Our Directors and Affiliates

Susan A. Green, LCSW, is a clinical professor at the UB School of Social Work. She is certified as an EMDR therapist and in Advanced Critical Incident Stress Management and Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. Susan teaches or has taught courses in social work interventions with children, adults, families, groups and communities; trauma theory and treatment; risk and resilience; and diversity. She is committed to the integration of theory with practice as she combines full-time teaching and training with clinical practice. Susan has been working with various groups and individuals for more than 20 years as both a special educator and social worker.

Email: sagreen@buffalo.edu

Samantha is co-director of ITTIC, as well as a trainer and consultant on various projects. She is a graduate of the UB School of Social Work and a current EdD doctoral student at Marymount University. Samantha has many years of experience working with staff in organizations and systems to become more trauma-informed in their work. She is passionate about trauma-informed leadership, workforce wellness and helping organizations and systems plan for, implement and sustain trauma-informed culture change. 

Megan is a project/office manager and trainer at ITTIC and an adjunct professor in UB's Social Sciences Interdisciplinary Program, teaching Violence and the Family. She holds a master's in urban planning from the UB School of Architecture and Planning, specializing in community and neighborhood planning. Megan's interests focus on the effects of historical and institutional trauma and how they play out at the city, community and individual level. One day, Megan hopes to see how trauma-informed cities can help fight against the adverse effects of trauma and adverse community environments. 

Tina is the part-time assistant director with ITTIC and is responsible for strategic planning, communications, contract management, leadership development and trauma-informed care training. Tina comes to ITTIC from her long-time role as the CEO of Connecting Communities in Action, a trauma-informed human services organization serving Western New York. She is deeply committed to creating trauma-informed networks and resilient communities. 

Jangmin Kim, PhD, is an assistant professor in the UB School of Social Work. He joined the ITTIC team in 2023 as a research consultant. His research interests center around macro practice, working with organizations and communities, particularly within child welfare and other systems of care for children, youth and families. Drawing from a social justice perspective, his recent research focuses on the development of trauma-informed organizations to address workers' secondary traumatic stress and enhance their safety and well-being. In addition, his interests extend to building trauma-informed collaboration that brings multiple systems together to promote system changes and provide effective services that improve the well-being of children, youth and families who have experienced historical trauma and oppression.

Thomas Nochajski is a retired research professor from the UB School of Social Work. He has over 30 years of research experience and has been a principal investigator or co-PI on several NIH- and foundation-funded grants. His work focuses on all aspects of the prevention of alcohol and drug problems, including how mental health and other behavioral risk factors influence treatment and prevention outcomes. Nochajski also has experience with instrument development around screening and assessment issues for various groups. He has engaged in numerous evaluations of existing programs, including drug courts, mental health programs, drinking driver programs, substance use treatment and other programs for criminal justice groups. His most recent work focuses on trauma and trauma-informed care.

Email: thn@buffalo.edu