Chairperson
dbessel@daemen.edu
716.566.7876
Office: Curtis Hall, West Wing, Floor 2
Diane R. Bessel, PhD LMSW CNM, serves as Associate Professor, MSW Program Director, and Chair of the Sociology and Social Work Department at Daemen University. She is responsible for establishing program vision and policy; determining curriculum content; allocating program resources; and advising, instructing, and assessing students in conjunction with faculty. She also regularly engages with community members to identify opportunities to apply program resources to address local issues.
In 2014, Bessel founded the Institute for Government and Non-Profit Innovation, Training, and Evaluation (IGNITE). She joins with department faculty, students, and other professional colleagues to provide applied research and capacity building support to non-profit organizations, foundations, government, and community coalitions – locally, nationally, and internationally. She specializes in program design and evaluation, grant writing, board development, and strategic planning.
Bessel’s research focuses on the use of collaborative problem-solving to address complex social problems. She has led and/or supported efforts to address a wide range of social challenges including homelessness, poverty, financial instability, family violence, human trafficking, elder abuse, school readiness, and access to quality care.
Prior to joining Daemen University, Bessel served as the Director of Research, Investments, and Advocacy at the United Way of Buffalo & Erie County. She was responsible for regularly assessing community trends for the purposes of coordinated planning and decision-making related to the annual expenditure of over $5 million in local funds. Bessel evaluated the performance of 80+ programs and initiatives and provided capacity building training and technical assistance. She was also responsible for developing and implementing the organization’s legislative advocacy agenda.
Bessel holds a Master of Arts and Doctorate in Sociology from the University at Buffalo. She also holds a Master of Science in Social Administration (MSSA) from the Mandel School of Applied Social Sciences at Case Western Reserve University and is certified in Nonprofit Management from the Mandel Center.
She lives in Kenmore with her very understanding husband, Don, and amazing son, Connor.
Faculty
ecarman@daemen.edu
716.839.8287
Office: Curtis Hall, West Wing, Floor 2
Erin Carman joined the faculty of the Social Work & Sociology Department at Daemen University in Fall 2017. Ms. Carman teaches seated and online macro coursework on topics of oppression and power, social policy, criminal justice, organizational development, and foundational macro practice to MSW program students. Ms. Carman’s teaching, practice, and research interests center around improving democracy through transformation of our criminal justice and elections systems. She has continued her macro practice through advocacy and research on policing and criminal justice system reform, as well as non-profit organizational improvement consulting through the Institute on Government and Non-Profit Innovation, Training, and Evaluation.
Prior to joining the faculty, Ms. Carman served as a quality improvement specialist for CCNY, Inc. providing consulting services for organizational systems development and quality improvement in nonprofits and government agencies with mental health, child welfare, and youth development services. Prior to her quality improvement work, Ms. Carman served as a program administrator as Director of Brooklyn Community Centers for Catholic Charities of Brooklyn and Queens. She is also a Policy Fellow for Partnership for the Public Good and has previously contributed to publications and partner advocacy work on criminal justice reform, implicit bias, and local government and elections.
Ms. Carman has previously served the community and social work profession in a variety of capacities: co-chair and member of the Buffalo Police Advisory Board, board member of Housing Opportunities Made Equal, chair of the WNY division of the National Association of Social Workers (NASW), committee member of the NASW New York State Chapter’s Advocacy and Government Relations Committee, and board member of Peaceprints of WNY.
Steven Dawson LCSW currently serves as Assistant Professor at Daemen University. He received his DSW from the University of Pennsylvania. He currently operates a private psychotherapy practice in Williamsville NY. Prior to joining Daemen University, he taught at New York University (NYU) and Rutgers University in their graduate social work programs. Steven has over 18 years of clinical work experience in the field of substance use treatment and prevention. He has worked with both adolescent and adult populations. Steven is the former Program Director of Western Queens Prevention Services. He has also worked as a Clinical Social Worker at Bellevue Hospital's Mental Health and Substance use outpatient clinic, Renaissance House, and many other treatment and prevention settings. He has been involved with advocacy campaigns around the need for age-appropriate treatment models for youth involved in the criminal justice system as well as youth involved in substance use treatment. He has been the keynote speaker and guest lecturer on topics including, adolescent development, motivational interviewing, cognitive-behavioral therapy, integrated trauma treatment, and social justice in clinical practice. He has lectured around New York City at a variety of locations, some of these include Bellevue Hospital in both the Survivors of Torture Clinic and the Hospitals Psychiatric Grand Rounds. He has been a lecturer at Woodhull Hospital, Hunter College, Western Queens Mental Health Services, and other locations inside and outside of New York City. He is active in the animal rights movement and in his private practice, he does specialized work with activists around issues of vicarious trauma and self-care. Steven's area of interest and research has focused on the interconnection between substance use and mental health with a special emphasis on trauma, severe mental health diagnosis and the use of adaptive vs maladaptive coping technologies. In his clinical practice, he uses an eclectic approach that is grounded in relational cultural therapy but incorporates aspects of Dialectical Behavioral Theory, Cognitive Theory, and Trauma-Informed Care.
Chaya Surie Malek, LCSW joined the faculty of the Social Work & Sociology Department at Daemen University in Fall 2023. She teaches Foundations of Micro Mezzo Practice, Human Behavior in the Social Environment, and Clinical Practice with Children and Adolescents.
Chaya Surie is a practicing therapist specializing in anxiety, grief, and relationship issues. She has experience working with clients with adverse childhood experiences.
Prior to joining Daemen University, Chaya Surie worked in various community settings. She held administrative roles within the child welfare system, working with foster and adoptive children, as well as in a mental health outpatient clinic as a quality assurance specialist and therapist. She has provided training on a range of topics including evidence-informed practices for foster parents such as the Model Approach to Partnerships in Parenting (MAPP) as well as corporate compliance. She also served as a high school guidance counselor.
Chaya Surie is certified in TF-CBT (Trauma Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy) and CBC (Compassionate Bereavement Care). She has also completed training in MBSR (Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction) as well as Somatic Therapy. Chaya Surie uses a relational framework and integrates components of psychodynamic and cognitive behavioral therapies in her practice.
Chaya Surie completed her MSW at Wurzweiler School of Social Work, Yeshiva University.
Nicole Menting-Wilson, PhD, MSW currently serves as an Assistant Professor for the Master of Social Work Distance Education Program at Daemen University. She is responsible for determining curriculum content, instructing and assessing students, as well as maintaining an active research and service agenda. Dr. Menting-Wilson holds a Master of Social Work (MSW) and Doctorate (PhD) in Social Welfare from the University at Albany. She also obtained a Bachelors degree in Theater for Social Change from Empire State College.
Prior to joining Daemen University, Dr. Menting-Wilson worked as a Criminal Justice Policy Analyst at New York State’s Division of Criminal Justice Services (DCJS) - Office of Justice Research and Performance (OJRP). During her employment at DCJS, Dr. Menting-Wilson was responsible for the development of a statewide community corrections Fidelity and Implementation system. This entailed reviewing, analyzing, and synthesizing fidelity and implementation literature, designing components of a statewide fidelity and implementation system, spearheading workgroups and stakeholder meetings, as well as designing and implementing various beta- tests and system pilots.
Dr. Menting-Wilson has 15 years of practice experience in the fields of child welfare and juvenile justice. She worked as a social worker in Child Protective Services and Foster Care where she investigated allegations of child abuse and neglect, planned and coordinated services for children and families, engaged families in permanency planning, and assisted older youth into adulthood. During this time, Dr. Menting-Wilson served as a member on a Child Advocacy Center (CAC) multi-disciplinary team, where she conducted specialized forensic interviews for sex-abuse and physical abuse cases. For over four years, Dr. Menting-Wilson supervised the Juvenile Delinquent (JD) and Persons in Need of Supervision (PINS) Unit. In this post, she directed the day-to-day activities of five JD/PINS case-workers, infused trauma informed care and restorative principles in Department of Social Services (DSS) practices, lead the activities of the Transitional Team, established interagency collaborative practices with community agencies & practitioners, and streamlined DSS and Probation policies to support the needs of crossover youth. In addition, Dr. Menting-Wilson was an active member of New York State’s Regional Youth Justice Reform team.
Dr. Menting-Wilson’s doctoral work centered around the implementation of Restorative Justice practices in public schools. She designed and implemented a qualitative field study engaging seven teachers and one school psychologist in bi-weekly restorative circle sessions focused on creating a culture of care. During the study, Dr. Menting-Wilson engaged teachers in activities such as envisioning, dialoguing, journaling, and co-constructing a new school culture. The study inquired how teachers experienced opportunities for silence, reflection, and dialogue, and whether circle sessions were perceived as supportive to personal, interpersonal, and/or organizational transformation.
Dr. Menting-Wilson was born in Amsterdam, The Netherlands. She has resided in New York since 1991, and currently lives in Athens, NY with her husband, Ian, and sons, Bokeem and Demeric.
kprockna@daemen.edu
716.839.7266
Office: Curtis Hall, West Wing, Room 207
Kat Procknal, LCSW joined the faculty of the Social Work and Sociology Department in the Fall of 2021. Kat is a licensed clinical social worker with over eight years in the field working with various populations. Kat has worked in crisis prevention and intervention, residential mental health settings, residential ID/IDD settings, outpatient clinics, and macro- level settings, including the Office of Mental Health.
Kat is clinically trained in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Comprehensive Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT), and Certified in Trauma Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT). Kat has experience in individual, group, and family therapy. Clinical/research areas of interest include interventions and factors related to suicidality and self-injury, and DBT. Kat received her Master of Social Work (MSW) from the University of Albany in 2015, and Master of Science in Applied Behavioral Analysis from Daemen University in 2021.
Kat serves the community and social work profession in a variety of capacities, including serving as the current Human Rights Committee Chair of a local organization serving individuals with dually diagnosed ID/IDD and mental health disorders. Historically, Kat served as the Western Division Director of the National Association of Social Workers NYS Division from July 2019 – July 2021. Kat has been a member of NASW since 2013, a member of the National Association of Suicidality since 2020, and a member of the New York State Association of Behavior Analysis (NYSABA) since 2019.
mstiles@daemen.edu
716.839.8524
Office: Curtis Hall, West Wing, Floor 2
Meri Stiles, PhD, LMSW, LICSW, is an Associate Professor in the Social Work and Sociology Department. Her teaching interests include practice with children and families, substance misuse prevention and intervention, environmental justice, and mindfulness based interventions. Her research interests include secondary harms of substance use for college students, mindfulness based interventions, rural issues, art based approaches for social change, and treatment manual development. Dr. Stiles is a Qualified Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction Teacher (MBSR) through the UMASS Center for Mindfulness. Dr. Stiles is a practicing social justice artist; showing work in group and solo exhibits in New York and Vermont.
Dr. Stiles has experience as a Child and Family Therapist with the Catholic Charities Monsignor Carr Clinic in Niagara Falls and as a Clinical Social Worker at Brylin Psychiatric Hospital in Buffalo. Prior to coming to Daemen University, Dr. Stiles was an Associate Professor of Psychology and Human Services at Lyndon State College for 10 years. Currently she has a small telehealth clinical practice with young adults with an emphasis on mindfulness based approaches.
Dr. Stiles holds a PhD in Social Welfare and a MSW, both from the University at Buffalo School of Social Work.
Recent Activity
- 2021 Pixelation, Quick Change Gallery in Studio Place Arts. Solo exhibition of drawings and constructions representing the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on social connection.
- 2020 Artist Residency at the Vermont Studio Center (competitive juried process)
- 2019 Mind & Life Summer Research Institute Senior Investigator/Fellow at the Garrison Institute
- 2019 Stiles, M. & Rice, C. Experienced harms from substance use among college students: A latent class analysis. Journal of Human Behavior in the Social Environment, (29)7, 937-953.
- 2018 Daemen Wildcat Wellness. Principal Investigator. NCAA CHOICES Alcohol Prevention Grant
atrabert@daemen.edu
+1 (716) 839-8515
Office: Curtis Hall, West Wing, Room 205
Amy Trabert, DSW, LMSW recently joined the faculty as BSW Director and Assistant Professor in the Department of Social Work and Sociology at Daemen University. She received her Master of Social Work (MSW) degree at Daemen, and her Doctor of Social Work in Social Welfare (DSW) from the University at Buffalo, specializing in Implementation Science.
Dr. Trabert is co-creator and past director of the Liberating and Empowering All Defendants (LEAD) Program at the Erie County Bar Association Assigned Counsel. LEAD focused on reducing mass incarceration by preventing recidivism within the criminal justice system. Her doctoral research focused on the implementation of LEAD and she has presented her findings at the National Organization of Forensic Social Work (NOFSW) and Social Work and Law Symposium (SWLS).
Dr. Trabert’s teaching and research interests focus on systems-change within criminal justice including trauma-informed and interdisciplinary approaches.
Dr. Trabert started her career as a Data Analysis and Recruitment Specialist for GA Family Services. She served as the Erie County High Risk Team Coordinator through Child and Family Services Haven House, where she worked closely with survivors of both human trafficking and domestic violence. During her time with the agency, she led a multidisciplinary team with representatives from probation, parole, law enforcement, child protection, domestic violence advocates, and the Erie County District Attorney’s Office to help prevent domestic violence homicide. Additionally, she coordinated data analysis on local homicide trends and provided training on the Danger Assessment, a lethality tool used with survivors of domestic violence. Most recently, Dr. Trabert served as Clinical Director at the Recovery Center of Niagara overseeing an inpatient substance use disorder facility.
Dr. Trabert is excited to be back at Daemen University and delighted to work alongside students as part of their learning experience.
Field Education
mdreyer@daemen.edu
716.839.7659
Office: Curtis Hall, West Wing, Floor 1
Maggie Dreyer LCSW-R is an alumna of Daemen University, 2014 Humanitarian of the Year Award winner, and 2017 Distinguished Faculty Award winner. Maggie Dreyer has over thirty years of experience working in the Western New York area as a clinical social worker and has served on the Daemen University Social Work Community Advisory Board for over twenty-eight years. Maggie was also an adjunct faculty member for nine years. She is also co-owner of Pathways Supervised Visitation Program and co-founder of the TSG: Dating after Sexual Abuse Group Program. Maggie has focused her career in the child welfare arena and has a private clinical practice working with children and families who have experienced complex trauma. Maggie has presented on the local, regional and national level addressing the treatment of children who have experienced sexual abuse and presented on trends related to child welfare and permanency. Maggie is the Director of Field Education for Daemen University. She is the President and co-founder of Kaely’s Kindness Foundation, a charity dedicated to serving young women diagnosed with cancer. Maggie also travels to Thailand to study the prevention of Human Trafficking. She previously worked for GA Family Services as Director of Community Based Services, where she developed and sustained their therapeutic foster care program for all eight counties of WNY. Maggie is a member of the National Association of Social Workers and the Association of Baccalaureate Social Work Program Directors and an affiliate for the Society for the Advancement of Psychotherapy.
Publications and Presentations
- 2021. “Exploring the Benefits and Challenges of Nonprofit Colocation.” Network for Social Work Management (NSWM) Forward Thinking with Diane Bessel 8/19/2021
- 2020. “Creation of the Service Link Stop: Social work advocacy using a system perspective, collaborative approach.” National Organization of Forensic Social Work Conference, New Orleans, Louisiana. Co-Presenter. Conference postponed due to COVID19
- 2017. “Evaluating Professional Behavior: Setting Performance Standards for BSW Students.” Workshop presented at the Council on Social Work Education Annual Program Meeting in Atlanta, GA with Diane R. Bessel.
- 2017. “Building an Effective Social Work Advisory Board: Harnessing the Power of Community.” Workshop presented at the Baccalaureate Program Director’s Meeting in New Orleans, LA with Diane R. Bessel.
Clinical Therapist | Educator | Advocate
Amanda Jackson serves as the BSW Program - Director of Field Education in the Social Work and Sociology Department at Daemen University. In this role, she oversees student field placements, fosters partnerships with community agencies, and supports the professional development of emerging social workers. She is deeply committed to preparing students for ethical, compassionate, and effective social work practice.
Amanda teaches several courses in the department, including Spirituality in Social Work, Ethnicity, Race, and Cultural Diversity, and Field Education. In her Field Education courses, students integrate the knowledge and skills they’ve gained in the classroom and apply them in real-world practice settings under professional supervision. Her Ethnicity, Race, and Cultural Diversity course focuses on power and oppression, exposing students to the lived experiences of diverse groups who have experienced systemic racism, as well as populations that have been historically and currently marginalized and oppressed. Her teaching integrates a trauma-informed, culturally responsive, and faith-based lens.
Amanda brings over 13 years of experience working with individuals with intellectual disabilities and co-occurring diagnoses through New York State’s Office for People With Developmental Disabilities (OPWDD) and local agencies. Her professional background also includes serving as a clinical therapist with a local agency that provided mental health services to public schools, children, and families. She worked as a school social worker, supporting students, educators, and families within the K–12 system.
She is the founder of God’s Healing Space, a faith-based private practice dedicated to emotional and spiritual healing through a relationship with God and the power of Jesus Christ. She is also a member of True North Collective Therapy, a group practice that centers culturally responsive care.
A vocal advocate for equity and access in mental health, Amanda has appeared on television promoting Clinician of Color, an initiative that uplifts and connects BIPOC mental health professionals.
Outside the classroom, Amanda is a proud wife to Solomon Jackson II, a mother of four, and a grandmother to one grandson. Her faith, family, and commitment to service remain at the heart of her work.
mstamm@daemen.edu
Office: Curtis Hall, West Wing, Floor 1
Meegan served as a field educator, clinical supervisor, and adjunct professor for three years before joining Daemen College as faculty in 2016. While at Daemen College, she has taught core social work courses, and developed and instructs the department’s Play therapy course. In her teaching, Meegan aims to enrich students’ learning through sharing her clinical experience in the classroom. Currently, Meegan holds the position of Field Education Assistant Clinical Professor.
Meegan’s 28 years of experience in the field of social work includes work with children, adolescents, adults, and families in a variety of settings including outpatient mental health programs, schools, agencies, and in her private practice. Meegan's primary areas of focus include trauma, depression, anxiety, childhood behavior, parenting, adoption, parent-child reunification, high conflict family dynamics, divorce, and grief and loss. She is certified in Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR). Her approach to treatment is eclectic; using different evidence-based therapies specific to each client’s needs such as EMDR, CBT, DBT, and Play therapy.
In November 2021, Meegan was featured in Buffalo’s Business First “Building a Better Buffalo” for her work with high conflict families in the local family court systems. Meegan presents her Continuing Education Course “High Conflict Families: Developmental Impact on Children” at the local level. In addition, she uses her background and training in family and divorce mediation as a Dispute Resolution Designee appointed by the court to assist parents in high conflict to resolve coparenting issues and create solutions to reduce litigation and court involvement.
Meegan was an Adoption Investigator for Erie County Surrogate's Court for 13 years and was a court-rostered Child Permanency Mediator. She is co-founder and past Director at Pathways of WNY, a therapeutic supervised access program established in 2012.
Meegan received her Master of Social Work degree with a Concentration in Child Welfare from Boston University in 1995. She is a member of The National Association of Social Workers (NASW), The Association for Play Therapy (APT), and Association of Family and Conciliation Courts (AFCC).
Staff
psiebold@daemen.edu
716.839.8515
Office: Curtis Hall, West Wing, Floor 1