Cristino N. Chavez Jr., LMSW
PhD Student
Yeshiva UniversityCristino N. Chavez Jr. is a Licensed Master Social Worker (LMSW) and Certified Trauma Professional (CTP). A first‑generation Salvadoran born and raised on Long Island, he now resides and practices in the Bronx, New York. His work centers on comprehensive social assessments, client advocacy, and advancing policy reforms across the criminal, juvenile, and immigration justice systems.
Cristino earned a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from SUNY Old Westbury and a Master of Social Work from Adelphi University. He is currently pursuing a PhD in Social Welfare at the Wurzweiler School of Social Work, Yeshiva University. His research focuses on criminal and juvenile justice, immigration, and mass incarceration, with particular attention to community‑based restorative justice and critical race theory.
He serves as a Forensic Social Worker at The Legal Aid Society and sits on the Board of Directors for Hands Across Long Island, Inc. Cristino is also an Adjunct Professor at New York University (NYU), teaching graduate students at the Silver School of Social Work and undergraduate students in the Opportunity Program. His clinical experience includes roles as a Trauma Therapist with the Bronx County District Attorney’s Office and as a Psychotherapist at the Upper Manhattan Mental Health Clinic and Mental Health Providers of Western Queens. He has contributed to multiple research initiatives through positions at the Cardozo School of Law, Adelphi University, the University of Hartford, and the NYC Administration for Children’s Services (ACS) Workforce Institute.
Cristino is an active member of professional organizations, including the National Organization of Forensic Social Workers (NOFSW). His commitment to social justice has been recognized through the Nassau County Executive’s Community Advocate Award and his selection as a Phi Iota Alpha 40 Under 40 honoree.