Shamika M. Vargas

Shamika Vargas, LCSW, is the Director of Mental Health Services at Hour Children Inc. where she oversees social work practice dedicated to the reentry and healing of formerly incarcerated women and their families. In this role, she is able to marry her love of program development and management and clinical practice. She is a passionate advocate in interagency collaborations with The Mayor’s Office on Criminal Justice (MOC-J) aimed at reforming the criminal justice system and improving outcomes for women and families. Ms. Vargas has provided individual and group level services to adults and families involved in New York City family and criminal courts for over ten years through her roles at The Bronx Defenders, Legal Information for Families Today (LIFT), New York Psychotherapy and Counseling Center, and the Jewish Childcare Association (JCCA). Independently, Ms. Vargas facilitates workshops and coaching sessions with seasoned and emerging professionals in topics related to professional development, trauma healing and recovery, and social justice. She is particularly passionate about the experience of women of color as providers and consumers of social services. Ms. Vargas received her B.S.W. from Marist College and her M.S.W from Columbia University, but her greatest work is seen in her 11 year old son, Joseph.