Shayla Betts is an Assistant Professor of Social Work at Longwood University. She joined Longwood in 2018 as the Visiting Assistant Professor of Social Work. In the Visiting role, she organized and facilitated a week-long screening of the documentary film "I Am Not Racist, Am I?" She became a Blackwell Scholar by presenting her current research on the development of a mentoring program with a state senatorial office and she engaged in curriculum development by creating a new social work mental health elective to be offered to students. In 2019, she joined Longwood faculty as an Assistant Professor.
Before coming to Longwood, Ms. Betts engaged in clinical social work practice in various fields including educational settings, acute psychiatric hospitalization, and with a private practice agency. Ms. Betts earned her Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) and Master of Social Work (MSW) degrees from Virginia Commonwealth University. She became a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) in 2017. She is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in Transformative Social Change through Saybrook University where she is studying race relations and racial justice with a focus on racial identity. Her areas of research interest include race relations, mental health, and self-care.