Answering the Call: Using Maslow’s Hierarchy to Support Callers in Crisis

Kristin Torres-Pierce, MSW, LSW, TRCC-II, is a professional trainer and a faculty member of the Social Work and Human Services program at Columbus State Community College. Torres-Pierce has a BSSW from Ohio University and an MSW from The Ohio State University. She has 25 years of experience as a social worker and community educator. Torres-Pierce is a trained subject matter expert in the areas of bias, diversity, cultural humility and trauma-responsive care. She identifies as a Queer woman who grew up in Appalachia and has a rich Puerto Rican heritage. Her intersecting identities give her a unique lens through which to see and interpret the world. She lives in Columbus, Ohio with her wife and their fur babies.

Angela Fry, MSW, LISW-S, earned both her BSSW and MSW degrees from The Ohio State University College of Social Work. With a career rooted in trauma and abuse work, Fry has gained extensive experience through her service in various agencies in Columbus, Ohio. Fry began her career at CHOICES, a domestic violence agency, where she worked as a case manager supporting women residing in the shelter. She then spent a decade at Catholic Social Services, taking on diverse roles such as a home-based clinician for families involved with child protective services, individual and couples counselor, group therapy facilitator, and clinical supervisor. Venturing out, Fry worked with children who had been sexually abused and served in foster care. Returning to CHOICES, she served as clinical supervisor for several years and is now a professor in the Social Work and Human Services program at Columbus State Community College.