LaToya Shields, Council on Recovery

LaToya Shields has been in the social services field for 20 years. LaToya holds a bachelor’s degree in social work and a master’s degree in public administration with a concentration in public policy and non-profit management. Both degrees were earned at Texas Southern University, here in Houston, Texas. Recently she was invited to serve as an adjunct professor at the university, serving in the Barbara Jordan-Mickey Leland School of Public Affairs. She currently holds the position of Director of Community Intervention and Support Services at The Council on Recovery. Under this department, LaToya supports various programs with the Harris County Juvenile Probation departments diversion and intervention programs; the Wellderly Program – a prevention program for older adults age 60 and over; the Cradles Project – a community-based intervention program that targets pregnant and postpartum women and teens; the Healthy Woman Houston Initiative, a collaborative effort that hones in on care coordination for women at risk of maternal mortality and morbidity in unique communities, such as Third Ward, Sunnyside, and OST/South Union; and Recovery Support Services, an evidence-based practice that supports services to increase long-term recovery and recovery quality. She has spent the last seven years advocating specifically for women and older adults that have been impacted by substance use, addiction, mental health, and systematic disparities.