Baylee Swank
Bio
Baylee Swank is a Licensed Independent Social Worker in Ohio who earned her Master of Social Work from Case Western Reserve University in 2022, along with a graduate certificate in Trauma-Informed Practice. She currently works in private practice, where she supports late-diagnosed neurodivergent adults. Her therapeutic approach is rooted in both neuro-affirming and trauma-informed principles, with an eclectic, client-centered style. Baylee draws from Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), somatic therapy, motivational interviewing, and narrative therapy, all of which are integrated through relational and identity-affirming frameworks.
Baylee is deeply committed to expanding access to neuro-affirming care and improving mental health outcomes for neurodivergent adults. Her work focuses on supporting individuals who are navigating autistic burnout, late identification, and identity formation following diagnosis. She aims to shift mental health care for neurodivergent adults from a deficit-based lens to a strengths-based model of care that honors lived experiences.
Outside of the therapy room, Baylee is actively involved in advocacy and education. She has delivered trainings on neuro-affirming models of care for clinicians, presented a research poster on Effective Screening Tools for Identifying Autism in Adults at both the Ohio and National NASW conferences, and served as a panelist at the Milestones Autism Conference and local disability advocacy events in Cleveland. She regularly engages in professional development and peer education to promote inclusive, informed practice within the broader mental health field.
In the DSW program, Baylee is focusing her doctoral scholarship on reshaping the cultural landscape of mental health to embrace a more neuro-affirming approach to supporting late-diagnosed neurodivergent adults. Her research is guided by emerging work that centers on the lived experiences of neurodivergent individuals to bridge the divide between clinical practice, research, and systemic transformation.