“I’m excited to work in a place that values and promotes the integration of research into social work practice. TXICFW understands the importance of supporting clinicians in providing effective and informed services to children and families. I’m excited to be a part of this team and continue to support programs and research that benefits children and families in our community and beyond.”
Samantha Zuniga Thompson, LCSW-S, has more than 15 years of experience providing therapeutic support to children and families affected by trauma. She specializes in working with caregivers involved in the child welfare system and developing trauma-informed programs and best practices that support families. Her professional experience includes individual and family therapy, case management, clinical supervision, and program development.
Since 2019, Samantha has worked at the Texas Institute for Child & Family Wellbeing, where she leads program development, supervision, and training initiatives to strengthen child welfare systems across the state. Her work includes training and curriculum development, workforce support, and clinical supervision. Samantha is passionate about developing equitable programs and interventions that empower caregivers and help families thrive. She holds a Master of Science in Social Work from The University of Texas at Austin and a Bachelor of Science in Sociology from Texas State University. The Neurosequential Network acknowledges that Samantha Thompson has completed NMT Training Certification through the Phase II level.
samantha.thompson@austin.utexas.edu
Publications
- Wasim, A., LaBrenz, C. A., Graves, N., Thompson, S. Z., & Faulkner, M. (2026). “Sometimes you need a middleman”: negotiating family engagement for foster and kinship caregivers involved with child welfare. Children and Youth Services Review, 108841. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.childyouth.2026.108841
- LaBrenz, C.A., Wasim, A., Thompson, S.Z. et al. Increasing Family Engagement in Child Welfare Practice: Findings from a Pilot of the Texas Permanency Outcomes Project. Clin Soc Work J (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10615-023-00902-1
Blogs
- Honoring Social Work: Reflections from TXICFW Staff (March 30, 2026)
- Family Engagement as a Relational Approach (February 14, 2025)
- How the Texas Permanency Outcomes Project is meeting people where they are through creativity and innovation. (May 27, 2021)
- Learning from Each Other: Reflecting on What Self Care Means in a Helping Profession (July 17, 2019)
- Welcome to Samantha Zuniga Thompson, LCSW-S, our new Program Specialist! (March 25, 2019)