Barbara DiGangi

Director of Community Wellness Initiatives, University Settlement
New York, New York

Barbara DiGangi, LMSW, is a dedicated leader with 17 years of experience in community-based mental health, with a commitment to equity and social justice. She’s the founding Director of Families Thriving, an innovative home and community-based program in New York City providing family-centered mental health services. In 2022, Barbara expanded this initiative to a groundbreaking district-wide partnership with school District 1 in the Lower East Side.

Her work and advocacy focus on democratizing mental health, comprehensively filling gaps in support within ecosystems at youth development sites, schools, and community places. In response to the pandemic and social unrest, she co-created Connection Circles, a group processing model for healing and community building. Barbara serves on the Trinity Church Wall Street Neighborhood Council and District 1 Leadership Team. As a Practicum Instructor, she guides the next generation of social workers to adopt a community-driven and abolitionist lens.

Barbara’s experience and approach to community well-being have established her as a thought leader on mental health, speaking on the issue locally and internationally. She holds a master’s degree in social work with a concentration in advanced social policy from New York University.



Stories featuring Barbara DiGangi

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Today, the Aspen Institute announced its 2024 Aspen Institute Ascend Fellows, 22 leaders from across the United States who are transforming systems so...
Ascend FellowshipSeptember 4, 2024