Dr. Smith is a trustee of the Casey Family Programs foundation based in Seattle Washington. This 2.6-billion-dollar operating foundation has a mission to provide, improve – an ultimately prevent the need for – foster care, and operates in all fifty states, District of Columbia, U.S. Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico. Member (2018-present.) Chair of board (2021-present)
Walter Howard Smith, Jr.’s career focuses on the use of Bowen family systems theory to understand the functioning of families, organizations, and social groups. (1978-present) Dr. Smith has focused on understanding how family functioning from this perspective leads to family violence, particularly child abuse. (1987-present) He attended the post-graduate training program in Bowen theory at the Georgetown University Family Center. (1980-1983)
Dr. Smith is board member of the Pittsburgh Foundation, a community foundation that has a mission to improve the quality of life of the Pittsburgh region. (Member 2008-2020 and 2021-present)
Dr. Smith is a licensed psychologist with a private practice that specializes in treating children, families, and couples. His practice includes executive coaching, business and organization consultation, conferences and lectures on child abuse and family violence from a family systems perspective. (1985-present)
Dr. Smith is the retired Deputy Director and Clinical Director at the Allegheny County Department of Human Services. He led child welfare services for a 1.2 million population county. Services under his leadership included child welfare services, and prevention and community-based family support services. The annual budget of these services was 260 million dollars, and services involved approximately 700 staff. (2012-2018)
For twenty-five years, Dr. Smith was the clinical director and subsequently the executive director of Family Resources, a non-profit organization that provided child abuse prevention and treatment services. (1987-2012)
