Dr. Myrlene Jean-Venant

Dr. Myrlene (Meer-len) Jean-Venant is a Black immigrant woman, heterosexual, Protestant, married, mother of two daughters, and a licensed independent social worker. Her journey began in Haiti, where she attended medical school before immigrating to the USA in 2005. She earned a Bachelor's in psychology at Umass Boston and a Master’s (MSW) and a doctorate (DSW) in Social Work at Simmons University. Her primary language is Haitian Creole. In the past decade, Dr. Jean-Venant has focused on supporting students with disabilities in various school settings. In addition to her school-based work, she runs a small private practice, providing services to adolescents and adults. Dr. Jean-Venant developed a facilitator-led Professional Development training on Learner-Centered Teaching Approaches Through a Trauma-Informed Lens for her doctorate dissertation. This training, which includes social justice components such as diversity, equity, inclusion, intersectionality, power analysis, and anti-racism [DEIPAR], is designed to close educational gaps for students with disabilities. She is committed to implementing this training to make a positive impact in the field of education. Dr. Jean-Venant teaches undergraduate and graduate social work students. She believes that all students can learn and thrives on making a difference in the lives of her students.