Director of Continuing Education Instruction / Lecturer
Elizabeth Smull is a dedicated educator, counselor, and leader in the field of restorative practices, with over two decades of experience advancing restorative practices approaches across education, justice, and community systems. She currently serves as Director of Continuing Education Instruction at the IIRP Graduate School, where she oversees foundational curriculum development, supports instructors, and contributes to designing innovative professional learning opportunities.
Elizabeth is also a Lecturer at the IIRP, teaching graduate-level courses on the foundations and applications of restorative practices. Her expertise has shaped learning experiences for educators, school leaders, social workers, nonprofit professionals, and community practitioners both nationally and internationally.
Prior to her work in higher education, Elizabeth began her career at the Boys and Girls Club of America, where she worked with youth and families in the community, spending the majority of her time supporting two elementary schools in helping students develop social and emotional skills. She then built a solid foundation as a restorative practitioner through her role at the IIRP’s Model Programs at Community Service Foundation (CSF). During her time there, she had a variety of roles, including a Drug and Alcohol Counselor, Coordinator of the CSF’s Drug and Alcohol outpatient program, coordinated and facilitated Family Group Decision Making Meetings (FDGM) and Restorative Conferences, supported Buxmont Academy, CSF’s alternative schools serving 7-12th grades, and guided system-involved youth and families through restorative and therapeutic interventions.Elizabeth coauthored a book on FGDM, Family Power: Engaging and Collaborating with Families (2013).
A frequent presenter, Elizabeth has contributed to national and international conferences, webinars, and publications on topics including restorative school culture, listening circles, motivational interviewing, and restorative pedagogy.
Elizabeth holds a Master’s degree in Restorative Practices and Youth Counseling and a Graduate Certificate in Change Implementation in Organizations and Social Systems from the IIRP Graduate School and a Bachelor of Science in Secondary Social Studies Education from Millersville University of Pennsylvania. She is also a Certified Alcohol and Drug Counselor through the Pennsylvania Certification Board and the International Certification and Reciprocity Consortium. She is currently enrolled at the IIRP Graduate School, pursuing a graduate certificate in Change Implementation in Organizations and Social Systems
Passionate about creating communities of care, Elizabeth is committed to equipping individuals and organizations with the tools to build, sustain, and restore relationships.
View a list of Beth's publications and presentations.
Twitter: @bethsmull_IIRP
Selected Publications
- Hebling, M. J., Hickman, K. & Smull, B. (2021, February 8-11). Restorative practices: A prevention framework for advancing student well-being in K-12 [Paper presentation]. 2021 ESEA National Conference. https://www.eseanetwork.org/sched/E21/session/restorative-practices-a-prevention-framework-for-advancing-student-well-being-in-k-12
- Abrams, G. B., Smull, E., & Hala, A. (2020, January 16-18). Restorative practices: An innovative prevention framework for advancing health and well-being [Pre-conference institute]. NASPA Strategies Conference, New Orleans, LA, United States.
- Abrams, G. B., & Smull, E. (2019, November). Advancing campus community wellbeing using restorative practices [Keynote address]. presented at the Restorative Practices in Maryland Student Affairs Meeting, Baltimore, MD, United States.
- Abrams, G. B., & Smull, E. (2019, July 8-10). Strengthening cross-sector collaboration [Paper presentation]. IIRP 2019 Summer Symposium, Bethlehem, PA, United States.
- Abrams, G. B., Smull, E., Hala, A., Stone, J., & Willson, S. (2019, May 28-June 1). Building health campuses by increasing social connectedness and sense of community [Pre-conference workshop]. American College Health Association Annual Meeting, Denver, CO, United States.
- Abrams, G. B., Hebling, M. J., & Smull, E. (2018, October 24-26). Proactive restorative practices: Creating the conditions for individuals and communities to flourish [Paper presentation]. Strengthening the Spirit of Community, IIRP World Conference, Detroit, MI, United States.
- Smull, E., Wachtel, J., & Wachtel, T. (2012). Family power: Engaging and collaborating with families. International Institute for Restorative Practices.