Melissa Niemie-Nathan is the Supervisor of School Social Work and Mental Health Supports for Columbus City Schools. She provides leadership and development for her team, in order for them to best serve as the link between home, school, and the community, while emphasizing the importance of identifying and removing non-academic barriers. Niemie-Nathan serves as a lead for the District Care Team and serves as the District liaison for numerous CCS community mental health partnerships. She holds a certificate as a Trauma and Resilience Practitioner.

Prior to joining Columbus City Schools, Niemie-Nathan served as the Coordinator for Student Support with Groveport Madison Schools. Additionally, her professional social work experience includes psychiatric social work support in the Emergency Department and on the Mother Infant Unit at Mount Carmel West Hospital, prevention education and direct clinical services for youth survivors of human trafficking and justice-involved youth throughout the state of Ohio, outreach and support to homeless families in Central Ohio, and substance abuse treatment through Columbus Public Health. Additionally, Niemie-Nathan lived and worked in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania for several years.

Throughout her career, Niemie-Nathan has been deeply committed to the social work value of recognizing and respecting the inherent dignity of each individual. She is passionate about creating systems to increase equitable learning experiences for students who have historically been underrepresented and expanding family engagement efforts through collaborative and reciprocal relationships.

Niemie-Nathan graduated from The Ohio State University with a Bachelor of Science in Social Work, and a Master of Clinical Social Work with additional graduate work at Ohio State, specific to School Social Work and Educational Administration. She is a Licensed Independent Social Worker with a Supervisory Endorsement (LISW-S) for the State of Ohio and holds a Pupil Services License under the Ohio Department of Education.

This is Niemie-Nathan’s first year with Columbus City Schools.