In 2003, after completing her Credential in Alcohol and Substance Abuse Counseling training at the ACNY, Lauren began her career in Social Work as a Substance Abuse Counselor with Parolees & Probationers on the front lines in the crime and drug ridden neighborhood of Hempstead, Long Island. Already having earned her BA in Psychology at Columbia University, she went on to get her Masters in Social Work, with a concentration on Group Work, at Hunter in 2006.
While there, she created the Hip Hop Heals Curriculum as her thesis, and after obtaining her LMSW, she implemented this innovative therapeutic intervention at two of Palladia’s facilities (Starhill & CTI) from 2006-2007.
After shifting gears and starting work as the School Social Worker at the Lexington School for the Deaf in 2007, Lauren recognized a huge gap in extracurricular activities available to Deaf and Hard of Hearing individuals; she decided to start filling in that gap with HHHMD in the Summer of 2008 and then HHHMD Dance Company in the Fall of 2010. By giving the Deaf community access to some of New York City’s top hip hop choreographers & dance instructors, Lauren felt she was providing a necessary outlet and a great dance education to all who participate in Hip Hop Heals Most DEAFinitely.
In 2009, Lauren founded the Hip Hop Heals Foundation, a non-profit, 501 (c)3 charitable organization which funds all Hip Hop Heals Most DEAFinitely programs. Lauren’s love of dance and helping others was the driving force behind the formation of HHF. An innovator, entrepreneur and humanitarian at the core, Lauren continues to seek ways to make a positive and indelible impact on the lives of Deaf and hearing individuals alike.
"Hip Hop Heals Most DEAFinitely is a fabulous opportunity for deaf kids to have the ability to express themselves visually -- not only through dance, but also by using American Sign Language. Deaf audience members will now have the advantage of being able to connect to the music by understanding the true meaning of the lyrics of the songs performed."
— Sarah Jerger McGaughey, Early Intervention Specialist, Beverly School for the Deaf, Beverly, MA. Deaf Consultant