OUR STUDENTS AND ALUMNI

By Catherine Donnelly

Yvonne DuBois, MSW ’09, always knew she wanted to be a social worker.

As a child, she met several professionals after her family needed assistance. “I knew that I would become a helper, and social workers always seemed to be a balance of kindness and bravery, and of love and protection,” she says. “I wanted to have that same impact on others.”

After completing a degree in psychology at Norfolk State University, DuBois returned home for her social work degree. The UB School of Social Work was a natural fit. She envisioned becoming a therapist but realized during her studies that there was so much more to the field.

“As a Black woman with a trauma background, I knew that my presence, cultural knowledge and ability to navigate complex systems, along with my love for people, were my superpowers,” she says. “My early career was an exercise in the exploration of my potential. I thought I knew exactly what I wanted to do, but where I thrived surprised me. 

“Over a decade, I learned how to work with different communities, how to solicit the voices of marginalized populations, and how to center those voices when making decisions,” she continues. “My current role combines my love for that work with my need for organizational development, and I could not be more thankful to have found this niche.”

Now serving as the chief equity and inclusion officer at Child and Family Services (CFS) of Erie County, DuBois acknowledges that her social work background impacts every decision she makes. She finds it invigorating to be wholly committed to developing the diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging (DEIB) universe. 

“Every day at work, I recall a piece of my UB training,” she says. “The fundamental process from Interventions — to consider how the client thinks — is a tool I use constantly. Also, I have to say that the Diversity and Oppression class with Dr. Wooksoo Kim was influential in my experience, and anyone interested in DEI work should take it.”

There is no typical workday for DuBois, as CFS supports multiple agency-related services for organizations and children’s programs, including foster care, pediatric treatment facilities and the Stanley G. Falk School. In her role, she ensures the team is collectively creating an environment where everyone feels welcomed, respected and protected. She assists with hiring, curriculum development, staff education, community building and policy review to identify and eliminate racial disparities as CFS programs continue to evolve to meet their clients’ needs.

She is particularly proud of a new Leadership Development Program, developed in collaboration with leaders across the organization. The program helps to ensure equitable access to organizational knowledge by encouraging staff to share resources and information, and creating spaces for staff to discuss how identity and oppression impact the agency.

“I do my work trying to maintain an anti-racist, LGBTQ-visible and disability-aware environment. My lens for equitable access is widening every single day as I learn and grow in this field,” she says. “Social work, for me, is about loving people so deeply and fiercely that their success is our collective success.”