Chelsea A. Allen

Chelsea A. Allen, PhD, is a Presidential Postdoctoral Fellow at Rutgers University’s School of Social Work. She is a graduate of Columbia University’s School of Social Work and a Licensed Clinical Social Worker. Growing up as the daughter of a Black social worker in Charleston, South Carolina, the heart of the South, she developed an early understanding of how systemic oppression shapes mental health outcomes. Her scholarship bridges social work, psychology, and digital studies to examine how Black women use emerging technologies, such as social media and virtual reality, to support self-care, wellness, and collective healing. A key focus of her work is exploring how digital tools can be leveraged to provide culturally congruent care for historically marginalized communities. She’s also interested in how collective trauma, especially as it stems from structural oppression, continues to shape health and social outcomes in Black communities. Chelsea received her MSW and BSW from the University of South Carolina.