School of Social Work

Rayelle previously attended Sacramento City College, where she received her Associate of Arts in psychology before continuing on, receiving a Bachelor of Arts in psychology from Trinity International University. In 2020, Rayelle also completed her Master of Social Work program from Simmons School of Social Work.

Post-M.S.W., Rayelle worked as a clinical social worker providing multi-systemic therapy to families and youth at risk of out-of-home placement and substance use. She continued to practice in the state of Colorado, working as a mental health therapist at a counseling and autism center. Rayelle has also spent time working with military families as a military family life counselor at a local elementary and high school.

Rayelle’s interests include researching cultural adaptations of community-based interventions for underserved communities. Rayelle hopes to understand how community engagement influences intervention implementation and how community can function as a mediator of both interventions and implementation strategies.

In her free time, Rayelle’s interests include competitively playing basketball with her husband, traveling with her siblings, spending time with her nieces and nephews, collecting plants and listening to music.

Areas of interest

• Adolescent and Youth Development
• Child Welfare
• Communities and Neighborhoods
• Community-Based Participatory Research
• Family
• Inequality, Poverty and Social Welfare Policy
• Mental Health
• Race and Ethnicity
• Social Work Practice

Education and credentials

M.S.W., Simmons School of Social Work
B.S., Trinity International University
A.A., Sacramento Community College

View Rayelle Ross' curriculum vitae.