Reverend Daphne Swinton, LMHC is a Licensed Therapist at Westchester Jewish Community Services, Trager Lemp Center for Trauma and Resilience (WJCS) and the Minister of Christian Care & Counseling at Union Baptist Church (Union).
Reverend Swinton has a special interest in the intersectionality of faith and mental health. She is actively involved with the Westchester County Faith Based Initiative (WCFBI) out of the Department of Community Mental Health (DCMH). Through this initiative she has been able to coordinate Adult and Youth Mental Health First Aid Training offerings to the faith community. She provided content expert consultation to SoulShop Movement in their Soul Shop for the Black Church curriculum development (this training brings Suicide awareness and prevention to the black church). She was subsequently, in the first cohort of graduating trainers and facilitates training throughout New York State. She is a Board Member of Steadfast Women in Ministry (S.W.I.M.) an interfaith Christian organization designed to share the intersection of faith & wellness. S.W.I.M. seeks to empower women, create emotionally safe spaces for people of faith, and promote faith affirming resources such as the Westchester County Directory of Faith Affirming Mental Health Providers which Reverend Swinton co-authored with Minister Kimberly Murray Cruse (Founder of S.W.I.M.).
In 2017, Reverend Swinton was ordained by Reverend Dr. Verlin D Williams, her Pastor at Union Baptist Church. As the Minister of Christian Care & Counseling Ministry her responsibilities have included areas such as: Christian Care & Bereavement Ministry, Christian Counseling Ministry, and Stephen Ministry (which provides Christ Centered Care to people going through challenges). She most recently assisted with 2024 Youth Co-Occurring Disorders collaborative training and research with the Partnership to End Addiction, the Harris Project, local school coalitions, and the faith community. She has created and offered churches mental health workshops locally and at the Central Hudson Baptist Association. She has enjoyed using her gifts in various Union ministries including Christian Education, Women’s Ministry, Youth Ministry, New Member’s Ministry, Evangelism Ministry and Trustee Ministry. She was a founding member of GOOD for Girls Inc. (a mentoring program that launched from Union) and currently serves on their Advisory Board.
Reverend Swinton works part-time at Westchester Jewish Community Services, Trager Lemp Center for Trauma and Resilience. WJCS is a local mental health agency that helps people of all ages and backgrounds meet life’s challenges and achieve personal success. As part of the TLC Trauma Team, she provides clinical services. She has also co-facilitated trainings on Racial Trauma and Trauma Informed Supervision (TIS). She was designated as the Westchester County CCSI Trauma Informed Care Subcommittee’s first Trauma Informed Supervision Coordinator in 2021 where she oversaw teams of facilitators. In 2023, she received the County Executive’s Certificate of Recognition for her work. Earlier that same year she and Liane Nelson, Ph.D. (Chief Psychologist & Director of WJCS – TLC) were co-presenters for the National Council for Behavioral Health Conference (NatCon) in California on this subject.
Reverend Swinton retired from the Westchester County Department of Social Services (DSS) where she served as a social worker, supervisor, manager, director, and Senior Staff member (for 3 Commissioners) using her expertise in Child Welfare, Contracts Management, Fiscal Operations, Program/Policy Development and Continuous Quality Improvement. During her tenure, she was recognized by the County Executive’s Office as Employee of the Month and appointed to the County’s Domestic Violence Council. She mentored employees (formally and informally) and youth (Her Honor Mentoring Program) while in DSS. She was the pioneer of “Family Preservation Meeting” – a FAMILY led interdisciplinary network meeting designed to keep children out of care and/or return them to their family as soon and safely as possible.
Reverend Swinton has a bachelor’s degree in Management, with a Minor is Psychology (Summa Cum Laude); a master’s degree in Mental Health Counseling (Honors) , and a master’s degree in Public Administration. She is a Seminary graduate with certificates in Christian Ministry (New York Theological Seminary) and Graduate Studies in Biblical Exposition and Theological Studies (Dallas Theological Seminary).
She is also a mother to two incredible adult children who are the joy of her life!
WJCS: https://www.wjcs.com/ and Union Baptist Church, White Plains https://www.unionbaptistwp.org.
