Dr. Patterson has over 20 years of experience in Colorado social work, successfully developing innovative approaches in child protection, family functioning, and education. She has also devoted her career to creating and implementing mental health initiatives in education and human services across the Denver metro area.
As a graduate of the University of Denver with a Doctor of Philosophy in Education, Dr. Patterson has experience conducting quantitative and qualitative research. She partnered with the Colorado Department of Education in completing a dissertation that focused on developing action steps to address social injustice in education. The results of the quantitative analysis were reported on over 17,000 student cases. She is an alum of the DU Graduate School of Social work, and she is a Colorado Licensed Clinical Social Worker.
Dr. Patterson has over 20 years of social work experience creating and deploying mental health initiatives in education and human services. She has completed mixed methods studies evaluating family and student needs. She has functioned in ways to believe that data better defines problems and their potential solutions.
Dr. Patterson has served as Board Member of the Colorado Child Protection Ombudsman Office appointed by former Governor Hickenlooper. She currently serves on the CASA Board of Directors for Adams and Broomfield counties. She has demonstrated an ability to see the value of indirect practice while also knowing of the fulfillment and challenge of collaborating directly with people struggling with daily issues to be more successful in life. Dr. Patterson has project coordination, professional development, policy development, and policy analysis experience. She promotes a positive, intentional culture and a climate supporting high expectations. The University Council of Education Administration has recognized her as a Barbara Jackson Scholar and the Denver Department of Human Services for outstanding performance.
Dr. Patterson successfully functioned as a leader of district-wide initiatives that were foundational to the education of all students within the Denver Public school system and the future of the district. She served as a liaison between Denver Public Schools, the Denver Department of Human Services (DDHS), the Denver Police Department, and the Denver District Attorney’s Office. Dr. Patterson was the point person responsible for crisis intervention, consultation, and professional development for all District staff on student safety and mandated reporting policies and procedures. She planned and organized Human Trafficking Conference with the FBI, Denver District Attorney’s Office, Denver Human Services, Denver Police, and school district personnel. Dr. Patterson created and implemented mental health initiatives in education and human services across the Denver metro area while functioning as a liaison and appointed expert for the State of Colorado. She led the Denver Public School Superintendent’s $4.5 million Mental Health Expansion Program, providing oversight of expansion to K-12 schools district-wide over two years. Dr. Patterson created the Needs-Based Assessment Data Collection Tool identifying students’ mental health needs, available student support and services, and wrote the Mental Health Support, Services, and Resource Guide disseminated across the school district.
spatterson@thesteadschool.org
Term End Date: 6/30/25
