Dr. Raheem Lay, DSW, LCSW-S
Therapist
USAF Academy,Colorado
Summary
Student-centered Adjunct Professor with expertise in Social Work and Applied Behavioral Science. Offers 3-year background delivering online instruction, developing competency-based assignments, and assessing student learning outcomes. Dedicated to fostering professional identity formation and preparing students for ethical and effective practic
Overview
22
22
years of professional experience
1
1
Certification
Work History
Military Family Life Counselor (Supervisor)
Leidos Health
Colorado Springs, CO
12.2025 - Current
- Supervise and provide clinical oversight for 28+ Military Family Life Counselors supporting service members, families, and military communities across multiple locations.
- Ensure MFLC staff maintain compliance with Department of Defense policies, ethical standards, documentation requirements and mandated reporting procedures.
- Provide leadership, consultations and case guidance involving high risk situations, crisis response, duty to warn concerns and complex behavioral health presentations.
- Coordinate with military leadership, installation agencies, chaplains, medical personnel, and community partners to strengthen behavioral health support and mission readiness.
- Mentor counselors in clinical decision making professional development, emotional regulation strategies, and effective engagement wit military populations.
Adjunct Distance Learning Instructor (Part Time)
Unity University
Maine, United States
01.2023 - Current
- Deliver high-quality instruction for online introduction to Psychology and Sociology course, ensuring that students receive a comprehensive understanding of fundamental psychological concepts.
- Develop and update course materials, including lectures, assignments, and assessments, to maintain relevance and effectiveness in a digital learning environment.
- Foster student engagement and active participation through discussion forums, virtual office hours, and feedback on assignments.
- Employ various instructional technologies and learning management systems to facilitate.
- Adapt teaching strategies to accommodate diverse learning styles and promote inclusivity within the virtual classroom.
- Evaluate student performance, providing constructive feedback and assessment of their comprehension and application of psychology principles.
- Collaborate with fellow instructors and academic staff to enhance course content and align curriculum with established learning objectives.
- Stay current with advancement in online teaching methodologies and incorporate best practices to continually improve the quality of instruction.
Dialectical Behavioral Therapist (DBT) (Full Time)
Veterans Affairs (VA) Mental Health Clinic
Audie Murphy VA San Antonio (JBSA), Texas, United States
12.2023 - 12.2025
- Provide evidence-based Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) to 350+ veterans diagnosed with Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD), facilitating individual therapy sessions and skills training groups.
- Conduct comprehensive assessments to accurately diagnose Borderline Personality Disorder and differentiate between other mental health conditions, ensuring precise treatment planning.
- Develop and implement individualized treatment plans, tailored to address the unique emotional regulation, distress tolerance, and interpersonal effectiveness needs of each veteran.
- Collaborate with an interdisciplinary team of psychiatrists, psychologists, social workers, and other mental health professionals to ensure cohesive and effective care for complex patient cases.
- Facilitate weekly DBT skills groups, guiding veterans through modules such as mindfulness, emotion regulation, distress tolerance, and interpersonal effectiveness.
- Monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of the DBT program, adjusting therapeutic interventions as necessary to enhance clinical outcomes and patient satisfaction.
- Provide crisis intervention and stabilization services, employing DBT techniques to manage acute emotional distress and suicidal ideation among veterans.
- Maintain detailed and accurate clinical documentation, including progress notes, treatment plans, and assessment reports, ensuring compliance with VA standards and confidentiality regulations.
- Offer psychoeducation and training to veterans and their families, increasing their understanding of Borderline Personality Disorder and fostering a supportive recovery environment.
- Engage in program development initiatives within the DBT program, contributing to the design and implementation of new therapeutic interventions and improving service delivery for veteran populations.
S.W. Supervisor/Mental Health Flight Commander
Air Force
San Antonio, Texas, United States
09.2019 - 12.2023
- Led. daily operations, personnel management and mission execution for a multidisciplinary behavioral health flight supporting active duty members, dependents, and command teams.
- Supervised clinical staff, coordinated high risk case management, and advised senior leadership on behavioral health concerns impacting readiness, fitness for duty and operational effectiveness.
- Directed program oversight, resource allocation=, and interagency collaboration while ensuring compliance with Air Force standards, medical policies and patient care requirements
- Head a diverse team of 32 mental health providers, technicians, and GS/Civilian personnel, thereby coordinating the delivery of consultation, education, prevention, and environmental manipulation, and promoting maximum benefits from these services.
- Teach, supervise, and mentor 4 unlicensed clinical social workers as the direct residency director.
- Train and guide 11 enlisted members, ensuring their professional growth and development, and portraying solid leadership skills.
- Successfully coordinate programs by partnering with the faculty, clinical preceptors, and all individuals or disciplines involved.
- Monitor and update training items, endorsing combat readiness for flight members, while spearheading 737 training platforms, teaching a pre-exposure preparation course to 217 combat service members, and designing 4 Certified Empathy Course (SNCOs).
- Liaise with coworkers to set and accomplish goals while identifying and addressing issues related to behavioral health services.
- Organize and lead quarterly face-to-face Mental Health Assessment training for all mission commanders and first sergeants.
Family Advocacy Program Manager
Air Force
Ramstein, GE
09.2016 - 09.2019
- Managed an assorted team of 26 family advocacy staff and 47 volunteers, delivering in-depth training and mentoring, ensuring the provision of consultation, education, prevention, and environmental manipulation, and drawing out maximum benefits at all times.
- Utilized available community resources while engaging youth in pro-social activities and helping families to access these services.
- Explored basic personality structures, behavior patterns, the mechanisms and symptoms of the maltreatment and the underlying causes and consequences to individuals, couples, or families in abusive relationships, while leveraging key communication skills.
- Maintained full professional responsibility for assigned cases presenting a wide range of psychosocial and behavioral problems.
- Ran routine psychosocial diagnoses and clinical assessments, while performing risk assessment and safety planning of referred individuals, couples or families, and treating psychosocial conditions through social casework and appropriate type of therapy.
Alcohol & Drug Abuse Prevention and Treatment Dire
Air Force
Pyontec, South Korea
08.2013 - 09.2016
- Coordinated the busiest substance abuse program in the Air Force, while leading a team of 15 staff, directing the training of 9 alcohol or drug counselors, and advising more than 40 base leaders on Air Force alcohol harm reduction and substance use policy.
- Distributed comprehensive mental health services worth $406, 000 a year, across 17 units with an average of 17, 000 beneficiaries.
- Managed base suicide prevention program, while substituting as a base mental health sexual response consultant as needed.
- Evaluated drug and alcohol patients, providing interventions to manage active physical and psychological withdrawal symptoms.
- Conducted psychosocial assessments, identifying, and addressing individual needs and specific social services, creating appropriate treatment goals based on individual diagnosis and history, and conducting individual/group therapy sessions for outpatient clients.
- Reviewed ongoing care plans to evaluate effectiveness, document interventions and goal achievements, as well as suggest changes.
Behavioral Health Optimization Program Manager
Air Force
Fairfield, CA
08.2011 - 08.2013
- Delivered behavioral health leadership to 27 physicians across 4 medical clinics to more than 43, 000 military beneficiaries and 1 geographically separated unit for the Air Force's flagship medical center, thereby exhibiting profound management skills.
- Provided comprehensive individual, marital and group interventions, and psychological services to outpatient mental health clients.
- Led 12 behavioral health providers and residents, thus managing outreach and prevention initiatives, as well as providing afterhours mental health emergency consultation and evaluations.
Mental Health Social Worker
12.2003 - 08.2011
- Counseled service branch commanders on mental health issues, conducting fitness for duty/disability and special duty evaluations.
- Delivered appropriate crisis intervention as well as therapeutic and/or substance abuse services to emotionally disturbed child, adolescent, or adult patients within the community, conducting safety and risk assessments, and interviewing or evaluating clients.
- Presented outpatient mental health assessment/intervention to 43, 000 military beneficiaries at Air Force's largest Mobility base.
Education
Doctorate of Social Work -
Suzanne Dworak-Peck School of Social Work, University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA12-2021
Masters of Social Work -
University of Tennessee
Knoxville, TNBachelors of Social Work -
University of Mississippi
Oxford, MSSkills
- Blackboard/Asynchronous Use
- Schedule and Task Management
- Personnel Management
- Clinical Therapy Practices
- Staff Supervision
- Asynchronous Material Utilization
- Synchronous Material Familiarity
- Digital Blackboard Utilization
- Group Psychotherapy
- Records Management
Accomplishments
• Instructed over 120 students during 2025.
• Received and maintained 90% positive rating from students
• Designed and implemented an evidence-informed empathy certification curriculum totaling 37 instructional hours, training 137 junior non-commissioned officers and certifying 41 senior leaders through structured competency-based evaluation.
• Developed and delivered applied emotional intelligence coursework for educators, military personnel, and law enforcement professionals, emphasizing ethical decision-making, interpersonal effectiveness, and community engagement.
• Leveraged over 15 years of clinical practice and behavioral health leadership to inform curriculum design, supervision models, and large-scale training programs serving more than 48,000 beneficiaries.
Certification
- Dialectical Behavioral Therapist Certification, Evergreen Certification 2023
- Trained Professional Empathy Certification, College of Mental Health Counseling 2019
- Certifications I, II, and III for Gottman Couples Therapy, Gottman Institute 2021
- Certified Cognitive Processing Therapy, Center for Deployment Psychology 2012
- Certified Child Abuse and Domestic Violence Prevention Specialist, Family Advocacy Workshop (Air Force) 2013, 2018
- Emotional Intelligence Coaching Certification, Transformation AcademyAcademy 2022
Languages
English (Native)
Extra-Curricular Activities
Creating own official website; Contributing to communities as a life coach entrepreneur; Authoring first self-help book to be published in September 2023; and preparing to launch 2 newly designed online training courses
Interests
Alamo Area Branch Representative to the NASW/Texas Nomination & Leadership Identification Committee (NLIC), Life Member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Inc, social media, Content creation, News media, and Blogging
Additional Info
In addition to teaching and clinical practice, I design applied training programs that integrate emotional intelligence, ethics, and behavioral science into leadership and community systems. I founded and led an empathy certification program within military and law enforcement settings, authored Empathy Has No Rank, and host the EQ Conversations podcast focused on emotional accountability and professional growth. My current projects center on curriculum development and digital training tools that prepare students and professionals for ethical, culturally responsive, and evidence-informed practice.
Timeline
Military Family Life Counselor (Supervisor)
Leidos Health
12.2025 - Current
Dialectical Behavioral Therapist (DBT) (Full Time)
Veterans Affairs (VA) Mental Health Clinic
12.2023 - 12.2025
Adjunct Distance Learning Instructor (Part Time)
Unity University
01.2023 - Current
S.W. Supervisor/Mental Health Flight Commander
Air Force
09.2019 - 12.2023
Family Advocacy Program Manager
Air Force
09.2016 - 09.2019
Alcohol & Drug Abuse Prevention and Treatment Dire
Air Force
08.2013 - 09.2016
Behavioral Health Optimization Program Manager
Air Force
08.2011 - 08.2013
Mental Health Social Worker
12.2003 - 08.2011
Doctorate of Social Work -
Suzanne Dworak-Peck School of Social Work, University of Southern California
Masters of Social Work -
University of Tennessee
Bachelors of Social Work -
University of Mississippi