DonDre Anton Jerome Harris, MSW, SWC (Clinical Social Work Candidate) was born and raised in Southeast Alabama, which means he is no stranger to hospitality. DonDre relocated to Gary, IN, which is where both of his parents are from, in 2015. DonDre’s passion for helping others grew tremendously, and in November 2016, DonDre began working as a 911 Dispatcher for Lake County, IN. DonDre wanted to take his passion for helping and serving others to another level and decided to pursue a degree in social work. DonDre completed his undergraduate studies at Indiana University Northwest and the School of Social Work where he received his Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) in 2020. DonDre wanted to advance his education and skills as a social worker, and enrolled into grad school immediately after completing his BSW program. DonDre completed his graduate studies at Indiana University Northwest and the School of Social Work where he received his Master of Social Work with a concentration in School Social Work. DonDre was intentional with the concentration he chose because in school social work you work with students as well as their parents/guardians, which allows DonDre the experience of working with youth and adults. After graduating grad school, DonDre relocated to Denver, CO to take on a role as a School Social Worker as well as to embark on his journey to become a Licensed Social Worker (LSW) and a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW). DonDre’s personal and professional life experiences along with his passion for supporting others mentally, emotionally, socially, physically, and spiritually allows him to be of assistance to a wide range of individuals.

Are you able to identify the difference between your needs and wants? Do you view the world through the lens you created for yourself, or do you view the world through a lens based on the beliefs, morals, values, and standards that were instilled into you throughout your life? Maybe you’ve never thought about which lens you view the world through, which is perfectly fine. I believe that self-awareness, self-discovery, and creating your own identity is a key way to heal, to figure out which lens you want to view life through, and to write the narrative you want for your life. I believe that knowing who you are creates a better opportunity for learning which coping skills/mechanisms are effective and efficient for self when faced with challenges (i.e. stress, anger, anxiety, grief and loss, etc.). The approach that I am most fond of is Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), which teaches people to stop avoiding, denying, and/or struggling with their inner emotions, and instead, accept that their feelings are appropriate responses to certain situations that do not have to prevent them from moving forward in their life. My goal is to help each individual I work with realize the agency they have over their lives. I approach each individual with an open mind because each individual is unique and deserves a one of a kind experience. My end goal is for each individual to be able to navigate the world in a manner that protects their peace and allows them to advance in life using effective and efficient coping skills, even when faced with adversity.