About
"He has told you, O man, what is good and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?." (Micah 6:8)
About Dr. Hays
Dr. Hays is a social worker and researcher dedicated to advancing evidence-based practices to promote equity and justice. She fell in love with the field of social work during her senior year of her undergraduate degree at the University of California, Irvine. She took an introduction to social work class and was intrigued by the idea of engaging in a career that felt so consistent with her values and desire to serve others. Social work is all about advocating for others, helping those with few resources, and pursuing justice for those who have been marginalized. These are all things that she is dedicated to.
Dr. Hays began her journey into social work by obtaining her Master's in Social Work degree from the University of Southern California. Over the years she grew to love the mental health field and has worked as a Licensed Clinical Social Worker providing therapy in community settings to individuals with severe and persistent mental illness. She has helped clients realize their potential and encouraged them to take care of their health and wellbeing.
Dr. Hays also has several years of experience leading programs in a state-funded community health agency while serving as Community Capacity Organizer. In this position, she led the development and oversight of a new program designed to improve the health and wellbeing of communities in our service area.
Following a successful career in direct practice, Dr. Hays decided to advance her career and earned a Ph.D. in social work from the University of Southern California.
Dr. Hays has over seven years of program administration experience in both the public sector and higher education environments. Most recently she has served as both Curriculum Director and Director of the Doctor of Social Work program at California Baptist University. In these roles she has performed many functions critical to the success of the department including: developing program policies and manuals; leading the development of all course content; using data-informed strategies to increase student persistence and retention; overseeing the program budget; holding regular departmental meetings as the leader of the program; and overseeing program evaluation and assessment reporting.
Dr. Hays also has many years of research experience in a variety of contexts. She has conducted both quantitative and qualitative research studies resulting in numerous peer-reviewed publications. She has extensive experience with program evaluation and primary data collection with vulnerable and marginalized populations utilizing a culturally responsive approach. She has exceptional written communication skills and presentation skills to communicate program outcomes.
Further, Dr. Hays has enjoyed a robust career in teaching and her primary teaching objective has been to prepare emerging professionals to serve vulnerable and marginalized populations. She has taught classes at the bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral levels.