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Woman sitting in front of a bookshelf with black sweater with gold hoop earrings smiling

Bethany Jean Elston

Doctoral Student
belston@uchicago.edu
Address

969 E. 60th Street
Chicago, IL 60637

Areas of Expertise
Assessment and treatment of complex trauma and developmental trauma disorder
Child and Youth Development
Education
Mental Health
Neighborhood Social Context
Non-Profit Organizations
Organizational theory
Parental School Involvement
Policy Implementation
School-based psychosocial intervention
Trauma-informed Clinical Practice
Trauma-Responsive Education
Violence and Trauma

Bethany is a doctoral student at The Crown Family School of Social Work, Policy, and Practice. She graduated from Crown with an A.M. in social work and is a licensed clinical social worker. Her clinical career focused on training social workers and working with clients living with chronic illness and their families. Most recently, Bethany worked with education researchers at Northwestern University researching district organizational learning, and continuity and alignment in PreK-3 math instruction. Bethany’s research interests include trauma-informed models in education with a focus on the connections between organizational dynamics, the role of nonprofit and coalition partnerships in shaping mental health policy in schools, and how educators and administrators interpret mental health policies across different educational contexts