Amanda Latham
Since 2018, I have dedicated my work to disability advocacy and advancing dignity, equity, and access for people who have been marginalized by society. I am completing my final semester in clinical social work at Michigan State University, where I also completed a certificate in nonprofit leadership. My recent work focuses on ending mass incarceration through restorative, community-based approaches. I also earned a master’s degree in psychology from Capella University with a focus on integrative approaches to treatment-resistant PTSD in veterans, which deepened my commitment to trauma-informed care. My work is deeply personal. It is shaped not only by professional training, but by lived experiences with disability, poverty, trauma, and the loss of loved ones to suicide and community violence. I have witnessed how our system disproportionately criminalizes our loved ones and community members experiencing mental health crises and chronic poverty, effectively denying them opportunities for healing. I have experienced and witnessed the impact this has on families and across generations. As a survivor, I can attest to how survivors are often stripped of their autonomy, dignity, and voice within the current system. These experiences inspired the development of The P.E.A.C.E. Program: Pathways to Equity, Accountability, Connection, and Engagement, a clinical diversion and restorative justice initiative grounded in the lived experiences of justice system-impacted individuals, survivors, and families. My work is rooted in the belief that accountability and healing can coexist, and that safer communities are built through compassion, connection, treatment, restoration, and opportunity rather than punishment, fear, and hate.
• Bachelor's Degree in Human Development and Family Sciences
• Penn State University
• Capella University
• Master's Degree in Clinical Social Work
• Final semester)
• Master's Degree in Psychology
• Michigan State University
• Nonprofit Leadership Certificate
• Children Youth and Family Services Certificate
• Forensic Social Work Alliance
• Phi Alpha Honor Society
• National Society of Leadership and Success
• Psi Chi: International Honor Society in Psychology
• Disability Advocacy
• Prison Advocacy
• Mental Health Advocacy
• Mental Health Awareness
What do you attribute your success to?
My success stems from a blend of relentless tenacity despite my own obstacles, remaining authentic in every aspect of my life, building genuine human connections alliances to achieve shared goals, proactively owning my personal and professional growth, and holding onto a steadfast belief in the potential of myself, others, and my vision.
What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
Active listening can help us to understand others' perspectives without needing to agree, and can enable us to work together to find common ground and work towards change.
What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
Be authentically you, be unwavering in your commitment to social justice, and continue to forge new relationships as you build your community. Drive social change with compassion, courage, and a commitment to action.
What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
Social work must evolve beyond maintaining the status quo. Our biggest hurdle is the pervasive culture of division and punishment; our biggest opportunity lies in fostering the courage and compassion needed to dismantle inaccessible systems and build a truly collaborative society.
What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
My greatest values are authenticity, compassion, courage, and community.
Locations
Lansing, MI