Who We Are
Meet the team building the pipeline of social workers committed to public service in North Carolina.
About PSLP
The NC Public Service Leadership Program (PSLP) is a certificate program of the Social Work Coalition on NC Workforce Development. We connect students across North Carolina’s schools of social work with hands-on public service experience, professional development, and a statewide network of peers and mentors.
Across 25 partner campuses statewide, PSLP is building the pipeline of social workers committed to public service careers in child welfare, mental health, aging, disabilities, and justice.
The Social Work Coalition
The Social Work Coalition on NC Workforce Development creates increased and equitable access to quality, affordable, and evidence-based mental and behavioral health services to promote well-being for children and families in North Carolina.
Program Coordination
PSLP is a project of the Social Work Coalition on NC Workforce Development. Coordinators and liaisons are regionally located at partner schools across North Carolina, with program coordination support from the UNC School of Social Work Office of Community Engagement and Outreach.
Meet Our Team
Alexis Barnes-Scott, LMFT, CCTP
Professional Learning Communities Program Manager
Alexis Barnes-Scott has been dedicated to families and youth in the public sector since 2014. She has worked in outpatient, day treatment, and in-home clinical settings, as well as managed care organizations and government agencies. Her specialties include systems theory, child development, trauma-informed practice, and program development. Alexis earned her Master’s in Marriage and Family Therapy and Bachelor’s in Birth through Kindergarten Education at East Carolina University.
Yeeva Cheng, EdM
Curriculum Engineer
Yeeva is committed to making learning meaningful and accessible for students so that education becomes their toolbox for change. With experience in teaching, education policy research, and program management, her learning design philosophy is rooted in self-regulated learning theory, personalized and adaptive learning, and project-based learning. A proud first-generation student and daughter of immigrants, she graduated from Davidson College, UNC’s MEITE program, and Harvard Graduate School of Education.
Kathy Colville, Ph.D., MSW, MSPH
Associate Dean of Community Engagement and Outreach
Kathy serves as the UNC School of Social Work’s associate dean of community engagement and outreach, a strategic initiative designed to foster collaboration among diverse parties within the Community, University and School of Social Work and cultivate dynamic partnerships to overcome the complex challenges we face together. Kathy has worked for decades in North Carolina communities, in public health, public schools and serving on human services boards. She was previously the president and CEO of the North Carolina Institute of Medicine, a nonpartisan statewide health policy organization, and she was the founding Director of the Healthy Communities department at Cone Health, working in partnership with community organizations on health equity, housing, access to medical care, food security, and environmental change.
Felicia Gibson, Ph.D.
Workforce Resilience Program Manager
Felicia Gibson earned her Ph.D. in School Psychology from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and is a Licensed Psychologist with more than 15 years of experience providing clinical services, consultation, supervision, and training across school, community, and professional settings. She is widely recognized for her work with adoptive families and children who have experienced significant trauma, equipping caregivers and professionals with practical, resilience-centered strategies to support healing and growth.
Amanda Hubbard, LCSW, MSW
Assistant Director for Enrollment and Operations
Amanda Hubbard is a dedicated public service professional with over 20 years of experience supporting children, families, and vulnerable populations across North Carolina. She is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker who is deeply passionate about strengthening the future of public service social work by building and expanding a strong, sustainable pipeline for social workers committed to serving their communities. Amanda has worked in all five of the critical service domains that the NC Public Service Leadership Program aims to recruit and retain social workers to address.
Nina Muller, LCSW, MSW
Secondary Education Program Manager
Nina works with high-school-age learners in the Pre-BSW component of PSLP, mentoring students to become well-rounded, skilled, culturally humble, self-aware, and confident social work students. Nina worked as a bilingual animal-assisted school social worker, exceptional children services provider, and school-based therapist before going on to coordinate K-12 behavioral health initiatives state-wide. She is driven by a desire to make every student feel seen, cared-for, and capable. A licensed clinical social worker, she received her BA in Psychology from Carleton College and her MSW from the University of Denver.
Sarah Reives-Houston, Ph.D., PsyD (ABD)
Assistant Dean for Workforce Development
Sarah Reives-Houston has an earned Ph.D. in education and is finalizing a PsyD in clinical psychology. She has an MS in Human Development and a graduate certificate in Clinical Addictions. She has over 15 years of professional experience in developing training and curriculum content focused on the treatment, intervention, and prevention of trauma, mental health, and substance use challenges for child and family systems. Sarah has both professional knowledge and lived experiences touching all five critical service domains. These experiences support her commitment to this work and her passion for supporting and sustaining practitioners serving vulnerable and under-resourced populations.
Javan Emanuel Richardson, Ed.D.
Program Manager
Javan Emanuel Richardson holds a Bachelor’s of Science in Criminal Justice from North Carolina A&T State University, a Master’s of Science in Higher Education Administration from North Carolina Central University, and a Doctorate in Education from Liberty University. With a burning passion for achievement, his ardent desire is to help the next generation tap into their potential and recognize unparalleled success in every area of life.
PSLP Core Values
The National Association of Social Workers (NASW) ethical standards are foundational guidelines that dictate professional conduct, ensuring client well-being and justice. The profession of social work operates on six core values, backed by specific ethical responsibilities that all social workers must demonstrate.
These six core values form the basis of ethical social work practice:
These values translate into strict, actionable standards that govern daily practice across interrelated systems and settings, providing standards for engagement with clients, colleagues, the broader society, and the profession as a whole.
As an extension to the NASW ethical standards and core values, the PSLP is also centered in five core values, or “big ideas,” that are carried through each curricular pathway and learning level and speak to the professional knowledge, skills, and dispositions of highly qualified social work practitioners:
Partner Schools
PSLP works with 25 partner campuses across North Carolina, from the mountains to the coast — home to 26 social work programs spanning BSW and MSW levels and preparing a diverse pipeline of social workers for public service careers.
Contact Us
Questions about PSLP, a program track, or partnering with our coalition? Reach out. We are happy to help you find the right path.