Tonyalea Elam, MSW, LCSW

Tonyalea Elam is a Child Welfare Scholar Coordinator and Instructor at Southeastern Louisiana University for 10 years. She received her masters and clinical licensing credentials while working at Southeastern. Mrs. Elam is a graduate of Southern University at New Orleans where she received her Bachelors and Masters degrees. She came to Southeastern with Real World Ready knowledge of child welfare due to her almost 20 years career at the Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS). Having worked nearly every program and ending her career at state office in an administrative role, she is able to bring a myriad of experiences to students on the topic of child welfare and the overall dynamics of working at DCFS. She mentors and guides students through the process of becoming a scholar/intern at DCFS.

Mrs. Elam is a Trust Based Relational Intervention (TBRI) practitioner. Mrs. Elam continues to present at local Social Work conferences. Some of the topics presented includes Social Work Ethics, Collaborative Work at DCFS, Former Foster Youth panels, and Healing Bonds (Attachment). She has also presented at the Title IV-E Roundtable in Alabama and have been invited as a keynote speaker at the Alabama Social Work conference.

Tonyalea Elam's expertise is in the arena of working with children and families through trauma to a place of healing and functionality.