We're Not OK: A Community of Healing

In this episode, hosts Dr. Antija Allen and Justin T. Stewart, sit down with Dr. Steven Hoffler for an in-depth discussion on Black Tax and its ties to burnout for Black faculty.

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Dr. Steven Hoffler is an Associate Professor and currently serves as the Assistant Chairperson in the Department of Social Work at Southern Connecticut State University, where he teaches in the undergraduate and graduate programs. At Southern, he served as the Co-Chairperson of the university’s inaugural Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Advisory Council and as an advisor to BROSE, aka, the Brotherhood of Scholarship and Excellence, in which he was awarded Advisor of the Year in 2019 for his service and outreach to young men of color pursuing higher education. For the past few years, Dr. Hoffler has elevated his advocacy and consultation to addressing mental health issues and systemic racism in the criminal justice, child welfare, educational and healthcare systems and instituting restorative justice practices in these various
settings. 

Dr. Hoffler’s professional experience has included positions as a Mental Health Consultant for Yale Medical School and Hartford Hospital’s Institute of Living for their Juvenile Detention Program and for their Child, Adolescent and Young Adult Programs. His practice experience has included clinical, supervisory and administrative positions at Yale New Haven Hospital, Yale University’s School of Drama, the Connecticut Department of Children and Casey Family
Services (CFS).  Additionally, he served as the Project Director for the Center for Children’s Advocacy for the Deep End Diversion Program, where he was responsible for implementing the principles of restorative justice in Connecticut’s juvenile justice system. Subsequently, Dr.
Hoffler served as the Co-Evaluator with the Yale Consultation Center and issued a 130- page-report of its findings and recommendation and co-authored a 40-page book chapter  for Evaluation Research: Partnership Approaches for Community Change. Dr. Hoffler has taught at several universities and serves as a consultant for Connecticut’s Department of Children and Families and a DEI consultant for several healthcare and non-profit organizations, and education systems. 

Dr. Hoffler received his B.A. in History and MSW from the University of Connecticut and his Ph.D. from Smith College School for Social Work.  He serves on several advisory boards, holds several professional memberships and is a member of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc. In 2007,
he received the Achiever Award recognized by the University of Connecticut and the Connecticut Association of Educational Opportunity Programs (CAEOP) for his outstanding educational, community, and personal success. In 2019, he was awarded the 2019 Humanitarian Award by Senator Richard Blumenthal and the Connecticut Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday Commission.  Dr. Hoffler maintains a private practice in North Haven, CT and is the single father of a five-year-old son.