Meet the Chief Well-Being Officer and Vice President of Wellness for Integrated Health, Safety, and Response Services

Erika Charles is Vice President of Wellness for Integrated Health, Safety, and Response Services at Kean and the University's Chief Well-Being Officer tasked with creating a comprehensive and holistic approach to well-being that prioritizes physical, emotional, social and financial health for all.  She also oversees the Cougar Connections Center of Social Work and KUBIT, a multidisciplinary team that provides proactive intervention, caring support and response to students exhibiting disruptive and/or concerning behaviors. Erika received her Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and Master of Social Work from Rutgers University in New Brunswick, New Jersey. After years of service in the mental health and K-12 educational settings, Erika earned her Master of Arts in Education with a concentration in Educational Leadership from Saint Peter’s University in Jersey City, New Jersey.

Prior to joining Kean University, Erika served as a lead to school districts in supporting and advocating for at- risk students and families within Intervention and Referral Services, Special Education, 504 Planning, and Transitional Services. She worked on the Traumatic Loss Coalition in support of schools and community experiences with sudden death by way of mobilizing crisis and providing psychological first aid.  Erika has also served to support school districts in restructuring policies and procedures to align with NJ Administrate Codes and best Social Work Practice for students with mental health and substance use needs.

Erika is passionate about effecting change on a larger systemic level to ensure social, emotional, and educational needs are met for students and families of all backgrounds. 

During her personal time, Erika enjoys spending time with her family and friends, walking, reading and traveling.