SMART Center
About the SMART Center
Mission
The mission of the SMART Research, Training, and Treatment Center is to develop scholarly research in the field, provide competency-based professional training and consultation to the community, provide training in higher education to support the workforce development of this growing field, provide effective, evidence-based therapeutic interventions, and advance the responsible use of technology in school-based and mental health practice. The mission of the program is to provide easily accessible and affordable support services for tele-behavioral health in the region.
Check out our video about the SMART Center below.
Meet the Team
The SMART Center providers currently include 2 Tennessee licensed clinical social
workers (LCSW), 2 Tennessee licensed school social workers, 1 master of social worker,
and 5 graduate level interns, who are organized into treatment teams led by a clinical
supervisor/ faculty member. All clinical supervisors, Tennessee LCSWs with over 20
years of post-graduate experience, hold faculty appointments in the University of
Memphis School of Social Work. Our clinical team expands with the needs of the community.
We are always growing our clinical team and program.
Dr. Susan Elswick
Director, SMART Center
selswick@memphis.edu
View Profile >
In June 2020, Dr. Susan Elswick received funding from the Urban Child Institute and
The University of Memphis Institute for Interdisciplinary Memphis Partnerships to
Advance Community Transformation (iIMPACT) to develop a tele-behavioral health training
and treatment program for the region due to the impact of COVID-19 pandemic on the
mental health service delivery in the region. With this seed funding, Dr. Elswick
launched the School Mental Health Access to Resources through Telehealth (SMART).
Dr. Susan Elswick, SMART Center Director, has over 20 years of clinical mental health experience that includes community mental health, case management, residential programming, ABA-based programming, school-based programming, parent coaching, integrated behavioral health, infant mental health, and home-based services. Her research interests include the use of evidence-based behavioral interventions for addressing client’s needs, the use of expressive art therapies/ experiential therapies in the field of social work practice, and the use of informatics and technology in the field of social work.
Debbie Trimble, MSW, LSSW
SMART Center Coordinator
dtrimble@memphis.edu
Debbie joined the SMART Center clinic in 2022 as a Bachelor of Social Work intern. She completed her BSW in the fall of 2023 and continued with the clinic as a Graduate Assistant while pursuing her Master of Social Work degree. In 2025, she graduated with her MSW, became a licensed school social worker, and now serves as the clinic’s Coordinator.
Debbie is an Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) trainer and a Question, Persuade, Refer (QPR) trainer. She has certified training in Bounce Back and the Cognitive Behavioral Intervention for Trauma in Schools (CBITs) program. She is also actively working toward certification in Baby Safe Court, Child-Parent Psychotherapy (CPP), Parent-Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT), and Play Therapy.
Debbie brings remarkable dedication and a strong sense of empathy to her work. She consistently goes above and beyond to ensure that children, families, and staff feel welcomed and supported. Her leadership, reliability, and genuine passion for serving the community make her an exceptional Coordinator and a deeply valued member of the SMART Center team.
Clinical Staff
Melissa Hirschi, PhD, LCSW
Dr. Melissa Hirschi is Assistant Professor of Social Work at the University of Memphis. She received her MSW from Boston University in 2007 and her joint sociology and social work PhD from Boston University in 2017. She is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) and has extensive practice experience working with members of disadvantaged and marginalized communities such as formerly homeless and incarcerated women, individuals living with mental illness, first responders, providing health clinic social work services to individuals and families, and as a clinical caseworker with the Division of Child and Family Services in Utah.
Interns
The SMART Center clinical interns are provided training, supervision, and on-going support in the processes of tele-behavioral health best practices and solid clinical training in the most successful evidence-based interventions for children and youth.
Brittany Clements, MSW
Bailey Hooper, MSW
Brooke Lillard, MSW
Madison Presley, MSW
Jonni Schmidt, MSW
IN LOVING MEMORY AND HONOR OF CHRISTY
Christy Peterson
SMART Center Coordinator
In January 2025, the SMART Center mourned the loss of a friend and an invaluable colleague,
Christy. Those who had the opportunity to meet Christy were instantly touched by her
uplifting spirit and genuine enthusiasm for life.
Christy served not only as the SMART Center’s coordinator but also as a dedicated mentor to the interns who trained with us. Her kindness, sincerity, and unwavering willingness to help others made her an exceptional presence within our clinic.
Her contributions to community outreach were significant, and she was a passionate advocate for individuals who could not advocate for themselves. Christy’s impact, both within our clinic and in the broader community, will be deeply and lovingly remembered daily.