Audrey Tousant Shelby, MSW, is an assistant teaching professor of practicum education. Since joining the USC Suzanne Dworak-Peck School of Social Work in 2022, Shelby has brought 20 years of child welfare leadership experience across both nonprofit and public sectors. She launched her career at a local nonprofit — designing, implementing and managing programs from primary prevention through post-adoption support — before overseeing its child welfare division. She then partnered with jurisdictions throughout California, providing technical assistance, coaching and workforce development to strengthen practice and improve outcomes for children, youth and families involved in foster care.

An accomplished trainer and curriculum developer, Shelby has created and delivered blended-learning programs that emphasize cultural responsiveness, equity, effective engagement and experiential simulation. She has supported the implementation of key state and local initiatives — child and family team meetings, safety-organized practice, permanency roundtables, and diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts — to improve the child welfare system.

Before academia, Shelby served as children services administrator (chief of staff) to the chief deputy director at the Los Angeles County Department of Children and Family Services. In that role, she drove countywide projects aligned with the Family First Prevention Services Act, Thriving Families framework, risk-stratification models and the department’s equity agenda.

Deeply committed to advancing justice in child welfare, Shelby investigates and addresses the root causes of disproportionality and disparity affecting children of color — particularly African American youth. As an adoptee herself, she champions reforms that center child well-being, strengthen families, and transform systems to support healing and hope.