Erica J Sanders

Erica J Sanders is an Adjunct Assistant Professor in the Department of Social Work at The University of Texas at Arlington, College of Liberal Arts, and also serves as a Full-Time Associate Professor in the MSW Program at Grand Canyon University, College of Humanities and Social Sciences. She is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with over 15 years of experience working with children, adults, and families in school, clinical, and private practice settings.

Her educational background includes a DSW from Barry University (2024), and both an MSW (2009) and BSW (2008) from The University of Texas at Arlington. She is certified as an LCSW-S, Trauma Therapy Certified by the Trauma Institute of Texas, and holds a Sports Social Work Certification from the University of Michigan School of Social Work.

• DSW, Barry University, 2024 – Major: Social Work
• MSW, The University of Texas at Arlington, 2009 – Major: Social Work
• BSW, The University of Texas at Arlington, 2008 – Major: Social Work

Dr. Sanders' research and professional interests center on trauma-informed care, mental health advocacy, the school-to-prison pipeline, teacher bias—particularly its impact on Black male students—and effective interventions for children affected by trauma. Her work bridges clinical practice and systemic social work reform, emphasizing empowerment, resilience, and equity.

Although no peer-reviewed articles are listed in the provided text, her recent presentations indicate active scholarly engagement in social work education and policy. She has presented on topics such as classroom interventions for traumatized children and the structural factors contributing to the criminalization of youth in schools.

Dr. Sanders is a member of the Alliance of Social Workers in Sports (since 2024) and the Texas Society for Clinical Social Workers (since 2023). She is the owner and lead therapist at Taylormade Counseling, serving clients in Texas and Arizona, integrating private practice with academic instruction.

In her teaching role, she emphasizes real-world problem-solving, student engagement, and critical analysis of societal challenges. She teaches courses such as PROGRAM EVALUATION (SOCW 5323) and INTEGRATIVE SEMINAR (SOCW 5395) at UTA, fostering student growth through dialogue, debate, and experiential learning.

She is not retired and remains an active faculty member, contributing to both clinical practice and higher education in social work. No scientific awards were mentioned in the provided content.