Zareah M. Bishop, MSW, LSW

Zareah is the Associate Director of Student Life and Wellness at The University of Pennsylvania’s School of Social Policy and Practice (SP2). Zareah provides socio-emotional support to all SP2 students, case management, referrals to campus resources, and wellness programming during the academic year. Zareah also manages the Mentor Collective, SP2’s initiative to support students as they pursue their degrees and prepare to become agents for social justice. Zareah’s awareness of the complexities of the field fuels her passion for ensuring students have the tools to accomplish their academic endeavors and, most importantly, are equipped to serve and advocate for those who are underrepresented, underserved, and overlooked. Zareah attended Temple University and received her Master’s in Social Work in 2020. She graduated from the State University of New York (SUNY) Buffalo State College with a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and a Minor in Criminal Justice. Before joining SP2’s Office of Student Affairs, Zareah was the Coordinator of the Alternative Felony Disposition Program (AFD) at the Center for Carceral Communities, a diversion program based in Philadelphia aimed to minimize risk and improve the mental, emotional, psychological, and physical well-being of its participants. She served as a clinician at the Philadelphia Juvenile Justice Services Center (PJJSC), providing individual Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) to youth ages 13 to 19 and evidence-based treatment groups to reduce anxiety and strengthen coping skills while in detention. For a time, Zareah worked with folks experiencing street homelessness and, through a trauma-focused and client-centered approach, facilitated their transition from homelessness to housing in both Philadelphia and Upstate New York.