Home

Roger F. Suclupe, MSW, LCSW, is the BSW Program Director and Clinical Associate Professor in School of Social Work at UNC Charlotte. He earned his MSW from The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and BA in Psychology from Appalachian State University. He is licensed in the state of North Carolina as a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and has been practicing in clinical settings for over 23 years. His interest in the clinical and research field includes working with children and individuals who have experienced complex trauma (physical abuse, sexual abuse, and neglect), families who have adopted, vulnerable populations in the school system, Latinx communities, the intersection of Latinx communities and health/mental wellness, Latinx communities and access to services, community based participatory research ,children and families involved in higher level of care (psychiatric residential treatment), grief and loss (children, adolescents and parents), child/adolescent/adult mental wellness, cultural awareness, humility, and inclusion in social work practice, creating and increasing social capital through social mobility, and creating healthy and thriving communities.

Professor Suclupe previously served as the Co-Director of the CommUniversity and was a member of ARCHES (Academy for Research on Community Health, Engagement, and Services). He has taught in both the BSW and MSW programs.

Professor Suclupe has been an administrator in several clinical capacities as a Clinical Supervisor of Outpatient Services, Clinical Supervisor of Psychiatric Residential Treatment Facility services and Clinical Program Marketing Manager. He is involved with the community engaging with agencies that make a difference in the lives of children, adults and families from a mental health advocacy perspective. He has served as a board and committee member for Mental Health America and volunteered at Thompson Child and Family Focus. Professor Suclupe helped start the Hola Neighbor Program which helps provide resources and support for the Latinx community through Community Health Ambassadors. He is part of a several research teams through urbanCORE to help discover strategic ways to connect the Latinx and Black communities in the Hidden Valley area and the Central Avenue/Albermale Road corridor for economic equity and social mobility.

For the past 14 years, he has been in private practice providing clinical therapy, contract work and consulting for area agencies.  Some of his work includes facilitating grief groups for parents who’ve experienced the loss of a child and for children who have experienced the loss of a loved one at Kindermourn, served as Bilingual/Bicultural Consultant for Pat’s Place Child Advocacy Center, and served as a consultant for organizations such as the Foundations For The Carolinas, El Puente Hispano, and Cabarrus Health Alliance.

Professor Suclupe has had the privilege of presenting and moderating at several local, state and national conferences on topics related to Cultural Inclusion, Vicarious Trauma and Self Care, Veteran’s Healthcare, Latinx Communities, and Social Work and Ethics. He also co-hosted two podcast about social change and awareness, The Helping Hands of Our Community and currently cohosts The Common Good Data Podcast https://www.commongooddata.com/podcastLinks to an external site.

Education

  • Master of Social Work- The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 2002, MSW
  • Bachelor of Arts- Appalachian State University, 1996, Psychology

Teaching

  • Undergraduate Courses:
    • SOWK 1511 The Field of Social Work
    • SOWK 2182 HBSE I
    • SOWK 2183 HBSE II
    • SOWK 3133 Community Engagement and Outreach
    • SOWK 3199 Ethics, Professionalism, and Communication
    • SOWK 3181 Practice Methods I
    • SOWK 3182 Practice Methods II
    • SOWK 3184 Practice Methods III
    • SOWK 4106 Social Work Practice with Latino Communities
  • Graduate Courses Taught:
    • SOWK Advanced Interpersonal Practice with Groups and Families
    • SOWK Social Work Practice: Theories and Skills
    • SOWK Advanced Interpersonal Practice with Individuals
    • SOWK Mental Health Assessment
    • SOWK Advanced Social Work Practice with Individuals
    • SOWK Advanced Social Work Practice with Groups
    • SOWK Mental Health Assessment hybrid course (PT program)
    • SOWK Social Work Practice: Theories and Skills hybrid course (PT program)
    • SOWK Advanced Social Work Practice with Individuals hybrid course (PT program)
    • SOWK Social Work Practice with Latinx Communities (MSW)
    • SOWK Advanced Social Work Practice with Groups hybrid course(PT program)

Research Interests/Areas of Expertise

  • Community engagement and research with Latinx communities
  • Health and mental wellness, holistic approaches to healthy and thriving communities
  • Group grief/loss work
  • Social work and sports; social work and pop culture

Awards & Honors

  • Chancellor’s Diversity Grant Challenge Fund recipient- School of Social Work, 3rd Annual Latinx Mental Health Summit for 2018-2019.
  • Behavioral Health Workforce Education and Training for Professionals and Paraprofessionals, HRSA Grant Team submission. September 2017.
  • Chancellor’s Diversity Grant Challenge Fund recipient- Academy for Veterans and Military Health (for Feb 2018).
  • Chancellor’s Diversity Grant Challenge Fund recipient- School of Social Work, 2 nd Annual Latinx Mental Health Summit (for 2017-2018) “Embracing Familismo”.
  • Chancellor’s Diversity Grant Challenge Fund recipient- School of Social work and College of Education/Counseling Department, 1st Annual Latinx Mental Health Summit, (for April 2017).
  • Chancellor’s Diversity Grant Challenge Fund recipient- Academy for Veteran and Military Health, “Joining Forces for Veterans Health and Reintegration” for February 2017.
  • Chancellor’s Diversity Grant Challenge Fund recipient– Academy for Veteran and Military Health, Military Culture: “Have You Ever Served” Conference, March 2016.
  • Faculty Excellence Award in Diversity 2017.
  • Office of Disability Faculty Award 2017.
  • Faculty Excellence Award in Graduate Teaching 2015.
  • Field Instructor of the Year Nominee 2013.

Community Involvement

  • Anthony Morrow Charities Mental Health Committee Chair (January 2019- present)
  • UCity Family Zone Team Member (August 2018- present)
  • Camino Community Center Executive Team (March 2016-present)
  • Mental Health America of the Central Carolinas, Board of Directors (7/2016-1/2018)
  • Mental Health America of the Central Carolinas, Advocacy and Policy Committee Member (1/2015-present)
  • Member, NC Regional Board for Thompson (8/2014- present)
  • Volunteer, Thompson (8/2014-present)
  • Kindermourn grief group facilitator (May 2015- present)
  • Pat’s Place Child Advocacy Center bilingual/bicultural consultant (November 2017- present)

Selected Publications

  • Revens, K.E., Reynolds, A., Suclupe, R.F., Rifkin, C., Pierce, T. (2018) Taking the first step: How programs responding to a growing Latino population can prepare social work students through learning for advocacy (LFA). Journal of Teaching in Social Work, Special Issue- Preparing Bilingual, Bicultural Social Workers to Serve the Growing Latino Population in America.

Presentations

  • National Presentations
    • Suclupe, R.F., Benitiez, C., Wayne, K. (2019, June). The Need for Grief Group Work with Latinx Communities. Oral presentation. International Association of Social Work with Groups Symposium, at NYU, New York, NY.
    • Revens, K.E., Castillo, G., Arias, A., Vasquez-Huot, L., Diaz, M., Price, R., Pascual, W. Suclupe, R.F., Olivia, A., Nystrum, G., DeHaven, M.J (2019, April). The influence of Latinx culture on resilience and psychological distress. Resilience Con 2019, Nashville, TN.
    • Revens, K., Castillo, G., Arias A., Vasquez-Huot, L., Diaz, M., Price, R., Pascual, W., Suclupe, R.F., Olivia, A., Nystrum, G., DeHaven, M. (2019, March). Overcoming perceived obstacles to conduct research in a Latino immigrant community. Poster presented at the Society of Behavioral Medicine 40th Annual Meeting & Scientific Sessions: Leading the Narrative.
    • Revens, K., Gutierrez, D., Diaz, M. Suclupe, R., Chin, P., Price , R., Pascual , W., DeHaven, M., (2018 November). The Communiversity: A Community and University partnership, Poster presented at the 2018 Annual Meeting of the American Public Health Association, San Diego, CA.
    • Revens, K.E., Reynolds, A., Suclupe, R., Pierce, T., Rifkin, C. (2018, November). “You can never understand a culture until you experience it”: How an experiential learning course prepared students for future practices with Latino communities through learning for advocacy (LFA). Poster presented at the Annual Meeting of the American Public Health Association, San Diego, CA.
    • Suclupe, R.F., Revens, K.E. (2018, March). Taking the first steps: How programs responding to a growing Latino population can prepare social work students through learning for advocacy (LFA). Oral presentation at the Latino Social Worker Organization 2018 Annual Conference, Seattle, WA.
    • Suclupe, R.F., Revens, K.E., Reynolds, A., Gutierrez, D., DeHaven, M.J. (2018, February) Puentes Para Todos- The Need for Latino Mental Health Services: Evaluating a Current Community Program. Oral presentation at the 40 th Annual Cross Cultural Conference, The Action Council for Cross Cultural Mental Health and Human Services. Myrtle Beach, SC.
    • DeHaven, M.J., Gutierrez, D., Revens, K.E., Interiano, C., Benitez, C., Gil-Rivas, V., Peterman, A., Suclupe, R., Pascual, W. (2017, March). Improving Community Based Mental Health Treatment for Latino Immigrants. Poster presented at the 2017 Annual Meeting of the Society of Behavioral Medicine, San Diego, CA.
    • Suclupe, R.F. (2016, October) Vicarious Trauma and Self Care in Social Work. Oral presentation at the Latino Social Worker Organization Fall 2016 Conference, Chicago, IL.
  • Regional/State Presentations
    • Suclupe, R.F., Wayne, K. (2019, March). Grief, Loss and Latinx Communities. Oral Presentation. 3 rd Annual Latinx Mental Health Summit, LatinxTalk. Charlotte, NC.
    • Suclupe, R.F., Revens, K.E., Gutierrez, D., Benitez, C., DeHaven, M. (2017, May). Puentes Para Todos: The Need for Latino Mental Health Services: Evaluating a Current Community Program. Oral presentation at the 2017 Mental Health America of Eastern Carolina Regional Conference. Greenville, NC.
    • Revens, K.E., Benetiz, C., Gutierrez, D., Suclupe, R.F., Peterman, A., DeHaven, M.J. (2017, March). Tu No Estas Solo: Program Evaluation. Oral presentation presented at the 2017 Graduate Research Symposium of the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, Charlotte, NC.
    • Rifkin, C., Pierce, T., Suclupe, R.F. (2016, February). Hispanic/Latino Mental Health Services Team Concept. Faculty support for the UNC System Social Entrepreneurship Conference/Social Change Entrepreneurship Competition, Greensboro NC.
    • Suclupe, R.F. (2015, March). Vicarious Traumatization and Self Care: You take care of others but who takes care of YOU?. Oral presentation at the Southern College Health Association Spring 2015 Conference, Concord, NC.
    • Suclupe, R.F., Basarti, A., Douglas, H. (2014, November). Things that make you say “Hmm”: Promoting Ethical Practice. Oral presentation at the National Association of Social Workers North Carolina Chapter Fall 2014 Conference, Asheville, NC.