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Saida Abdi
Assistant Professor at the University of Minnesota School of Social Work
Saida Abdi, PhD, MSW, LICSW, is an Assistant Professor at the University of Minnesota School of Social Work.12 She is a clinical social worker and expert in refugee trauma and resilience, with over 20 years of experience working with refugee youth and families in the diaspora.23 Dr. Abdi is originally from Somalia and has personal experience as a refugee.1
Her research focuses on building individual, family, and community resilience, as well as improving systems of care for refugee and immigrant communities.2 Dr. Abdi is the director of the CIRCLE Project in Minneapolis, which aims to develop culturally responsive interventions for refugee and immigrant children.1
Dr. Abdi's educational background includes:
- PhD in Social Work/Sociology from Boston University
- MSW from Boston University
- MA from the University of Ottawa
- BA from Carleton University, Ottawa, Ontario2
She is involved in various activities, including:
- Membership in the University of Minnesota's Disparities in COVID Response Task Force
- Affiliation with the National Child Traumatic Stress Network (NCTSN)
- Co-chairing the refugee panel for the 2021 Biennial Meeting of the Society for Research in Child Development2
Dr. Abdi has contributed to numerous publications on refugee mental health, trauma-informed care, and culturally responsive interventions.2
