Current Position
President/CEO, CaringWorks, Inc.
http://caringworksinc.org/
Community Involvement
Board Member, Georgia Supportive Housing Association
Board Member, Project Community Connections, Inc.
Hobbies
Travel, reading, and spending time with my grandkids
Recent Books
The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks, Ghana Must Go!, and Getting Things Done
Childhood Hero
My mother – Ione Sargent Ifield
What most people don’t know about you?
I am a fan of classic movies– especially Cary Grant and James Stewart!
Carol Collard became a passionate participant in the fight to reduce homelessness while working for Progressive Redevelopment, Inc. In 1998, Carol returned to school to study social work and ultimately earned a PhD in the field. Dr. Collard has worked for more than 20 years in supportive housing and in grappling with the complex issues that can result in homelessness. Her combined expertise has given her the ability to operate a nonprofit agency with a caring heart and a mind for business. At CaringWorks, which she co-founded, she oversees a 50-member staff that operates supportive housing and behavioral health programs across Metro Atlanta.
CaringWorks’ mission is to reduce homelessness and empower the marginalized by providing access to housing and services that foster dignity, self-sufficiency and well-being. They apply a “housing first” model, believing that a safe place to live is the first step to stability, then they work with their clients to help them discover and address the issues that resulted in homelessness in the first place.
CaringWorks was incorporated in 2002 and built on the single idea that every citizen, no matter their social or economic standing, should have a chance to improve their quality of life. CaringWorks’ experienced staff works with clients in a way that respects and renews their dignity, believing deeply in their innate potential. They focus on the “hardest-to-serve:” 66% of their clients are chronically homeless, 78% have a history of substance addiction and 64% have a diagnosed mental illness. In the last 14 years, CaringWorks has served nearly 5,000 clients. The organization’s success rate in 2015—as defined by people remaining stably housed after a year—stood at 98 percent.
Carol earned her undergraduate degree in Communications from Loyola University in New Orleans, and both a master’s degree and PhD in social work from the University of Georgia. She is a Licensed Master Social Worker (LMSW), and is also an associate professor of Social Work at Kennesaw State University in Kennesaw, Georgia.
