Meet Our Founder
Stevie Edwards MSW, LGSW Founder & Executive Director
Stevie Edwards is a survivor, advocate, and systems navigator with a passion for helping people find clarity, safety, and strength in the aftermath of trauma. Her journey to founding Kindling Light began not only through professional experience, but through personal lived experience with domestic violence — and the deep frustrations of navigating systems that often leave survivors unheard or unprotected.
Professionally, Stevie holds a Master of Social Work and is a Licensed Graduate Social Worker in the state of West Virginia. She has worked in both mental health and child welfare, including as a Socially Necessary Services (SNS) provider, where she supported families involved in abuse and neglect cases through the Circuit Court. Her work has included parenting education, trauma-informed support planning, and direct advocacy alongside individuals navigating complex legal and child welfare systems.
These experiences — both personal and professional — led her to recognize the urgent need for long-term, survivor-led support systems that don’t stop at safety but help rebuild lives. Through Kindling Light, Stevie blends compassionate care with systems-level insight, offering trauma-informed services while actively pushing for reform.
Her work is grounded in the belief that healing is possible, survivors are the experts of their own stories, and every person deserves support that meets them where they are — and walks with them forward.
Education
Master of Social Work
Concord University
Stevie earned her Master of Social Work from Concord University, where she pursued the clinical track with a strong focus on trauma and domestic violence. During her studies, she completed specialized coursework in psychopathology, domestic violence intervention, and advanced clinical assessment.
As part of her MSW training, she interned under a Certified Domestic Violence Specialist II, gaining hands-on experience in survivor advocacy, safety planning, and systems navigation. Her academic and fieldwork experiences shaped a deep understanding of trauma-informed care and the complex intersections of abuse, mental health, and systemic barriers.
Bachelor's In Social Work
West Virginia State University
Stevie earned her BSW from West Virginia State University, where she developed a strong foundation in generalist social work practice with an emphasis on ethical service, cultural competence, and advocacy for vulnerable populations. Her coursework focused on human behavior, social welfare policy, and field-based learning, preparing her to work effectively in community settings, child welfare, and mental health.
This degree laid the groundwork for her passion in systems reform and direct support for survivors of trauma and domestic violence.
Licensed Graduate Social Worker
West Virginia Social Work Board
Stevie Edwards holds an active LGSW license in the state of West Virginia, authorizing her to provide social work services under the clinical supervision of a licensed independent social worker. As an LGSW, she is qualified to offer non-clinical services such as advocacy, case management, systems navigation, education, and trauma-informed support to individuals and families.
Her licensure reflects a commitment to ethical, evidence-based practice and positions her to lead community programs while operating within the scope defined by West Virginia law and the NASW Code of Ethics.