Nia Clark, MSW

Experience

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  Greater Boston Regional Youth Council - Boston Housing Authority

  Dec 1997 - Apr 1998

  Council Member

  The Greater Boston Regional Youth Council of the Boston Housing Authority was a multicultural afterschool council that grew out of a coalition of neighborhood organizations serving youth in the Boston area. The council. The council activities focused on development, design, and conduct of workshops addressing youth concerns, including teenage parenting, teen dating violence, substance abuse, HIV/AIDS and cross-cultural issues. GBRYC, with the guidance of the Project Director of VISTA volunteers - local adult community members with backgrounds in activism and community service - assisted youth in coping with, confronting, and overcoming the interpersonal and social issues that arise in poor, multicultural neighborhoods. Show less

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  Boston Children's Services

  May 1998 - Feb 2001

  Safer Sex Educator - Healthy, Strong, & Proud

   Co-wrote and facilitated trainings to promote safer sex practices and healthy relationships for LGBT youth aged 14-22. Planned and hosted boat cruises, parties, and other social events to provide LGBT youth with safe, queer-friendly spaces Completed office duties as needed

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  Massachusetts Youth Activist Group for Equality (MY AGE)

  May 2004 - Jun 2006

  Editorial Director

   Introduced youth/adults aged 16-26 to politics through training and community involvement. Drafted, edited, and distributed all MY AGE letters, forms, and publications.  Wrote grant proposals to raise funds for the organization.

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  Starbucks

  May 2004 - Feb 2007

  Barista/Shift Lead
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  The Home for Little Wanderers

  Aug 2006 - Dec 2014

   Implement recreational and other community-based activities for emotionally troubled youth ages10-19. Serve as a liaison for the Home for Little Wanderers Development Department for the purpose of obtaining event tickets, corporate sponsorships, and donations. Creating partnerships with local businesses and community service organizations to provide residential clients with volunteering & vocational opportunities Responsible for the recruitment and management of community volunteers Show less

  • Activities/Volunteer Coordinator

    Nov 2008 - Dec 2014

  • Residential Counselor/PAYA Instructor

    Aug 2006 - Nov 2008
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  Cornell University

  Nov 2008 - Apr 2013

  Trainer - Therapeutic Crisis Intervention (TCI)

   Trained child care workers and residential staff to proactively prevent and/or de-escalate a potential crisis situation with a child or young person Provided staff with tools to manage a crisis situation in a therapeutic manner, and, if necessary, intervene physically in a manner that reduces the risk of harm to children and staff  Taught staff how to process the crisis event with children and young people to help improve their coping strategies

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  Human Rights Campaign

  Feb 2013 - now

  Expert Trainer - All Children All Families

  - Write and facilitate 10 cutting-edge, customized LGBTQ+ trainings, workshops and learning sessions annually- Educate service providers to improve recruitment, management, and retention of prospective LGBT adoptive & foster parents.

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  Los Angeles LGBT Center

  Jan 2015 - Oct 2017

  LifeWorks Mentoring Coordinator

  LifeWorks is the youth development and mentoring program of the LA LGBT Center. We offer one on one, peer, and group mentoring opportunities for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and questioning youth ages 12-24. Our goal is to help LGBTQ youth to realize their goals and dreams with a safe space, positive and affirming role models, and workshops & activities that are fun and educational.Duties Include: - Identifying, interviewing, and training well-balanced, established adults to mentor at-risk LGBTQ youth aged 24 and under. - Monitoring and evaluating mentor/mentee relationships through verbal communication and reviewing mentorship progress reports. Show less

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  1/27 Pictures

  Mar 2016 - Dec 2016

  Consulting Producer, MTV Docs: TRANSFORMATION

  TRANSFORMATION is the Emmy-nominated documentary about a group of transgender teens and young adults struggling to find the resources, safety, and confidence to express their gender identity. Through life-altering, gender-affirming makeovers, these individuals hope to reveal their true and best selves, looking on the outside how they’ve always felt on the inside.

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  Big Brothers Big Sisters of America

  Oct 2017 - now

  National LGBTQ+ Mentoring Coach

  Serving as a consultant trainer & coach for the BBBSA-Altria LGBTQ Youth Mentoring Enhancement Program, an initiative aiming to 1) enhance awareness of LGBTQ-focused issues and best practices, 2) integrate LGBTQ-informed mentoring practices into the BBBS model in 25 affiliates serving LGBTQ youth within Altria’s priority operating communities and 3) provide recommendations, key information and materials to support the development of high-quality programming for LGBTQ youth within the pilot sitesKey Coaching Responsibilities: • Offer and facilitate ongoing training and technical assistance to assigned pilot site(s). • Review training materials and resources to ensure quality and ease of use• Provide resources, guidance, and responsive technical assistance and coaching as needed Show less

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  Elton John AIDS Foundation

  Sept 2018 - Dec 2018

  EJAF Intern - Trans Wellness Center

  The Elton John AIDS Foundation internship provides opportunities for college students to work within existing nonprofit organizations to confront the stigma of HIV among the LGBTQ community, increase understanding of HIV treatment and prevention, improve access to care, and address the myriad socioeconomic factors that contribute to increased HIV infection rates in the LGBTQ community.

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  Los Angeles County Department of Children and Family Services

  Aug 2019 - May 2020

  BSW Intern

  - Assisted in investigations and case management involving commercially and sexually exploited children and their families in Los Angeles County. - Drafted resources for and provided outreach to families in the L.A. area- Assisted in data collection and reporting to identify service needs.

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  Brigham and Women's Hospital

  Sept 2020 - Aug 2021

  Clinical Social Work Intern

  - Drafted and facilitated weekly in-person and virtual social-emotional support workshops for youth ages 10-14 - Provided weekly one-on-one counseling to underserved youth.- Drafted and completed weekly documentation, monthly lesson plans, and data collection tools.

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  MENTOR

  Jan 2021 - now

  Consultant

  - Providing technical assistance for programs within the National Mentoring Resource Center network. - Delivering customized resource support to meet programs’ individual needs and improve their implementation of specific mentoring practices. - Creating and delivering webinars and training centered around LGBTQ+ mentoring policies and best practices.

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  University of Nebraska-Lincoln

  Nov 2021 - now

  Research Consultant

  The PRYSHM Project (Promoting Resilient Youth with Strong Hearts and Minds Project) seeks to develop and evaluate an online program for LGBTQ+ teens, ages 15 to 18. The program aims to help LGBTQ+ teens feel acceptance and pride in their LGBTQ+ identities, and to empower them to make healthy decisions consistent with their personal values, hopes and goals for the future.

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  Innovations Institute

  Feb 2023 - now

  Consultant - National SOGIE Center, University of Connecticut

  - Conducting a review of current intake practices, current LGBTQ+ training, current LGBTQ+ specific programs offered through child welfare and community-based organizations and policies that explicitly protect LGBTQ+ individuals. - Providing training on affirming practice, updated language, and information about training, coaching, and supervision approaches. - Developing a supervisor’s guide to assist in coaching staff to have affirming conversations about sexual orientation, gender identity, and expression (SOGIE)- Delivering training to supervisors based on the work of the National Quality Improvement Center for LGBTQ2S+ Youth in Foster Care and informed by the research conducted through the National SOGIE Center. Show less