Staff

Leonissa Johnson has worked as a school counselor and educator since 2005. She earned her Bachelor of Arts in History from Hampton University in 2001, and a Master of Arts in School Counseling from North Carolina Central University in 2005. Upon graduation, she earned her school counselor certification, and served as a school counselor in South Carolina in the Florence School District One school system from; the Metro Nashville Public School System in Nashville, TN; and the Cobb County School System in in Cobb County. In 2012, Dr. Johnson earned her Doctor of Philosophy in Counseling and Student Services from the University of Georgia. While at UGA, she had the privilege of studying abroad in the Monte Verde region of Costa Rica and completing English as a Second Language coursework. Additionally, she earned her National Certified Counselor credential. Dr. Johnson’s research examines the experiences of school counselors and counselors-in-training as they identify needs, build relationships with and develop interventions for Linguistically Diverse Students. Additionally, Dr. Johnson explores the experiences of diverse students in counseling and other related preparation programs. Dr. Johnson is currently an Assistant Professor at Clark Atlanta University and teaches counseling foundations and school counseling courses. Dr. Johnson is also the Director of the HBCU Center for Excellence in Behavioral Health and its key initiative, HBCU Career, Awareness, Recruitment, and Engagement Services for Behavioral Health (HBCU C.A.R.E.S.). These programs aim to connect students to the resources and support they need on their career journeys. Dr. Johnson enjoys serving as a teacher, scholar, mentor, and community change agent.

Charles Jenkins is the Program Manager for HBCU C.A.R.E.S. Raised in the outskirts of Atlanta, GA, he earned a Bachelor of Science in Psychology from Morehouse College and a Master of Arts in Clinical Psychology from Fisk University. He previously served as the Archival Internship Coordinator and in-house Researcher at the King Library & Archives (The King Center). Charles has also served as a Mental Health and Substance Abuse Therapist at the Lloyd C. Elam Mental Health Center in Nashville, TN. He has held several appointments providing academic support for undergraduate college students and has a passion for helping others. His areas of interest/research interests include biblio and poetry therapy, archives-based social justice research, John Henryism, and diversity and group dynamics in the workplace.

Lindsey Sims is a counselor-in-training at Clark Atlanta University. She earned a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from Lee University in Cleveland, Tennessee and she is working toward a Master of Arts in Clinical Mental Health Counseling. She has a heart for those who feel as though their presence and voice don’t have an impact and she wants to empower them as best she can. She is also passionate about breaking the stigma behind going to counseling and talking about the importance of mental health.