Compassion in Action: A Social Work Event

Nikki Weigand, MSW, LSW is the Director of Advocacy and Public Policy at NAMI Keystone Pennsylvania. She holds her master’s degree in social work with a focus in Community Organizing and Social Action. Prior to her involvement with NAMI, Nikki worked in unhoused veteran services doing case management and outreach. She currently serves on a variety of statewide coalitions in Pennsylvania, working to improve the lives of those affected by mental illness to include the Mental Health Planning Council, 988 Advisory Board and the Behavioral Health Advocacy Stakeholder Coalition: amongst others.  Additionally, she serves as an OhioMHAS appointee on the Mental Health and Recovery Board of Belmont, Harrison, and Monroe Counties. Nikki is also a combat veteran of the U.S. Army serving from 2003-2011. She currently resides in Martins Ferry with her husband Matt and their fur babies Smokey and Bullet. 

Kayla Dixon, LISW-S is the Director of Prevention and Student Support Services at East Central Ohio Educational Service Center (ECOESC), where she provides strategic leadership for prevention programing and student support services across multiple school districts and community settings across Belmont, Harrison, and Monroe counties. In this role, she oversees program development and sustainability, staff supervision, compliance, and partnerships with schools and community agencies.

In addition to her work at ECOESC, Kayla is the owner of a private practice where she provides clinical mental health therapy. She specializes in working with children, adolescents, and families, with a focus on trauma-informed approaches, emotional regulation, and strengthening healthy relationships. Her clinical background informs her leadership style and program development, ensuring that services remain practical, compassionate, and responsive to real-world needs.

With experience in both direct practice and program administration, Kayla is passionate about building systems that support the whole child and empower schools and families to respond effectively to mental health and wellness needs.

Courtney Fiutem is a licensed therapist with over nine years of experience providing mental health services in the Ohio Valley. She currently serves as a contract therapist with Rivers and Roads. Courtney works primarily with children, teens, and young adults, supporting concerns such as anxiety, depression, mood disorders, trauma, self-esteem, relational challenges, and women’s health. She uses evidence-based, affirming, and individualized approaches to care and is a Certified Complex Trauma Professional (CCTP), with ongoing training toward certification as an Advanced Grief Counseling Specialist (CAGCS). Courtney is committed to creating a safe, compassionate, and non-judgmental space where clients can build skills, heal, and grow.

Lorie Mullen, MSW, LISW-S, is a Licensed Independent Social Worker with Supervisor designation, she is a lifelong resident of the Ohio Valley. She earned her Master of Social Work from Ohio University in 2007, laying the foundation for a career focused on supporting behavioral health for children and adolescents.

Lorie has worked at Community Mental Health/Southeast Health Care since 2000 holding various duties – presently she is a school-based therapist at Bridgeport schools and provides supervision to licensees and interns. 

Lorie also has private practice in West Virginia, providing services to children and adolescents.

Most recently, Lorie has added to her duties and is an adjunct professor of Social Work at Ohio University Eastern working alongside those instructors who molded her education – Dr Galbreath, Dr Greenlee and Tracy Pritchard.

Lorie resides in Bridgeport Ohio with her husband Mike of 24 years and their 18-year-old daughter Vanessa who also attends Ohio University Eastern Majoring in Nursing.