Alisa Matheson is a Child Welfare Executive Director, Therapeutic Life Story Work certificate holder, and National Adoption Competency mental health trained speaker. In 2021, she founded Power of Story, an organization that engages young people, caretakers, and professionals in the research and curation of life histories, provides training rooted in youth-centered best practices, and advocates for increased awareness and quality implementation of life histories. With the desire that young people who have experienced out-of-home placement have equal, consistent person-centered access to their history, stories, photos, and medical information.
Educationally, she received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology, with an emphasis on Marriage and Family Counseling, from the University of Northwestern – St. Paul and completed an Advanced Certificate in Therapeutic Lifestory Work and The National Adoption Competency Mental Health Training Initiative Courses. She has previous experience as an adoption recruiter, educator, and contractor; completed 30 Lifebooks and 80 Social and Medical Histories and has over 11 years of experience in the child welfare system. In every role, she has championed communication, relationship building, and respect for the personhood and rights of you in the child welfare system.

After a childhood filled with trauma, abuse, neglect, and homelessness, Gaelin believed that his issues would be solved if he became successful. From college football to signing an NFL contract, Gaelin was driven, even comforted, by this assumption. It wasn't until Gaelin achieved what he thought was "success" (making it to the NFL), that he finally realized he had been wrong all along. And so, Gaelin retired as a rookie to begin his journey of self-love, self-discovery, and belonging. That journey has led Gaelin here today, and to stages all across the country, aiming to inspire, encourage, and equip others, to erase the belonging gap plaguing youth with adverse childhood experiences. Gaelin lives in Eden Prairie, MN, where he gets to experience the purest form of belonging, as a husband to his wife, Micaela, and a Dad to their two daughters, Laniah and Tatum.

Lisa Cherry is an author and a leading international trainer and consultant, specialising in assisting those in Education, Social Care and Adoption and Fostering to understand trauma, recovery and resilience for vulnerable children, young people and their families. Lisa has nearly 30 years experience in this field and combines academic knowledge and research with professional skills and personal experience.
Lisa’s Master’s research looked at the impact on education and employment for care experienced adults who experienced school exclusion as children in the 1970’s and 1980’s. Currently Lisa is undertaking her DPhil studies full time at The University of Oxford in the Department of Education, asking the research question “How are care-experienced adults’ identities shaped by narratives of being excluded from school?

An award-winning community leader, Tenecia Waddell-Pyle had a 15-year career in law enforcement and served as a Crisis Center Director before joining MyPath. Tenecia has been championing initiatives related to DEI since high school. She welcomes the challenge, reward, and fulfillment of using her professional and lived experiences to support the MyPath ecosystem with her continued career themes of innovation, education, service, and safety for others. Tenecia is a graduate of Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI).

With a history of 23 years at MyPath, John Soderberg believes passionately in his responsibility to advocate for others, especially when they cannot for themselves. John was recognized by BizTimes as one of 2022’s Notable LGBTQ Executives and holds a bachelor’s degree in Psychology with a minor in Gender Studies from Butler University.

David Jon Jelley, Boys Town Vice President Youth Care Site Operations. Jon Jelley is the Vice President for Youth Care Site Operations at Father Flanagan’s Boys’ Home (Boys Town), where he oversees eight Boys Town sites across the nation. Jon has served at Boys Town for over twenty years and has worked in various program roles across the organization, having started his career as a Family Teacher in Omaha in 1998. Jon has significant experience in the Boys Town model, continuously working to address significant trauma and behavioral issues of the children and families served. Jon’s most recent positions include the Executive Director of the Boys Town New York and Boys Town New England sites. Prior to his arrival at Boys Town, Jon was a police officer in the UK and brings a unique perspective because of this. Jon has a bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice and a master’s degree in Youth and Family Services.

Although Sarah Gauvin’s official title is Quality Assurance Coordinator, she has served as a key advocate and voice for LGBTQ youth since she joined the Stevens team in 2019. Sarah organized and facilitates Stevens’ PRIDE Club, is an active participant in the Gender Affirmation PQI Committee, and has played a huge role in expanding youths’ access to gender-affirming activities and social supports. Sarah’s knowledge and passion has been invaluable to Stevens throughout our learning process.

A First Nations woman from the Southern Highlands of Papua New Guinea, Daisy is a skilled and experienced community services professional who has a strong background working in family preservation, Out of Home Care, domestic and family violence, and supporting women in the criminal justice system. Daisy is the Director of People and Culture for Strive Community Care who celebrates diversity and helps embeds cultural safety in everyday work life.

Rachel Taylor is a Quality and Therapeutic Support Coordinator for Strive Community Care, an organization that supports young people in out of home care. Rachel is a qualified Therapeutic Crisis Intervention trainer through Cornell University and holds a Bachelor of Counselling from the Australian Institute of Professional Counsellors, graduating in 2021 with academic merit in Research Methods.

Kara Sabalauskas, MSW, is the Director of Evaluation and Research at The Home for Little Wanderers (The Home). Kara provides leadership to The Home’s program evaluation activities and cultivates research partnerships. She shares evaluation findings with a variety of stakeholders and works to promote a learning culture. Kara brings 20 years of experience in child welfare and behavioral health to her role.

Meredith Rapoza is the Senior Director of Quality and Compliance at Justice Resource Institute (JRI) as well as the Director of Permanency there. Meredith began her career at JRI 17 years ago as a clinician and since then has held various clinical and program leadership positions. Meredith has a Bachelors degree from Providence College, a Masters degree from Rhode Island College and is an independently licensed mental health counselor (LMHC) in the state of Massachusetts.

Cheryl Peltier is a licensed social worker and trained mediator with over 30 years of experience working in both private and public child welfare agencies. She has provided direct service, supervision, training and coaching of staff to promote use of collaborative teaming approaches to ensure timely permanence for children in state care. Her strong belief in strength-based, child-centered and family-driven practice along with her mediation skills have been central to her work promoting permanency, safety and well-being for all children and youth. Presently, Cheryl works as a Senior Child Welfare Manager in the Permanency Practice Leadership at Plummer Youth Promise, providing child welfare training and coaching of frontline practitioners and supervisors in several states.

Noreen Dolan, MSW, LCSW, joined Bridges Homeward March 2014 as the Director of Operations and Performance Management after working for 7 years in pursuit of increased affordable housing opportunities for the Commonwealth’s most vulnerable families. Currently she is the Deputy Director overseeing Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, Permanency Strategy and Performance Measurement. Her previous position was as the Director of Housing Supports at Metropolitan Boston Housing Partnership overseeing a wide variety of emergency assistance, information and referral, shelter alternative and stabilization programs. Her work included playing a key role, in partnership with the Department of Housing and Community Development, in the implementation of the Massachusetts HomeBASE, Alternative to family shelter program, and the Homelessness Prevention and Rapid Re-housing Program (HPRP) in the Greater Boston area. She received her BA in Psychology from Providence College and her MSW from Boston College in Macro Social Work with a focus on children, youth and families.

Amanda Nosel serves as Senior Program Officer for Long Term Foster Care at Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service (LIRS). Ms. Nosel received her Master of Laws in Human Rights and Criminal Justice at Queen’s University Belfast and completed a Bachelor of Arts in International Studies with a focus on Globalization, Development and Human Rights at Arcadia University in greater Philadelphia. In her professional capacity, Ms. Nosel has prior experience in direct service working with immigrant and refugee youth, as well anti-trafficking awareness, advocating on behalf of survivors within the local Philadelphia court system. In addition to more than 10 years working within social services, Ms. Nosel is also a current MSW candidate at Boston University.

Hannah Ferguson serves as the Associate Director for Foster Care at Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service (LIRS). Ms. Ferguson received her Master of Arts in Global Policy from the Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS) of Johns Hopkins University and a Bachelor of Arts in International Relations from American University. Ms. Ferguson has prior experience in direct service working with immigrant and refugee youth in the Unaccompanied Refugee Minor (URM) program and now focuses on the program management of several foster care programs in her current position with LIRS.

Rachel Suarez LeBeau is the Development Director at Cathedral Home in Laramie, WY where she has worked in a variety of roles from direct care education and administration. She leads agency initiatives to increase access and reduce the cost of care by cultivating passionate support of youth & families through strategic communications, advocacy initiatives, and fund development.

Katherine Ratigan is the Philanthropy Coordinator at Cathedral Home where she has helped to integrate the agency’s culture of compassion through program materials and donor gratitude. Her role is to build meaningful, lasting relationships through sincere expressions of gratitude for the impact of philanthropy on youth & families.

Teresa Arens is the Development Assistant at Cathedral Home where she executes informative outreach that seeks to guide impact from individuals, corporations, and foundations to enrich the well-being of youth & families.

Dr. Lindsey is an Assistant Professor with the Center for Innovation in Population Health (IPH) at the University of Kentucky (UK). Dr. Lindsey has expertise in applying safety science to improve the safety, reliability, and effectiveness of organizations. Dr. Lindsey is co-author of Safe Systems Improvement Tool (SSIT) and TeamFirst: A Field Guide for Safe, Reliable, and Effective Child Welfare Teams.

Jordan Constantine is a Senior Policy Analyst with the Center for Innovation in Population Health at the University of Kentucky and co-founder of Affinità Consulting. His work focuses on actualizing individual, team, and system change to drive quality improvement in child welfare organizations. He co-created and supports implementation of the AWAKEN framework, an individual and team-based practice for conscious decision making. Jordan has expertise in applying and integrating safety science in workforce and organizational development to improve outcomes and build safety culture.
Jordan has over 20 years’ experience in direct practice, workforce development and system improvement in child welfare and human services in the United Kingdom and the United States. He is a founding board member of inclusion Tennessee and committed advocate for the LGBTQ+ community and is grateful for the perspective his lived experience of our systems has offered him.
He holds a Master’s degree in Social Work from Manchester Metropolitan University, United Kingdom and a Post-Qualifying Diploma in Child Welfare from Chichester University, United Kingdom. When he’s not working you’ll find Jordan outside with his canine best friend or planning travel adventures with his family.

Jeannette Paules is a Program & Policy Analyst – Advanced within the Child Welfare Licensing Section at the Wisconsin Department of Children and Families. Jeannette began her career in child welfare by working direct care and case management in a congregate care setting before joining state service in 2013. In her current role specific focus is given to child welfare reform, compliance with the federal Family First Prevention Services Act, and implementation of safety science principles and other quality care initiatives in congregate care settings.

Jamie Gennrich, MSSW, is an established professional who has worked across many facets of Wisconsin’s child welfare system for nearly twenty years. Ms. Gennrich is currently the Deputy Director of the Bureau of Permanence and Out of Home Care at the Wisconsin Department of Children and Families and in this role, demonstrates equal commitment to improvements on a micro, individually child-focused level, as well as on a macro, systems-focus level. Ms. Gennrich has been involved in bringing safety science to the child welfare field in Wisconsin since 2016.

Shea Hutchins’ career spans over 25 years including both clinical and administrative leadership experience. As Canopy Children’s Solutions’ Chief Solutions Officer, Shea oversees day-to-day operations and direction of the organization’s statewide continuum of services which, includes the state’s most comprehensive array of children’s behavioral health, educational and social service solutions as well as oversight of admissions and medical staff.

Kim Jordan serves dual roles within Canopy Children’s Solutions as the Director of Nursing and as Program Director for the CARES Center psychiatric residential treatment facility. In the role of Program Director, Kim oversees day-to-day operations of the facility, which encompasses two campuses and serves a total of 60 children ages six to 17. She works alongside other CARES Center leaders and supervisors to develop programming, address challenges, and ensure the children of the CARES Center are receiving care that is outlined in best-practices and is meaningful for each individual child served.

Nikki Goos serves as the Inpatient Clinical Manager and therapist at Tanager. She has an MA in Mental Health Counseling and is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor. Nikki has a diverse counseling experience including crisis, family, intellectual disabilities, school based, and trauma specific using EMDR. She is an Alum of the Tanager Place Leadership Academy.

Brooke Mohs serves as Inpatient Operations Manager for overseeing a 54-bed facility providing PMIC and ICF/ID care. Brooke earned a MA in Criminal Justice from St. Ambrose University. After graduation she realized her passion for social work and residential care. Brooke has over 9 years of experience in Residential settings and crisis stabilization. She continues to strive to educate and train her staff on best practices and restorative practices as well as developing future leaders.

Jennie Null serves as Director of the Meraki Institute of Learning and as a therapist at Tanager. Jennie is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and a Registered Play Therapy Supervisor. Over the last 10 years Jennie has completed advanced trainings in Family Therapy, Play Therapy, Sand Tray Therapy, Eye Movement Desensitization and reprocessing(EMDR), impact and treatment of trauma, Clinical Supervision, Restorative Practices, and Leadership.

Melissa received her undergraduate degree in sociology from the University of New Hampshire and her master’s degree in criminal justice from Roger Williams University. Melissa has academically focused her interests on child abuse and neglect and juvenile delinquency. Since 2008, Melissa has been working in residential group home care for teenagers, growing through entry level positions to leadership roles. She has also served in the State of NH’s Child Protection System and came to Dover Children’s Home in 2016 as the Program Director. Since then, she has become the Quality Improvement Specialist, Mandt System trainer and TBRI practitioner, training staff on being restraint free and building relationships with youth. Melissa also sits as a board member for a NH nonprofit that serves victims of human trafficking.

Renee Touhey- Childress, LICSW - Renee received both her undergraduate and master’s degrees in Social Work through Wheelock College. Since receiving her master’s degree, Renee’s professional focus has been on children, youth and family services through both foster care and residential treatment. In 2015, Renee became the Executive Director of Dover Children’s Home, maintaining focus in population and working to create cultural changes within the organization that promoted and advocated for trauma-informed, restraint-free residential care with the hope to bring these principles to other residential treatment programs. Renee also serves as the Chair of the Greater Dover Chamber of Commerce Board.

Rebecca Smith (she/her) is the Program Director of Waltham House, a group home specifically for LGBTQ+ youth, operated by the Home for Little Wanderers. She has managed residential care programs for child welfare involved youth for over 9 years and is passionate about supporting the needs of LGBTQ+ youth and families. She conducts training on work with LGBTQ+ youth both internally at the Home as well as to providers throughout the state.

Michelle Berton (she/her) is the Clinical Coordinator of Waltham House, a group home specifically for LGBTQ+ youth, operated by the Home for Little Wanderers. Michelle is passionate about providing affirming and competent care to LGBTQ+ clients, and is a tireless advocate for the community. Michelle provides internal and external trainings about providing quality clinical care to LGBTQ+ clients to promote best practice and successful outcomes.

Donelle Hauser is the President and Chief Executive Officer for Lad Lake, Inc. located in Wisconsin serving over 1,000 youth and families each year through residential treatment, alternative education and community-based services. Donelle joined Lad Lake, Inc. in 2015 as Chief Program Officer, implementing best practices, building a team focused on continuous improvement, impact and authentic connections. Donelle currently serves on the Association of Children's Residential and Community Services as Equity Committee Chair.

TRACY FRIZZELL ECONOMIC AWARENESS COUNCIL Executive Director Tracy Frizzell is the Executive Director of the Economic Awareness Council (EAC). The EAC is an Illinois non-profit organization that provides statewide financial education programs with attendance of over 20,000 individuals in typical years. The EAC also produces financial education materials that reach an additional 18,000 individuals each year. Frizzell chairs the Young Illinois Saves coalition which includes over 50 Illinois organizations committed to increasing youth saving and financial literacy. Through Saves, over 57,000 youth across IL have made a pledge to save monthly, with total pledges amounting to over $10,000,000 annually. The EAC also helped launch Saves programs at all University of Illinois campuses. The EAC leads the One Summer Chicago Banking Coalition and was recently selected to lead Bank On Chicago. Through these initiatives, over 25,000 youth have received their pay through banking & direct deposit. Frizzell serves on the Bank On Illinois Committee and has previously served on the Illinois Jumpstart Financial Education Board and the Illinois State Board of Saving Institutions. Frizzell has also served on the America Saves Advisory Committee, the Bank On Chicago Steering Committee, the Chicago Public Schools Financial Education Partner Committee, the Chicago FACED (Financial Capability for Individuals with Disabilities) Committee, and the Army One Source Financial Literacy Commission (representing IL). Under Frizzell’s guidance, the EAC has also led a statewide financial capability initiative for youth in care in partnership with the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) since 2014. This initiative has provided training to over 500 DCFS or DCFS affiliate staff who work with youth in care. Through this initiative, over 1,800 youth in the care of DCFS have successfully completed this 8-12 hour curriculum. The EAC has also provided online financial education content and consultation to youth initiatives in New Jersey, Texas, Alabama and Wisconsin. Over 2,000 youth in NJ, TX and WI have utilized EAC online financial education resources. Under Ms. Frizzell’s leadership, the EAC’s work has been highlighted in research in the journal Child Welfare, in the national Jumpstart Financial Education Coalition’s quarterly journal, in reports from the CFE Fund, and in a special report from CFED and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. The EAC has also been featured in a round table forum on Youth Employment and Financial Capability with the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) in Washington DC, a round table for the CFPB, RTI and the Administration of Children and Families, in a national webinar with the Department of Labor and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, and through a visit from the President’s Advisory Council for Financial Capability. Ms. Frizzell has provided financial education programs to thousands of youth and families, primarily in low-income communities, and has presented at numerous state and regional financial education training conferences including the National Association for Workforce Development Conference, Illinois Asset Building Group’s Illinois Annual Conference, the University of Illinois at Chicago Financial Literacy Conference, Champaign County Financial Literacy Summit, American Saver Education Council/Consumer Federation of America National Saving Forum, Association for Financial Counseling Planning and Education Conference, and National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators Conference. Frizzell and the EAC have been featured in numerous local media including: the Chicago Sun Times, Chicago Tribune, CBS news, WGN news, Fox news, ABC news, Chicago Parent Magazine, Hinsdale Living and more and was selected as one of the ‘Best Under 40’ awards for Suburban Life news.

Constance has been with UEDA since September 2018, working to support the growth of Bank On in this community. She has extensive experience building and managing financial education programs in the nonprofit sector, as a credit counselor, homeownership counseling manager, volunteer senior tax preparer, and affordable mortgage lending officer.
Constance received her Bachelor of Arts in Accounting from the University of Phoenix and Master’s degree in Organizational Leadership & Quality from Marian University of Fond du Lac. She is an active community volunteer with her church and several organizations such as Riverworks Financial Clinic, Samed’s House (sober living for women) and The Joseph Project. In 2021 Constance was asked to serve on Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers’ Council on Financial Literacy and Capability.

Robert E. (Bob) Lieberman has over four decades working with young people and families facing serious challenges, in a variety of capacities, including 28 years as CEO of Kairos Northwest. He has written extensively and is lead or co- author, and editor, of ACRC’s “Redefining Residential” papers, as well as co-editor of two books on transforming residential interventions. He chairs the Outcomes Workgroup of the Building Bridges Initiative, is certified by Massachusetts General Hospital as a trainer in Collaborative Problem Solving and is a certified Master Trainer in the NEAR sciences. He is currently President of Lieberman Group, Inc. and trains and consults across the country.

Sara Fox is the Treatment Services Program Manager for the Oregon Department of Human Services, Child Welfare Division. This team is responsible for contracting with, supporting and reviewing contracted providers offering supportive services to children and young adults with specialized needs. The team also assists Child Welfare staff statewide in system navigation to locate services for youth who have experienced complex trauma.
Sara’s educational focus centers on social work with degrees in Psychology, Family Studies and Social Services. She has served in Child Welfare for ten years as a Treatment Analyst and ICWA Permanency worker prior to her current role. Before joining ODHS, she spent eight years in executive management with a non-profit Behavior Rehabilitative Services (BRS) program and three years as a Therapeutic Foster Parent, primarily serving teen boys. She enjoys spending time with her husband and two teens, 13 and 15 years old.

Tekoah is a versatile multidisciplinary system professional with exceptional qualifications and a passion for growing teams and businesses. Her years of expertise in the human services industry demonstrate her capacity to adapt to customers' changing requirements in various roles. She specializes in creating outcome-based programming and integrating systems thinking into business models, directly correlating to a varied financing portfolio. She is exceptional at assisting people in turning their concepts into practical business models with procedures that are accountable to the mission, the target audience, and other stakeholders.

Tekoah's distinctive perspective and level of expertise stem from her upbringing in a society of conflicting ideas while being a Southern girl with northern ancestry. She is skilled at cutting through the "noise" that frequently results from fervent and strong opinions in order to discover the "still, quiet voice" that contains the answer. Her expertise in political science and multidisciplinary human services blends her capacity to assist people in navigating complicated human service systems with her quick analysis of policy issues and ability to communicate them in an engaging and likeable manner. The end result is a highly skilled individual who thrives on seizing the chance in a demanding setting. a specialist with the capacity to develop culture-based models that are flexible, scalable, and responsive.

In her personal life, Tekoah enjoys connecting with like-minded individuals in collaborative ventures to address community issues. She is a strong supporter of any cause that strengthens our access to Human Rights. Tekoah lives in Louisiana and loves to travel. Contact her via email at tboatner@youthoasis.org

Andrew Catalano received a master’s degree in Sustainable Design in 2012. While earning this degree, Andrew worked as a childcare councilor and a crisis manager at Hillsides, a residential facility for children and youth. Andrew recognized the importance of this work and became a dedicated member of the organization. In 2016, Andrew joined Hillsides’ Trauma-Informed Care Committee, which focuses on improving the wellbeing and work experience of the organization’s employees. Today, Andrew is a Human Resources Manager at Hillsides, continuing to advance Trauma Informed Care within the organization.

Samira Vishria is the Director of Professional Development at Hillsides, a non-profit mental health agency. Samira has been practicing as a clinical therapist since 2004 and has been licensed as a Licensed Clinical Social Worker since 2008. She spent 9 years working as a therapist in the Hillsides Residential program, working with children ages 5-17 years. Samira currently works as the Director of Professional Development oversees training for the agency with a team of 6 staff. The team manages compliance training, training for agency initiatives and enhancement training. Samira has experience in training on Trauma Informed Care and is trained as a trainer for the Risking Connection model – a TIC approach to working with youth and families who have experienced trauma.

Myles Williams is a Youth Advocate at Hillside’s Peer Resource Center in Pasadena, California. Myles runs daily programs of the drop-in center that provides housing assistance, workforce, mental health, food, clothing, hygiene items, showers, and laundry to unhoused youth. As a Peer Partner, Myles provided street outreach support to youth experiencing homelessness, connecting them to resources, programs, and services. Myles has spoken at board meetings and volunteer events where he highlights how he uses his lived experience in foster care to provide meaningful services to clients. Myles graduated from Alta Loma High School.

Jennifer Flowers, founder and CEO of Accreditation Guru, is an accreditation and nonprofit management expert, certified in Nonprofit Board Education by BoardSource. Accreditation Guru consults on strategic planning, nonprofit board development, quality improvement programs and risk management and helps organizations in child welfare, behavioral health and education fields achieve (re)accreditation.

Kelly Barkley Mane is the Manager of Government Relations and Recognitions at Social Current, where she builds relationships with regulators to communicate the value of accreditation to increase the recognition assets for COA accreditation. Before that role, she developed and maintained the standards used in COA Accreditation as a standards associate. Kelly delights in working at the intersection of research, best practice, and public policy. A fervent believer in the power of cross-sector partnerships to address social issues, she enjoys building connections with people and learning about innovative programming. Kelly has an MS in Urban Public Policy from The New School.

Leslie Ellis-Lang, Managing Director of Child and Youth Services at CARF International has more than 35 years of professional experience in the behavioral health and child welfare fields specializing with children, youth and families. Prior to joining CARF in 2009, Leslie held leadership positions in not-for-profit and for-profit organizations. As a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist trained in systems theory, she has focused on integrating clinical practice with administrative operations to improve both the outcomes for children, youth and families as well as overall organizational performance. Her areas of expertise include quality management, program and policy development, training, clinical practice, and supervision.

With nearly 30 years of experience in marketing, public relations, communication and community building work performed in non-profit sectors of healthcare and human service, Emily Robbearts, Senior Director of EAGLE Accreditation for the United Methodist Association of Health & Welfare Ministries (UMA), is responsible for the operation, promotion and expansion of the EAGLE Accreditation Program. The only nationally recognized faith-based accreditation program, the EAGLE principles bring spirituality to the forefront by establishing a powerful lens through which organizations can examine all aspects of their work. EAGLE affirms an organization’s commitment to service and operational excellence, while living out its faith values in the care provided to clients, in relationships with staff, in partnership with the board and in support of the local community.

Melinda Lehman is the Executive Director of Business Development for the Behavioral Health Care and Human Services program at The Joint Commission. In this position, she develops and executes strategies to maintain and improve the program, in alignment with The Joint Commission’s mission to continuously improve health care for the public, in collaboration with other stakeholders, by evaluating organizations and inspiring them to excel in providing safe and effective care of the highest quality and value.

As Executive Director, Ms. Lehman serves as the Business Development leader for the behavioral health and human services team and serves as The Joint Commission’s primary representative to all customers and critical external stakeholders.

She is also responsible, in collaboration with Marketing, for the development and implementation of annual strategic business plans for all products within the Behavioral Health Care and Human Services programs. She oversees all existing federal / state deeming relationships. In addition, she coordinates all Standards revisions and additions in accordance with leading practices, behavioral health and human services advances and customer needs and manages the advisory council relationships.

Previously, Ms. Lehman spent 15 years with the Joint Commission’s marketing department, working closely with the Executive director on business planning and program goals while planning and implementing the marketing for the behavioral health and human services program. During that time, she contributed to the program doubling in size from 1,800 accredited organizations to almost 4,000.

Ms. Lehman has worked in healthcare for over 25 years. She has previous pharmaceutical sales experience with DuPont Pharmaceuticals, Wilmington DE, and has worked in several healthcare advertising/marketing agencies in Chicago, IL. Her career has been dedicated to improving the quality of care for individuals with chronic conditions including mental health and substance use, cardiovascular disease, arthritis, epilepsy, and Parkinson’s disease.

Ms. Lehman has a Bachelor’s Degree in Communication from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI. She received her Master’s in Business Administration from DePaul University, Chicago, IL. Through The Joint Commission, she is a Robust Process Improvement Certified Lean Six Sigma Green Belt. In her spare time, she is an award-winning gardener who has been featured in Better Homes and Gardens and Chicagoland Gardening magazines. She loves spending time in her lovely garden watching her two active dogs destroy her work.

Pete Myers, Psy.D. is the Director of Group and Therapeutic Community Services at Yellowbrick. He earned his doctorate in clinical psychology from the Illinois School of Professional Psychology in 1999, after having completed his master’s degree in the social sciences at the University of Chicago in 1992. Prior to his graduate training, he graduated from Kalamazoo College with a bachelor’s liberal arts degree with a major in psychology. He has worked in the field of mental health for the past 33 years. His background is grounded in psychodynamic and family systems-based approaches. Most of his career had been at the Sonia Shankman Orthogenic School at the University of Chicago and the Brooke Whitted Center, residential and therapeutic school programs for children through emerging adulthood with profound mental health and special educational needs, serving in almost every role from direct care staff to Co-Executive Director. His tenure at the school was formative in his experience working within a therapeutic community and doing group work. Early on in his career, he worked as a psychometrician, outpatient therapist, and interned as a staff therapist at the Manhattan Psychiatric Center, a state-run inpatient mental health hospital. Dr Myers is a board member of the Association Children’s Residential and Community, an international organization advancing quality interventions for youth of all ages and their families with an emphasis on residential treatment. He values working with families, recognizing the importance of the interdependence between individuals and family in understanding their challenges and supporting them in building a meaningful future. He has been a strong leader and advocate for quality interventions for LGBTQ+ individuals, in particular gender diverse individuals, which are affirming and respectful one’s identity development. He is committed to collaborating with each person as a unique individual and values each person’s distinctive and diverse characteristics, including race, ethnicity, gender, sexuality, religion, and ability. Dr Myers serves as a part-time lecturer at the University of Chicago’s Crown Family School of Social Work, Policy, and Practice and the Chicago School of Professional Psychology, Chicago Campus

Jon Huefner a Research Scientist at the Boys Town Translational Research Center. His research for the last 21 years has focused on residential care. He has a Ph.D. in Organizational Social Psychology from Brigham Young University and 38 years of experience conducting research and university lecturing. His current research focuses on quality standards in residential care, pediatric psychotropic medication use, peer contagion, and return on investment for residential care.

Savarra Howry, MSW is a Ph.D. Student and Research Assistant for the Institute for Quality Children’s Services in the College of Social Work at Florida State University. As part of her Legacy Fellowship at Florida State University, she assists Dr. Shamra Boel-Studt in her research involving youth in residential care. Ms. Howry’s research is focused on quality of life of transition-aged foster youth and examining mental health outcomes, health risks and resilience among youth involved in the child welfare system.

Vivian Mills, PhD, MSW is a postdoctoral fellow at the Florida Institute of Child Welfare and Institute for Quality Children’s Services housed within Florida State University’s College of Social Work. Dr. Mills developed her passion to co-parent with families working towards reunification through her experiences as a foster and adoptive parent. Her areas of research focus on parental coping behaviors during catastrophic events and the engagement of biological parents in the child welfare system. She has a strong desire to effect positive change in child welfare policy and she hopes her research will help families involved in the system. Dr. Mills is a mom of five children and two cats.

Dr. Hodgdon is a licensed clinical psychologist, trainer and researcher specializing in the study and treatment of traumatic stress. She received her Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from Temple University in 2009. Dr. Hodgdon is the Research Director of Justice Resource Institute (JRI) and serves as the Principal Investigator of several National Child Traumatic Stress Network (NCTSN) centers focused on dissemination of evidenced based practices for trauma-impacted children, youth, and families both locally and nationally.

Corey Meurer is the Building Communities of Care (BCC) Director of Operations for JRI and lead BCC trainer for the Building Resilience for Residential Communities initiative. Corey is responsible for the oversight and implementation of the BCC curriculum across all JRI sites, which currently consists of over 85 trainers. Prior to joining JRI, Corey worked with the Boys and Girls Clubs of America and the YMCA. Corey represents BCC at national conferences and consults with various settings in regards to BCC implementation.

Dr. Lia Martin is a Licensed Clinical Psychologist and the Associate Director of Quality Management for JRI, where she is responsible for the development, implementation and maintenance of a large behavioral and mental health outcomes database (CATS: Client Assessment Tracking System). Dr. Martin serves as the Lead Evaluator on the Building Resilience through Residential Communities initiative.

Dr. Graham has averaged two national presentations for the past twenty years, with many local and regional presentations, interviews, and blogs. She was the top rated presenter for the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry in 2012, a conference she presents at annually. Her presentation topics focus on trauma, reducing polypharmacy in dependent youth, and childhood sexual exploitation.

Kelsey Lawson is the Chief Safety & Risk Officer at Devereux Advanced Behavioral Health. Prior to joining Devereux in 2022, Ms. Lawson served as Chief Risk & Compliance Officer at Hennepin Healthcare System, Inc. in Minneapolis, MN. Hennepin Healthcare is a safety-net health system located in Minneapolis, MN. Kelsey has also held legal and compliance roles at Minnesota hospital systems, and she practiced health care law in Minneapolis. Kelsey graduated from the University of Minnesota Law School. She has a master's degree in Health Policy from the University of Minnesota and a Public Health degree from Johns Hopkins University.

Dustin Tibbitts, LMFT, is a Division President of Embark Behavioral Health, a multi-state company with programs in 18 states. He has created multiple inpatient and outpatient programs over the past 25 years. He currently develops outpatient and short-term residential services for adolescents experiencing emotional or behavioral difficulties across the country. Dustin is a Fellow of ACRC and has served on the board for 10 years. He is a frequent presenter at national conferences on topics of family healing, leadership and increasing access to care. Dustin is a practicing Marriage and Family Therapist.

Dr. Sharnell Myles, Psy. D. LPC, CPCS, CCTP is a licensed psychotherapist and Certified Clinical Trauma Professional who specializes in the treatment of complex trauma. Her dedication to serving children, youth, and adults has spanned over 23-years with a focus on trauma responsive mental health treatment, program development, and social justice advocacy.

Dr. Myles is the Vice President of Embark Behavioral Health’s Georgia region where she leads strategic growth efforts and daily operations. Embark Behavioral Health operates an exceptional network of treatment programs across the United States, and specializes in preteens, teens, and young adults, struggling with anxiety, depression, and other mental health and substance use issues. Dr. Myles successfully led the opening of Embark at Atlanta North and Embark at Buckhead which offers a full continuum of care that includes Intensive Outpatient Treatment, Partial Hospitalization Treatment, Outpatient, Psychiatry, and Nursing. It’s Big Empathetic Hairy Audacious Goal (BHAG) is to lower the all-time high rates of depression, anxiety, and suicide to all-time lows by 2028.

Dr. Myles has successfully developed behavioral health companies and provided consultancy for systems of care in the development of trauma informed policies and therapeutic programming. In 2000, Dr. Myles founded the JoyUs Beginnings Child & Family Wellness Center and The Urban Trauma Positive Impact Center, Inc. which is an exclusive trauma-informed treatment and advocacy center located in Atlanta, Georgia. Services include trauma informed therapies, trauma assessments, group treatments, gender specific social justice initiatives for girls of color and PeriCare a 2-Gen maternal fetal behavioral health treatment and advocacy initiatives. JoyUs Beginnings also serves as a training hub for therapists to develop trauma informed therapy skills and clinical practice development. Dr. Myles was instrumental in developing the trauma informed protocol for a nonprofit organization serving vulnerable youth who experienced exploitation, abuse, and other victimizations within the Fulton County Juvenile Court (FCJC), the largest juvenile court in the southeast region.

Throughout her career, Dr. Myles has consulted with various states, systems of care, and urban school districts such as East Cleveland’s MyCom, Inc. and Minnesota’s Robbinsdale Area Schools, to provide training and develop trauma-informed programming. In addition, she is a sought-after consultant who transforms organizations in the areas of diversity, equity, and inclusion. Dr. Myles is also a subject matter expert in Domestic Minor Sex Trafficking (DMST) and has worked on the front line of this issue for over twenty years. In December 2018, Dr. Myles coauthored the first DMST Protocol for schools in the state of Georgia and has trained hundreds of school social workers, nationally, to effectively identify, respond, and support students impacted by DMST. In addition, she has trained over ten thousand individuals which includes Atlanta Hartsfield International Airport, corporations, law enforcement, mental health providers, educators, lawyers, governmental officials, and community members in the area of DMST and the impact of trauma on young children, youth, and families.

Dr. Myles has accepted many leadership positions throughout her career. She is the current Advisory Board Chair for the DeKalb County Juvenile Court Mental Health Court - Journey Program, a member of the Georgia Statewide Multi-Disciplinary Team for Domestic Minor Sex Trafficking, Board Chair for Breaking the Cycle, Inc (Philadelphia), and was the Vice Chair of the Georgia Statewide Human Trafficking Taskforce Survivors Supported and Protected workgroup. Dr. Myles is a subject matter expert and provides expert testimony in legal cases involving child and adolescent trauma. She has presented at various conferences and has experience in vast settings such as clinical, juvenile justice, Department of Defense, and community-based settings.

Dr. Myles’ non-profit, The Social Justice Café for Girls, Inc., was founded in 2016 and is a prevention program dedicated to serving girls in the areas of social justice, wellness, international affairs, and girl empowerment. Since its inception in 2016, the program has touched the lives of over 500 girls through mentoring, social justice cafés, wellness and empowerment seminars, international travel and service, and advocacy services. (www.socialjusticecafeforgirls.org )

Dr. Myles has a Bachelor’s degree in psychology and Master’s degree in Community and Clinical Psychology from Norfolk State University, and a Master's degree and Doctor of Psychology degree from Georgia School of Professional Psychology at Argosy University in Atlanta, Georgia.

Dr. Myles has been named a 2019 Servant Leader for her work in Domestic Minor Sex Trafficking and has received numerous awards: Atlanta Board of Commissioners Proclamation, State Senate Resolution, The President Barack Obama Lifetime Service Award, Our Children’s Keeper Community Leadership Award, House of Hope Public Service Award, ACHI Magazine Mental Health Advocate Award, to name a few.

Lena Wilson has worked in the field of child welfare for over 30 years, currently serving as CEO/ President of Vista Del Mar Child and Family Services. Over the course of Ms. Wilson’s career, she has worked in various capacities within the child welfare system, including as a foster care program manager, an administrator of the Salvation Army Denby Center, an 85-bed residential treatment center and Executive Director of Lutheran Adoption Service the largest non-profit adoption agency in the state of Michigan. Prior to coming to Vista, Ms. Wilson served as the Vice President of Samaritas Child and Family division, a Michigan based statewide health and human service organization.

Lena is passionate about working with at-risk children and their families empowering them to reach their highest potential. Her initial calling to the field was as a youth specialist in a small residential setting. She grew up with the guiding principle, to always look back to see whose hand you can take as you move forward.

“I’m here to give the community everything I’ve got. Kids facing trauma and neglect need a safe place and strong support to heal. These kids are ‘ours’ – the kid who sits next to your child at school or the kid who lives down the street. With every child we support, we raise up our community.”

Lena serves on the board of directors of the Association of Community Human Service Agencies, where she chairs the residential committee. Ms. Wilson is also and currently a member of the Building Bridges Leader of Color initiative and provides consultation to other residential providers to increase the use of best practices around youth voice and choice.

Ms. Wilson is a native of Michigan and holds a Juris Doctorate from the University of Detroit Mercy. She has two daughters, Maya and Olivia. Maya graduated from Eastern Michigan University with a degree in Business, and Olivia is at San Diego State University pursing a bachelor's degree in public health.

Dr. Bellonci brings over 30 years of experience as a Board Certified Child, Adolescent and Adult Psychiatrist working directly with children and families in outpatient, inpatient and residential settings. He has consulted with state and federal child welfare and mental health agencies helping those agencies develop best practices and service systems to identify, prevent, treat and support children with behavioral health needs and their families. His expertise has led to Congressional testimony and recently advising the Senate Finance Committee regarding the Family First Prevention Services Act.
Dr. Bellonci is a leader in the field of children’s mental health best practices. He served on the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry’s (AACAP) Quality Issues Committee responsible for developing the field’s clinical practice guidelines defining best practices in treating behavioral health conditions. He also serves on AACAP’s Community-based Systems of Care Committee.
Dr. Bellonci has led or participated in numerous quality collaboratives and training and technical assistance initiatives. He served as the Medical Director of the National Training and Technical Assistance Network for Children’s Behavioral Health funded by SAMHSA. He is a clinical consultant to a Children’s Bureau Quality Improvement Collaborative developing best practices to support LGBTQ youth in the child welfare system. He also led a nine site national quality collaborative developing best practices for the use of psychotropic medications in residential treatment settings.
Dr. Bellonci is an Assistant Professor at Harvard Medical School and Senior Policy Advisor at Judge Baker Children’s Center.

Kayla Herbell, PhD, RN, is an assistant professor in the Martha S. Pitzer Center for Women, Children, and Youth at The Ohio State University College of Nursing. Herbell’s program of research is devoted to optimizing treatment gains for adolescents who access residential treatment by way of providing their caregivers with tailored education and support. Herbell’s research is inspired by her time working as a staff nurse at a residential treatment center, during which she noticed that adolescents and their families faced many challenges and little support in their transition back to the community. This experience taught her that in order to enact change, population-specific interventions would need to be developed with family input, and health policy enacted for these families' trajectories to change. She now conducts research with parents as partners in the research process, advocates for residential treatment reform through family-focused scholarship and presents her findings to stakeholders in the community to develop evidence-informed policies to improve care.

Cynthia Garcia Williams, Lead Peer to Peer Support STRTP, Altadena CA. Cynthia is the proud mother of 4 amazing children, which have suffered from extensive trauma. In 2000 Cynthia’s children were returned to her after living within the system for some time, they subsequently began a journey of healing that has spanned over 20 years. These experiences brought Cynthia to Peer Support at Hathaway Sycamores in 2009. She feels very fortunate to have worked with countless families over the past 10 years. She is an active member of the recovery community, has obtained her master’s degree in human development, is an award-winning screenwriter, and just directed her fourth short film.

Millie Sweeney, M.S., is the Director of Learning and Workforce Development for the Family-Run Executive Director Leadership Association (FREDLA). Spanning the children’s mental health and child-serving systems, she has over twenty-five years’ experience in navigating systems with and on behalf of families, advocating at both the individual and policy level, and building collaborations with professionals and systems. She specializes in grant and program development, staff supervision and training, parent peer support and family engagement, curriculum development, and systems of care. Leveraging both her professional experience and personal experience as a parent of two children with mental health challenges, she consults nationally on parent peer support certification, programming, services, and workforce development, as well as offers curriculum and training on a variety of topics related to children’s mental health and participates in research and policy groups contributing to the literature and field. She holds a Master of Science in Clinical Psychology and resides in middle Tennessee.

Barry has been working in the out-of-home care field for over five years, predominately in the foster care, residential and outreach programs. Barry has strong cultural connections to many Aboriginal communities and has connected many youths back to family and to their Country. Barry has been working for Allambi Care for 5 years and is currently responsible for oversight of the cultural mentoring program, Reconciliation Action Plan for Allambi, cultural education to non-indigenous staff and cultural support for youth, families, and staff on how to engage in a culturally safe way. Barry is passionate about human rights, cultural safety, connection to culture and family collaboration, and using this approach to create understanding of the past connecting to the present to heal the future for our kids and families.

Shannon CrossBear articulates her purpose as: To demonstrate and promote gentle healing. She expresses her commitment to healing through her work in the world. Her own community and family history propelled her to develop leadership in order to address disparities that have led to poor outcomes for friends and relatives. Shannon’s work has included facilitating and consulting with the National Indian Child Welfare Association, the Federation of Families for Children’s Mental Health, Georgetown University, The National Child Traumatic Stress Network and the Surgeon Generals Conference on Children’s Mental Health. She has worked with tribal and non tribal communities in providing technical assistance to Systems of Care and Circles of Care utilizing traditional interventions and the promotion of culturally congruent and trauma informed practices.
Shannon has worked in communities throughout the contiguous United States and Alaska, as well as within Canada, to address systemic change for improved out comes for children and their families. Ms. Crossbear has facilitated and supported practices and services that include the provision of culturally cemented early childhood, parenting programs, supports for transition age youth and young adults and families with mental health and substance abuse issue. Ms CrossBear is skilled in trauma informed community engagement. She has worked with supporting organized stakeholder voice and representation at local and national levels through various behavioral health initiatives.

Christina Veerkamp serves as the Parent Partner at Nexus Mille Lacs Family Healing. She has worked in a variety of positions there for almost 14 years and for the past 5 years has developed the new position of Parent Partner. As the Parent Partner she bridges the gap between families and clinicians by giving families a voice starting before treatment begins until after transition into the community. She currently holds several certifications, state and national, in peer support.

I have experienced the system both as a child of abuse and a parent of a child with addiction. I lived the full range of experiences that come with being the single parent of a drug addict while raising three other children. His addictions took us through years of truancy and being on the run, not knowing if he was alive or dead, various treatment centers when he was apprehended by the police, mental health evaluations and diagnoses, the court processes, juvenile detention – along with the hopes, fears and crushed dreams, and the roller coaster ride of emotions that come with your childs’ bad decisions and the effect those decisions have upon the entire family.

As a home visitor for Head Start, I healed my inner child As a volunteer for many years with the youth in Parents Anonymous, I was able to share that the families were trying, they CAN break unhealthy cycles, learn new, healthy cycles and heal together As Parent Partner, I now live it – Accepting that each of us does the best that we can with what we know. We CAN learn better ways. (Great words to live by. Thanks Chrissie!) Though I am of retirement age, (pushing 39) this career choice will bring me full circle, allowing me the opportunity to fully support our families in any way that I can along their journey.

I am Joanna Dye from Albert Lea, Minnesota. I work at Nexus-Gerard in Austin, MN, as a Parent Partner as of October 2022. I worked for Gerard from 1998 until 2004 as a YCP, Teacher’s Aide and Recreational Therapy Assistant. I am a single mom of 3. Two of my children have significant mental health issues. One of my kids is gender non-conforming and I also have a child on the spectrum.

He has a PhD in Social Welfare: research in suicidal ideation in adolescents across in Hispanic, African American and White youth. Jeff also received a Certificate from the Family Institute of Philadelphia. His past experience includes being the Director of Family Therapy at the Renfrew Center, an Eating Disorders residential facility, as well as a Chief Social Worker in the Substance Abuse Unit at the Horsham Clinic, an acute hospital setting.

Originally from Ireland, Edwina is a registered social worker and a CYC practitioner with over 35 years’ experience working with children, families and communities within the fields of social services and education in a variety of settings, in both government and NGO sectors in a number of countries. Edwina has had a range of leadership and advisory roles within services that provide group and foster care. She has a Master of Science in Child and Youth Care Studies with distinction from Strathclyde University, Scotland in addition to qualifications in early childhood, social work and a post graduate diploma in supervision. Edwina is also an accredited trainer in The Purposeful Use of Daily Life Events (DLE).

Shane Murdoch, of Scottish and Norwegian decent, was born and raised as a Pakeha (European) New Zealander. Shane is a Director of TransformAction Outcomes Ltd, the company behind the development of the Outcomes That Matter web-based application. Early nursing training has helped to inform Shane's orientation to senior management roles in out-of-home care for children and young people over the past 20 years. Shane is presently completing a Master of Science degree in Child and Youth Care at Strathclyde University, Scotland.

Jennie Null serves as Director of the Meraki Institute of Learning and as a therapist at Tanager. Jennie is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and a Registered Play Therapy Supervisor. Over the last 10 years Jennie has completed advanced trainings in Family Therapy, Play Therapy, Sand Tray Therapy, Eye Movement Desensitization and reprocessing(EMDR), impact and treatment of trauma, Clinical Supervision, Restorative Practices, and Leadership.

Dr. Camela Hughes has been on LaSalle’s staff since 2012. Her research interests include evidence-based practice, trauma informed care, and the linkages between client characteristics, treatment interventions, and outcomes for youth. Dr. Hughes is the Co-Principal Investigator of Service Outcomes Action Research (SOAR), a University/agency partnership designed to aid LaSalle School in the development and testing of a theory of change to help determine what methods work best with which clients. She is also the Co-Chair of the Association of Children’s Residential Centers Research Committee and a Visiting Assistant Professor of Criminal Justice for the College of St. Rose.

Chris Delap earned his B.S. degree in Psychology at the University of Kansas in 2002, a M.S. in Clinical Psychology from Pittsburg State University in 2006. As a teaching assistant in graduate school, he taught undergraduate Applied Behavioral Analysis (ABA) courses. While working at Lakemary Center as a program therapist he incorporated his passion of ABA in his therapeutic approach and went on to earn his certification as a Board Certified Behavior Analyst through the University of Western Florida in 2016. Currently, the Director of Behavioral Services at Lakemary Center, Chris oversees the training department along with the campus wide Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) system while incorporating an Organizational Behavioral Management (OBM) focus in systems development for the organization.

April Wall-Parker, M.S., is a Research Coordinator in the Organizational Performance Department at Pressley Ridge. As a Research Coordinator with Pressley Ridge, she supports the research, program evaluation, and quality improvement efforts within the organization which includes analyzing data, creating annual outcomes reports, selecting evidence-based models, presenting at conferences, and publishing research articles. She has over 15 years of social science research experience and earned her Master’s degree in Criminal Justice from Fairmont State University.

Michael W. Valenti has a doctorate in Applied Developmental Psychology from the University of Pittsburgh. He is currently employed as the Senior Research Coordinator in the Organizational Performance Department at Pressley Ridge. His tasks include program evaluation, monitoring quality improvement activities and metrics, and coordinating research activities. Michael also directly supports staff working in several alternative education placements throughout Western Pennsylvania. His recent research activities include analyses of the impact of the working alliance between staff and youth, and exploring social networks in community-based behavioral health organizations.

Teeh N. Tinsley, LMSW, is a Program Director with Pressley Ridge and is responsible for managing three treatment level programs, including Treatment Foster Care. Teeh has over 15 years of experience in the human services field and holds a Masters of Social Work from Morgan State University.

Patti has committed her life to supporting families with autism and related disorders for the past 25 years. She has worked in various roles as a volunteer, fundraiser, and advocate. In her current role as Family Support Coordinator at Pressley Ridge, she ensures that family voice is included in consultations, trainings, and policies. In her dual role as a Treatment Foster Care Pre-Service Curriculum Trainer, she provides internal and external training of Pressley Ridge’s evidenced-based curriculum and played a vital role in the most recent curriculum revision. Patti serves on Pressley Ridge’s Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Committee. She is active in ACRC’s Family Voice Affinity Group and Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Affinity Group. Most importantly, Patti is the proud mother of Jordan, her 26-year-old son with autism and Nicole, her 23-year-old daughter who is thriving in Miami.

Alisa Matheson is a Child Welfare Executive Director, Therapeutic Life Story Work certificate holder, and National Adoption Competency mental health trained speaker. In 2021, she founded Power of Story, an organization that engages young people, caretakers, and professionals in the research and curation of life histories, provides training rooted in youth-centered best practices, and advocates for increased awareness and quality implementation of life histories. With the desire that young people who have experienced out-of-home placement have equal, consistent person-centered access to their history, stories, photos, and medical information.
Educationally, she received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology, with an emphasis on Marriage and Family Counseling, from the University of Northwestern – St. Paul and completed an Advanced Certificate in Therapeutic Lifestory Work and The National Adoption Competency Mental Health Training Initiative Courses. She has previous experience as an adoption recruiter, educator, and contractor; completed 30 Lifebooks and 80 Social and Medical Histories and has over 11 years of experience in the child welfare system. In every role, she has championed communication, relationship building, and respect for the personhood and rights of you in the child welfare system.

After a childhood filled with trauma, abuse, neglect, and homelessness, Gaelin believed that his issues would be solved if he became successful. From college football to signing an NFL contract, Gaelin was driven, even comforted, by this assumption. It wasn't until Gaelin achieved what he thought was "success" (making it to the NFL), that he finally realized he had been wrong all along. And so, Gaelin retired as a rookie to begin his journey of self-love, self-discovery, and belonging. That journey has led Gaelin here today, and to stages all across the country, aiming to inspire, encourage, and equip others, to erase the belonging gap plaguing youth with adverse childhood experiences. Gaelin lives in Eden Prairie, MN, where he gets to experience the purest form of belonging, as a husband to his wife, Micaela, and a Dad to their two daughters, Laniah and Tatum.

Robert E. (Bob) Lieberman has over four decades working with young people and families facing serious challenges, in a variety of capacities, including 28 years as CEO of Kairos Northwest. He has written extensively and is lead or co- author, and editor, of ACRC’s “Redefining Residential” papers, as well as co-editor of two books on transforming residential interventions. He chairs the Outcomes Workgroup of the Building Bridges Initiative, is certified by Massachusetts General Hospital as a trainer in Collaborative Problem Solving and is a certified Master Trainer in the NEAR sciences. He is currently President of Lieberman Group, Inc. and trains and consults across the country.

Cynthia Garcia Williams, Lead Peer to Peer Support STRTP, Altadena CA. Cynthia is the proud mother of 4 amazing children, which have suffered from extensive trauma. In 2000 Cynthia’s children were returned to her after living within the system for some time, they subsequently began a journey of healing that has spanned over 20 years. These experiences brought Cynthia to Peer Support at Hathaway Sycamores in 2009. She feels very fortunate to have worked with countless families over the past 10 years. She is an active member of the recovery community, has obtained her master’s degree in human development, is an award-winning screenwriter, and just directed her fourth short film.

Millie Sweeney, M.S., is the Director of Learning and Workforce Development for the Family-Run Executive Director Leadership Association (FREDLA). Spanning the children’s mental health and child-serving systems, she has over twenty-five years’ experience in navigating systems with and on behalf of families, advocating at both the individual and policy level, and building collaborations with professionals and systems. She specializes in grant and program development, staff supervision and training, parent peer support and family engagement, curriculum development, and systems of care. Leveraging both her professional experience and personal experience as a parent of two children with mental health challenges, she consults nationally on parent peer support certification, programming, services, and workforce development, as well as offers curriculum and training on a variety of topics related to children’s mental health and participates in research and policy groups contributing to the literature and field. She holds a Master of Science in Clinical Psychology and resides in middle Tennessee.

Patricia Wilcox, LCSW, is the Vice President for Strategic Development at Klingberg Family Centers, in New Britain, Connecticut. She specializes in helping organizations improve their treatment of traumatized people. She created the Restorative Approach™, a trauma- and relationship-based treatment. She is a Faculty Trainer for Risking Connection® and an Adjunct Faculty at the University of CT School of Social Work and the University of St. Joseph’s.

Aminah Ali, LMSW is the Clinical Coordinator for Klingberg Family Center’s (KFC) TFC and PPSP programs. She has been a valued member of the Klingberg Family Center staff for almost 18 years, and has been an RC training for 6 of those years. Aminah has a combined 19 years of experience in community service, the child welfare system, home based therapy, and as a 3-5-7 clinician. She has committed her career to helping youth tell their stories and fill in the blanks on their journey to full and integrated lives. As co-chair of the Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, Awareness & Sensitivity (IDEAS) committee, she is a Diversity Trainer and promotes an inclusive and culturally informed culture at KFC.

Penny Russell is the Campus Director at Wayside Youth & Family Support Network in Framingham, Massachusetts. She oversees seven adolescent residential programs, a special education school and a psychiatric day partial hospital program. Penny oversees risk, compliance and worker safety for all the adolescent and young adult programs within Wayside. Penny has over 15 years of experience as a Therapeutic Crisis Intervention trainer teaching trauma informed de-escalation skills to mental health professionals.. In addition to being a Therapeutic Crisis Intervention trainer, Penny also provides training and consultation for behavioral health agencies, schools, police departments and other human services organizations around Diversity, Equity and Inclusion through the Wayside Equity Training Center. These trainings focus on the role and impact of bias, microaggressions, and how to have difficult and authentic conversations in the workplace. Penny’s registered therapy dog, Maximus also often visits the residential programs where he brings comfort to youth who reside there.

Verona Pointdujour is a Program Director at Wayside Youth and Family Support Network where she oversees two residential programs for youth ages 12-18 with behavioral and mental health needs. Verona has worked in the residential field for over 9 years where she specializes in crisis de-escalation, pro-active behavioral interventions, staff development, trauma informed programming, and the integration of clinical interventions through a behavioral lens. As a Certified trainer of Therapeutic Crisis Intervention she is able to use these skills in direct service with youth and also as a role model for staff in her programs. As an immigrant to the United States from Jamaica, Verona is a vocal advocate in systems meetings for the cultural differences of families to be recognized, acknowledged and incorporated into the work on behalf of the youth. As a trainer in Diversity, Equity and Inclusion she encourages and challenges others to engage in courageous conversations and holds space for youth, families and staff to express themselves in an authentic and meaningful way.

In the corporate sector, Suellen had 15 years’ experience in a Fortune Global 500 company managing creative teams as an Operations Director, with a focus on process improvement, policy development, systems implementation, and performance measurement. Suellen now strives to bring private-sector processes, data analysis, and program evaluation methods to the child welfare world. Suellen is a graduate of George Washington University, and received an M.A. in Psychology from George Mason University, and a M.S.W. degree from Rhode Island College.

Patty Olney-Murphy has worked at St. Mary's Home for Children since 1991. Patty has more than 30 years of experience in the social work field working with high risk and vulnerable populations. Patty and the Clinical team are dedicated to training future generations of clinicians through collaborations with local and regional colleges and universities. Patty started the St. Mary’s Home for Children Pet Assisted Therapy Program with her beloved 4-legged clinician Rango. Patty has a BSW degree from Rhode Island College, a Masters of Public Administration from the University of Rhode Island, and a Master’s Degree in Social Work from Rhode Island College as well as CEUs in evidenced-based practices.

After receiving her BS in Animal Science at Cornell University, Ithaca, NY in 2014, Cass gained technical and operational experiences of different laboratory sciences before determining that her true passion was in data quality. She received a certificate in Computer Science - Database Concentration at Quinsigamond Community College, Worcester, MA in 2021. She combined this with her dedication to child welfare, and found a role with the PQI team at St. Mary's Home for Children, North Providence, RI.fTineal Corrigan b

Katie Rodriguez, LMSW is a facilitator and therapist at JCCA’s Center for Healing. Katie began working at the Pleasantville Cottage School residential treatment center in 2014, gaining direct care and supervisory experience before transitioning to the Practice Improvement and Professional Development department in 2017 where she learned and developed training and facilitation skills. She gained extensive clinical experience working with children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder and children who have been sexually abused and/ or commercially sexually exploited.

Barry has been working in the out-of-home care field for over five years, predominately in the foster care, residential and outreach programs. Barry has strong cultural connections to many Aboriginal communities and has connected many youths back to family and to their Country. Barry has been working for Allambi Care for 5 years and is currently responsible for oversight of the cultural mentoring program, Reconciliation Action Plan for Allambi, cultural education to non-indigenous staff and cultural support for youth, families, and staff on how to engage in a culturally safe way. Barry is passionate about human rights, cultural safety, connection to culture and family collaboration, and using this approach to create understanding of the past connecting to the present to heal the future for our kids and families.

Glen has been with Allambi Care for 14 years, working in frontline youth and disability work, after hours response team and currently with People Support and Culture (PSC). Glen has progressed through and managed different areas of the PSC team including rostering, performance management and recruitment. Glen holds qualifications in management and is motivated to help staff with opportunities for professional development, progression and improving culture.

Sally is a dedicated and passionate trainer and Practice Coach who has been working in the out-of-home care field for over 12 years. Sally has a diverse background working across the disability sector and intensive therapeutic care settings in different managerial positions before working as a Learning and Development Coordinator. Sally holds qualifications of Bachelor of Human Services, Community Services, Training and Assessment and Therapeutic Crisis Intervention. Sally has been working as a Practice Coach for the past two years, her role is to support all operations leadership teams by creating consistent learning opportunities for staff to develop their practice skills. The role is key in supporting staff to translate knowledge to practice creating positive outcomes. Throughout her years of service, Sally has always had a commitment and deep passion for ensuring strength based and family driven outcomes for children, young people, participants, and families are of the highest priority.

Tineal has been working with Allambi Care for 14 years and is currently a Manager in the Fostering and Permanency team. Tineal has a Social Science Degree majoring in Human Services and Community Development. During her time at Allambi, she has predominantly worked in the Foster Care Department but also worked in residential care for 2 years. Tineal is passionate about working with Foster Carers and Families and particularly enjoys working in the space of Interim Orders and Restoration, supporting families to develop their relationships with their children and being a part of their lives, and bridging the gap between Carers and families and/or increasing the support networking for young people.

Nekia is a Senior Psychologist with Allambi Care and holds a Bachelor of Psychology and post graduate certificate in Applied Behaviour Analysis. Nekia is Board Certified Assistant Behaviour Analyst (BCaBA) and a registered Psychology internship supervisor. Nekia has worked within the out-of-home care sector supporting children and adolescents with complex trauma and challenging behaviour since 2008. Nekia has a passion for working with young children and adolescents to build on their strengths, alongside supporting families to meet their individual needs.

Rebecca has worked in the OOHC sector for over 15 years, with 11 of those years being at Allambi Care. Rebecca holds a bachelor’s degree in human services and has extensive experience in the sector, including the grass roots of youth work in residential homes, case work and case management roles in preservation, and youth offender programs. Rebecca currently leads Allambi Care’s Family Search and Engagement Team, a specialised service that works toward building free and forever networks for the children in Allambi’s care, with the goal to create pathways out of care and to have children return to their family, their kin, and their community.

Dr Paul Baker was trained as a Neuropsychologist and has over 30 years of experience in the field overseeing mental health services as a CEO, COO, National Director and Director.
Dr Baker's professional interest is in providing the highest quality clinical services to clients through a multidisciplinary model of care. He believes that a relational and flexible approach to meeting patients “where they are” is critical to establishing a therapeutic relationship.
He has peer reviewed several journal articles. Paul is also the developer of The PersonBrain Model.
Aspirations and Personal Interests
Personally, Paul been a foster carer to over twenty-nine young people and an adoptive parent of four fine young men. He loves tennis, hiking, travel, and immersing himself into different cultures.

Karen Johnson brings knowledge of the advancing science around resilience, brain development, adversity, toxic stress, equity, and trauma-informed approaches to the complex challenges we face. This expertise, coupled with 28 years of experience in child welfare, behavioral health, and community services, enables her to successfully partner with leaders, staff, community members, and participants across numerous settings to promote individual and organizational resilience.

Karen leads the development of Social Current’s Change in Mind Institute, which partners with organizations and communities to strengthen the workforce and leadership to build brain science-aligned and equity-focused systems and policies that support better outcomes for children and families.

Johnson is a licensed clinical social worker certified in Dr. Brené Brown’s Dare to Lead and trained in Dr. Bruce Perry’s Neurosequential Model of Therapeutics.

Stacy began her career at Pillsbury United Communities in 2004 as a direct care professional working with adults with disabilities. In 2019, she started working in Human Resources and was promoted to Director of Human Resources in January, 2023. In this role, Stacy oversees all human resource administrative functions and also plays a vital role in building an organizational culture and leveraging human resources management best practices to successfully attract, engage, develop, and retain, top talent to advance Pillsbury United Communities’ mission.

Stacy has a Bachelor of Science degree in Family Consumer Sciences from Minnesota State University, Mankato and earned her Master of Human Resources Management from Capella University in 2022. She has a husband, two children, and a dog, enjoys spending time with her family and friends, and volunteering as a Girl Scout troop leader.

Contact Stacy at StacyH@PillsburyUnited.org

Chanelle Gordon is a Research Scientist in the Child and Family Translational Research Center at Boys Town National Research Hospital in Omaha, NE. Dr. Gordon received her Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from the University of California Berkeley and completed her post-doctoral training at SUNY Buffalo where she gained experience developing behavioral interventions for youth and their parents. Her current work explores ways to help individuals transition into adulthood—with particular focus on youth with ADHD and those in residential care. She also investigates how parents can support youth in developmentally appropriate ways. In addition, she is licensed as a clinical psychologist in Iowa and Nebraska.

Dr. Patrick Tyler has over twenty-five years of clinical, administrative, and research experience in residential and community-based treatment services for children and families. He earned his doctorate from the University of Nebraska at Lincoln in Education with an emphasis in emotional and behavioral disorders and is an Independently Licensed Mental Health Practitioner and Licensed Professional Counselor in the state of Nebraska. Dr. Tyler has served in several clinical and research roles at Boys Town for over twenty years. Currently he is the Senior Director of the Child and Family Translational Research Center at Boys Town, and directs research activities to support Youth Care staff and programs in a manner that moves from practice related needs to research and then back to practice so that research is used to improve services for children and families.

Amber Rand has practiced in the fields of substance use and mental health disorders for the past 23 years. She is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor and a Certified International Advanced Alcohol and Drug Counselor. Her prior leadership experience includes oversight of youth dual diagnosis residential and outpatient programs, juvenile justice programs and youth sexual offender residential program. She has worked for Orchard Place, in Des Moines, Iowa, as the Campus Vice President since 2013 where she leads an 88-bed youth psychiatric residential treatment program.

Staci Mease is the Milieu Treatment Director at Orchard Place Psychiatric Residential Treatment Program in Des Moines, Iowa. Staci has a bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice as well as Alcohol and Drug Counselor Certification. Staci has worked in the field helping young people since 2006. Prior to her supervisory experience she worked in residential care which included shelter care, treatment for youth with sexual behaviors and youth with mental health and substance abuse issues. Staci has also worked in the community as a tracker for youth within the juvenile justice system and then as a substance abuse counselor.

Ivy Medeiros has worked with trauma-affected youth and families involved with the child welfare system for 25 years. In her role as the Executive Director at Stevens Treatment Programs, she has worked along-side her leadership team to build upon the existing expertise at Stevens while spearheading the program’s evolution toward a more innovative, trauma-informed treatment model.

Sarah Galvan, Executive Director of Boys Town New England, has been with Boys Town for over 16 years, having started her career in a direct care position. She eventually transitioned into a Family Home Program Director position, and later expanded her reach within Boys Town by overseeing quality assurance and program quality before serving as the Executive Director of both the affiliate Washington DC location, and currently the Boys Town New England location. She strategically has built the Board of Directors, enhanced fundraising success, focused on improving quality programs and executing the strategic plan. Sarah attributes her success to having a comprehensive understanding of the Boys Town Model of Care which has been the guiding foundation in all her decisions as a leader. She holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Colorado in Psychology and a master’s degree in Youth and Family Services. Sarah is married, and she and her husband Fernando reside in North Kingstown, Rhode Island with their three beautiful girls.

Will Clawson is the Director of Program Development at Stevens Treatment Programs, where he has worked in multiple roles for over ten years. Will has extensive training and experience working with trauma-impacted youth, with specific expertise in working with youth with sexual behavior problems. In his role implementing quality improvement initiatives at Stevens, Will has been actively engaged in ensuring that Stevens is a safe and equitable environment for youth. In 2022, Will presented, “An Innovative Approach to Working with Youth with Sexual Behaviors,” at the ACRC conference.

Lisa Cherry is an author and a leading international trainer and consultant, specialising in assisting those in Education, Social Care and Adoption and Fostering to understand trauma, recovery and resilience for vulnerable children, young people and their families. Lisa has nearly 30 years experience in this field and combines academic knowledge and research with professional skills and personal experience.
Lisa’s Master’s research looked at the impact on education and employment for care experienced adults who experienced school exclusion as children in the 1970’s and 1980’s. Currently Lisa is undertaking her DPhil studies full time at The University of Oxford in the Department of Education, asking the research question “How are care-experienced adults’ identities shaped by narratives of being excluded from school?

Senior Vice President, Global Health & Executive Director of the Global Health Equity Institute and Founding Dean of the School of Global Public Health at Meharry Medical College; Health Equity & Policy Expert & Best Selling Author.
Daniel E. Dawes, J.D., is a widely respected healthcare and public health leader, health equity & policy expert, educator, and researcher who currently serves as Senior Vice President, Global Health & Executive Director of the Global Health Equity Institute at Meharry Medical College. Dawes is also Founding Dean of the School of Global Public Health at Meharry Medical College, the first school of public health at an historically black institution. Prior to that he served as executive director of the Satcher Health Leadership Institute at Morehouse School of Medicine and is a professor of health law, policy and management. A trailblazer and nationally respected voice in the health equity movement, his scholarship and leadership, particularly the innovative political determinants of health framework that he pioneered, have resulted in increased policies and laws prioritizing health equity. By tackling upstream determinants of health, he has ventured into such uncharted territory as the intersection between equity and the social and political determinants of health to change the course of domestic and global policies for the better. His groundbreaking works, 150 Years of ObamaCare, which document the health equity movement in America and elevates the health equity-focused provisions of the Affordable Care Act that he led in negotiations and formulation, and The Political Determinants of Health, which provides an in-depth lens on the root causes of inequities, both published by Johns Hopkins Press One Gateway Center, Suite 751 | Newton, MA 02458 | Phone: 617.614.1600 | Fax: 617.965.6610 | apbspeakers.com are now nationally and internationally recognized and used as top health policy books. His passion for addressing health inequities is exemplified in his unyielding commitment to building collaboratives, including the HHS grant-funded National COVID-19 Resiliency Network and the Health Equity Leadership & Exchange Network, both exist to leverage evidence-based research and develop actionable solutions to advance health equity.