Susan Cardillo-Cunningham, DSW, LCSW

Dr. Susan Cardillo-Cunningham is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, child welfare leader, educator, and mental health advocate with more than three decades of experience serving children, families, and communities across Connecticut. Since beginning her career as an intern in 1996, she has advanced through a wide range of leadership roles within the Connecticut Department of Children and Families, including social worker, supervisor, systems program director, and program director. She currently serves as an Office Director, overseeing child welfare operations and helping shape programs and services that support vulnerable children and families throughout the state.

In addition to her public service career, Dr. Cardillo-Cunningham is deeply committed to advancing the social work profession through teaching, research, and clinical practice. She serves as an instructor at the University of Connecticut, Southern Connecticut State University, and SUNY Plattsburgh, where she mentors and prepares future social workers for meaningful careers in the field. She is also the founder of Supporting Courageous Change, a private practice that provides therapy and clinical interventions for adolescents, young adults, and adults. Her areas of expertise include anxiety, depression, trauma, grief, resilience, and sports social work, with a particular focus on supporting athletes and their mental well-being.

Dr. Cardillo-Cunningham earned her Bachelor of Social Work from Sacred Heart University, her Master of Social Work from Fordham University, and her Doctor of Social Work from Southern Connecticut State University. Her doctoral research explored the mental health and wellness of college student-athletes, an area that continues to inform her scholarship and advocacy. An active member of the Alliance of Social Workers in Sports and the Connecticut chapter of the National Association of Social Workers, she is passionate about promoting mental health awareness, strengthening child welfare systems, and empowering individuals to create meaningful and lasting change in their lives.