Rachelle D. Hutchinson
Rachelle D. Hutchinson is the Founder and Director of the Social Empowerment Center (SEC). Mrs. Hutchinson graduated with a Masters degree in Social Work (MSW) from the University of Georgia with a focus on Family Centered Practice. Mrs Hutchinson is currently a Licensed Clinical Social Worker dedicated to social worker education as well as providing and improving service delivery to families and individuals in crisis.
Prior to founding SEC, Mrs. Hutchinson spent many years working in social services in a wide variety of capacities for the Department of Family and Children Services (DFCS) in Georgia.
After leaving DFCS, Mrs. Hutchinson provided individual therapy for families in crisis, completed in-depth assessments of children entering foster care and trained new workers for DFCS as a contract social worker in metro Atlanta. Mrs. Hutchinson also helped to complete a public relations campaign for the Office of Adoptions, coordinated a crisis intervention service for adoptive parents as well coordinating training institutes for foster parents. Mrs. Hutchinson has served for many years in a consulting role to DFCS in staff development and policy development, participating in a state sponsored mentoring study initiated by DFCS. The study intends to provide empirical evidence that offering mentoring services to new DFCS employees will improve the quality of work when managing a protective services caseload, reducing the incidents of child deaths in Georgia. As a mentor, Mrs. Hutchinson guides new workers in gaining knowledge of policy, available resources and practical service provision.
During the 10 years she has directed the Social Empowerment Center, the agency has gained CARF accreditation and expanded to include a wider scope of mental health services including Intensive Family Intervention Services, providing indigent services and accepting most insurances for ongoing care.
Mrs. Hutchinson received her BA from Louisiana State University. A native of New Orleans, La. Mrs. Hutchinson is married and the mother of two young children. She and her family currently call Snellville, Georgia home.
Rachelle D. Hutchinson, LCSW
ShellyHutchinson@SocialEmpowermentCenter.com
Publications & Awards
In 2007, Mrs. Hutchinson and the Social Empowerment Center was featured in the April issue of Black Enterprise magazine.
In 2011, Mrs. Hutchinson received the Outstanding Field Instructor-Gwinnett Award from UGA’s School of Social Work for her role as field practicum supervisor for BSW and MSW student interns from UGA.