Sara Matsuzaka

Sara Matsuzaka is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Social Work and Child Advocacy at Montclair State University’s College of Humanities and Social Sciences. She holds a PhD in Social Work from Fordham University and completed a postdoctoral fellowship in Psychology at the University of Virginia. Her research focuses on improving engagement in substance use and mental health treatment through an intersectional lens, emphasizing clients’ unique needs. Key areas of expertise include gendered racism, LGBTQ+ healthcare access, and clinical social work practice.

Dr. Matsuzaka’s work integrates qualitative and quantitative methodologies, addressing systemic barriers in healthcare and advocacy. Her research explores topics such as racial microaggressions, online victimization impacts on Black women, and provider biases in substance use treatment. She advocates for anti-racist policies and culturally competent care frameworks in both clinical and organizational settings.

Her scholarship spans over 15 peer-reviewed articles since 2017, with recent contributions to journals in social work, public health, and sociology. She actively contributes to interdisciplinary dialogues on intersectionality, healthcare equity, and marginalized communities’ mental health needs.