Biography

Nikayla (she/her/Ms) joined the Center for Behavioral Health and Justice as a Research Assistant in 2021. Nikayla discovered her passion as an advocate for justice-involved individuals during her undergraduate studies and has been working in the nexus between social work and criminal justice for the past several years. Prior to the CBHJ, Nikayla held numerous positions at Criminal Justice Ministry, a reentry non-profit in St. Louis. Nikayla also worked as a Case Manager at a homeless shelter and as a Research Assistant for the Center of Social Development’s Smart Decarceration Initiative where her primary role was collecting data from St. Louis City’s Circuit Attorney’s misdemeanor and felony diversion programs. Nikayla is very grateful to be a part of the CBHJ’s Jail Diversion Stepping Up project.

Responsibilities

Nikayla leads Stepping Up technical assistance in several counties across Michigan. She serves as the primary liaison within counties, navigating relationships between systems and county partners including behavioral health providers, community mental health, and county jails. Nikayla implements technical assistance, evaluation design, and data collection including data collection processes, process mapping, identification of data points, collection methods, entry, and reporting, surveys, and focus groups.

Degrees and Certifications

• Limited License Master of Social Worker (LLMSW) 
• MSW, Washington University in Saint Louis
• BSW, Eastern Michigan University

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