Division of Social Work and Criminal Justice

Academic Credentials

Biography

Jake Abraham is a 2016 Keuka College alumnus and received his master’s degree from the University at Buffalo. He has provided numerous trainings related to the LGBTQ community and, for the last five years, has worked in various school systems with children from kindergarten to 12th grade. Jake has experience in working in a clinical setting, as well as doing street outreach and prevention.

Professional Interests

Education and support of the LGBTQ+ community. Working with children and their families. Exploring the impact of trauma and grief across the lifespan.

Academic Credentials

Biography

Katie is committed to advancing social workers’ expertise in evidence-based practice theories to foster positive therapeutic outcomes. Her professional background includes significant experience in program development and leadership within rural mental health and substance-use treatment settings, as well as providing direct clinical care.

Katie has specialization in treating co-occurring disorders, with a particular emphasis on trauma and adverse childhood experiences. She is dedicated to the importance of clinical supervision for early-career social workers and holds certification as a clinical supervisor. Additionally, Katie serves as a national trainer in the prevention and management of disruptive behavior. She has received national recognition from the Department of Veterans Affairs for her work in improving utilization of measurement-based care tools to reduce suicidality among high-risk veteran populations and for expanding access to residential services for veterans nationwide. 

As a consultant for local rural health networks, Katie offers subject matter expertise on substance use and mental health treatment, contributing to data collection and analysis to inform Community Health Improvement Plans. Katie has been published through the Bureau of Justice Assistance Comprehensive Opioid, Stimulant, and Substance Abuse Program regarding Peer Recovery Support Services in NY Opioid Intervention Courts. She graduated as an LMSW from Temple University in Philadelphia and received her BSW from Mansfield University of Pennsylvania.

Professional Interests

Reducing suicidality among high-risk veteran populations through measurement-based care. Accessibility and inclusion of peer recovery advocates for rural MH and SUD initiatives. Rural overdose trends, Data collection and naloxone training. Sustainable program development for MH and SUD services within the agricultural community. Enhancing the role of clinical supervision for new social workers. Prevention and management of disruptive behavior. Public policy and social change.

Academic Credentials

Biography

Dr. Julie Burns began her interest in Social Work as an activist during her teenage years and has been a professional Social Worker for 30 years.

She has participated in community organizing, planning, and leading demonstrations of civil disobedience in her community. She has a passion for working with people with disabilities and has spent the bulk of her career working with people with intellectual disabilities and their families in grassroots organizations.

Her work as direct care staff, educator, trainer, counselor, program developer, and administrator has provided a solid foundation for linking theory to practice. She has always believed that education can change the world and is deeply honored to teach the next generation of Social Workers.

Professional Interests

Public Policy and Social Change, Women's Healthcare, Reproductive Justice, Intellectual Disabilities, Human and Civil Rights, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, Narrative Inquiry and Critical Theories.

Academic Credentials

Academic Credentials

Biography

Dr. Michael Emmart is an oft sought-out voice on initiatives involving child welfare, juvenile justice, and cross-over youth. He served in a variety of roles during more than 25 years in the field, including direct service staff, case worker, counselor, trainer, senior administrator, nonprofit executive, and university-based consultant. While working as a subject matter expert employed by the University of Albany, co-located with the NYS Office of Children and Family Services, he worked extensively on the Raise the Age initiative, as well as implementation of the Family First Prevention Services Act. 

Dr. Emmart is a founding member of the Institute for Just Outcomes through Conversation (IJOC), which is housed within Case Western Reserve University’s Fowler Center for Business as an Agent of World Benefit, and has served as executive director since its inception. IJOC’s mission is to foster community-driven change through conversations that empower communities to thrive. He has spoken and written extensively on the value of incorporating positive, inquiry-based conversations in our communities and workplaces.

Professional Interests

Strengthening the connection between communities and the systems intended to serve them. Appreciative inquiry. Positive nonviolence. Community-engaged prevention science. Designing and evaluating initiatives that build collective efficacy, foster authentic partnerships, and shift power toward community-defined visions of success. Developing strengths-based tools to support positive systems change and deepen community voice in policy and service delivery.

Academic Credentials

Biography

Amy Hickey-Smith (she/her) is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and educator with over a decade of experience in trauma-informed care, feminist clinical practice, and LGBTQ+ mental health. A proud Keuka College alumna, she brings an anti-oppressive, community-focused lens to both her teaching and clinical work. Her professional background includes hospital social work, nonprofit leadership, private practice, and higher education. She specializes in gender-affirming care, relational diversity, and supporting trauma survivors. Amy is the founder of the LGBTQ Center of the Finger Lakes and an active Pride organizer. In addition to teaching across the MSW curriculum, Amy serves as vice president of the Board of Directors at the Hickok Center for Brain Injury and is a long-standing member of the NASW-NYS Diversity and Inclusion Committee.

Professional Interests

Trauma-informed and feminist clinical social work. LGBTQ+ mental health and gender-affirming care. Inclusive and anti-oppressive pedagogy. Ethical non-monogamy and relational diversity. Community organizing and pride-based activism. Private practice and program development for marginalized communities.

Academic Credentials

Biography

Dr. Jason McKinney earned a Bachelor of Science degree and Master of Science degree in Social Work from Roberts Wesleyan College and a PhD in Human Development from the University of Rochester. Dr. McKinney has authored articles in peer reviewed journals, including Child and Family Services Review and The Journal of Critical Social Work. He has also published articles in The New Social Worker. His research interest is in the developing self across the life span, and most recently within caregiver-child interactions. In 2006, Dr. McKinney received the Scandling Scholar Award from the University of Rochester. Dr. McKinney's practice experience includes family therapy, parent-training curriculums, and the design and implementation of a successful therapeutic foster care program in Rochester, NY. Prior to joining Keuka College, Dr. McKinney taught at Ashland University as an Assistant Professor of Social Work and adjunct at The Greater Rochester Collaborative, State University of New York (SUNY, Brockport) and Nazareth College, and also at Roberts Wesleyan College. He places a strong emphasis on the need for research in social welfare and enjoys providing students with opportunities for meaningful research.

Professional Interests

Research in Selfhood and Identity Development within Cultural Categories Across the Lifespan Using Socio-Linguistic and Discourse Analytic Methodology, Effects of the Child Welfare System on Children and Families, Community-based Action Research on Aging Well.

Academic Credentials

Academic Credentials

Biography

Dr. Mourey is a seasoned criminal justice professional with more than 30 years of combined experience in law enforcement, military leadership, and higher education. She is a retired police sergeant with the Onondaga County Sheriff's Office, a lieutenant colonel and supervisory investigator with the National Guard Bureau’s Office of Complex Investigations, and the former director of Campus Safety and Law Enforcement at Onondaga Community College. In her role at OCC, Dr. Mourey led department operations, implemented a student-centered community policing model, and served as incident commander for campus emergencies, coordinating efforts with local, state, and federal agencies.

Dr. Mourey has been an adjunct professor at Keuka College since 2005, teaching a variety of undergraduate and graduate courses, such as Juvenile Delinquency, Current Issues in Law Enforcement, Statistics for Action Research, and Criminal Justice as Public Policy. Recognized as Adjunct Instructor of the Year in 2015, she is known for her rigorous, student-centered instruction and has frequently been requested to serve on student defense boards.
 

Professional Interests

Education, national service, and public safety. Evidence-based teaching, curriculum development, and mentorship in criminal justice, public administration, and ethics. Integrity, leadership development, and mission readiness in military service. Complex investigations and organizational accountability. Investigative excellence, interagency cooperation, and fostering public trust in law enforcement. Public service, continuous learning, and ethical application of authority.

Academic Credentials

Academic Credentials

Biography

Dr. Beth Pacheco earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Criminal Justice from the University of Dayton, a Master of Social Work degree from Roberts Wesleyan College, and a Doctor of Social Work degree from the University of Louisville. Dr. Pacheco’s practice experience includes emergency psychiatry, inpatient psychiatry, individual therapy, clinical supervision, program evaluation and process improvement, development of in-service training curriculums, and orientation and onboarding programs for telehealth therapeutic programs. 

Prior to joining Keuka College, Dr. Pacheco taught as an adjunct at SUNY Brockport and provided in-service training and field placement supervision for MSW student therapist interns at the University of Louisville. She is committed to bridging theory and practice through critical thinking and real-world application. She places a strong emphasis on socially and culturally competent care and is passionate about preparing students to lead with integrity, empathy, and effectiveness in diverse spaces.

Professional Interests

Rural mental health. ADHD and neurodiversity clinical interventions. Life skill building. School setting and classroom support. Telehealth therapy competency and program development. Clinical supervision competency. Effects of sibling loss on family dynamics, roles, and relationships throughout the life span. Program evaluation and quality process/policy improvement.

Academic Credentials

Academic Credentials

Biography

Michael Smith joined the U.S. Air Force as a security policeman during the Vietnam and Cold War eras. He completed an associate degree in criminal justice while on active duty at the University of Great Falls in Montana. He continued his collegiate and professional education while working 12-hour patrol shifts. Prof. Smith joined patrol operations and rose through the ranks – patrolman, sergeant, captain, officer in charge – before retiring as a chief. His past assignments covered a regional County S.W.A.T., DARE, radar, accident reconstruction, physical training, and firearms instructor. Prof. Smith attended the FBI National Academy in Quantico, Virginia, graduating as a member of the 209th session. He is a past-president of the Gloucester County Police Chiefs Association and remains active in the association, even after his retirement. 

Prof. Smith has worked with civilian educators, businesses owners, and law enforcement support organizations to make presentations on behalf of officer awareness, terrorism and bioterrorism, domestic violence, and police/community relations, As chief, he and his administrative staff officers worked on local and regional “large scale” security projects that affected law enforcement funding for critical infrastructure protection. 

Prof. Smith taught as adjunct faculty for more than 18 years before securing his current full-time instructor position with Keuka College. He relinquished his certification with the New Jersey State Police Training Commission as an instructor after serving for 32 years (without compensation). He has attended and participated in executive leadership exchange development seminars over several years, visiting London, the Greater Manchester Police, the Garda Academy in Templemore, Ireland, and The Police College in Scotland. 

Prof. Smith is also a life member of the International Association Chiefs of Police (IACP) and has been a member of the FBI National Academy Associates joining three different chapters: The New Jersey and Eastern Pennsylvania chapters and, currently, the Eastern Canada and New York chapter. 

His military, law enforcement, career development, professional educational experience and academic teaching span a total of 48 years.

Professional Interests

Prof. Smith is dedicated to improving the level of professionalism, ethical and moral commitment, accountability, integrity, dedication, and expertise of those who demand more of themselves, while seeking to improve individual purpose and achieve organizational excellence. He remains connected and continues to offer his knowledge and practitioner experience and diverse knowledge to his students at Keuka College. He offers students the ability to recognize and understand their new role(s) in a society that is changing far more rapidly than anyone can keep pace with … organizationally, professionally, politically, and economically.

Academic Credentials

Academic Credentials