Dr. Mary Affee Named NASW-NC Social Worker of the Year!
Monday, January 30, 2023
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Posted by: Seth Maid
 (RALEIGH, NC) – The National Association of Social Workers North Carolina Chapter (NASW-NC) has named Mary Affee, Ed.D., LCSW, CTS, RPT-S, the 2023 Social Worker of the Year. The NASW-NC Social Worker of the Year Award is an annual award given to a social work professional who has demonstrated commendable social work practice and involvement with NASW and other professional, civic, and community organizations in North Carolina.
Dr. Affee has worked in the mental health field for 12 years, and is the founder of and Director of Operations at Horizon Integrated Wellness Group, PLLC, a practice that provides mental health services for children, adolescents, and families. Dr. Affee specializes in play therapy, and serves as the President for the North Carolina Association for Play Therapy. In 2022, she was awarded with the Emerging Leader National Award of Excellence from the Association for Play Therapy. Kathryn Lebby, CAE, CMP, President & CEO for the Association for Play Therapy, states, “Dr. Affee has worked tirelessly to advance play therapy awareness, increasing the ethical, cultural, and developmentally appropriate mental health treatment for children by offering free training/workshops to bring awareness to the community.”
At the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in April 2020, Dr. Affee traveled to New York City and volunteered her time and expertise to participate in the National EAP COVID-19 Northwell Project with the New York Hospital Crisis Response Team, providing psychological first-aid temporary crisis response services and training. She was interviewed three times by ABC 11 in 2020 to highlight her efforts in promoting mental health interventions during the pandemic lockdown as well as her leadership in spearheading statewide action for fair pay for practitioners amidst United Healthcare’s deceptive practices.
Dr. Affee is known for her efforts to bring awareness to the need for high-quality mental health resources in addition to her direct service work. She has offered numerous workshops, trainings, and presentations to parents, teachers, professionals, and students. She teaches a summer course at Molloy University, is the field supervisor for the University of Mount Olive Counseling Department, has been a guest speaker at multiple universities, and has intermittently served as the social work field supervisor at North Carolina State University over the past 9 years. She is also an advisory board member for Hope Connection International, where she facilitates free children’s mental health groups, and for Carol’s Hope, and serves on NASW-NC’s Private Practice Work Group.
Becky Quirk, LCSW, a clinician at Horizon Integrated Wellness Group, PLLC, states that Dr. Affee “is a pillar in our community as an important advocate for those struggling with mental illness and trauma as well as for fellow clinicians. Mary is a force; she sees a problem and she fights for a solution until there is true resolution.” Raychelle Cassandra Lohmann, Pd.D., Assistant Professor of Counseling Department at University of Mount Olive, adds, “Dr. Affee is a natural leader and inspires others to give back and pay it forward. She often performs above and beyond what is required. She understands the role of a scholar-practitioner, and her dedication to continuing her education illustrates that she not only models this value to students and staff but also holds herself to similar standards.”
Dr. Mary Affee will be honored as Social Worker of the Year at the 2023 NASW-NC Virtual Ethics Conference and Awards Celebration on Friday, March 17, 2023.
The National Association of Social Workers North Carolina Chapter (NASW-NC) is a membership organization that promotes, develops, and protects the practice of social work and social workers. NASW-NC also seeks to enhance the effective functioning and wellbeing of individuals, families, and communities through its work and advocacy.
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