Dr. Autumn King, DSW, MS, MFT, PCC

DSW | Leadership Development Specialist

I have spent a decade in child welfare—as a social worker, supervisor, trainer, and professor. I know what it feels like to lead in hard places: the weight of the work, the pressure to do more with less, and the heartbreak of watching good people burn out.

I have sat in the chair you are sitting in. I have supervised teams, navigated crises, supported children and families, and wrestled with how to lead well when everything feels urgent and the stakes could not be higher.

Our Mission

Autumn King Consulting exists to equip child welfare leaders with the skills, frameworks, and support they need to lead well in high-stakes, high-stress environments.

Our Vision

A child welfare system where leaders are prepared, supported, and grounded enough to lead with clarity, courage, and care so staff stay longer, youth are safer, and systems truly change.

Autumn King Consulting is more than training. It is a movement to transform how child welfare organizations develop their people.

Founder & Principal Consultant

Why I Do This Work

Early in my career, I was promoted into leadership because I was good at the work, but no one taught me how to lead. I learned the hard way: through mistakes, burnout, and watching talented colleagues leave the field because they did not have the support they needed.

As I pursued my doctorate, I finally received the leadership training I had been missing and began teaching leadership in academic settings. Yet I continued to see the same gap. Generic leadership content fails to address the specific realities of child welfare—the secondary trauma, regulatory pressure, life-and-death decisions, and moral weight leaders carry every day.

That gap is why I founded Autumn King Consulting. I set out to create leadership development that actually fits. Training designed specifically for FFAs and STRTPs, grounded in real experience, and built by someone who has lived this work.

My Approach

Practical Over Theoretical

I believe in training you can use Monday morning, not abstract concepts that sound good in a seminar but do not translate to real life.

Story-Driven Learning

I teach through examples, case studies, and everyday analogies. Complex ideas land better when they are grounded in stories people recognize.

Trauma-Informed Foundation

Everything I teach accounts for the reality that you and your teams carry emotional weight. Leadership that ignores this is not leadership — it is just management.

Authenticity

I am not going to pretend to have all the answers. I will share what I have learned, what I have gotten wrong, and what I am still figuring out.

Credentials

Doctor of Social Work (DSW)

Advanced practice doctorate in social work, grounded in applied research.

University Faculty

Assistant Professor teaching leadership, program evaluation, and applied case management

10 Years in Child Welfare

Direct practice, supervision, and training across FFAs and residential settings

Let Us Talk About Your Organization

I would love to learn about your leadership challenges and explore whether we might be a good fit.

Get in Touch