Rose M. H. Monteiro is a groundbreaking educator, clinician, and mentor whose career spans over five decades of transformative work in health care, mental health, trauma recovery, and culturally responsive social work. Licensed as a clinical social worker since 1977, she has served as a teacher, consultant, advocate, and role model training generations of practitioners in integrity-based practice and community engagement. 

She began her career at LA County USC Medical Center, delivering compassionate care across OB/GYN, oncology, neonatology, and therapeutic abortion services. Later, she served as Clinical Supervisor and Field Instructor at Didi Hirsch Community Mental Health Center, Santa Monica Hospital Social Service Department, where she also joined the Behavioral Science Faculty of the Family Practice Residency Program. Her clinical and supervisory leadership shaped a generation of hospital-based social workers and interdisciplinary care teams. 

Her consultation, keynote, and training contributions span national addresses for oncology and pediatric social work associations, keynotes on cultural competency and compassion fatigue for Kaiser Permanente and health care systems, retreat facilitation and group training in crisis intervention and supervision, program consulting for adolescent health at Los Angeles Free Clinic, and curriculum design for Meharry Medical College and regional training institutes. 

Ms. Monteiro has held faculty appointments at two of California’s prestigious universities, including 11 years as Senior Lecturer at UCLA Graduate School of Social Welfare and 23 years at the USC Suzanne Dworak-Peck School of Social Work, including four terms as Chair of the Health Concentration and 13 years teaching Health Practice courses. Also during her tenure at USC, she co- taught the first Social Work Practice with African American Families class with Dr. Karen Lincoln. She was notably the only non-tenure track faculty member to serve as concentration chair, reflecting the profound respect for her expertise and leadership abilities. 

Her advocacy is rooted in community empowerment. She co-founded the Black Student Caucus at USC, helped secure $576,000 in funding to expand domestic violence shelter services while serving as Board President for Prototypes, and led efforts to establish Californias first network of youth shelters including The Way In, My Friends Place, Teen Canteen, and more. Her successful lobbying and trauma-informed training at Children’s Hospital in the late 1980s directly impacted unhoused youth and survival sex workers. 

Ms. Monteiro’s distinguished contributions include field instruction and supervision for LCSW licensure, pioneering culturally responsive education and mentorship for BIPOC students, development of innovative practicum models as co-founder of Synergy Works integrating school climate change with field education reform, and serving as Lead Clinical Trainer for both USC and UCLA’s Centers on Child Welfare. She was an active member of the National Association of Black Social Workers and served on the Board of Directors for Peace Over Violence. Her accolades include the Jules Levine Memorial Award for Distinguished Field Instruction and Distinguished Service in Field Education from USC Graduate School of Social Work. 

Ms. Monteiro’s legacy lies not only in her breadth of clinical expertise and teaching excellence, but also in her honesty, mentorship, and presence as a trailblazer in social work education. Her career reflects the transformative power of culturally grounded care, and her commitment to service continues to inspire social work professionals across generations.