WHO ARE WE?
Our co-founders
Sarah Ross Bussey, PhD, LCSW, MSW is co-founder/co-owner/trainer/consultant/continuing education direactor of de-Liberate LLC, a private practitioner/supervisor, contract research assistant, and adjunct professor at Hunter College, City University of New York. Sarah received her B.A. in Sociology from Reed College, Masters in Social Work at Portland State University, (where she was awarded the 2008 NASW Community Based Practice Award), a PhD in Social Welfare at the CUNY Graduate Center, and a post-doctoral fellowship with the Briar Patch Collaboratory. She worked in various capacities of youth work—with a focus on complex trauma, gang-involvement, transgenerational poverty, justice-system entrenchment, housing insecurity, and skill development—before joining an innovative program addressing clinical case management needs in a health care setting. Sarah worked for 14 years at Mount Sinai Health System as a direct clinical social worker, clinical supervisor, associate director, and director—all within Care Management. Her research interests include anti-racism clinical and community-based interventions; social work practice and anti-racism supervision; effective interventions to enhance and tools to measure critical consciousness; restorative justice and community healing; health disparities; and critical qualitative methods.
Sarah Ross Bussey, PhD, LCSW, MSW
Monica X. Thompson, MPhil, LCSW, MSW, LCAS
Monica X. Thompson, MPhil, LCSW, MSW, LCAS is co-founder/co-owner/trainer/consultant of de-Liberate, LLC, Driven by a deep passion for transformative change, Monica is the Co-Founder of Deliberate, LLC, where she leads initiatives that embody her vision for healing and empowerment. She also serves as the visionary and Executive Director of Clinicians of the Diaspora, LLC, a venture through which she has merged her commitment to social justice with her dedication to promoting health within the BIPoC community. As a licensed clinical addiction specialist, she brings specialized expertise to her therapeutic practice, where she crafts a blend of relational depth and solution-focused strategies. She recognizes the profound impact of storytelling in healing, especially within groups of diverse indigenous and ethnic backgrounds, a cornerstone of her collaborative work with clients. Monica's commitment to anti-racism work, racial trauma, and restorative justice is evident in every facet of her professional life. She firmly believes that healing is both revolutionary and a radical act of self-love, a philosophy that drives her dedication to social justice causes. She is pursuing a Ph.D. in Social Welfare at the Graduate Center at CUNY and held academic and preceptor positions at Hunter College (CUNY), NYU, Icahn School of Medicine and University of Maryland.
Our Consultant and Training Team
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Myrtho Gardiner, MPhil, LCSW-R, MSW
SOCIAL WORK CONSULTANT AND TRAINER
Myrtho Gardiner, LCSW-R, MPhil is a seasoned consultant, therapist, trainer and academic with a passion for helping organizations and individuals transform with purpose and integrity. With two decades of experience in mental health, social justice, and organizational development, he brings a unique blend of clinical insight, strategic thinking, and evidence-based practice to every project.
His work focuses on building equity-centered programs, supporting healing in marginalized communities, and helping mission-driven teams measure and amplify their impact. Drawing on a background that includes leadership in nonprofit, academic, and community-based settings, he specializes in trauma-informed practices, culturally responsive evaluation, and inclusive capacity building.
Known for his thoughtful facilitation and grounded presence, Myrtho Gardiner partners with organizations to clarify their vision, align their values, and manifest sustainable change. Whether delivering training, coaching leaders, or designing data strategies, he approaches each engagement with deep empathy, intellectual rigor, and a belief in the power of collective transformation.
He holds a master’s degree in social work and a master’s in philosophy in social welfare, and is a doctoral candidate continues to center liberation, healing, and accountability in all facets of his work.
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Dr. Jenny DeBower, PhD, LGSW
SOCIAL WORK CONSULTANT AND TRAINER
Dr. Jennifer DeBower is a researcher, artist, and licensed social worker specializing in program development, research and evaluation. Dr. DeBower specializes in making the invisible visible through innovative evaluation methodologies that capture complex human experiences—like dignity, hope, and transformation—across diverse populations. Using creative approaches including arts-based methods, digital storytelling, and social media analysis, she transforms broad concepts into actionable metrics. She guides organizations in understanding their theory of change and crafting powerful narratives about their results, helping them collect stories and data that move beyond traditional metrics to communicate real impact and inspire systemic change.
Her commitment to community-driven research is evident throughout her career, from her foundational work at LGBTQ+ organizations including the LGBT Community Center of NYC and Hetrick-Martin Institute to her work with the MN Justice Research Center, where she led the project to evaluate the individual and systemic impacts of adding a mental health first responder option for the city of Minneapolis.
Dr. DeBower earned her Ph.D. in Social Welfare from the City University of New York in 2024, where her dissertation research developed a theory of resilience in transgender and gender-expansive young people. She has taught at Augsburg University, St. Catherine University, and the City University of New York, bringing her practice expertise into academic settings.
Dr. DeBower combines rigorous research methodology with deep community engagement, working to transform systems and advance equity through collaborative, participatory approaches to knowledge creation and social change.
