LGBTQ+ Training Specialist and Assistant Clinical Research Professor.  Before joining CSWE in September 2024, Dr. Thomas assisted the Prevention Research Center in launching their national training program, the Sexual and Gender Diversity Learning Community (SGDLC) by using the team’s evidence-based research tools to build LGBTQ+ competency in practice amongst mental health professionals.

Shanéa is also continuously committed to community engagement.  Shanéa is a Board Member of the National AIDS Memorial, and has been featured as a mental health professional working with those with HIV on various media outlets.  Dr. Thomas is also healer, grief counselor and death doula who is a Certified Compassionate Bereavement Care Provider through the Center of Loss and Trauma and MISS Foundation, Online (Sedona, AZ), and a Guest Lecturer for the Wendt Center for Loss and Healing’s (Washington, DC) Grief Institute Certification Program.

Originally from Hampton, VA and a proud Taurus, Shanéa continually dreams about growing a library in her home, writing books on Motherhood and training techniques to add to said library, enjoying a decadent snack at any hour of the day, and staying active enough to keep up with his brilliant and spunky kiddo. 

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