Network Days – April 2023

Dr. Jerry Yager is a Clinical Psychologist, currently in private practice, with more than 35 years of experience in the assessment and treatment of traumatized children and adolescents. He specializes in working with children and adolescents who exhibit self-destructive behavior and have severe mental illness. Before moving to private practice, Dr. Jerry served as Director of Training & Community Education at Denver Children’s Advocacy Center, and the Executive Director of the Denver Children’s Home, which shares a mission with Denver Children’s Advocacy Center to provide high quality mental health care for low-income children whose problems would otherwise go undiagnosed and untreated. He is a fellow with the Child Trauma Academy, under the leadership of Dr Bruce Perry, and conducts professional training in Colorado, nationally and internationally.

Christina D. Bethell, PhD, MBA, MPH
Dr. Bethell is a Professor at Johns Hopkins University in the Bloomberg School of Public Health in the Department of Population, Family and Reproductive Health and in the JHU School of Medicine, Department of Pediatrics’ Division of General Pediatrics. Her research, education and service work focuses on building and translating the science of healthy development and that advancement of a new integrated Science of Thriving to promote early and lifelong health of children, youth, families and communities. With roots in community health partnerships, systems change, financing reform, social epidemiology and whole child/family integrated health care, she is the founding director (1996) of the national Child and Adolescent Health Measurement Initiative (CAHMI). Recognizing gaps in data to inform and drive change, she led to advance child and family centered measurement, data and IT based tools to enable family engagement in systems, policy and health care. She is the founding director of the National Data Resource Center for Child and Adolescent Health and the Cycle of Engagement Well Visit Planner approach to preventive and developmental services for children and families . She shaped a widely endorsed national agenda to address childhood trauma and promote healing. She has been featured on National Public Radio, provided testimony to the US Congress, has published dozens of peer reviewed studies focused on informing policy, practice and culture change and has contributed to national efforts that promote relational health as the cornerstone of well-being for children, families and communities. Christina earned an MBA an MPH from the University of California, Berkeley and PhD in public policy from the University of Chicago. She teaches about mitigating adversity and promoting child well-being, facilitates Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction and is an avid student of human potential and flourishing as a social change strategy. She writes poetry, dances and believes that attuned connection with ourselves, life and others is the source of our creativity and joy.

Mr. Charles Hunt is a Resilience Expert, Educator, and motivational speaker. Adept at leveraging transparency to inspire and get results, this former College Recruiting, Talent Management, Diversity, and Supply Chain leader left the corporate world to fulfill his vision of building unbreakable spirits and cultivating resiliency for those who, like him, have The Audacity to Succeed. He helps students, young professionals, business and thought leaders build resilience while harnessing our most important resource in resilience…our minds.  As the founder of The Audacity Firm, LLC, his firm provides professional & personal development programs, coaching, and events that equip clients to build and maintain hope, navigate trauma and adversity, & build the resilience necessary to LIVE, DO, and BE BETTER.

Fabiola Abreu re-joined ANDRUS in 2018 and is currently the Senior Director of Care Management and Community Division and serves as faculty at the Sanctuary Institute providing trauma-informed training and support to organizations implementing the Model. Fabiola oversees a wide range of community-based programs that focus on parenting, preventive services, care management, mental health, and treatment services. Fabiola’s previous experience includes managing home visiting programs, Head Start Programs, and Early Intervention programs in New York. Fabiola is the recipient of the 2020 Westchester County, 40 under 40 Leadership Award, holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology & political science from Manhattanville College, and a master’s degree in public administration from the Marxe School of Public and International Affairs at Baruch College-City University of New York.

Tracey Beveridge is the Clinical Director of Woodwarad Community-Based Services. WCBS is in Phase Two of Sanctuary Implementation. Tracey has served on the Core Team since April 2021. She has attended the Sanctuary 5-day training, Sanctuary Train-the-Trainers, and has been training WCBS employees on Sanctuary since October of 2021.Tracey chairs the Divisional team for Sanctuary Implementation for Vivant Behavioral Health Services.

Cameron T. Bishop, LCSW is President/CEO of Wesley Glen Ministries, Inc., an agency serving individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Prior to his current position, he held various leadership positions at The Methodist Home for Children and Youth and maintained a private practice. Cameron’s professional interests include organizational change and leadership in non-profit organizations.

Kristin Bruce, MA, LPCC-s, fell in love with community mental health work in 2006, and hasn’t looked back! She earned her BA in Psychology and a certificate in Women’s Studies from Ohio University in 2005. Beginning her journey in community mental health in 2006 as a vocational case manager for the SPMI population, her curiosity about others’ perspectives and her passion to help led her to an MA in Mental Health Counseling in 2012 from the University of Toledo. Kristin has held many positions in direct care and case management and is trained in motivational interviewing, EMDR, is CPI Certified, and has been a State of Ohio Trauma-Informed Care Trainer since 2015. She helped to start the Lucas County Trauma-Informed Care Coalition in 2016, a group dedicated to bringing together human services workers across disciplines in Toledo to integrate trauma-informed and trauma-responsive knowledge and services into their delivery. Kristin is currently Senior Director of Behavioral Health Services at Zepf Center, and is lead for the agency’s Sanctuary Core Team.

Cameron Burgess is the National Director of Sanctuary Australia through The Mackillop Institute. Cameron brings knowledge of adapting to cultural needs throughout Australia.

Carrie Carl, LCSW-R, has been serving youth and families in behavioral health services for over 25 years at Villa of Hope in Rochester, NY. She joined the field as a residential counselor and teaching assistant in 1994, and since then she has helped usher the Villa through decades of growth and change. Ms. Carl moved into Social Work in 1998, followed by clinical administration, operational leadership of residential programs, and strategic leadership of psychiatry, psychology, and medical services and Villa of Hope School. Presently, Ms. Carl supports agency-wide operations and strategy work as the Chief Operating & Compliance Officer (COO/CCO). She is a Peer Reviewer for the Sanctuary Institute.

Dr. Jeri Cox, Doctoral of Philosophy of Counselor Education and Supervision and Master of Mental Health Counseling -CACREP accredited programs LPC NCC, Clinical Director, Hallmark Youthcare. She holds a Doctorate in Counselor Education and Supervision, Master in Mental Health Counseling, and Bachelor in Psychology. She has been in the mental health field for 15 years, and currently is the Director of Clinical Services at a Residential Treatment Facility, as well as an adjunct instructor for a CACREP accredited university. She has previously held positions as a Clinical Director for a correctional facility and done work as an intensive in home worker, mental health skill building, lead clinician, and outpatient therapy.

Ashleigh Cross, Training Specialist III.  Ashleigh graduated from Colorado State University with a degree in Sociology/ Criminal Justice. She has worked for the State of Colorado Division of Youth Services since 2012. She worked with male and female Pre-adjudicated and Adjudicated youth in a detention setting for the first 9 years. Ashleigh also worked several positions including direct care and supervisory positions and acted as the Youth Center’s Training Coordinator. She’s currently a Training Specialist III at the Office of Staff Development, primarily training the New Hire Academy.

Dr. Nina Esaki is an Assistant Professor at the Springfield College Department of Social Work. Prior to her current position, she was the Director of Research at the Andrus Sanctuary Institute. Since starting her faculty position in 2017, she continues to consult the Sanctuary Institute on research matters of relevance to The Sanctuary Model. Nina has authored a number of peer-reviewed journal articles on organizational change and leadership, presented at numerous conferences, and was a 2020 Sam and Bonnie Rechter Positive Leadership Fellow at the University of Louisville College of Business. Prior to her career as a researcher, Nina spent over 15 years in the corporate human resources field.

Tammy K. Fields is the Director of the Youth Services Department (YSD) for Palm Beach County. As Director, she oversees a wide range of services for youth and their families including residential, school-based, and community behavioral healthcare, summer programs, youth violence prevention programs, education and employment opportunities, and coordination with community providers. YSD is certified in the Sanctuary Model of Trauma Informed Care. She also co-chairs the “Creating a Trauma Sensitive Community” Action Team. She was an essential member of the team who brought the Robert Wood Johnson Culture of Health Prize to Palm Beach County in 2021. Prior to joining YSD, Ms. Fields served in the Palm Beach County Attorneys for over 25 years. She is a graduate of Syracuse University and Stetson University College of Law. She holds certificates in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in the workplace from the University of South Florida and Trauma and Resilience from Florida State University.

Matthew Haight, Manager of Training and Employee Development Sarah Reed Children’s Center began implementation of Sanctuary in January 2008, and is a member of the agency’s Steering Committee and active member of the agency Core Team. He has helped coordinate agency certifications in 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, and 2022. In addition to presenting at many conferences He was the primary coordinator and developer of the agency-wide Sanctuary psychoeducation curriculum. Matt has also been a Peer Reviewer with the Institute since 2014.

Ashley Hampton is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and Clinical Director at Domus in Stamford. She specializes in implementing strategies rooted in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy through the framework of Thoughts, Emotions, and Behaviors (TEB) across programming. Her work includes recognizing and addressing trauma among underserved and underrepresented populations. Ashley conducts clinical supervision for all youth-facing staff at Domus and conducts internal training concerning trauma-responsive models, neuroplasticity, cognitive development in children and adolescents, and wrap-around practices.

Ibet Hernandez holds a Master’s Degree in Social Work from Fordham University and a Baccalaureate in Psychology and Bilingual Special Education from Lehman College. Ms. Hernandez is currently a Sanctuary Faculty Consultant at the Andrus Sanctuary Institute. Ms. Hernandez has served as an effective leader in the South Bronx community for over 15 years in the area of Mental Health, Counseling, Early Childhood Education and Community Organization. She began her career as a community organizer employed at Hunts Point Multi-Service Center providing outreach and educational services to parents of special needs children in the community. She joined Bronx-Lebanon Hospital Center in 2002 in the aftermath of the World Trade Center disaster when she was recruited to develop and coordinate Project Liberty, the FEMA initiative to provide a psychological and emotional response to the 9/11 tragedy. She has developed her organization OWL Wellness Inc. (Optimum Wellness Living), has a private practice, and designs retreats and educational and wellness events for groups in the Pocono Mountain area.

Jaye Holly, M.S., Sanctuary Institute Faculty, has been designing and delivering training for more than 20 years on a wide array of topics, including performance management, adult learning, and DEI. Her career includes working in an eclectic mix of settings, from human services to academia to government. In 2010, Jaye began working with the Sanctuary Model by leading the implementation process for a child welfare agency serving communities across New York State. Since then, she has worked across the country and around the world to help build trauma-informed communities. She has an M.S. in Human Resources Development from McDaniel College.

Lindsay Jackson joined ANDRUS in 2014 and most recently held the position of Director of Training.  She is now a full-time faculty member with the Sanctuary Institute providing trauma-informed training and support to organizations implementing the Model.  In her role, she is in the business of developing staff, and training teams and individuals to be their best selves teaching skills in Therapeutic Crisis Intervention and restorative practices. Lindsay has extensive experience providing trauma-informed services to individuals and communities. She is passionate about providing people with tools that foster resilience, self-love, and an open mind. She is an energetic motivator who has the natural ability to connect with others and spread joy. In addition, Lindsay is a certified Therapeutic Crisis Intervention (TCI) trainer, and Mental Health First Aid Instructor, as well as a facilitator for Parent University, which is a workshop series designed to educate and empower caregivers. Lindsay is a certified life coach and holds a Bachelor of Science degree in psychology from Delaware State University.

Aaron James joined the Sanctuary Institute at ANDRUS in 2016. He is a full-time faculty consultant providing guidance, training and support to agencies implementing the Model though a trauma-informed lens. Prior to this, Aaron began his career as a Residential Counselor with Villa of Hope in 1994 and has since served in various roles of both direct and indirect-care. After 12 years in direct residential child care, Aaron transitioned his practical experience into a training and development role as the Organizational Development Manager. As the lead trainer for the organization, he created and delivered the majority of staff training for the Villa. In 2011, Aaron served as a member of the task force team that selected the Sanctuary Model for the Villa and has been the driving force behind Sanctuary implementation and integration. His expanded role included direct counsel to the President/CEO, the Senior Leadership Team and Mid-Management on the implementation of the Sanctuary Model. In addition, Aaron became a Certified Executive Leadership Coach in 2015. Utilizing a style grounded in his direct line beginnings, Aaron is uniquely qualified as a coach and mentor for emerging leaders, teams and organizations.

Aviva Kafka joined the Sanctuary Institute in 2017 as a per diem faculty providing trauma-informed leadership training and consultation to organizations implementing the Model of treatment and organizational change. Aviva Kafka is the Superintendent of Schools with over 30 years of experience in education, as an early childhood and elementary teacher, Migrant Head Start coordinator, elementary principal and central office administrator in New York and California. Aviva’s work in schools has been influenced by her passion for social justice, which has led her to expand her influence beyond the school walls. Aviva served as Chair of the Mental Hygiene Board of Dutchess County, NY for several years. Aviva also volunteers with her teen daughter, assisting in Mother/Daughter workshops to help maintain this most important bond through the teen and pre-teen years.

Shannon Kelley is a Therapeutic Recreation Specialist and the Sanctuary Coordinator at Hallmark Youthcare Richmond, a Residential Treatment Center in Richmond Virginia. She received her Bachelor of Science degree from Radford University in Recreation, Parks and Tourism with a concentration in Recreation Therapy. Shannon has been with Hallmark Youthcare for 9 years and serves as a member of the Safety Team, Clinical Team and leads their Core Team. Shannon’s energy, optimism and creativity brings her groups and trainings to life! She enjoys teaching the Sanctuary modules to her new employees as well as leading groups on the residential units. While not at work, Shannon enjoys traveling, spending time with family and friends, live music, and shopping for her nephew Cooper and niece on the way.

Elizabeth Meeker, PsyD, Senior Director, Center of Excellence for Equity-Focused, Trauma Responsive Practice, leads a team of talented professionals who provide training, coaching, consultation, and practical tools to make trauma-responsive practices a living, breathing part of systems, organizations, and daily work. She is a seasoned consultant working with a broad range of organizations to implement and integrate practice change initiatives to improve outcomes and sustain change. Dr. Meeker also serves on the CCSI Talent and Culture Team charged with developing strategies, resources, and professional development for all CCSI employees in the areas of talent management and learning; organizational wellness and trauma-informed practices; corporate compliance and business ethics; diversity, equity, inclusion, and anti-racist practices.

Melinda Y. Myers  LMHC, Day Program Coordinator Vanderheyden. Melinda earned her Masters in Community Psychology and Community Counseling from Russell Sage Graduate School. She began her work with adolescents at an emotional growth boarding school before moving to Vanderheyden in 1995. Melinda has held multiple roles at Vanderheyden including Clinician and Coordinator at the Residential Treatment Center and the Education Program. She is an original member and current co-chair of Vanderheyden’s Sanctuary Core Team, as well as the liaison with the local Child Advocacy Center. Her work as a peer mentor and mental health practitioner with a Critical Incident Stress Management team based in Upstate New York was a result of her many years of volunteer firefighting and emergency medical response. Her interest in traumatic stress and its treatment grew from this experience. Melinda is currently working on her certification in Trauma Focused – Cognitive Behavior Therapy.

Demetrius Napolitano, was placed in New York City’s foster care system when he was under a year old, and after experiencing 30 different placements, he transitioned from the system when he was 22 years old. He was adopted at the age of ten and then placed back into foster care three years later before getting adopted again at the age of 20. During his time in care, he was physically, mentally, and sexually abused; placed on psychotropic medications to treat depression and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and experienced a short stay inside a juvenile detention for a few months before deciding to take charge of his life.

After graduating from St. John’s University with his associate’s in business management, he graduated from New York University with his bachelor’s in political science. In 2019, he started a GoFundMe, raised over $17,000, and traveled to India to study how to use Meditation and Yoga to help him heal from the complex trauma he incurred from the foster and criminal justice system. Once Demetrius returned from his sojourn in June 2020, he founded Fostering Meditation (FM) to help youth in foster care learn the same tools he would later call “The Five Steps 2 Wellness”: Meditation, Yoga, Expressive Writing, Community, & Nutrition. Demetrius envisions bringing FM to youth in foster care throughout the country, creating more communities of people who are breathing, meditating, and healing together!

Maxine Reddy, EdD, joined the Sanctuary Institute at ANDRUS on February 1, 2012, after nearly 15 years at Green Chimneys Children’s Services, one of the first large organizations in New York State to achieve Sanctuary Certification status. As a director of community-based programming, Maxine has first-hand experience and knowledge in assisting organizations with implementing the Sanctuary Model in the community as well as in residential settings. Seeing how cultures can change and shift to provide improved outcomes to both clients and staff, serves as an inspiration in her work helping other organizations implement the Sanctuary Model. She has been providing training in the Sanctuary Model and concepts since 2008. Maxine’s current focus is on organizational leadership and development and she is currently conducting research on the implementation of the Sanctuary Model for her doctoral dissertation.

Donn Reid joined Domus in Stamford, CT in 1991.  As director of training, he ensures fidelity to the organization’s core principles and practices through staff training, professional development/coaching, and formalized, ongoing dialogue between youth, parents, and staff.  Donn co-leads Domus’ Race Action Committee for Equity and Diversity, a transformative, organization-wide initiative that seeks to challenge and sustain Domus and the communities it serves by promoting and building racial literacy and educational equity.  An activist and organizer, Donn provides leadership on racial and social equity for a broad scope of organizations.  He is a graduate of the University of Northern Colorado and is a Reiki Practitioner.

Colleen Zullo Rieger is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with 30 years of experience during which she had the opportunity to grow personally and professionally while working with children, adults and their families.  Her career path includes child welfare, foster care/RTF, behavioral health, developmental disabilities, juvenile justice/corrections and youth/adult education.  In various positions, Colleen has held responsibility for operations, program/regional management, program development, fund-raising, compliance, quality improvement, training/employee development, recruitment/retention, and consistently throughout her career maintained direct involvement with clients through the provision of service delivery.  From 2011-2022, Colleen was the lead trainer and certification point person for the Sanctuary Model within a large human services agency with diverse population needs.  Colleen has enjoyed mentoring Master’s level social work students utilizing Sanctuary principles through field instruction/supervision as well as in the classroom at Marywood University.

Cynthia Kaufman Rose is an artist with an BFA in Painting from the University of Akron, an MFA in sculpture from Kent State University, and studied at Parson’s School of Design. She exhibits her work in New York galleries, and her work is in corporate, public, and private collections internationally. She has co-authored and illustrated two books that focus on children’s mental health Her experiences in adult psychiatric services motivated her to use her talent to advocate for early intervention, mindfulness, and insight for children.

Kyle Rose, Sanctuary Institute Faculty (Principal). Kyle began as a Peer Reviewer with the Sanctuary Institute before becoming a Per Diem faculty member. He graduated from Albion College with a bachelor’s degree in Psychology. Following this, he worked in a refugee camp in Austria supporting individuals and families seeking asylum. Returning to the states, he began his career in special education and earned a Masters degree from Kent State University; he has worked for over thirty years in many roles in several different schools. He currently works as a Principal in Cleveland, Ohio, and as an adjunct faculty member at Cleveland State University.

Lorie Troiani, Behavior Specialist Vanderheyden. Lorie began her Behavior Specialist career working for a rehabilitation hospital specializing in traumatic brain injury. Concurrently she was a Hospital Corpsman in the Navy Reserve. One of her duties was working at the VA hospital on the psychiatry unit with veterans who experienced trauma resulting from combat. The next section of her career focused on consulting for school districts assessing behavior and mental health issues through conducting functional behavioral assessments and developing behavior plans. Lorie started working for Vanderheyden a year ago as a Behavior Specialist, serving individuals who have intellectual disability and a variety of mental health diagnoses living in supervised OPWDD residential programs. Lorie participated in a course to facilitate Dialectical Behavior Therapy (Marsha Linehan) with both individuals and groups. Lorie earned both an MS in Educational Psychology and a BS in Communication Disorders at The College of Saint Rose in Albany, NY.

Ashley M. Tunstall, MPA, MA, LPC, Ph.D. Candidate, has served as the Director of Behavioral Health & Medical Services for the Division of Youth Services (DYS), Colorado Department of Human Services, since 2009 and has worked on behalf of youth and families for nearly 30 years. She has taught in the School of Public Affairs, University of Colorado Denver, in the criminology/criminal justice program since 2014 where she specializes in trauma. Her current practice and research interests include violence prevention, the intersection of trauma and aggression, and trauma-responsive environments in school and juvenile justice settings. She has recently co-led the development of the integrated treatment model in the Division of Youth Services. Recently published work has appeared in Social Policy & Administration, Journal of Interpersonal Violence, Youth Violence & Juvenile Justice, and the Journal of Applied Juvenile Justice Services

Sherri Turner joined the Sanctuary Institute at ANDRUS in 2009 as a Faculty member and has over 25 years of experience in the human service field. She manages several large projects at SI, and provides training, consultation, and service delivery for network and implementing agencies. Sherri specializes in the areas of juvenile justice, residential, and complex settings for implementation. She also serves as the coordinator for Sanctuary Certifications and the Post Certification Program for the Sanctuary Institute.