Laura Vega, DSW, LCSW is Director of the Community Violence and Trauma Support Programs at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP), where she leads innovative programs that support children, adolescents, families, and communities impacted by violence and traumatic stress. With more than 25 years of clinical social work experience, Dr. Vega has dedicated her career to advancing evidence-based interventions, strengthening systems of care, and improving outcomes for marginalized youth and families.

Since joining CHOP in 2012, Dr. Vega has held progressive leadership roles within the Center for Violence Prevention, helping to expand hospital-based violence intervention services and workforce wellness initiatives. Her work focuses on developing and implementing programs that promote healing, resilience, and recovery for both survivors of violence and the professionals who serve them.

Dr. Vega earned her Doctorate in Clinical Social Work from the University of Pennsylvania, where her research focused on developing a systemic intervention to reduce secondary traumatic stress among violence intervention professionals. She is certified in Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT) and Child and Family Traumatic Stress Intervention (CFTSI), and has extensive training in the Sanctuary Model and Neurosequential Model of Therapeutics.

A recognized leader in violence prevention and trauma-responsive care, Dr. Vega developed the Stress-Less Initiative©, a nationally recognized model designed to reduce secondary traumatic stress and promote workforce well-being, and co-developed Building Resilience After Violent Experiences (BRAVE), a peer-supported intervention for adolescents exposed to violence. She has presented nationally and internationally and contributed to peer-reviewed research on violence intervention, traumatic stress, resilience, and workforce wellness.

In addition to her leadership at CHOP, Dr. Vega serves as Adjunct Faculty at the University of Pennsylvania, where she teaches graduate-level coursework in trauma-informed practice. She also serves as faculty for the Health Alliance for Violence Intervention, providing training and technical assistance to emerging hospital-based violence intervention programs nationwide, and is actively involved in national initiatives focused on secondary traumatic stress, violence prevention, and trauma-responsive systems change.