Faculty & Staff
Faculty
Pam Alvarez is an Associate Professor of Instruction in the Department of Mental Health Law & Policy at the ßÙßÇÂþ». Dr. Alvarez joined the Department in 2024 and was previously a member of the faculty in the ßÙßÇÂþ» School of Social Work where she taught in the graduate and undergraduate programs. She now teaches general education courses and courses in the Behavioral Healthcare Major. Pam earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees in social work at the University of Wisconsin and a doctorate in management and organizational leadership from the University of Phoenix. Her doctoral dissertation explored social work leadership. Pam has also held various positions at the ßÙßÇÂþ» that include Adjunct Instructor, Interim Director of Field Education, Assistant Professor of Instruction, Associate Director, and Accreditation Specialist for the School of Social Work and now Associate Professor of Instruction.
Pam’s clinical experience has been dedicated to working with children, adolescents, and families. She has held clinical positions in community-based organizations and at Children’s Hospital of WI where she served as an Emergency Department Trauma Center social worker, a bereavement counselor, and as the Director of the Sudden Infant Death Center of Wisconsin (Milwaukee). For the last 25+ years, she has worked on the administrative and leadership side of child-serving systems, most recently serving as the President and CEO of BAYS Florida, a statewide, nonprofit, juvenile justice organization. For 12 years before accepting the CEO position, she owned a consulting firm that served nonprofit and governmental organizations through strategic planning, grant writing, program evaluation, and facilitation of collaborative projects. Previous community-based leadership positions include Director of Program Development at the Centre for Women (Tampa) and Director of Patient and Family Care Coordination at All Children’s Hospital (St. Petersburg).
Pam has served in several positions as a board member for the National Alliance of Nonprofits for Insurance, the Florida Juvenile Justice Association, the Smart Justice Alliance, the Hillsborough County Juvenile Justice Board, the Casey Foundation Juvenile Detention Alternatives Initiative, and the Ophelia Project of Tampa Bay. She was also appointed by two Florida Governors to the Mental Health Roundtable (MSD school shooting debriefing and planning) and Transition Teams (Juvenile Justice and Public Safety).
Education
BSW, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee
MSW, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee
DM, University of Phoenix
Research/Advocacy Interests
Social Work and Nonprofit Leadership
Social Justice
Juvenile Justice
Mental Health Wellness
The Science of Happiness and Mental Wellbeing