OUR FOUNDERS AND TEAM

In 2009, William Ford and Allen Washington founded Mustard Seed Survivor Empowerment Foundation, Inc. The foundation was created to compliment the work being done by Mustard Seed Forensic Licensed Clinical Social Work Services. This practice has been in operation since January 2000 and they have treated over 1600 clients.

William C. Ford, LCSW

William Clark Ford, Jr. earned his Bachelor of Arts in Psychology in June of 1983 from Hofstra University in Hempstead, New York. He also earned his Masters in Social Work from Yeshiva University in May 1995 while interning at the New York City Department of Probation where he would later work for five years focusing on the supervision of domestic violence and sexual offenders. After realizing his calling in the fiend of sex offender treatment, Mr. Ford became a clinical social worker (C.S.W.) in April of 1997.

Mr. Ford is a member of the Association for the Treatment of Sexual Abusers (A.T.S.A), one of the world’s leading professional organizations for the treatment of sexual abusers, since 1996, and a board member at Stop It Now!, an international organization dedicated to ending child sex abuse. He has also: presented seminars at A.T.S.A’s 2002 and 2003 national research and treatment conferences entitled “Working with Sex Offenders: The Relapse Prevention Model” and “Steps to More Effective Supervision and Treatment of Sexual Abusers”; dozens of seminars and trainings to raise awareness regarding sexual abuse among treatment, supervision and community-based entities in the New York City/Tri-State area; co-authored a chapter entitled “Working With African-American and Latino Sex Offenders” published in 2005 by the Civic Research Institute.

Mr. Ford remains deeply dedicated to improving the lives of both offenders as well as survivors of sexual assault. As he shared in a session of Congress in Washington D.C., he looks forward to the day the his services are no longer needed because Offenders recognize the impact their behavior has had on the innocent and they no longer desire to create new victims.

Allen R. Washington, MSW

Allen R. Washington earned his Bachelor of Science degree from SUNY at Old Westbury in 1997. He also earned his Masters of Social Work degree from Adelphi University in August of 2008. While employed by the City of New York, Mr. Washington worked as a 911 operator. It was during this time that he first encountered the horror that is sexual assault. He received numerous calls from parents and loved ones of sexual assault victims and it brought to the life the abuse he suffered as an adolescent at the hands of a trusted adult. These events served as the foundation for his entrance into the field of Sexual Offender treatment. With a powerful vision, Mr. Washington went on to co-found Mustard Seed Counseling Services which is now proudly known as Mustard Seed Forensic Licensed Clinical Social Work Services.

Mr. Washington has honed his skills through the completion of thousands of training and treatment hours. He has been diligent in his efforts to improve as a treatment provider by reading the latest literature on treatment modalities and he has been willing to share his insight with Probation and Parole Officers with whom he has regular contacts. His work with Mustard Seed has taken him beyond the confines of 2625 Atlantic Avenue where Mustard Seed Forensic conducts operation. He now conducts on sight treatment at the Department of Probation, both Bronx and Brooklyn offices.

Mr. Washington is currently a member in good standing of the following organizations: The Association of the Treatment of Sexual Abusers, The Federal Bureau of Investigation Citizen Academy, Order of The Feather Fraternity, and The National Association of Social Workers. In 2009 with the assistance of his business partner, Mr. William C. Ford LCSW, Mustard Seed Survivor Empowerment Foundation was founded. The foundation was created to compliment the work being done by Mustard Seed Forensic Licensed Clinical Social Work Services. Having experienced sexual abuse first hand, Mr. Washington has long believed that in order for sexual abuse to be addressed, it must be from both an offender as well as survivor perspective. Therefore with the creation of Mustard Seed Survivor Empowerment Survivors, families and communities impacted by sexual abuse, can receive services and the education needed to inform and protect loved ones from ongoing and future assaults.
SCOTT JOHNSON, JD

Scott Johnson is the Executive Director of Mustard Seed Survivor Empowerment Foundation. He was appointed Executive Director in 2009. The work done here compliments the work that is being done at Mustard Seed Forensic Licensed Clinical Social Work Services (Forensics). Scott was on board with Forensics from its very inception in 2000 where he served as Director of Business and Legal Affairs. It was him who filed the initial Certificate of Incorporation for the organization. When the call went out for a Director to lead Empowerment, Johnson was recruited to take on the leadership role for the organization where he also often fulfills a motivational role in addition to his office-based work. He has developed an organizational culture that has embraced staff, volunteers and the clients that we serve.

Johnson joined Survivor Empowerment from NYC Children’s Services, Division of Child Care/Head Start, where he was Chairman of the City-Wide Policy Council. In that position his responsibilities included spearheading the policy making efforts as an advocate for 20,045 children enrolled in NYC Head Start. He also had oversight of all employment-related due diligence for upper management hires. He also devised plans for Head Start facilities to offer additional full-day classes to the children of NYC.

While at NYC Children’s Services, Scott sat on the Governor’s Children’s Cabinet, where he provided strategic direction and advice to the State of New York on early childhood issues, including sexual abuse, prevention and education. By monitoring and guiding the implementation of a range of strategies, the Cabinet supported New York in building a comprehensive and sustainable early childhood system that ensured success for all young children in New York State. It is his passion to see children be able to grow and reach their full potential that had lead Johnson to NYC Children’s Services and continues to motivate him to do the work that he does today.

The foundation for his passion to work with youth began to manifest in the early 1990’s when he worked in the office of New York State Assemblyman Darryl C. Towns. It is there that he began to encourage youth to speak out on issues which affect them. A natural outgrowth of this is the Mustard Seed Survivor Empowerment Foundation slogan: “If you have ever been touched…now is the time to tell”. Mr. Johnson received his law degree from Seton Hall University School of Law and has successfully passed the New York State bar exam. He also holds a B.S. degree in Business Management from York College of The City University of New York, where he graduated with honors, magna cum laude.

OUR TEAM

Team Member Bios

Team Member Bios

Team Member Bios

Team Member Bios

Team Member Bios

Team Member Bios