Sha-Lai Williams received her Ph.D. from the Brown School, Washington University in St. Louis in 2013.  Her research interests include cultural competence among social work and helping professionals and racial/ethnic disparities in access to and utilization of quality mental health services, focusing on African Americans and emerging adults. Prior to pursuing her doctoral degree, Ms. Williams gained over twelve years of practical experience in residential care facilities, non-profit agencies, and private practice. She provided direct clinical practice to individuals, families, and groups affected by mental illness. She was a licensed clinical social worker for over ten years, and she served as a supervisor to provisionally licensed clinical social workers in North Carolina for three years. Ms. Williams received her M.S.W. from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and her B.S.W. from North Carolina State University. 

As an assistant professor in the School of Social Work at the University of Missouri-St. Louis, Dr. Williams teaches social work practice and human behavior courses, utilizing her expertise as an accomplished facilitator of several nationally recognized training curricula and her experience teaching masters-level courses at the Brown School. 

Research Interests: Include cultural competence among social work and helping professionals and racial/ethnic disparities in access to and utilization of quality mental health services, with an emphasis on African Americans and emerging adults.