Chapter Leader Mixes Law Enforcement, Academia With Social Work Career

Boardroom

By Paul R. Pace

Michael J. Alicea was one year away from becoming a priest when his life took a completely different direction and he became an officer with the Miami Police Department.

“My intent was to only do it for three years, but I ended up doing it for 32 years,” said Alicea, who is the president of the NASW Florida Chapter. He also worked for the Coral Gables Police Department for another eight years.

When he witnessed a domestic violence murder early in his police career, he knew he would need help to process the trauma. A meeting with a priest inspired him to be a marriage and family therapist and eventually a social worker—all while continuing to work as a full-time police officer.

In all, Alicea has more than 30 years of clinical practice experience in both the public and private sector and was a medical/case management social worker with a regionally recognized hospital network in the South Florida area for more than 20 years.

On top of this, Alicea also is an academic. His teaching experience includes 28 years as an adjunct and part-time faculty member for the University of Miami, Miami Dade College, and guest lecturer at Florida International University. He currently is an assistant professor with the School of Social Work at Barry University in Miami.

“It’s important we do not lose perspective of the grassroots efforts that are needed to be made on local, state and national levels,” he said of volunteering his time with NASW. “We need to always give back for what we have gotten from the profession. I strongly believe in that.”