Dr. Jonathan Spikes is a licensed mental health counselor, chief executive officer, and founder of the Affirming Youth Foundation, Incorporated. In 2020, Dr. Spikes launched a strategic plan: A new paradigm to serve as a connector of services that strengthen schools, families, and communities. Dr. Spikes’ aim was to improve student learning by increasing family engagement, promoting community engagement through capacity building, and developing leaders through collaboration with institutions of higher learning.

Through his work, Dr. Spikes seeks to develop multi-level and transformative solutions that holistically address the most pressing needs of low-resource communities. His research focuses on various forms of community violence, including gang violence, community trauma, and child victimization. The strategies for reducing Adverse Childhood Experiences and their associated outcomes in his local community have been lauded as novel in their targeting of ecological influences.