Leadership

Leadership & Senior Staff

Laura Karlsen, LCSW

Clinician Supervisor
Veteran, Army National Guard

Laura Karlsen, LCSW and Program Coordinator with the Vets4Warriors program. Laura Karlsen joined the New Jersey Army National Guard in 1996 and separated from service in 2001 as an E-3. Laura Karlsen from a young child knew that she was going to join the military and grew up with a long family history of military service, dating all the way back to the Spanish American War. While in service, Laura Karlsen worked as a 93P, aviation operations specialist, as she worked towards her A.S degree in Social Science. Laura Karlsen then went on to graduate from Old Dominion University in Norfolk, VA with a B.S. in Psychology and minor in Criminal Justice. Afterwards, Laura Karlsen returned to New Jersey where she began to work in the social service field and continued her educational path. Laura Karlsen, in 2011, obtain a Master’s degree in Social Work from Monmouth University. Laura Karlsen shortly afterwards joined the Vets4Warriors team in November of 2011 as a per diem peer, worked her way up to full-time peer. Laura Karlsen briefly left the Vets4Warriors program while working on finishing her clinical hours for her LCSW. Laura Karlsen returned to Rutgers University Behavioral Healthcare and began to work with Vets4Warriors as a per diem Clinician before becoming Program Coordinator.