Amy Kapadia

Dr. Amy Kapadia (she/her) is a Senior Lecturer in Discipline at the Columbia School of Social Work. Her research and teaching are deeply informed by her community-based clinical experience in the areas of serious mental health challenges, substance use, and trauma. 

Across all her work, Dr. Kapadia centers anti-oppressive, disability justice, and intersectional frameworks, grounding her efforts in cross-systems collaboration and strengths-based approaches. Her approach integrates lived experiences, honors multiple ways of knowing, and prioritizes community-participatory methods. Dr. Kapadia’s scholarly work focuses on the mental health impacts of discrimination and stigma, with an emphasis on developing psychoeducational interventions that build mental health capacity and foster collective healing among community leaders within marginalized communities. As an educator, she views the classroom as a space to hold space—creating safety through empathy, active listening, and nonjudgmental presence. These guiding frameworks allow for both instruction and healing to coexist, supporting students in developing critical awareness and professional competencies rooted in justice and compassion

Dr. Kapadia teaches courses in clinical practice, research, and program development within the Advanced Clinical and Integrated Practice and Programming specialization areas. She is Director of the Evidence-based Practice Project, a statewide project with the New York State Office of Mental Health that trains MSW students in recovery-oriented, evidence-based practices for adults with serious mental health conditions. Recently, she also co-led the Trust-Building through Truth-Telling project, which supported mental health recovery among marginalized community and spiritual leaders impacted by COVID-19 and institutional mistrust.

Outside of work, Dr. Kapadia enjoys spending time with her children, reading, and taking long walks along the Hudson River. She holds a PhD from the Columbia School of Social Work.