Yamile Martí Appointed Professor of Professional Practice
Yamile Martí (center) discusses inclusive services at a panel for Ending Violence Against Children, sponsored by Mt. Sinai Adolescent Health Center.
The Columbia School of Social Work has announced that Yamile Martí has been promoted to Associate Professor of Professional Practice at the School, effective July 1. A full-time lecturer at the School for the past six years, Martí has excelled in her stewardship of the Advanced Clinical Practice and Advanced General Practice and Programming concentrations. She has also created an innovative travel course that brings students into a collaborative exchange with social workers in Cuba and Chile.
“Please join me in congratulating Dr. Martí on her exciting new role at the School,” said Dean Melissa Begg. “She is an exceptional instructor, accomplished clinician, and committed researcher on issues related to children and women in crisis. We look forward to her continued and expanded contributions to CSSW, especially in curricular development.”
Martí’s clinical expertise is with populations affected by substance abuse and mental illness, and with children and families in the child welfare system. A graduate of the School’s MSW and PhD programs, Martí has worked on a range of projects focusing on psychoeducation in local and international settings. While a doctoral student, she assisted Sylvia D. and Mose J. Firestone Centennial Professor of Professional Practice Ellen Lukens and Professor of Professional Practice Mary Sormanti with developing a psychoeducational intervention for young women who are pregnant and in foster care. She conducted a qualitative study on the experiences of foster care mothers.
Of Martí’s new appointment, Lukens said: “The role of a professor of professional practice is multifaceted; it focuses on teaching, curriculum development, and leadership and also involves attention to community service and research/evaluation. Yamile is admired and respected for her teaching and mentoring, the breadth of her scholarship—including course development that focuses on academics, international travel, and cultural exchange—as well as ongoing investment in programming, research and international consultation. I very much look forward to and value the expertise and leadership she brings to the PPP faculty.”
Martí’s current research focuses on the development of resiliency and coping skills for children and women in crisis or facing adversity. She has served as a consultant for UNICEF and UNDP in various countries including Abkhazia and Macedonia. She is a clinician conducting Individual, Family and Group Therapy within a Psychoeducation Modality.
In addition to her two degrees from CSSW, Martí earned an MA in the psychology of education from Teachers College.
Related links:
- Psychoeducation as an Aid in Navigating the Impact of COVID-19, 4/30/2020 ACTION Lab training by Martí and Lukens [YouTube video of Zoom meeting]
- SOCIAL IMPACT LIVE: Social Work in Chile, 12/11/2019 interview with Yamile Martí and MSW student Sofía Cillero (MSW’20) [YouTube video]
