He received his master’s and doctoral degrees from the University of Chicago, School of Social Service Administration. As a practitioner, Brake has over twelve years of experience working for some of Chicago’s leading youth serving organizations and schools. His research broadly examines social and academic supports in urban, public high schools. He is particularly interested in the role of trust and relationship-building in teaching and social work practice, as well as the lead roles that school social workers can play in improving school policy and practice.