Melissa Coretz Goemann has worked throughout her career to positively impact children’s lives and protect their civil rights. She is currently the Senior Policy Counsel for the National Juvenile Justice Network (NJJN). Melissa previously worked as the Legislative Director for the ACLU of Maryland, where she was responsible for advancing a broad range of civil liberties issues, including work on criminal and youth legal system reform. Prior to joining the ACLU, Melissa was an Adjunct Assistant Professor of Law, and the founder and Director of the Juvenile Law and Policy Clinic at the University of Richmond School of Law, as well as serving as the President and Co-Director of the Mid-Atlantic Juvenile Defender Center (MAJDC). She received her B.A. from the University of Illinois, her J.D. from the New York University School of Law, and is a member of the District of Columbia Bar.

Marisol Garcia has dedicated her over 25-year legal career to advocating for youth at every stage of the cradle to prison pipeline. Since 2016, Marisol has directed the work of the Commonwealth’s largest child advocacy program – the Mental Health Advocacy Program for Kids (MHAP for Kids). As Deputy Director, Marisol continues as the leader of MHAP for Kids, acts as an HLA ambassador to cultivate partnerships with potential and existing financial and advocacy partners, develops, launches, and guides HLA advocacy efforts, advises existing HLA legal initiatives to help them grow, and works on administrative projects to advance HLA operations. Marisol achieved the mission of statewide expansion for MHAP for Kids, increasing capacity by over 600% and placing attorneys in Family Resource Centers (FRCs) across the state. In 2022, Marisol was selected as one of Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly’s Top Women of Law. She received her JD from Northeastern University School of Law in 1997 and a BA magna cum laude from Providence College 1994.

Sana Fadel serves as Deputy Director and is primarily responsible for CfJJ’s legislative advocacy and is the lead organizer of the statewide Massachusetts Juvenile Justice Reform Coalition. Prior to joining CfJJ, Sana was the Director of Public Policy at Rosie’s Place, a sanctuary for poor and homeless women in Boston where she led campaigns on access to substance use treatment, strengthening families involved with the child welfare system, and improving services for customers applying for and receiving public benefits. She was also responsible for empowering Rosie’s Place guests through voter mobilization and advocacy trainings. Sana holds a Masters in Public Administration from Columbia University, New York and a Bachelors of Fine Arts from Augusta State University, Georgia.

Since 2007, Ms. Maikoetter has been a leader at Cal Farley’s Boys Ranch in Texas, helping to transform the organization from a behavioral modification program into a healing trauma-informed community. She is responsible for training, crisis intervention, counseling, day to day operations and developing the operational guide for professional caregivers in residential settings.

Through training with Dr. Bruce Perry in his Neurosequential Model, Ms. Maikoetter became a certified clinician, trainer and mentor. She was among the first Child Trauma Academy Fellows selected by Dr. Perry in 2012 and led Boys Ranch to becoming a Phase II certified facility. In 2021, she was selected by Dr. Perry to join his team at the Neurosequential Network as his Director of Special Projects.

Olivia Lynch has provided EMDR Basic Training to over 200 therapists. Olivia has developed and oversees an EMDR program at a large multistate psychiatric system for adolescents and young adults. Olivia also provides advanced EMDR Trainings, focusing on “Implementing EMDR with High Acuity”. Olivia has presented on webinars, to graduate classes, and at numerous events on EMDR Therapy.

Erin Ziegelmeyer has been practicum facilitator for EMDR Basic Training for over 150 therapists. She has assisted in creating and facilitating several advanced EMDR trainings focusing on the implementation of EMDR therapy for sub-acute populations. Erin also has experience presenting original research at both local, regional, and national conferences on a range of psychological topics.

Meredith Dellorco, LCSW, is the National Family Therapy Specialist for Newport Healthcare. She is a certified Attachment-Based Family Therapist and supervisor. Meredith currently facilities ABFT clinical group supervision and Introductory and Advanced ABFT Trainings nationally for Newport Healthcare, a multistate psychiatric system for adolescents and young adults. She has extensive trauma treatment experience with youth and families, including work as a primary therapist for at risk youth foster care system and with families following a community tragedy.

Meryl Westlake is a PhD researcher at University College London and Anna Freud. Her mixed-methods research aims to generate a better understanding of the mental health and risk-taking behaviours among children living in residential care in England and young people’s experience of living in these settings. She is interested in the use of assessment tools to understand children’s needs and participatory methods to explore the experience of children’s social care. She is on the Academy Board of the European Scientific Association on Residential and Family Care for Children and Adolescents.

Joella is the Clinic Program Manager and a Clinic Therapist at Tanager, where she is honored to get to help kids, caregivers, teachers, therapists, youth workers, and the community build resilience, integrate relational wellness, and find healing both locally and internationally. As a Registered Play Therapist Supervisor and Trust-Based Relational Intervention® Practitioner, Joella believes that relationships and connection are the key to wellness and finds hope in knowing that through intentional experience, support, and work, people can find solutions to the challenges in their lives. Joella is especially passionate about providing support and resources to kids and families who have experienced adoption, foster care, or other trauma.

When not at work, you'll probably find Joella with her nose in a book, on an outdoor adventure, or serving with her faith community.

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.

Dr. Glenda Wrenn Gordon is a board certified adult psychiatrist, Chief of Clinical Strategy for Mindoula Health and President of Mindoula Clinical Services, a Maryland-based behavioral health management company. Her areas of expertise includes advancing resilience and health equity, culturally-centered integrated care, and value-based behavioral health system innovation. She currently serves as a Board Director for the Scattergood Foundation and the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) National Board. She is also an Adjunct Associate Professor in the Department of Clinical Psychiatry at Morehouse School of Medicine.

Dr. Wrenn was the founding Director of the Kennedy Satcher Center for Mental Health Equity at Morehouse School of Medicine until 2018. Dr. Wrenn was the first psychiatrist to serve on the Board of the National Committee for Quality Assurance, and she has served on the HHS Secretary’s Advisory Committee for Healthy People 2030 as well as the Secretary’s Advisory Committee on Minority Veterans. Dr. Wrenn holds a BS from The United States Military Academy at West Point, received her medical doctorate from Jefferson Medical College, and she earned a Master of Science in Health Policy (MSHP) from the University of Pennsylvania. She currently lives in Decatur, Georgia with her husband, Dr. Akil Gordon and has four children, Avi, Isaiah, Elisheva, and Josiah. She joins us to share her experiences and insights navigating several residential treatment episodes of care as a mother and as an advocate for others in her network seeking similar services for their children.

Dr. Kevin Ann Huckshorn is currently the Interim Executive Director for Hampstead Hospital and Residential Treatment Facility in Hampstead, New Hampshire. She formerly served as Executive Vice President-Northeast Region for Recovery Innovations International where she was responsible for RI onsite operations in DE, VA, OH, and MD; , engaging in consultation work as assigned; progressing new program implementation efforts; and operating within a state or regional leadership role when needed.

Dr. Huckshorn’ s recent, prior positions include roles as the Director of Evidence-based Practices and Programs for Wellpath Recovery Solutions, Inc. and Hospital Administrator for Bridgewater State Hospital in MA where she and that team transitioned a prison for adult men with serious mental illnesses/substance use disorders to a state hospital directed by trauma-informed care and recovery-based practices, under the direction of Governor Baker, MA DOC, and Wellpath (2017-2019). Dr. Huckshorn was also the past State Commissioner for Delaware’s Division of Substance Abuse and Mental Health (2009-2015) and led the successful resolution of the USDOJ Olmstead settlement agreement with the state. From 2001 to 2009, Huckshorn was the Director of the National Technical Assistance Center for State Mental Health Planning, for NASMHPD, where she directed the National Technical Assistance Center for the Prevention of Seclusion and Restraint and led the development of the only Evidence-based Best Practice for the prevention of the use of seclusion and restraint known as Six Core Strategies. 

Dr. Huckshorn is a licensed and certified mental health nurse and substance abuse clinician with practical knowledge from 40+ years of professional frontline experience working in a variety of public and private mental health organizations and substance abuse programs. She has extensive experience in behavioral health program development including peer-run projects; psychiatric rehabilitation treatment programs for persons with serious mental illness; and recovery-based mental health and substance abuse services. She is published on topics including violence, treatment adherence, and workforce development. 

Dr. Huckshorn is also currently working as a behavioral health consultant for special projects in VT, WA, MI, KY and CO. 

Following treatment for non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, Michael O’Neil emerged inspired to finish the graduate studies interrupted unexpectedly by cancer. Moving from concept to business plan, Michael launched GetWellNetwork in August 2000 to tackle an unaddressed problem in healthcare: empowering patients to take control of their healthcare journey. Michael’s vision for transforming the patient experience launched a healthcare technology segment called Interactive Patient Care. Two decades later, Get Well works with leading healthcare organizations and touches millions of patients and families around the world. Today, he leads the global digital health company as founder and CEO. Michael also serves as executive chairman at PerfectServe, a private equity-backed clinical communications company and as a limited partner of two early-stage venture capital firms focused on digital health. Michael is a past board member for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society and the DAISY Foundation and serves on the board of the Washington, D.C. chapter of the Young Presidents Organization. Michael is a former Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Winner and in 2019 was named an Aspen Institute Health Innovators Fellow. In 2021, he received The Global Good Fund’s Social Entrepreneur of the Year award and Georgetown Entrepreneurial Alliance’s Social Impact award. Today, Michael leads breakthrough work leveraging AI and community navigators to address maternal health equity and youth mental health among underserved communities. Michael holds a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Notre Dame and a Juris Doctor and Master of Business Administration from Georgetown University. He lives in Chevy Chase, MD with his wife and two

Frank Delano, LMSW is the President of Professional Package Consulting. He previously worked at a large New York Residential Center for 25 years beginning as a Child Care Worker He taught for 25 years in the Fordham University Graduate Social Work program. He has presented at numerous national and international conferences. He is on the Board of ACYCP and was on the Committee that revised the last CWLA Standards of Excellence.

Noor Almaoui, LCSW is a Clinical Supervisor at Sycamores in Los Angeles. She is a tri-lingual professional who has also worked providing a variety of services to adolescents at Casa Pacifica, Homeless Heath Care, and as owner of Universal Ethos, Inc. Noor has presented at a variety of agencies in California, New York and Dublin as well as presenting at Child and Youth Care Conferences in Canada and Ireland

Vida Khavar, LMFT has 25+ years’ experience in child welfare. She has assisted many organizations in developing programs that serve children and families. Vida was a consultant for the federal project: RISE, which aimed at improving the lives of LGBTQ+ youth in foster care in Los Angeles County. She is currently the Clinical Director at Family Builders. As such, she collaborates with the California Department of Social Services in developing and implementing affirming policies and practices for LGBTQ+ children in foster care. Vida also leads the Youth Acceptance Project and provides her clinical expertise to several jurisdictions throughout the country.

James Freeman is a past board member of ACRC and has over 30 years of experience in the behavioral health and human services field. He holds a master's degree in organizational leadership and for 15 years was the training director in an ACRC member organization. He has engaged with the residential and community-based workforce around the world and works to equip current and rising trauma-informed leaders in youth and family serving organizations.

Tekoah is an experienced nonprofit executive and consultant with a knack for stabilizing organizations and growing program capacity and adapting to what clients need. A Southern girl with northern roots, she's all about turning ideas into real-world business strategies. Specializing in human services, she loves solving complex problems of the human variety, blending policy smarts with people skills. Outside work, Tekoah's all about human rights and connecting with folks to have engaging conversations. Living in Louisiana, she's a traveler at heart and always looking for a new adventure.

Haynes Morrison has over 15 years of executive and senior leadership experience in residential care, community based services, program auditing, implementing programs and activities to support NGOs and for-profit missions. She has managed projects, drafted and evaluated policies, and developed and implemented programs. Haynes’ diverse background has allowed her to engage in international residential and outreach work in the African Diaspora and U.S.

Lauri Smalls was licensed to preach by Rev. Dr. Vincent L. Thompson, Jr. of Community Baptist Church in July 1993 and was installed as Transitional Pastor for Community Baptist Church in January of 2019, following the retirement of Pastor Thompson. She is a founding member of PTR Ministries, launched in October 2021. She was recently voted as the pastor-elect of Union Baptist Church in MA, becoming the first female pastor in the church’s 126 years.

Dr. Larome Myrick is a highly accomplished and versatile executive leader with over two decades of experience in program administration and organizational management. His expertise lies in the areas of criminal justice, parole, and corrections, as well as child welfare leadership. He has a proven track record of driving change, cultivating innovative partnerships, and delivering value-added services to communities. With a strong background in strategic thinking, team building, and board relations, he is dedicated to achieving mission-driven goals and making a positive impact.

Sara Smith has over 20 years of child welfare experience. Eighteen of those have been in state government serving on the frontline line and working up through Deputy Director of both Children's Division and Family Support Division. Currently she is working in the Department Director's Office as a Special Assistant leading teams to find solutions to the capacity crisis surrounding residential care

Bill Bott has over a decade of presentation experience in areas covering Human Services, Child Welfare, Process Improvement in Government, Public Sector Technology, and Project Management.

Dawn Rector has over 25 years of experience in child welfare serving citizens of Missouri. Dawn has led the Residential Placement Unit for several years, and is committed to leading her team and finding solutions to improve the system.

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. Her current research interests are rooted in developing equitable research practices and ensuring that the voices of vulnerable populations are heard and prioritized.

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.

Kimberly J. Lohrfink, PhD is a Senior Research Coordinator in the Organizational Performance Department at Pressley Ridge. She assists the director with maintaining and coordinating research and evaluation activities for Pressley Ridge, supports the quality improvement activities of the organization, and leads the organization’s current data literacy initiative. Kimberly earned a doctorate in Applied Developmental Psychology from the University of Maryland, Baltimore County. Her recent research interests include relational health, underserved and underrepresented populations, and maternal and child health and well-being.

Kim Parks-Bourn is the Program Manager for Children Missing from Care at the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. She is responsible for working with all 50 states to identify and problem-solve cross-system pain points to improve serving children missing from care. She joined NCMEC in July, 2023 and brings with her over 28 years of experience as a frontline social worker, clinician, trainer, clinical supervisor as well as an administrator in the child welfare and mental health systems in the State of Maryland.

Dr. Samantha Sahl, DSW, LCSW is the Supervisor of the Child Sex Trafficking Recovery Services Team (RST) at the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC). RST is a team of regionally assigned Resource Specialists who provide case-based assistance and support to child welfare professionals and other multidisciplinary team members in the development of trauma-informed and victim-centered recovery plans for survivors of child sex trafficking. Prior to joining the team at NCMEC, Dr. Sahl coordinated the response to child sex trafficking in New Orleans.

Frank is the Executive Director of the Academy for Competent Youth Work and the Office Administrator for the Child & Youth Care Certification Board.  Frank is the author of the Child and Youth Care: Foundations Course, co-author of the Youth Thrive™: Protective and Promotive Factors for Healthy Development and Well-Being training, and a contributing editor of the Families Thrive: Protective and Promotive Factors to Enhance Thriving for All Children, Youth, & Families training. Frank has worked in the CYC field as a direct practitioner, supervisor, manager, educator, director, and consultant for over 50 years.  Frank is the former Vice President of the Association for Child and Youth Care Practice, Past President of the CYC Certification Board (CYCCB) and a current board member. He is also the Board Secretary for Global Support for Kids USA, an international organization that supports homeless and street youth in Nigeria and other countries.  He is a frequent speaker at conferences, facilitates challenge course adventure activities, and thoroughly enjoys being in the world as a professional Child and Youth Care Practitioner. 

Dr. Getz is committed to supporting the professionalization of youth work in the U.S. She led the development of the IU APHS major and minor in youth development, actively engages in efforts to support national certification through the Child and Youth Care Certification Board and works to support awareness of issues critical to protecting child safety. Deb has engaged in curriculum development, design, delivery, and evaluation on a wide variety of topics in youth development, child protection, personal financial education, and community engagement. She is particularly passionate about educating youth workers and the public about human trafficking identification and prevention.

Dr. Vicky Kelly has 40 years of experience in working with children, youth and families. She served as clinical director of two large, multi-service agencies in DE and MD. She then served as Deputy Director of Prevention and Behavioral Health in DE, where she oversaw the state-run residential treatment centers and community treatment programs. Dr. Kelly then served as Director of the Division of Family Services, where she led system transformation work on family engagement, youth voice, and implementation of evidence-based programs. Since retirement, she has led implementation of the Connect Parent Group Program here in the US. She is an internationally known trainer and consultant on trauma and attachment.

John Damon’s clinical and executive leadership experience spans more than 25 years. Joining Canopy in 1993, he began as a therapist at the CARES Center Jackson. He went on to become Clinical Director and serve in the capacity of CARES Center Director and Chief Operating Officer before transitioning to Chief Executive Office in 2013. As the primary public figure for the organization, John plays a critical role in fostering relationships between Canopy and other leading healthcare providers, political entities and professional thought leaders and organizations.

Michael  serves as executive chairman at PerfectServe, a private equity-backed clinical communications company and as a limited partner of two early-stage venture capital firms focused on digital health. Michael is a past board member for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society and the DAISY Foundation and serves on the board of the Washington, D.C. chapter of the Young Presidents Organization. Michael is a former Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Winner and in 2019 was named an Aspen Institute Health Innovators Fellow. In 2021, he received The Global Good Fund’s Social Entrepreneur of the Year award and Georgetown Entrepreneurial Alliance’s Social Impact award. Today, Michael leads breakthrough work leveraging AI and community navigators to address maternal health equity and youth mental health among underserved communities. Michael holds a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Notre Dame and a Juris Doctor and Master of Business Administration from Georgetown University. He lives in Chevy Chase, MD with his wife and two daughters.

Dale Cook is the co-founder and CEO of Learn to Live, Inc., a member-focused mental healthcare company that provides online CBT programs and 24/7 clinician coaching services to empower people to improve their mental health. Learn to Live serves over 33 million people through large health plans, employers, and universities across the country. Dale has been recognized for his innovative approaches to healthcare as a recipient of the 2016 (Real) Power 50 award and the Business Leader in Healthcare: Startup award. Dale has been featured in various local and national publications, including Forbes, The Observer, National Public Radio, O, The Oprah Magazine, and others. Dale provides a welcome and inspiring voice around mental health and the importance of driving engagement with digital healthcare solutions for at-risk populations. He is an active member of multiple healthcare entrepreneur groups focused on improving healthcare at the state and federal levels and is a member of the Governor’s Taskforce on Broadband, which is focused on providing quality broadband access for all Minnesotans. Dale earned his bachelor’s degree in speech communications, graduating summa cum laude, from the University of Minnesota. He earned his master’s degree in business administration in strategy, entrepreneurship, and finance from the University of Chicago, Booth School of Business. Dale lives in Minneapolis, Minnesota, with his wife and son, where he enjoys mountain biking, skiing, playing guitar, and traveling with his family. Dale is a Fellow of the fifth class of the Health Innovators Fellowship and a member of the Aspen Global Leadership Network.

Michele Boguslofski has worked in the field of human services since 1987. Her passion has its roots in six years of direct care as a practitioner and another 28 years in various leadership and administrative capacities. She is the Executive Director for the Teaching Family Association, a global network of providers around the world committed to effective, research-driven, and evidence-based practice for persons and families. Michele has, and continues to, witness first-hand the amazing impact and outcomes that children, teens, adults, families, and communities can experience when they work with talented, trained, dedicated, and accountable professionals.

Dr. Helen Avis earned her Ph.D. from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, studying Policy, Leadership, and School Reform. She currently serves as the Administrator of Education and Research for the Methodist Home for Children in Raleigh, NC. Before taking on this role she served as an Operations Manager at a Juvenile Assessment and Crisis Center, an English teacher within the Juvenile Justice system, a middle school public school teacher, and a private education consultant for youth with unique needs. She serves on the Teaching Family Research Committee and has experience in training and implementing the model.

Dr. Lisa Saldana has a doctorate in clinical psychology with a research and clinical emphasis in child welfare populations and evidence-based practice. She is an implementation scientist and intervention developer. She currently is PI or co-I on multiple federally funded grants. Lisa is the primary developer of the Stages of Implementation Completion (SIC) and Cost of Implementing New Strategies (COINS) implementation tools, as well as the R3 supervisor implementation strategy, a workforce approach focused on infusing evidence-based strategies into every day interactions between families and frontline staff. She and her team currently are evaluating the SIC Coaching strategy to integrate the use of SIC data into clinical consultation processes. Lisa also is the developer of the FAIR model, an integrative treatment for parental opioid and methamphetamine abuse and child neglect that has undergone rigorous testing and for which scale-up protocols are being developed. She is the Clinic Director of the ODI Clinic, where FAIR currently is being implemented countywide. Lisa and colleagues have been a part of multiple additional scale-up efforts of evidence-based programs both domestically and internationally.

Amy Kelly has nearly twenty years of personal and professional hands-on experience in navigating the world of neurodiversity, autism and intellectual disabilities, advocacy and special education, since the diagnosis of her daughter in 2003. Now serving as National Director of Family Engagement for Devereux since 2019, she has been able to utilize her role to create new ways of engaging and collaborating with families and caregivers inside and outside of the organization, as well as connecting to the major touchpoints of the autism and IDD journey, for staff, leadership, the community and families, both within Devereux and the Human Services professional field.

Judy Starr, JD, is the Deputy General Counsel for Devereux Advanced Behavioral Health. She recieved her JD from Temple University and undergraduate degree from West Chester University in PA.

Mr. Lloyd Bullard has over 30 years of experience working within the human services field. He is considered a national expert in the areas of Restraints and Seclusion Reduction, Cultural Competence, Racial Disproportionality and Disparity of Outcomes, Residential Care, Community-Based Services and Supports, Human Trafficking, Program Auditing, Evaluation and Assessment, Supervisory and Management Development and Consultation/Training. Mr. Bullard has developed and managed numerous national and local programs and initiatives.

Creativity. Integrity. Adaptability. Commitment. Mentor. Jodi Doane (she/her) is a successful grant writer, researcher and contributor in the public, private and philanthropic spaces. Jodi’s work embodies her commitment to amplifying the voice of those most likely to be overlooked.  Writing through a strength focus and DEIAB lens, successful awards have allowed providers in the workforce development, immigration, child welfare and youth leadership spaces to expand access to services for geographically and demographically excluded communities, building towards a more equitable community for all.  

Mrs. Outlaw is a Clinical Social Worker, Certified Professional Diversity Coach, and consultant who has worked as a senior-level executive across multiple sectors in child welfare and Medicaid Managed care.

Kelly Rao holds a Masters in Social Work and Masters in Public Administration from Arizona State University. She enjoys working with people and organizations to solve complex problems and has worked as a therapist, Clinical Director, Director of Quality Management, Change Manager, and more. Her experience spans working with unaccompanied minors from Latin America, as well as government and financial entities.

Kate Ryan is the Director of Special Projects at Gemma Services focusing on supporting the agency in utilizing data, project management, training and clinical support. Kate is a Clinical Social Worker who received her BS from Drexel University and a Master of Social Work from the University of Pennsylvania. Kate has experience in special education, positive behavior support programs, and clinical supports across the continuum of mental health services. Kate is focused on data driven interventions to improve outcomes.

Peter York is Principal at BCT Partners. He has over 20 years of experience as a consultant and researcher in the evaluation and nonprofit fields, as well as a national spokesperson for social impact and impact measurement issues. He has spent the last nine years developing analytic techniques that leverage machine learning algorithms and administrative data to create predictive, prescriptive, and rigorous evaluation (causal) models and tools for social change agents in many fields, including child welfare, juvenile justice, workforce development, adult justice and child mental health.

Ra Shone Franklin is veteran school administrator with three years of experience as an assistant principal and over twenty years as a principal. He has served in rural, urban, and suburban communities encountering youth from every type of socio-economic background. He is the product of two teachers and passionate about education. He has broad range of expertise from strategic planning to student achievement and restorative practices. The focus of his career has been to ensure a better future for children that most need support.

Bobbi Kochevar holds a Baccalaureate Degree in Medical Technology from Winona State University and a Master’s Degree in Business Administration from Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota.  Kochevar has vast operational expertise and leadership experience in the healthcare industry. Kochevar joined Nexus Family Healing in January 2019 as their Chief Operating Officer.  She provides strategic guidance to Nexus’ sites and affiliates from the Plymouth, MN, corporate office.  Direct reports include the Residential Executive Directors who oversee six Nexus agencies in MN, IL and MD, as well as the Executive Director of Education who provides oversight to the Nexus alternative, non-public schools.

Melony Opheim founded The U-Turn Foundation, and over the last 20+ years she has been the Clinical Director overseeing 30 clients residentially, and 175-200 clients in the community. She has served on Senate Committee hearings, has been a member of ATSA for over 26 years, and has served on the Executive Boards of Freedom Prep Academy and SSCIP (Social Service Contractors Indemnity Pool).

Alan Fullbright is a licensed and board-certified behavior analyst with 15 years in the field. He has spent those years honing a specialization in complex behavior. His experience working and collaborating with multidisciplinary teams from a variety of different fields and in a variety of different settings makes him uniquely talented in supporting and guiding families through difficult growth. Alan is a compassionate and dedicated clinician who strives to reach families through their own chosen values and in line with their idiosyncratic cultures and perspectives.

Michelle Wingate completed her undergraduate work in Human Development at Azusa Pacific University before moving on to complete her Master in Family Studies at Texas Woman’s University. She has served in direct-care and administrative roles for the past 10 years with multiple non-profit agencies across the country. Michelle serves as a Therapeutic Foster Parent, using the Together Facing the Challenge model in her home.

Lindsay Wagner, MOT, OTR is currently the Director of Neurodiversity and Community Inclusion at the League School for Autism. Lindsay holds a Master's of Occupational Therapy degree from the University of Pittsburgh and is certified as an Autism Spectrum Disorder Clinical Specialist.

Michael John Carley is an author, school and business consultant, and former Executive Director in the autism, neurodiversity, mental health, disability, and DEI worlds. He runs New York University’s Connections Program for Global Students with Autism, and is the current Neurodiversity & Leadership Advisor for the League School for Autism.

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.

Colleen Rieger is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with 30 years of experience working in the fields of child welfare, behavioral health, developmental disabilities, and juvenile justice/corrections. She has held responsibility for operations and clinical oversight, program development, CQI/PQI, training/employee development, recruitment/retention. Colleen facilitated implementation of the Sanctuary Model in her former role since 2011 and joined the Sanctuary Institute in January 2023 as a Faculty Consultant.

Claudia Guillen is the Director of Intrepid Staffing Services, LLC a subsidiary of Endeavors. She has been employed with Endeavors for over 24 years and began her career in the Children and Youth Care Program. She earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration from The University of Texas at San Antonio. Her dedication in working with the youth and vulnerable populations have led her to become passionate and strong leader who is willing to help those in need.

Amy Previato grew up in Miami, FL and was raised by a Certified Nurse midwife and Professor who was a Fulbright Scholar. She has a Masters in Public Health, is a Certified Health Education Specialist (CHES), Board Certified in Lifestyle Medicine and is a Licensed Massage Therapist. During her career, she hasdeveloped worksite health promotion programing in various settings including health systems, universities and not for profits for over 20 years. She lives in EasternPennsylvania, enjoys hiking with her family, learning gardening from her Mother and sleeping well at night.

Annie Taccolini Panaggio is a macro-level social worker with a passion for dismantling systems of injustice one meeting at a time. She has experience working with refugee and immigrant programs and policy from the direct-care level to evaluation methods and operational leadership, spending most of her professional life connected to the US unaccompanied children’s program. She lovesopportunities for collective learning and healing, and won’t turn down an opportunity to spend time out in the community.

For the last 20 years, Dave Paxton, Chief Clinical Officer for The Village Network, has been leading the organization's efforts to become trauma informed. As a result of becoming trauma informed, TVN has significantly reduced the use of physical restraints. More recently, TVN has removed the point and level systems from it's residential programs. Mr. Paxton has a Masters Degree in Clinical Social Work from the University of Chicago and an LISW-S. 

Emily Sutton, MSW, LSW is a Program Manager for Out of Home Care and a Clinical Therapist at The Village Network with 8 years of experience helping youth in residential treatment with decreasing symptoms of trauma and improving skills in lagging areas. She is trained in utilizing the Neurosequential Model of Therapeutics, a Certified Collaborative Problem Solving clinician, and is also a certified Crisis Prevention Institute instructor. Emily uses these trainings to assist youth in making improvements to domains most impacting their daily lives, as well as to educate direct care staff and implement these models in daily programming. She is a graduate from Youngstown State University where she earned her BSW, as well as from the University of Denver where she earned her MSW. She currently resides in Youngstown, OH with her husband and two sons.

Dana Weiner, Ph.D. is a Chapin Hall Senior Policy Fellow with over 20 years of experience providing technical assistance, program evaluation, and data analytic support to child serving systems across the country. She is currently serving in the office of Illinois Governor JB Pritzker as the Chief Officer for Children’s Behavioral Health Transformation. In this role she oversees the implementation of recommendations to adjust capacity and streamline access to mental health services for youth. Dr. Weiner holds a Bachelor’s Degree from Cornell University and a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from Northwestern University.

Elizabeth Manley, LSW is Faculty and Senior Advisor for Health and Behavioral Health Policy at Innovations Institute. Elizabeth is nationally recognized for her expertise in children’s behavioral health, intellectual/developmental disabilities, and substance use systems design. She has a specific focus on innovation in policy, financing, and practice implementation with states and communities. Her over 30 years of executive leadership at the national, state, and provider levels in both the public and private sectors have given her a unique understanding of the complexity of systems and the impact of innovation. Elizabeth is the former Assistant Commissioner for New Jersey’s Children’s System of Care, where she led transformation and implementation of system innovations including building a trauma informed, seamless public behavioral health system with expertise in addressing the special needs of youth engaged in other child serving systems such as child welfare and juvenile justice. Elizabeth hold a LSW and a certificate in nonprofit management from Rutgers University.

Iain regularly presents at New Zealand and Australian conferences with international in-person presentations and keynotes in Porto Portugal (EUSARF), Oviedo Spain (EUSARF), Victoria Canada (IFCO), Halifax Canada (Canadian Foster Families Association) and Dublin Ireland (IFCO). He also taught a postgraduate research methods course at Massey University New Zealand for eight years, and currently delivers webinars and online masterclasses and training workshops. In 2020 he did an online keynote for the Centre for Excellence in Child and Family Welfare’s Resi ROCKS annual recognition and celebration of residential youth workers, and also delivered 11 international webinars on residential and foster care topics.

Lisa joined the School of Education and Social Work at the University of Sussex in January 2022 as Professor of Applied Social Science. Prior to this she was an Associate Professor and Deputy Director of Research in the Department of Education, University of Oxford. Lisa started her academic career in 2000, as a research assistant, based in the Centre for Child and Family Research at Loughborough University. Between 2013 and 2017 she was the Director of the research centre and led a large portfolio of research and evaluation projects focused on children's social care. 

Over the past twenty years Lisa has carried out a range of research and evaluation projects, with a particular focus on the relationship between needs, costs and outcomes of services and support provided to children and families. This has included the development of the Cost Calculator for Children's Services. Lisa has also carried out responsive studies for various government departments, including the Department for Education and Ministry of Justice. These responsive studies were carried out to address specific policy issues. In 2005 Lisa was seconded into the English Government Department for Children, Schools and Families to disseminate research findings and produce a practice guide and resource pack to assist children’s services department with the strategic development and planning of services to best meet the needs of vulnerable children. Lisa has published a range of books, journal articles and project evaluation reports. 

Along with her colleagues, Professor James Whittaker and Professor Jorge F del Valle, Lisa is co-chair of the International Work Group for Therapeutic Residential Care and is a board member of the European Scientific Association on Residential And Family Care For Children And Adolescents. In late 2017, along with colleagues at UCL and the University of Oxford, Lisa established the Children's Social Care Data User Group (https://cscdug.co.uk/). The group provides a forum to share expertise and learning between all users and potential users (academic, practice and policy) of children's social care data. 

Lisa first started her career in children's social care as an outreach worker in the early 1990s, followed by three years working as a residential social worker in a local authority children’s home in England.

Mikayla Gilbreath is a licensed trauma and grief therapaist at Embark Behavioral Health in Scottsdale, Arizona. She provides treatment at the GOP, IOP, and PHP levels of care and is passionate about best-practice grief work for children and families.

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.

Beth Casarjian, Ph.D., is the Clinical Director of the Lionheart Foundation, whose mission is to create social-emotional learning curricula for people whose lives have been impacted by legacies of trauma, structural racism and opportunity barriers to health. For 25 years, Dr. Casarjian has developed asset-based, psychosocial interventions grounded in restorative practices. Power Source: Taking Charge of Your Life is included in OJJDP’s evidence-based repository of “what works” in juvenile justice. Dr. Casarjian has been an Adjunct Professor at Teacher’s College, Columbia University and oversaw a school-based mental health clinic in East Harlem. Dr. Casarjian’s work has been funded by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration and the National Institutes of Health. To date, she is a co-investigator of the largest US study examining the impact of mindfulness with incarcerated male youth.

Jessica Jackson-Yoo, LICSW, the Sr. Director of Clinical Quality and Outcomes, began her career working with African immigrant families in Boston in 1998 as an AmeriCorps Volunteer. She has been at The Home since 2004 and served in multiple roles including as a Clinician, as a Clinical Supervisor, and recently as a Program Director. Jessica received her Master’s Degree in Social Work from Boston College and completed her BA in Religion and Culture at Skidmore College. Jessica received a Certification in Women’s Leadership at Simmons University and believes in the strength of diverse teams and importance of mentoring opportunities.

Joshua Stewart has been working as a clinical practitioner for over 20 years and has served within a director role for the past 11 years within a Residential program. Joshua employs a strength based and relational care approach within an individual/family/systems centered viewpoint. He has encompassed NMT, Collaborative Problem Solving and EQ2 within the practices. His special focus has been working within complex problems including acute trauma, crisis management, and conceptualizing problems from a strategic, solution focused, strength based, developmental and cultural perspective.

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 and internationally. 

Like a lot of parents, Nancy started her “career” learning to navigate the child serving systems for her children. Little did she realize that her personal experiences would lead her on professional quest to ensure every family, no matter the challenges they face have access to a family peer helping and supporting to teach, coach and mentor parents /caregivers as they journey towards their personal strength and empowerment.

Sara Fox is the Treatment Services Program Manager for the Oregon Department of Human Services, Child Welfare Division. This team is responsible for partnering with and reviewing contracted providers serving children and young adults with specialized needs in foster care and assisting Child Welfare staff statewide to locate services for youth who have experienced complex trauma. Sara’s education centers on social work with degrees in Psychology, Family Studies and Social Services. She has served in Child Welfare for eleven years. 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. She enjoys spending time with her husband and two bio teens, 14 and 16 years old.

Margaret McGladrey, PhD, is a Research Assistant Professor in the Department of Health Management and Policy at the University of Kentucky (UK) College of Public Health (CPH) who supports the work of the TCOM Implementation, Development, and Educational Support (TIDES) program at the Center for Innovation in Population Health. Dr. McGladrey specializes in participatory health research, community engagement, and quality improvement in partnership with a wide variety of agencies and practitioners, including local health departments, cooperative extension, county and regional jails, child welfare agencies, treatment courts, and philanthropic, arts, social services, and recovery community nonprofit organizations.

Dr. Cortez has been the CEO of Chileda since 2017. Prior to his post at Chileda, he was a university professor, teaching business and professional communication courses. His area of research has been organizational commitment while also consulting in areas of professional speaking and organizational development. He earned his Master of Science in Management Communication from the University of Portland and his Doctorate in Communication Studies from the University of Texas, Austin.

Terri Gowey is a Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA), Licensed Behavior Analyst, and Chief Operating Officer at Chileda Institute, Inc. Terri obtained her Masters of Science in Psychology degree from Kaplan University in 2013. Terri has been with Chileda for 23 years in many roles from Direct Support Professional to Director of Behavior Services, to her current role as Chief Operating Officer.

Kate Lopas is a Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA), Licensed Behavior Analyst (LBA), and Director of Behavior Services at Chileda Institute, Inc. Kate received her Masters of Science in Applied Behavior Analysis from Purdue Global University. Kate provides leadership and guidance to the Behaviorists in the Short-Term Empowerment Program (STEP), working collaboratively with the team to improve the lives of youth every day by teaching them new skills to reach a successful aftercare.

As the operations manager, I am tasked with presenting education, curriculums and training to direct youth workers as well as leaders in the agency. I have been given the opportunity to present previously at an ACRC conference as well and look forward to being considered for the additional opportunity.

As the Assistant Operations Manager, I am tasked with training and onboarding all new hires within our residential program. All Direct Care staff complete a full 30 day onboarding with me, as well as I am a certified Ukeru Trainer, hosting those trainings with in our agency. I am a certified Skills Trainer, and conducted the roll out of this curriculum to our agency. Lastly, I am a Motivational Interviewing Trainer for Tanager as an Agency.

Martha J. Holden is a Senior Extension Associate with the Bronfenbrenner Center for Translational Research and Director of the Residential Child Care Project at Cornell University. Martha is the author of the book, CARE: Creating Conditions for Change an evidence-based program model for child serving organizations. She is the lead developer of the Therapeutic Crisis Intervention System. in use in children’s residential organizations since 1980, redeveloped for foster and adoptive parents in 1996, and redeveloped for schools in 2012.

Anton is currently the Executive Director for Oak Hill Boys Ranch, a campus based therapeutic program, located near Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. He has worked in the area Child and Youth Care for over 30 years in variety children’s services. In addition, he is a Consultant and an Instructor with the Residential Child Care Project (RCCP) at Cornell University. Anton has a Masters in Social Work (2005) through Dalhousie University in Child and Family Practice. Anton has presented at international, national and regional conferences on topics related to Child and Youth Care.

Elliott G. Smith, Ph.D., is the Statistician for the Residential Child Care Project at Cornell University and a Research Associate in the Bronfenbrenner Center for Translational Research. He is focused on evaluation of program effectiveness and the science of practice improvement. Specific interests include feedback through data visualization and the role of administrative data in monitoring the residential milieu. He has conducted workshops about how to make data more useful and easier to understand. His academic research has appeared in numerous prestigious peer-reviewed journals.

Marty has been presenting on the local, regional and national stage for over 15 years. She works with schools throughout the midwestern United States. She trains over 4,000 educators and youth care specialists annually on how to support children who struggle behaviorally. She presents at several national conferences about how enhance culture in order to more effectively support children and families.

Mary joined the BIST team in July of 2021. Before that she spent 5 years working as the focus room facilitator in a middle school. Prior to that Mary was a para for special needs kids. Mary graduated in 2002 from Maplewoods with a degree in Sign Language Interpreting.

Vanessa Schnorr is a social worker and professor of social work methods. After working for several years in the field of youth welfare, she began researching and teaching. Her focus is on social work issues and child protection in general. She focuses on professional action with special attention to the perspective of clients and social organizations. Currently, she is also working on social work in day care centers for children.

Judith Haase is a social worker and holds a professorship for theories and methods of Social Work. After she had worked in residential care and in the youth welfare service for several years, she started researching and teaching. Her emphasis are topics of youth welfare and child protection in general. She has a focus on the position of children and their participation in all measures affecting them and deals with childhood as a social structure and the power imbalanced relation between children.

Lisa joined the School of Education and Social Work at the University of Sussex in January 2022 as Professor of Applied Social Science. Prior to this she was an Associate Professor and Deputy Director of Research in the Department of Education, University of Oxford. Lisa started her academic career in 2000, as a research assistant, based in the Centre for Child and Family Research at Loughborough University. Between 2013 and 2017 she was the Director of the research centre and led a large portfolio of research and evaluation projects focused on children's social care. 

Over the past twenty years Lisa has carried out a range of research and evaluation projects, with a particular focus on the relationship between needs, costs and outcomes of services and support provided to children and families. This has included the development of the Cost Calculator for Children's Services. Lisa has also carried out responsive studies for various government departments, including the Department for Education and Ministry of Justice. These responsive studies were carried out to address specific policy issues. In 2005 Lisa was seconded into the English Government Department for Children, Schools and Families to disseminate research findings and produce a practice guide and resource pack to assist children’s services department with the strategic development and planning of services to best meet the needs of vulnerable children. Lisa has published a range of books, journal articles and project evaluation reports. 

Along with her colleagues, Professor James Whittaker and Professor Jorge F del Valle, Lisa is co-chair of the International Work Group for Therapeutic Residential Care and is a board member of the European Scientific Association on Residential And Family Care For Children And Adolescents. In late 2017, along with colleagues at UCL and the University of Oxford, Lisa established the Children's Social Care Data User Group (https://cscdug.co.uk/). The group provides a forum to share expertise and learning between all users and potential users (academic, practice and policy) of children's social care data. 

Lisa first started her career in children's social care as an outreach worker in the early 1990s, followed by three years working as a residential social worker in a local authority children’s home in England.

Janice has extensive experience across youth, community and residential provision. She has led several residential homes in England to ‘outstanding’ Ofsted judgements (regulatory and inspection framework) and contributed to the development of award-winning services within the residential and edge of care sector. She is a committed advocate of joined up services for vulnerable adolescents. 

As the co-author of North Yorkshire County Council’s NWD model, Janice has been instrumental in the design and effective delivery of this innovative approach. The learning from it has supported many local authorities and organizations to ‘re-think care’ for adolescents.

NWD was chosen as one of three evidence informed models to be rolled out nationally in England between 2019-2024, as part of the Department for Education Strengthening Families, Protecting Children Program. Janice was the author of North Yorkshire’s offer and the strategic lead for the roll out of the program.

Janice is passionate about providing young people with improved opportunities to develop their life chances and believes that relationships are at the heart of practice both with young people, staff teams and key partners.  She believes that a ‘learning community’ is vital and that skills, experience and resources can be shared and pooled, which not only benefits young people but delivers more cost-effective services.  

Janice is the author of one of the ‘from the field’ chapters in the newly published international volume: ‘Revitalizing Residential Care for Children and Youth – cross national trends and challenges’ (OU Press, Whittaker, Holmes, Del Valle and James 2022).

Dana Weiner, Ph.D. is a Chapin Hall Senior Policy Fellow with over 20 years of experience providing technical assistance, program evaluation, and data analytic support to child serving systems across the country.  She is currently serving in the office of Illinois Governor JB Pritzker as the Chief Officer for Children’s Behavioral Health Transformation.  In this role she oversees the implementation of recommendations to adjust capacity and streamline access to mental health services for youth.  Dr. Weiner holds a Bachelor’s Degree from Cornell University and a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from Northwestern University.

Sam Shapiro is an Associate Researcher at Chapin Hall. His work focuses on providing decision-makers with tools to make evidence-informed policy. He currently contributes to the design and analysis of multiple program evaluation projects for the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services, including an evaluation of a pilot program that provides wraparound services to youth who are dually involved in the foster care and justice systems. He supports the data analysis components of the Children’s Behavioral Health Initiative. Shapiro’s experience extends across initiatives in the public interest in local and international settings. Prior to joining Chapin Hall, Shapiro worked with the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office’s first data team. Shapiro spent 4 years at Al-Quds University where he launched and coordinated a student-led community engagement program. Shapiro holds a Master of Public Policy degree from the University of Chicago. He received his Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy from Bard College.

Michael Stiehl, M.S., is a Chapin Hall Senior Policy Analyst, with over two decades of experience in public policy related to child welfare, community development, education, and human services. His expertise in data science, GIS, and implementation support has been instrumental in streamlining complex systems and enhancing policy effectiveness across the country. In his role on Illinois Governor JB Pritzker’s Children’s Behavioral Health Transformation project, Michael leads initiatives focused on technology development and implementation, data management and analysis, and rate setting strategies. He is a graduate of the University of Wisconsin – Madison, holding a Master’s Degree in Community Development.

Robert E. McCartney MSW, “Rob,” is the Chief Executive Officer for The Barry Robinson Center, a behavioral health system in Norfolk, Virginia, anchored by a 72-bed residential treatment center. Over the past six years, Rob has led The Barry Robinson Center’s residential program’s transition from a typical residential treatment center to a premier program whose primary mission is to help military-connected children and their families heal. Since 2013 The Barry Robinson Center has provided care to over 500 military children, adolescents and their families from over 35 states and 4 countries.

Forty years experience in executive leadership of organizations providing mental health and residential services to more than 50,000 children and youth with complex trauma and/or presenting challenging and disruptive behavioral/emotional issues and their families. Payors included both public (Medicaid) and private (commercial insurance) and involved multiple complex funding streams. Significant growth and new lines of business attained in all leadership positions/organizations while achieving state and national recognition for training and service excellence.

During his forty year career in residential treatment programs the presenter has been a child care worker, live-in houseparent, recreation supervisor, vice president of programs, executive director, and CEO. As he climbed the ladder the presenter most enjoyed the time that he spent working directly with the young people in his care. Whether working as a “roadie” for his program’s drum line, volunteering alongside his students, or leading off campus trips, the presenter was always fully engaged.

Trish Cocoros is the Co-Executive Director and Co-Founder in 1996 of Youth Development Institute (YDI). YDI, located in Phoenix, Arizona, is accredited by the Joint Commission and licensed as a Behavioral Health Inpatient Facility (BHIF) with a current average daily population of 45, and as a Behavioral Health Residential Facility (BHRF) with a current average daily population of 24. YDI has earned a national reputation for eliminating restraints and for Youth-Guided Care through the implementation of its Student Advisory Board.

Dr Iain Matheson is a New Zealand-based independent child welfare consultant, researcher, trainer, and mentor, specializing in residential and foster care. He helps government agencies and not-for-profit organisations improve child and youth outcomes by better generating, leveraging, and acting upon evidence and learning. He started his career as a residential social worker with youth in England and Scotland and went on to become the New Zealand government’s national manager for residential care. He has postgraduate qualifications in social work and social sector evaluation research, and a 2015 doctorate in education.

Dr. Cogua is an implementation expert at Boys Town. With a background in program evaluation and quality improvement, Jasney has dedicated her career to making a positive impact on quality programing for high-risk - high-need children and young adults. She has a Ph.D. in Sociology and Anthropology from Florida International University and over 12 years of experience conducting research, program evaluations, and university lecturing. Her current focus is on the creation and implementation of aftercare services for youth transitioning out of residential care facilities.

Dr. Huefner a Research Scientist at the Boys Town Translational Research Center. His research for the last 22 years has focused on residential care. He has a Ph.D. in Organizational Social Psychology from Brigham Young University and 37 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.

Misty Berard is the Senior Program Advisor with the Catalyst Center, the non-profit arm of the California Alliance that offers training and technical assistance to providers serving children, youth, and families in community-based programs across public sectors in California. Misty brings over 15 years of direct care and leadership experience in residential and community-based services. Misty earned her bachelor’s degree in psychology and her master’s degree in leadership and organizational studies.

Celeste earned a Bachelor of Science in chemistry from UC Merced. Simultaneously, she served youth in wraparound programs, co-founded a youth advisory board and continues to land seats on several national and local boards. Her lived experience is foundation and her passion for youth voice continues to drive positive change across systems.

With more than 30 years in the healthcare field, Dr. Loftus specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of mental health issues including depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, and eating disorders. Before joining the Newport Academy team, Dr. Loftus spent 15 years as an attending and consulting psychiatrist at Hartford HealthCare’s Institute of Living in Hartford, Connecticut. 

Kara Becker leads Newport’s national team in creating and managing eating disorder protocols and clinical programming across locations. Before coming on board with Newport as an Associate Clinical Director in 2020, Kara served as program director for the Center for Discovery’s adolescent and young adult eating disorder residential programs. An AAMFT (American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy) Approved Supervisor and Clinical Fellow, Kara is certified in Gestalt Therapy and trained in EMDR, and DBT. She holds a Master’s in Marriage and Family Therapy from Southern Connecticut State University.

I began working for LaSalle in June 2020, learning to navigate a new position during the depths of the pandemic. In 2022 I moved into my new position, additionally, I am a member of our Therapeutic Crisis Intervention Training Team. Prior to joining LaSalle I held positions as a direct care staff, case manager and therapist in both residential treatment and outpatient care. I am passionate about residential care and believe it should be used as a tool to help children and families succeed, achieve their goals and reunite permanently.

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.

Dana Wyss, PhD, LMFT, ATR-BC is a licensed marriage and family therapist, board certified clinical art therapist, and is coauthor of The Invisible String Workbook. Her doctorate in expressive therapies has led her to create programs integrating art, music, poetry, movement, and animal assisted therapy in the healing process for clients and the self-care of staff. For the last 25 years, Dr. Wyss has worked in psychiatric hospitals, group homes, and nonpublic school settings to manage crisis, conduct trainings, coach staff, and support children and families. Dr. Wyss is currently a Corporate Clinical Training Specialist and Clinical/Art Therapy supervisor at Stars Behavioral Health Group specializing in the treatment of complex developmental trauma.

Rodney Hall is the CTF Program Manager at Star View Adolescent Center. He has over 15 years of experience in Mental Health and Coaching. Before becoming the CTF Program Manager Rodney served as Lead Youth Counselor and Job Development Coach. As the Job Development Coach he was responsible for coaching and supervising direct care staff during their introductory period in the company. Rodney has a bachelor's in Psychology and years of experience coaching and mentoring youth as a High School Football Coach. Rodney is part business owner of RCH Trucking Company that he help establish over 10 years ago.

Juletta Gilge is a licensed in the state of Montana as an LCPC. She currently works as the Director of PRTF at Yellowstone Boys and Girls ranch and has been working at the agency for over 5 years. Juletta has a passion for mental health work and is a fierce advocate for mental health services.

Tra is a lifetime learner who believes people all have the same value, only different roles. Tra’s approach is based on his education in nursing, administration, and conflict resolution. As a result, he has crossed traditional organizational boundaries and has collaborated with most of the teams in his organization at all levels. He has recruited and led multiple diverse teams to successful outcomes.

Taylor Mayer is currently the Executive Director of Psychiatric Operations at Yellowstone Boys and Girls Ranch (YBGR) in Billings MT. He began his career at YBGR in 1993 as a Mental Health Worker and has held positions of Clinical Program Therapist, Psychological Assistant, and Regional Area Clinical Supervisor prior to his current role. He has a PhD in Clinical Psychology and holds an active LCPC. He is a strong advocate of Therapeutic Foster Care and Adoption.

Elizabeth Manley, LSW is Faculty and Senior Advisor for Health and Behavioral Health Policy at Innovations Institute. Elizabeth is nationally recognized for her expertise in children’s behavioral health, intellectual/developmental disabilities, and substance use systems design. She has a specific focus on innovation in policy, financing, and practice implementation with states and communities. Her over 30 years of executive leadership at the national, state, and provider levels in both the public and private sectors have given her a unique understanding of the complexity of systems and the impact of innovation. Elizabeth is the former Assistant Commissioner for New Jersey’s Children’s System of Care, where she led transformation and implementation of system innovations including building a trauma informed, seamless public behavioral health system with expertise in addressing the special needs of youth engaged in other child serving systems such as child welfare and juvenile justice. Elizabeth hold a LSW and a certificate in nonprofit management from Rutgers University.

Takkeem Morgan is a social entrepreneur dedicated to bringing world class innovation and ingenuity into child and family-serving ecosystems. As the Co-founder and Executive Director of Mosaic ParentHub, he is committed to putting parents first and creating innovative solutions that restore dignity, promote healing, and help families thrive. As a Foster America Fellow, he organized a broad coalition of public and private stakeholders to work together on a data-driven, scalable program that he created to improve the way child welfare agencies recruit, retain, and support foster parents. As a nationally recognized Child Welfare Consultant, Takkeem has a remarkable track record of driving cross-sector collaboration and innovation and spearheading transformative change. With expertise spanning strategy, marketing, technology, research, and data, Takkeem has played a pivotal role at the local, state, and federal levels to address critical challenges in foster care and to co-design the future of infrastructure to support child and family well-being. In addition to advising system leaders at all levels, Takkeem has built novel technology solutions that enhance effectiveness of public and private agencies.