Shaheer Mustafa
Shaheer Mustafa, LICSW, CCDP, joined HopeWell, a nonprofit social services agency, in 2016 to help usher the organization into a new era. Drawing on his experience in both private nonprofit and public service sectors, Mustafa is committed to growth and achieving positive, measurable outcomes at HopeWell. He oversees programs and partnerships, manages organizational resources, and fosters a culture of inclusion, transparency, and collaboration.
Before joining HopeWell, Mustafa served as director of areas for the Massachusetts Department of Children and Families' Arlington and Coastal Area Offices. In this role, he managed child protective services across 31 cities and towns, earning him recognition for advancing permanency for children, addressing disproportionality in foster care, and developing innovative responses to the opioid crisis.
Earlier in his career, Mustafa was director of the Knight's Children's Center, a residential school and treatment program connected with the Home for Little Wanderers. He also served as a faculty member in the Urban Leadership Program at Simmons College Graduate School of Social Work and is currently a core instructor at the Institute for Nonprofit Practice, in affiliation with Tufts University's Jonathan M. Tisch College of Civic Life.
His work has been featured in numerous publications, and he is widely regarded as a leader in the child welfare and human services sectors. Mustafa began his career as a therapist supporting children and families through empowerment and strength-based approaches. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Sociology and a Master's in Clinical Social Work from Boston College. He is certified as a Diversity Practitioner through Cornell University's School of Industrial and Labor Relations and holds a Certificate in Nonprofit Management and Leadership from the Institute for Nonprofit Practice.