Dominique Russell

Dominique Russell (she/her) joined the Sexual Violence Response (SVR) team as an Intake Specialist in February 2023. She serves as the initial point of contact for survivor outreach, providing crisis assistance/intervention, and support and advocacy to the Columbia community. She identifies emergent and long-term needs of student survivors and manages client intake flow.

Prior to joining SVR, Dominique was an Adult Care Manager at the Association for Mental Health and Wellness, helping individuals with severe physical and/or mental health conditions. She assisted clients with obtaining new healthcare providers, applying for housing, navigating the legal system, utilizing transportation services, finding employment, and more. She informed clients of the resources available to help achieve their health and wellness goals, while also providing motivational and emotional support in times of need/crisis. Additionally, Dominique has helped members of her community connect with therapy and medication management services in her previous Administrative Assistant role at Sunrise Counseling Center.

While completing her dual BA/MA Forensic Science degree program at John Jay College of Criminal Justice, Dominique joined several psychology research labs on campus including the Sex Offender Research Lab. During this time, she completed her master’s thesis on the association between anger, aggression, and perpetrator substance use in the commission of sexual offenses. Dominique also volunteered to create research briefs for the American Psychology-Law Society monthly newsletter, which allowed her to stay updated on the current research in the field of psychology and law. Dominique’s goal as an Intake Specialist is to empower survivors to make informed decisions, utilize available resources, and begin healing from their trauma in a safe space.