Dr. Karen Mohammed-Perry, DSW, ACSW, QCSW, MA, LMHC, MAC
Dr. Karen Mohammed-Perry | Social work and clinical leadership professional is an experienced clinical and behavioral health leader with more than 30 years in the substance use and mental health field. She currently serves in a leadership role overseeing Client Care Coordinator Services at Urban Strategies, Inc. in Brooklyn, New York, where she manages operations across multiple residential shelter sites. In this role, she supervises staff, ensures quality client care, oversees psychiatric evaluations and psychosocial assessments, and helps coordinate services for individuals experiencing homelessness and complex mental health needs.
Throughout her career, Dr. Mohammed-Perry has held a wide range of clinical and executive leadership positions across nonprofit and healthcare systems. She has served as a clinical director in substance use treatment programs, worked with organizations such as Phoenix House, and contributed to collaborative initiatives including programs connected to the New York State MTA. Her work also includes providing counseling services through BetterHelp and leading trauma-informed programs supporting survivors of domestic violence and human trafficking, including her earlier leadership at Sanctuary for Families’ Crossroads program. Across these roles, she has consistently focused on building systems of care that prioritize safety, stability, and long-term recovery.
Dr. Mohammed-Perry holds a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in Social Work, a Doctorate in Social Work from Capella University, and a post-master’s certificate in substance abuse treatment from NYU, along with additional graduate training in youth ministry from New York Theological Seminary. She is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor (LMHC) in New York and holds multiple clinical credentials, including ACSW and QCSW designations. Her professional philosophy is rooted in trauma-informed, survivor-centered care, with a strong commitment to advocacy, workforce development, and expanding access to mental health and recovery services for vulnerable populations.
• Certified Social Worker
• Licensed Mental Health Counselor
• Credentialed Academy Certified Social Worker
• Qualified Clinical Social Worker
• Certified Social Work in Alcohol
• Tobacco
• And Other Drugs
• Capella University- Ph.D.
• Columbia University- Master's
• National Association of Social Workers
• Human Trafficking Awareness Advocacy on Facebook
What do you attribute your success to?
I would say, initially, my mom, who instilled in me the importance of education and learning and doing the best that I can do. I guess I took that to heart so much that I became an overachiever. But she definitely was my inspiration. My husband, who was my rock, who was always supportive, who was always my provider, who helped me with a strong foundation, which allowed me to be at peace and study and accomplish my goals. So, between my mom and my husband, I would say those two were my biggest influencers to help me accomplish my goals.
What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
Keep pushing. Never give up. Keep pushing. Make sure you take care of your mind and your health. Those are the two most important things. I would say that I received from guidance and support. You know, take care of your mind, take care of your health, so that you're able to be in position to help others. You can't do it without those two things. You have to be strong mentally and physically and emotionally to help other people. And if you're not, you're not gonna be able to give 100%. Take care of yourself, so you don't burn out.
What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
First to do some self-inventory to make sure that they really have the heart for the work and the passion. You're not going to get rich, but it's almost like you're doing God's work and you're in your purpose because you're helping to save so many lives. But in order to do that work, you have to be well mentally. So, to really do some self-inventory to make sure that mentally they're stable, they're strong, they're taking care of themselves physically, mentally, spiritually. And then explore the role that they want to play within that field, because there's so many roles. You can be an administrator, you could be a counselor, you could be a dietitian, you can be an educator, there's so many roles, so you really have to identify where your skill lies.
What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
I would say, especially with the human trafficking field, more awareness needs to happen and more training needs to happen throughout the state level for providers. And it doesn't have to just be mental health field, it could be the educational field, criminal justice. We need to be able to assess for abuse. We need to be able to see it and know what it looks like when we see it, and how to provide safety and resources and support. So, I guess that all ties into making sure that we have leaders that go to the legislation office that advocate for policy change and awareness. More advocacy work needs to be done. People are scared because there's tyrants at the top and they don't want to tackle the tyrants. They wanna keep the bees quiet, but really, if we come together as a force, we have power in numbers. One of my goals, future goals, is to get a cohort of people together to go to Albany in the state of New York and legislate for more awareness on this topic.
What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
Both integrity and professionalism. Those two are key characteristics in thriving and being successful. You have to work with integrity because clients can sense when you're not genuine and when you're not doing things ethically. And then also being professional, being competent. Become an adult learner. Continue to grow. Continue to read. Stay plugged in to the latest interventions and policies and procedures. And that's all a part of being an adult learner, really, taking initiative to learn.