Dr. Richard Hydo is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW), a UAMFT approved supervisor, and a Certified Family Life Educator. He is an Assistant Professor in the Social Work program, in the School of Humanities and Social Sciences. Prior to joining the faculty with Salt Lake Community College, he taught full-time for seven years with Utah Valley University within the Family Science, Social Work, and Master of Marriage and Family Therapy programs. Additionally, he served for three years as an administrator and clinical director for the UVU Stronger Families Program.

As a first-generation college graduate, Dr. Hydo is a firm believer in the benefits and opportunities derived from academic pursuits. He holds great passion for inspiring and teaching our next generation of leaders and feels a deep sense of responsibility to afford students of color the opportunity to see themselves within faculty of like backgrounds, while expanding their understanding of their academic and career opportunities.

Dr. Hydo completed a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology and a Master of Social Work with the University of Utah, a Master of Business Administration with Texas A&M University, and a Doctor of Social Work with an emphasis in advanced clinical practice with the University of Tennessee, Knoxville.

Prior to entering the field of mental health, Dr. Hydo completed coursework and licensure as an insurance agent, mortgage officer, stockbroker, and investment advisor representative where he provided sundry planning and financial services to Utah families and companies for a decade.

Civically, Dr. Hydo has previously served as a neighborhood Precinct Chair, Senate District 3 Chair, and as a member of the Salt Lake County GOP executive committee.

Dr. Hydo met his wife during his first semester of graduate school at the University of Utah. Together they are the proud parents of two chatty and inquisitive daughters and a rambunctious, energetic son. Dr. Hydo’s hobbies include spending quality time with his family in the mountains, site seeing God's Country in his vintage RV, and spending time with Ohana exploring his Hawaiian roots on the islands.

Ashli Hansen is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) and full-time Instructor in the SLCC Social Work program, in the School of Humanities and Social Sciences. Prior to joining the faculty at Salt Lake Community College, Ashli taught in the Family Science program at Utah Valley University and the Department of Psychology at Brigham Young University.

Ashli worked in New York City for various television networks before taking the obvious next step in her broadcast career – to become a social worker. Ashli’s nontraditional career trajectory, which includes experience in journalism and health and nutrition consulting, enriches her approach to social work practice and education. Ashli holds a Master of Social Work degree from Utah Valley University and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Communications (Broadcast Journalism) from Brigham Young University.

In addition to her duties as part of the social work faculty, Ashli works as a clinical mental health therapist. Ashli has gained extensive experience working with diverse populations (individuals, couples, and families) facing various mental health and cognitive challenges in a generalized, outpatient setting. She specializes in treating those with severe anxiety and obsessive-compulsive disorders. A major focus of her clinical work is teaching evidence-based anxiety and OCD management. She has also worked with survivors of sexual assault, domestic and intimate partner violence, and human trafficking as a member of the Community Therapy team at South Valley Services. She has developed curriculum in various clinical capacities, including HIPAA training in a therapy setting and an 8-week course on Healthy Relationships for survivors of intimate partner violence.

A native of Salt Lake City, Ashli maintains strong ties to her Utah roots while bringing a broad perspective shaped by her professional experiences and travels. Outside of her academic and clinical work, she pursues diverse interests including vocal performance, strength training, boxing, and watching her favorite sports teams. She values her close family relationships and brings the same dedication to her personal connections that she offers in her professional life.

Ashli is committed to student success and maintains an open-door policy. She welcomes opportunities to engage with students and provide mentorship throughout their academic journey. Students are always encouraged to reach out for support, guidance, or professional development conversations!

Dr. Elijah Nielson is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (“LCSW”) and an Attorney at Law. Prior to accepting an appointment at SLCC, Dr. Nielson served asa full-time faculty member at Utah Valley University and is the author of numerous peer-reviewed articles. While at UVU, he also served successfully as the Director of the Masters of Social Work (“MSW”) Program from 2019-2022. During that time Dr. Nielson courageously guided the MSW Program through the COVID-19 pandemic and, under his leadership, the MSW Program expanded its online course offerings, implemented a student-placement agreement with the US Department of Veterans Affairs, and obtained accreditation with the Council on Social Work Education (“CSWE”). Dr. Nielson holds advanced degrees in law (JD, LLM), social work (PhD, MSW) and is currently an MBA-candidate at Southern Utah University. In addition, Dr. Nielson holds a certificate in Film and TV Essentials from New York University Tisch School of the Arts (in association with IndieWire and Rolling Stone) and is the writer, producer, and director of the award-winning short film “When a child comes out”.

As a social worker with over two-decades of ongoing professional experience, Dr. Nielson is passionate about bringing cutting-edge, real-life practice examples into the classroom. The assignments he gives his students can be described as “onboarding-for-professional-practice” in the context of an academic setting; he places a very strong emphasis on ensuring his students receive both an academic and a competency-based education. Additionally, as an attorney with over a decade of continuing professional practice, Dr. Nielson ensures that his students know how to competently apply professional ethics and relevant law to the messiness of real-life practice. Dr. Nielson’s legal and social work practice informs his teaching, and his teaching likewise informs his practice.

Dr. Nielson is also an Army and Army Medical Department (“AMEDD”) Officer in the US Army Reserves and is affiliated with the US Army Medical Department Regiment. He currently serves as a Division Behavioral Health Consultant and is a graduate of AMEDD’s Basic Officer Leadership Course and the US Army Master Resilience School’s Master Resilience Trainer Course. In his spare time Dr. Nielson runs, rides horseback, writes novels and screenplays, skis, snowboards, and spends time with his spouse and their large family.

My greatest passion is creating learning environments – both educationally and professionally – wherein those that may feel, look different or have experienced life that has resulted in some challenging paths find a positive identity, personal value and develop skills in individual empowerment.

I’ve worked as a licensed social worker within many different environments with many different groups and peoples in the community, I’ve also developed and ran many different programs throughout my career, yet I’ve always been a teacher at heart. Regularly, I feel the undeniable energy in being a catalyst for the expanding of thought, consideration of fresh ideas and examination of new concepts never before conceived.

I hold a B.A. in Political Science and an MSW with a specialization in Community Organization and Administration from the University of Utah. I’ve been at SLCC since 1996, retiring as a tenured Professor from the SLCC Social Work program yet returning now to support the newly developed certification programs and even teach in the programs. As the current Field Coordinator, I will be supporting you in your field placements where you will have the opportunity to take your knowledge from theory to actual practice in the field!

Genuine joy is found surrounded by loving family and friends while embracing new experiences, new peoples, languages and cultures, foods and countries around the world.

Bilingual Mental Health Therapist

Javier was born in Colombia, South America. He received his Master's in Social Work from the University of Utah with an emphasis in Mental Health and Global Social Work. He also received his bachelor’s in social work and a Bachelor of Arts in Teaching Spanish. He works as a bilingual Mental Health Therapist and teaches at Salt Lake Community College and the University of Utah.

Javier works with communities in different settings, and as a mental health therapist he utilizes: CBT, MI, Client Centered, Trauma Informed and mindfulness as the main interventions. His biggest strength, “being able to see and be present with the clients in a; caring, vulnerable, compassionate, empowering, and a safe space.” Javier is currently getting certified as substance use counselor

For the last fourteen years he has been working with nonprofit organizations as an instructor and coordinator serving disenfranchised communities in the areas of Glendale, West Valley, Kearns, Rose Park, and North Salt Lake. He has developed curriculum and delivered programs centered around increasing protective factors and decreasing risk factors for youth and families.

During his spare time, he loves to cook, write poetry, and spend time with his biggest treasure, his family.

Dr. Steven Christiansen is a professor with a multidisciplinary background spanning across chemistry, biotech, neurobiology, and addiction science. He currently serves as an adjunct professor at Salt Lake Community College, where he teaches Neurobiology of Addiction in the SUDC program, and as an adjunct professor of Chemistry at Utah Valley University. He recently completed his Ph.D. in Biochemistry from Brigham Young University, where his research focused on cellular iron homeostasis and its relationship to chronic inflammatory conditions.

As a dedicated educator, Dr. Christiansen has held numerous teaching positions throughout his academic career and excels at making challenging concepts in neuroanatomy and addiction science approachable and relevant. His teaching style is highly adaptive, constantly gauging student comprehension to ensure complex neural mechanisms and behavioral concepts are thoroughly understood.

Dr. Christiansen's professional experience spans the intersection of technological innovation and therapeutic innovation. While his interests are broadly focused in biotech, he has a special place in his work for mental health. He has worked extensively in psychopharmacology research and policy advocacy, contributing to both the scientific understanding and therapeutic applications of various compounds. His involvement in both traditional pharmaceutical development and alternative medicine channels has given him a comprehensive perspective on the future of mental health treatment.

Beyond his academic pursuits, Dr. Christiansen serves on the Utah Patient Coalition Scientific Advisory Board and the UVU Chemistry Department Advisory Board. He has founded several companies and maintains a passion for entrepreneurship and solving complex problems. Dr. Christiansen remains committed to translating complex scientific concepts into accessible frameworks that empower both students and patients.

Lucy completed a Bachelor of Science degree in Family Studies, a Master of Social Work degree at Utah Valley University, and a Master of Business Administration with an Emphasis in Healthcare Administration at Southern Utah University. Before teaching at SLCC, Lucy taught with UVU beginning in the Spring of 2019.

Additionally, Lucy is a certified pilates teacher where she teaches at a local gym and also teaches students violin. Lucy chose to become a therapist because the profession aligns with her love for helping others. Lucy is a good listener and prioritizes developing an authentic therapeutic relationship with her clients founded on the principle of unconditional positive regard.

In addition to teaching at SLCC, Lucy also works as a therapist in a general outpatient therapeutic setting. Before doing individual therapy, she co-facilitated an intensive outpatient program for mothers with perinatal mood disorders. Lucy has been trained in domestic violence, psychological first aid, EMDR, CBT, DBT, and trauma-informed interventions including TF-CBT. She has worked with children, adolescents, and adults experiencing, anxiety, depression, perinatal mood disorder (PMAD), OCD, ADHD, self-harm, and suicide ideation.

Lucy is happily married to her junior high school sweetheart. They recently welcomed their first child, a boy named Samuel in October of 2023. In her spare time, she enjoys cooking, painting, knitting, practicing the violin, being outdoors, anything Italian, and spending time with loved ones and friends.