SUSAN HESS, MSW, LCSW-IL (she/her), is a Clinical Associate Professor at USC Suzanne Dworak-Peck School of Social Work. Hess is an advocate, consultant and relational organizer in the areas of trauma informed care, healing centered engagement and the intersections of intimate partner violence. Hess collaborates with social work students who were formerly incarcerated to provide support in navigating through school, licensing issues and pushing back on systemic barriers that students who were formerly incarcerated face through a trauma informed healing centered approach.

Hess is the Co-Founder of Trauma Informed LA whose mission is to foster resilient communities that promote healing and well-being through collaboration, education, and community engagement. In recognition of her dedication, Hess was presented with the distinguished Dr. Marjorie Braude Award by the City of Los Angeles Domestic Violence City Task Force in October, 2013 for innovative collaboration in serving victims of domestic violence. Hess is a founding member of Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascon’s first Crime Victims Advisory Board.

Hess holds an elected position with NASW-CA as the Committee for Nominations and Leadership Identification (CNLI) Chair.

Training topics include:
– Introduction to Trauma Informed Healing Centered Engagement
– A Trauma-Informed Shared Leadership Model
– Our Stories Matter; Ethical Considerations with Storytelling
– A Trauma Informed Healing Centered Approach when Supporting Individuals who have Experienced Intimate Partner Violence
– Community Engagement through a Trauma Informed Healing Centered Lens
– Providing Supervision through a Trauma Informed Antiracist Lens
– Human Rights Interviewing Techniques through a Trauma Informed Lens
– Intersectionality of intimate partner violence and incarceration through a TI approach; Co Presenter Norma Cumpian
– Human rights interviewing techniques through a TI lens
– A Mindfulness Response to Trauma Exposure
– Trauma Informed Approaches in Education-Dismantling the School to Prison Pipeline through a Multidisciplinary
– Trauma Informed Approach; Co Presenters: Shantel Vachani MSW, JD & Heidi De Leon, LCSW
– Providing Practicum Supervision through a Trauma Informed Strength Based Lens
– Creating a Trauma Informed Healing Centered Culture for Students Who were Formerly Incarcerated; Co Presenter Dr. Yehudah Pryce

Presentation topics include:
-Intersectionality of intimate partner violence and incarceration through a TI approach; Co Presenter Norma Cumpian
-Human rights interviewing techniques through a TI lens
-Mindfulness response to trauma exposure
-TI approaches in education-Dismantling the School to Prison Pipeline through a Multi Disciplinary Trauma Informed Approach; Co Presenters: Shantel Vachani MSW, JD & Heidi De Leon, MSW
-Providing Field Supervision through a Trauma Informed Strength Based Lens
-Creating a Trauma Informed Healing Centered Culture for Students Who were Formerly Incarcerated; Co Presenter Yehudah Pryce, MSW
-Introduction to Trauma Informed Healing Centered Engagement