Regina Lester-Harriat, LMSW

Assistant Professor in Residence

Regina Lester-Harriat, LMSW, is an assistant professor-in-residence at the University of Connecticut School of Social Work.  Her research and teaching interests center on trauma-informed practice with children and adolescents, emotional resilience, attachment theory, child and adolescent mental health, and the experiences of families of color.

Her scholarly and professional interests include the role of religion and spirituality in fostering emotional resilience among women, building resilience in children and adolescents, trauma-informed practice, and the application of attachment theory within families of color. She is particularly interested in understanding the factors that support positive youth development and strengthen the well-being of children, families, and communities.

She teaches in the Individuals, Groups, and Families Practice concentration and the Direct Practice in Schools course.

Ms. Lester-Harriat brings nearly two decades of professional experience as a school social worker in public, charter, and independent school settings. Throughout her career, she has worked closely with children, adolescents, families, and educators to address social, emotional, behavioral, and academic challenges. Her practice has focused on promoting resilience, supporting healthy development, and implementing evidence-informed interventions that help students thrive in school and beyond.

Ms. Lester-Harriat’s teaching emphasizes practical skill development, culturally responsive engagement, and strengths-based approaches to practice. She teaches courses in direct practice with individuals, groups, and families; school social work; trauma-informed practice; and clinical conditions affecting children and adolescents. Drawing on her extensive experience in educational settings, she prepares future social workers to address the complex needs of youth and families across diverse practice environments.

In addition to her teaching and practice experience, Ms. Lester-Harriat has contributed to scholarship on social work education and field instruction. She is co-author of the article “Triumphs and Travails of Building a Fully Online Social Work Field Evaluation System,” published in Field Educator, which examines the development and implementation of technology-supported approaches to social work field education.

A frequent presenter and invited speaker, Ms. Lester-Harriat has shared her expertise on trauma-informed practice, resilience, school-based interventions, and violence prevention with educators, social workers, and community stakeholders. Her presentations have included workshops on recognizing the signs and effects of trauma, building emotional resilience in children and adolescents, and supporting youth through evidence-based behavioral and social-emotional interventions. She has also served as a panelist for programs focused on violence prevention, social work career development, and intersectionality within the Black experience, including Yale University’s Black Solidarity Conference.

Before joining the faculty, Professor Lester-Harriat served as a long-standing field instructor for the UConn School of Social Work, mentoring and training future generations of social workers. She earned her MSW degree from the University of Connecticut, where she concentrated on Women and Children in Families, and holds a Bachelor of Business Administration in marketing from Howard University.

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