Dr. Shericka Smith

Dr. Shericka Smith, DSW, is a Lexington, Kentucky native dedicated to advancing student and community mental health. She spent over a decade as a school social worker with Fayette County Public Schools, serving at Booker T. Washington Elementary and her alma mater, Tates Creek High School, and was named Kentucky School Social Worker of the Year in 2016. She now serves as the district’s Mental Health Coordinator and Crisis Response Team Lead, collaborating with multidisciplinary school support teams to promote student well-being. Dr. Smith earned her Doctorate of Social Work from the University of Kentucky while continuing her professional work in schools, higher education, and private practice. Her research focuses on cultural trauma and disparities in mental health services, leading to the development of the Cultural Trauma Questionnaire to support more culturally responsive assessment and care.