Creating social change through clinical services, consulting and community coalitions
Dr. Elizabeth Allen, PhD, LCSW, received her MSW and PhD from UConn School of Social Work. She is a licensed clinical social worker (LCSW) with extensive clinical experience in mental health, substance abuse, complex-trauma and forensic settings. She worked for 20+ years with justice-involved women as a Clinical Social Worker and currently works with returning citizens in New London County assisting them in successfully rebuilding their lives after addiction and/or involvement with the criminal justice system.
Dr. Allen is licensed in CT, DC and VA and holds credentials for Medicare, Medicaid, and the following commercial insurances: Anthem-BCBS, Cigna, Aetna, Optum including United Health Care. All clinical services are provided virtually through Telehealth Services. She has been trained and certified in trauma-informed practice approaches including Accelerated Resolution Therapy (ART), Trauma Recovery Empowerment Model (TREM) and START Now. She is currently a member of: National Organization of Social Work (NASW); National Organization of Forensic Social Work (NOFSW); International Association for Social Work with Groups, Inc. (IASWG); Counsel on Social Work Education (CSWE); and Society for Social Work Research (SSWR). She is an assistant professor at the University of District of Columbia (UDC). Her research interests and publications in peer-reviewed journals focus on substance abuse, justice-involved women, desistance, community reintegration and abolition.
She lives in Washington DC with her children and their dog, Bridget.
Dr. Allen is licensed in CT, DC and VA and holds credentials for Medicare, Medicaid, and the following commercial insurances: Anthem-BCBS, Cigna, Aetna, Optum including United Health Care. All clinical services are provided virtually through Telehealth Services. She has been trained and certified in trauma-informed practice approaches including Accelerated Resolution Therapy (ART), Trauma Recovery Empowerment Model (TREM) and START Now. She is currently a member of: National Organization of Social Work (NASW); National Organization of Forensic Social Work (NOFSW); International Association for Social Work with Groups, Inc. (IASWG); Counsel on Social Work Education (CSWE); and Society for Social Work Research (SSWR). She is an assistant professor at the University of District of Columbia (UDC). Her research interests and publications in peer-reviewed journals focus on substance abuse, justice-involved women, desistance, community reintegration and abolition.
She lives in Washington DC with her children and their dog, Bridget.
Clinical Services |
Consulting Services |
Training Seminars |
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Dr. Elizabeth Allen, PhD, LCSW has extensive experience with justice-involved populations, and treating clients with substance use and mental health disorders, co-occurring disorders and complex-trauma, including trauma resulting from incarceration and/or solitary confinement.
Dr. Allen offers holistic treatment approaches grounded in empirical research. Utilizing critical frameworks, such as feminist, critical race and empowerment theories, clients work from strength-based perspectives to recover and build successful lives. Services offered to justice-involved clients are grounded in desistance theory. Desistance is the continued absence of criminal justice involvement, as well as creating and strengthening a positive sense of self and identity. This agency follows the six goals identified by SMHA: 1. Reduce stigma and discrimination related to mental health and addiction, 2. Provide recovery oriented services driven by client and family needs, 3. Eliminate disparities in mental health services, 4. Screen, assess and refer for services for criminal justice system issues and diversion programs, 5. Deliver excellent mental health care guided by research and EBP, 6. Utilize technology to access mental health care and information. Clients will work collaboratively with clinical staff to create individualized treatment plans driven by clients and rooted in recovery and empowerment. Anti-oppressive services address issues of dignity, human rights, and access to resources and power. Individual and group approaches include motivational interviewing, narrative therapy, empowerment, solution-focused and CBT. Clients will have access to a wide range of services including vocational training, peer-support services and addiction support services. Clinical consultation and supervision for MSW interns and licensure candidates available. Proficient in Spanish and ASL "Of all the forms of inequality, injustice in health care is the most shocking and inhumane." ~MLK, Jr. |
Dr. Elizabeth Allen, PhD, LCSW is an expert in criminal justice reform, organizational assessments and policy analyses.
Consulting services will provide individualized assessments and recommendations for state agencies or non-profit organizations seeking to improve quality of services, client outcomes and employee satisfaction. Agencies working with involuntary or mandated clients may struggle with compassion fatigue and burnout manifesting in loss of work and productivity, and unhealthy work environments. We will strategize techniques for your organization to successfully address individual conflicts, improve productivity and organizational culture. Collaboration on research projects with academic institutions offer opportunities to add to the knowledge base regarding community services with marginalized populations. Grant writing services and consultation are also available. Women and Mass Incarceration: Unique needs and challenges. inSocialWork Podcast Series, University at Buffalo, School of Social Work, episode 232. January 2018. Listen here: https://www.insocialwork.org/mp3/insocialwork/allen_women_incarceration.mp3 Publications in peer-reviewed journals about substance abuse, justice-involved women, empowerment practice and community reintegration.
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Dr. Elizabeth Allen, PhD, LCSW offers more than 25 years of clinical experience which she brings to classrooms and trainings. She has presented nationally and internationally on a variety of topics, including:
Trainings are tailored to your organizational and employee needs and can be half-day, all-day or multi-day. Using dynamic group approaches and activities, attendees will be engaged to not only meet objectives but acquire critical new insights and skills to improve practice, productivity and policy. |
The goal of our agency is to provide exemplary clinical services to clients with a vast array of needs; to build community coalitions that create sustainable criminal justice transformation; and support organizations through training, research and consulting services.
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Individual
Treatment 
"I’m no longer accepting the things I cannot change………. I’m changing the things I cannot accept.”
~ Angela Davis |
Community
Collaboration 
“Walls turned sideways are bridges.” ~ Angela Davis |
Organizational & Social Change
“The cost of liberty is less than the price of repression.” ~ W.E.B. DuBois |