Ms. Alena E. Aguilar, a Licensed Social Worker, is a Senior Associate at Lorio Forensics. Ms. Aguilar received her Bachelor’s degree in Sociology from Georgia State University and her Master’s degree from Columbia University’s School of Social Work. During this time she concentrated on contemporary social issues, specifically in mental health, criminal justice and women’s issues. Her studies at Columbia University’s School of Social Work gave Alena the opportunity to intern at The Bronx Defenders, which further ignited her passion for forensic mental health.

Ms. Aguilar has worked with legal teams representing clients from diverse backgrounds as young as 15 and as old as 101. She started her career with the Legal Aid Society Criminal Defense Practice, in their Bronx and Manhattan offices. Her clients there faced misdemeanors, felonies, and oftentimes, multiple crimes at once. Alena has worked with clients impacted by substance abuse, mental health illnesses, intellectual disabilities and traumas not properly addressed or understood by officers of the court. Utilizing her experiences and skills in the court system, Alena began working at the Bronx Legal Services Family and Immigration Unit in 2019. Her work at the organization took her to civil court, where she focused on the intersections of gender-based violence, community mental health and immigration. 

Ms. Aguilar has conducted trainings and workshops on topics related to practice-specific social work and legal collaborations, including trauma-informed interviewing, cultural competency, the effects of racial trauma, and de-escalation skills.