Dana Klar - NMU Social Work

Dana Klar, a citizen of the United Houma Nation, is an Associate Teaching Professor of Psychological Sciences at the University of Missouri-Saint Louis. For over 30 years, Dana has worked in Child Advocacy or Academia; and merged the two by joining the University of Missouri – Saint Louis’ faculty in 2017. She is the first full time faculty member dedicated to the Applied Psychology of Child Advocacy studies’ major, one of only 3 or 4 such majors in the United States. In addition, she serves as the Principal investigator of a Department of Justice, Office for Victims of Crime Project entitled AK-CAST: Workforce Development in Alaska for Tribal Victim Advocacy.

Key prior service includes serving as a faculty member, and later Program Chair of the Social Work program at Lindenwood University. Her direct-service background includes service as a Guardian ad Litem for St. Louis family court and a staff attorney for Court Appointed Special Advocates; as well as several years as a licensed clinical therapist for children, youth and their families.