Officer Angela Matthews, LLMSW-clinical

Angela Matthews has 17 years of law enforcement experience and is an MSW graduate from Michigan State University. She holds a limited license as a clinical social worker and is currently employed full time as a first responder. She consults for an organization that conducts school threat assessments, is an adjunct instructor for a police academy, an instructor at the Michigan Law Enforcement Youth Academy, and has a private clinical practice.

Angela has experience working for an employee assistance program that specialized with short term counseling of first responders. She has extensive training in crisis intervention, is certified through the International Association of Hostage Negotiators, and is an ACE (Adverse Childhood Experiences) Champion through the Michigan ACE Initiative. Additionally, she is on the CSWE Military and First Responder Track and was a 2020 CSWE presenter and the 2020 NASW MSU MSW Student of the Year. She has knowledge and experience working with military populations and specializes in moral injury, grief, and trauma.

She is a member of her agency’s peer support unit and is CISM/CISD trained. Previously, she served as a member on a youth suicide prevention coalition. She currently serves as a peer support and resilience coach for a veteran/first responder organization.