Dr. Lisa Adams-Qualls, is a full time Professor at Concordia University, where she also Co-chairs the University’s Diversity Equity and Inclusion Committee. She graduated from Capella University with a Doctoral Degree in Social Work. She obtained her Master’s Degree in Social Work at the University of Kentucky and received her Bachelor’s in Social Work from Tennessee State University. She also obtained a Masters in Educational Leadership from National Louis University.

Dr. Adams-Qualls is a dedicated Substance Abuse Counselor with over 10 years of experience helping individuals overcome addiction and reclaim their lives. Specializing in evidence-based treatment approaches, she provides compassionate support through individual and group counseling, relapse prevention strategies, and personalized recovery plans. With a strong background in trauma-informed care, cognitive-behavioral therapy, and harm reduction, Dr. Adams-Qualls is committed to empowering clients on their journey to long-term sobriety.

She also has over 25 years working in the primary, secondary, and higher education arenas. She started as a school social worker at the Milwaukee Academy of Science. She later moved to Illinois where she was a principal at Aurora Middle School Academy, an alternative school for behavioral youth located in Aurora, Illinois. After serving 6 years in Aurora, she returned to her home state to fill the position as Principal/Behavioral Intervention Supervisor for Racine Unified School District. In this role, Dr. Adams-Qualls was the principal of the Fresh Start day treatment program. Fresh Start is a Tier 3 intervention program for students struggling with behavior issues in the classroom due to social, emotional, and mental health issues that need to be addressed in a therapeutic setting. Dr. Adams-Qualls also had an active hand in the development and implementation of the New Beginnings Mental Health Clinics. These clinics are school-based with full time mental health therapists on-site. The goal was to break the barriers of child receiving mental health services.

She is an International Mental Health First Aid Instructor, Substance Abuse Counselor, Naloxone Administration State Certified Trainer, and Certified Clinical Trauma Professional.

She is a board member of The Chalk Board Project Africa. The Chalkboard Project Africa is a non-profit organization that supports the breakdown of educational systems in Accra, Ghana. The organization supports students through educational based programs. These programs are designed to support different age groups in forward thinking for generations to come. The program also supports teachers through training and coaching.

Dr. Adams-Qualls has presented at numerous conferences on various topics such as: The impact of maternal trauma on child social-emotional development, How Trauma Affects Child Development: What Educators Need to Know, School Based Mental Health Clinics: How Community Partnership Expand the Reach of Mental Health Services for Youth in Our Community.