Kaitlyn “Katie” Dickens is a Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker in the state of West Virginia. She currently holds the role as Suicide Prevention Coordinator, REACH Vet Coordinator, and Intimate Partner Violence Assistance Program Coordinator at the Beckley VA Medical Center, in Beckley, West Virginia. Katie also holds a collateral duty of Women’s Mental Health Champion. Katie earned her bachelor’s in psychology and Master of Social Work degree from Concord University, in Athens, West Virginia. She is currently a Doctor of Social Work candidate at the University of Kentucky.
As her current role of Suicide Prevention Coordinator, she is tasked with overseeing the Suicide Prevention Program as it relates to policy work, data management, and ensures that national suicide prevention strategies and best practices are implemented locally. She oversees the REACH Vet program, which ensures enhanced care options are provided to Veterans identified through this program. As the Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) Assistance Program Coordinator, she is responsible for providing education, clinical services, and referrals to Veterans, their families, and employees who are at risk of using or experiencing IPV.
Prior to joining the Department of Veterans Affairs, Katie worked as a Substance Use Disorder (SUD) therapist in a 90-day residential program for pregnant and 1-year post-partum women experiencing SUD and co-occurring disorders. Katie has a special interest in the realm of women’s mental health, specifically reproductive mental health across the lifespan. Much of her doctorial work has been geared towards SUD, with a special emphasis on clinical presentation, assessment, diagnosis, and treatment of perinatal SUD and co-occurring PTSD.