Elsa Candelario, LCSW

Elsa Candelario (MSSW, Columbia University School of Social Work) is a Professor of Professional Practice at Rutgers University School of Social Work. Her teaching and professional experiences largely focus on macro social work practice, nonprofit leadership and social determinants of health issues. She is particularly interested in the areas of diversity and equity in nonprofit leadership, nonprofit governance, social determinants of health related to immigrants and Latino/a communities and cross sector collaboration, planning and advocacy. 

Prior to joining the faculty, she had a distinguished career of more than 25 years as a nonprofit administrator in New York and New Jersey. As an organizational leader, she was responsible for: strategic organizational direction; maintenance of donor, governmental and governance relationships; promotion of sound external affairs; and design, implementation and monitoring of health and human services programs. Her innovative and impactful work as a macro social work practitioner yielded scores of prestigious awards, honors and recognitions during her tenure. 

She has served as a respected voice within the areas of nonprofit leadership and health/human services through her participation in a wide range of activities, including her current service as an advisory board member of the NJ Population Health Cohort Study for the Rutgers Center for State Health Policy and member of the Center for Nonprofits’ Diversity and Equity Committee. Further she is a former board member and executive committee member of the New Jersey Chapter of the National Association of Social Workers (NASW-NJ), Centers for Nonprofits, past president of the New Jersey Hispanic Directors Association, past vice-president of the Latino Action Network and past president of the Council of United Way of Camden County Partner Agencies. She is also a past member of the boards of Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Camden, United Way of Camden County and the Community Planning and Advocacy Council. In addition, her industry expertise has resulted in her participation on a number of prominent and influential advisory boards and task forces. She was the founding chairperson of the Governor’s Council on Mental Health Stigma from 2005-2009 and was a member of the New Jersey Governor’s Blue Ribbon Advisory Panel on Immigrant Integration from 2007-2009 and the New Jersey Commission on the Status of Women from 2004-2007. From 1998-2002 she also served as Chairperson of the NJ Latino Health Advisory Committee.  

Ms. Candelario is an LCSW who clinically supervises social work professionals and students and also provides clinical social work interventions to individuals.