Abigail Williams-Butler received her PhD from the University of Michigan in the Joint Social Work and Developmental Psychology program. Her research agenda is informed by her practice experience as a residential counselor for adolescents with substance abuse and mental health disorders. After completing her MSW internship at the Children’s Defense Fund in Washington DC, Williams-Butler became passionate about conducting research with both interventions and policy change in mind. She is currently the PI on a longitudinal study examining the promotive and risk factors for at-risk adolescents in the juvenile justice system. She is also a Co-PI on a SAMSHA funded project and a New Jersey Department of Health project examining the integration of Trauma Informed Practice into substance abuse treatment services. She recently received an NIMH New Investigator Award to examine the public health impact of mental health service use in predicting positive outcomes among African American adolescents in contact with the juvenile justice system. Williams-Butler recently completed a two year postdoctoral associate position at the Rutgers School of Social Work.