Katie Shaw Devaney, Waldorf Class of 1995, is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW-R) and a Registered Play Therapist-Supervisor (RPT-S). Katie has worked with children of all ages, in a variety of settings, including psychiatric hospitals and preventive services, but she has devoted the past 16 years of her career to working with children and families impacted by abuse. She is currently the Director of Children’s Mental Health Services at The Safe Center LI, a local not-for-profit serving victims of family violence, sexual assault, and human trafficking.

Katie aided in the expansion of children’s mental health services at the former Nassau County Coalition Against Domestic Violence and played a pivotal role in the integration of these services with the former Coalition Against Child Abuse & Neglect, as the two agencies merged and formed The Safe Center in 2014. She presently serves on the Nassau County Child Advocacy Center’s multi-disciplinary team, which ensures a coordinated forensic and therapeutic response to cases of child sexual abuse.

Katie earned her BA in Human Development & Visual Arts from Wheelock College in 1999 and her MSW from Hunter College School of Social Work in 2002. She has completed extensive post-graduate training in play therapy, as well as training in art therapy and EMDR.

After college Katie returned to Long Island and reconnected with the Waldorf community as a member of the Waldorf Choral Society from 1999-2016.  Katie’s mother, Jo Ann Shaw, was a Lower School class teacher from 1989-2011 and her husband, John Devaney, is a Humanities Teacher in the High School, Model UN Advisor, and High School Co-Advisor.  Katie and John’s son Aidan is 2 1/2 and presently attends the Parent & Child Program.