Michele Mullen, MSW, LCSW, is Senior Manager, Workforce Project at the National Children’s Alliance (NCA), where she oversees initiatives to support and innovate within the children’s advocacy center (CAC) workforce. With over 28 years in the child abuse field, Michele is a dedicated advocate for the CAC movement.  In her current role, Michele leads NCA’s Leadership and Workforce Development Project, facilitates the Working Groups, and advances key priorities outlined in the NCA Strategic Plan.  Her work focuses on leadership development and expanding career pathways for mental health clinicians and medical professionals working with CACs.  Michele also serves on the NCA CSEC Collaborative Workgroup, working to enhance best practice standards for youth who have experienced exploitation. 

Before joining NCA in March 2024, Michele served as a Training Specialist for the Northeast Regional Children’s Advocacy Center (NRCAC).  In that role, she developed and delivered training on topics such as victim advocacy, secondary traumatic stress, multidisciplinary team development, strategic planning, and the commercial sexual exploitation of children, aiming to strengthen multidisciplinary teams and support CAC development. 

Prior to her work with NRCAC, Michele spent 17 years with the Norfolk County District Attorney’s Office/Norfolk Advocates for Children in Massachusetts. Michele began as a Victim Advocate on child abuse cases and later became the founding CAC Director, where she played a central role in establishing a fully accredited CAC. Earlier in her career, Michele worked with survivors of domestic violence.

Michele holds a Master of Social Work (MSW) degree from the University of Pennsylvania and is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW).  She can be contacted at MMullen@nca-online.org.

Christina Rouse, MSW, is a seasoned child advocacy professional with more than 18 years of experience in forensic interviewing, multidisciplinary team coordination, and trauma-informed practice. She has previously served in leadership and training roles supporting Child Advocacy Centers and statewide child protection initiatives. Her expertise includes MDT leadership, onboarding and retention strategies, secondary traumatic stress mitigation, forensic interviewer development, and Chapter-level capacity building. Christina is known for strengthening team systems, elevating best practices, and improving outcomes for children and families impacted by abuse. 

Michele Mullen, MSW, LCSW, is Senior Manager, Workforce Project at the National Children’s Alliance (NCA), where she oversees initiatives to support and innovate within the children’s advocacy center (CAC) workforce. With over 28 years in the child abuse field, Michele is a dedicated advocate for the CAC movement.  In her current role, Michele leads NCA’s Leadership and Workforce Development Project, facilitates the Working Groups, and advances key priorities outlined in the NCA Strategic Plan.  Her work focuses on leadership development and expanding career pathways for mental health clinicians and medical professionals working with CACs.  Michele also serves on the NCA CSEC Collaborative Workgroup, working to enhance best practice standards for youth who have experienced exploitation. 

Before joining NCA in March 2024, Michele served as a Training Specialist for the Northeast Regional Children’s Advocacy Center (NRCAC).  In that role, she developed and delivered training on topics such as victim advocacy, secondary traumatic stress, multidisciplinary team development, strategic planning, and the commercial sexual exploitation of children, aiming to strengthen multidisciplinary teams and support CAC development. 

Prior to her work with NRCAC, Michele spent 17 years with the Norfolk County District Attorney’s Office/Norfolk Advocates for Children in Massachusetts. Michele began as a Victim Advocate on child abuse cases and later became the founding CAC Director, where she played a central role in establishing a fully accredited CAC. Earlier in her career, Michele worked with survivors of domestic violence.

Michele holds a Master of Social Work (MSW) degree from the University of Pennsylvania and is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW).  She can be contacted at MMullen@nca-online.org.

Salli Kerr is the founder of Trauma-Informed Learning Solutions LLC, where she provides consultation and training to children’s advocacy center multidisciplinary team (MDT) members and staff. With nearly a decade of experience training frontline professionals, Salli brings a practical, grounded approach to strengthening how MDT members navigate the demands of trauma-exposed work.

Her work focuses on equipping organizations and MDTs with tools that strengthen skill development, shared language, and compassionate response—while acknowledging the real impact of secondary traumatic stress on professionals. Salli is known for creating learning spaces that are accessible, reflective, and immediately applicable to day-to-day practice.

Michele Mullen, MSW, LCSW, is Senior Manager, Workforce Project at the National Children’s Alliance (NCA), where she oversees initiatives to support and innovate within the children’s advocacy center (CAC) workforce. With over 28 years in the child abuse field, Michele is a dedicated advocate for the CAC movement.  In her current role, Michele leads NCA’s Leadership and Workforce Development Project, facilitates the Working Groups, and advances key priorities outlined in the NCA Strategic Plan.  Her work focuses on leadership development and expanding career pathways for mental health clinicians and medical professionals working with CACs.  Michele also serves on the NCA CSEC Collaborative Workgroup, working to enhance best practice standards for youth who have experienced exploitation. 

Before joining NCA in March 2024, Michele served as a Training Specialist for the Northeast Regional Children’s Advocacy Center (NRCAC).  In that role, she developed and delivered training on topics such as victim advocacy, secondary traumatic stress, multidisciplinary team development, strategic planning, and the commercial sexual exploitation of children, aiming to strengthen multidisciplinary teams and support CAC development. 

Prior to her work with NRCAC, Michele spent 17 years with the Norfolk County District Attorney’s Office/Norfolk Advocates for Children in Massachusetts. Michele began as a Victim Advocate on child abuse cases and later became the founding CAC Director, where she played a central role in establishing a fully accredited CAC. Earlier in her career, Michele worked with survivors of domestic violence.

Michele holds a Master of Social Work (MSW) degree from the University of Pennsylvania and is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW).  She can be contacted at MMullen@nca-online.org.

Salli Kerr is the founder of Trauma-Informed Learning Solutions LLC, where she provides consultation and training to children’s advocacy center multidisciplinary team (MDT) members and staff. With nearly a decade of experience training frontline professionals, Salli brings a practical, grounded approach to strengthening how MDT members navigate the demands of trauma-exposed work.

Her work focuses on equipping organizations and MDTs with tools that strengthen skill development, shared language, and compassionate response—while acknowledging the real impact of secondary traumatic stress on professionals. Salli is known for creating learning spaces that are accessible, reflective, and immediately applicable to day-to-day practice.

Michele Mullen, MSW, LCSW, is Senior Manager, Workforce Project at the National Children’s Alliance (NCA), where she oversees initiatives to support and innovate within the children’s advocacy center (CAC) workforce. With over 28 years in the child abuse field, Michele is a dedicated advocate for the CAC movement.  In her current role, Michele leads NCA’s Leadership and Workforce Development Project, facilitates the Working Groups, and advances key priorities outlined in the NCA Strategic Plan.  Her work focuses on leadership development and expanding career pathways for mental health clinicians and medical professionals working with CACs.  Michele also serves on the NCA CSEC Collaborative Workgroup, working to enhance best practice standards for youth who have experienced exploitation. 

Before joining NCA in March 2024, Michele served as a Training Specialist for the Northeast Regional Children’s Advocacy Center (NRCAC).  In that role, she developed and delivered training on topics such as victim advocacy, secondary traumatic stress, multidisciplinary team development, strategic planning, and the commercial sexual exploitation of children, aiming to strengthen multidisciplinary teams and support CAC development. 

Prior to her work with NRCAC, Michele spent 17 years with the Norfolk County District Attorney’s Office/Norfolk Advocates for Children in Massachusetts. Michele began as a Victim Advocate on child abuse cases and later became the founding CAC Director, where she played a central role in establishing a fully accredited CAC. Earlier in her career, Michele worked with survivors of domestic violence.

Michele holds a Master of Social Work (MSW) degree from the University of Pennsylvania and is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW).  She can be contacted at MMullen@nca-online.org.

Christina Rouse, MSW, is a seasoned child advocacy professional with more than 18 years of experience in forensic interviewing, multidisciplinary team coordination, and trauma-informed practice. She has previously served in leadership and training roles supporting Child Advocacy Centers and statewide child protection initiatives. Her expertise includes MDT leadership, onboarding and retention strategies, secondary traumatic stress mitigation, forensic interviewer development, and Chapter-level capacity building. Christina is known for strengthening team systems, elevating best practices, and improving outcomes for children and families impacted by abuse. 

Michele Mullen, MSW, LCSW, is Senior Manager, Workforce Project at the National Children’s Alliance (NCA), where she oversees initiatives to support and innovate within the children’s advocacy center (CAC) workforce. With over 28 years in the child abuse field, Michele is a dedicated advocate for the CAC movement.  In her current role, Michele leads NCA’s Leadership and Workforce Development Project, facilitates the Working Groups, and advances key priorities outlined in the NCA Strategic Plan.  Her work focuses on leadership development and expanding career pathways for mental health clinicians and medical professionals working with CACs.  Michele also serves on the NCA CSEC Collaborative Workgroup, working to enhance best practice standards for youth who have experienced exploitation. 

Before joining NCA in March 2024, Michele served as a Training Specialist for the Northeast Regional Children’s Advocacy Center (NRCAC).  In that role, she developed and delivered training on topics such as victim advocacy, secondary traumatic stress, multidisciplinary team development, strategic planning, and the commercial sexual exploitation of children, aiming to strengthen multidisciplinary teams and support CAC development. 

Prior to her work with NRCAC, Michele spent 17 years with the Norfolk County District Attorney’s Office/Norfolk Advocates for Children in Massachusetts. Michele began as a Victim Advocate on child abuse cases and later became the founding CAC Director, where she played a central role in establishing a fully accredited CAC. Earlier in her career, Michele worked with survivors of domestic violence.

Michele holds a Master of Social Work (MSW) degree from the University of Pennsylvania and is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW).  She can be contacted at MMullen@nca-online.org.

Christina Rouse, MSW, is a seasoned child advocacy professional with more than 18 years of experience in forensic interviewing, multidisciplinary team coordination, and trauma-informed practice. She has previously served in leadership and training roles supporting Child Advocacy Centers and statewide child protection initiatives. Her expertise includes MDT leadership, onboarding and retention strategies, secondary traumatic stress mitigation, forensic interviewer development, and Chapter-level capacity building. Christina is known for strengthening team systems, elevating best practices, and improving outcomes for children and families impacted by abuse. 

Michele Mullen, MSW, LCSW, is Senior Manager, Workforce Project at the National Children’s Alliance (NCA), where she oversees initiatives to support and innovate within the children’s advocacy center (CAC) workforce. With over 28 years in the child abuse field, Michele is a dedicated advocate for the CAC movement.  In her current role, Michele leads NCA’s Leadership and Workforce Development Project, facilitates the Working Groups, and advances key priorities outlined in the NCA Strategic Plan.  Her work focuses on leadership development and expanding career pathways for mental health clinicians and medical professionals working with CACs.  Michele also serves on the NCA CSEC Collaborative Workgroup, working to enhance best practice standards for youth who have experienced exploitation. 

Before joining NCA in March 2024, Michele served as a Training Specialist for the Northeast Regional Children’s Advocacy Center (NRCAC).  In that role, she developed and delivered training on topics such as victim advocacy, secondary traumatic stress, multidisciplinary team development, strategic planning, and the commercial sexual exploitation of children, aiming to strengthen multidisciplinary teams and support CAC development. 

Prior to her work with NRCAC, Michele spent 17 years with the Norfolk County District Attorney’s Office/Norfolk Advocates for Children in Massachusetts. Michele began as a Victim Advocate on child abuse cases and later became the founding CAC Director, where she played a central role in establishing a fully accredited CAC. Earlier in her career, Michele worked with survivors of domestic violence.

Michele holds a Master of Social Work (MSW) degree from the University of Pennsylvania and is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW).  She can be contacted at MMullen@nca-online.org.

Jami Bolton is the Training Specialist for the National Children's Alliance's Institute for Better Mental Health Outcomes, where she plays a key role in coordinating training programs designed to enhance mental health support for children and families. In this capacity, Jami collaborates closely with clinicians, Child Advocacy Centers, and Chapters to ensure that essential mental health resources are accessible and effective. Additionally, she co-trains AIMWell: Advocates Impacting Mental Well-Being, a specialized training initiative designed to equip victim advocates with the skills and knowledge needed to effectively engage children and families in mental health services. Jami has dedicated her entire professional career to this field, beginning as a Victim Advocate at her local Child Advocacy Center, followed by her role as the Director of Training and Education for the New York State Chapter. Her extensive experience reflects her commitment to improving mental health outcomes for children and families in need.

Carrie Epstein, LCSW-R is Co-Director of the Yale Center for Traumatic Stress and Recovery and Assistant Professor at the Yale Child Study Center at the Yale University School of Medicine. For over 30 years, Ms. Epstein has been providing treatment, supervision, and consultation on providing mental health treatment and on developing new programs for children and families impacted by trauma and traumatic grief. She is recognized both nationally and internationally as an expert in the field of child trauma, child traumatic grief and disaster response. Ms. Epstein is co-developer of the Child and Family Traumatic Stress Intervention (CFTSI), which is currently the only evidence-based early, brief trauma-focused intervention for children and families that is designed specifically to be implemented in the acute phase of trauma response that reduces and interrupts the development of PTSD and related disorders. She has responded to multiple school shootings and other mass casualty disasters across the country. She served as a key coordinator of New York City’s mental health response to the attacks on 9/11 and was a principal investigator of a collaborative, multi-site study that was the largest youth trauma project associated with the September 11th terrorist attack in New York City which was established to deliver evidence-based trauma treatments for impacted children and adolescents. Ms. Epstein played a lead role in coordinating Yale’s response to the Sandy Hook Elementary School tragedy in Newtown, Connecticut, providing ongoing training and consultation to mental health professionals in the greater Newtown area. In addition, Ms. Epstein provided training and ongoing consultation to mental health providers after the school shooting in Uvalde, Texas. Ms. Epstein and her colleagues also developed nationally disseminated materials that aimed to increase public awareness about both the behavioral health impact of the COVID-19 pandemic as well as ways of coping with the pandemic. Ms. Epstein is also a National Trainer of Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT).

Ms. Epstein has been instrumental in developing and overseeing national training initiatives and national learning collaboratives focused on the dissemination of child trauma-focused evidence-based treatment models, and provides training and clinical supervision, locally, nationally, and internationally on child trauma-focused evidence-based practices. She has co-authored numerous publications in support of her trauma-focused activities. Ms. Epstein was the one of the original and organizing Principal Investigators of the National Child Traumatic Stress Network (NCTSN) and has continued to Co-Chair the NCTSN’s Child Traumatic Grief-Traumatic Separation Committee since its inception in 2001. She has served on the Steering Committee of the NCTSN, as well as act as a regular contributor to the NCTSN’s Terrorism and Disaster Response Committee.

Prior to her position at the Yale Child Study Center, Ms. Epstein was Senior Director of Child Trauma Programs at Safe Horizon in New York City, the largest victim assistance, victim advocacy organization in the country, where she oversaw clinical services for children and families impacted by trauma in the organization’s outpatient programs, domestic violence shelters, and Child Advocacy Centers. During her tenure at Safe Horizon, Ms. Epstein has served on the Scientific Advisory Board to the Evidence-based Treatment Dissemination Center of the New York State Office of Mental Health, as well as the HHS Region II Strategy Group on Mental Health and Trauma.

Michelle Miller, PhD, LCSW, LCPC, is the Director of NCA’s Institute for Better Mental Health Outcomes.  In addition to her 8 years at NCA, she nearly 3 decades of experience working in the child welfare field and over 20 years’ experience as a mental health provider. Dr. Miller spent 15 years as the founding director of NCA’s first accredited CAC in Montana and was the founding board chair for the Montana State Chapter of NCA. Michelle has over 20 years’ experience providing training and supervision to mental health practitioners. Since joining the NCA team in 2016, Michelle has worked with the Yale Child Study Center on the implementation of Child and Family Traumatic Stress Intervention in CACs. Michelle also works with Baylor University on training clinicians in evidenced-based assessment.  Michelle worked with the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center as a co-developer of a curriculum for victim advocates on engaging families in mental health care and provides national trainings on the topic. Michelle is the co-developer of a training curriculum for CAC executive directors on mental health. Michelle is the co-author of a chapter on Evidence-Based Mental Health Services for Child Victims of Maltreatment in the book Child Sexual Abuse: Practical Approaches to Prevention and Intervention that will be published by the Child Welfare League of America in April 2023. 

M. Elizabeth “Libby” Ralston, Ph.D. was the founding director of the Dee Norton Child Advocacy Center, an accredited Children’s Advocacy Center located in Charleston, SC until 2012 and now serves as the Director Emeritus.    Dr. Ralston served on the National Children’s Alliance (NCA) Board of Directors, on the NCA mental health standard revision committee, the NCA Mental Health Implementation committee and participated in the partnership between NCA and NCTSN to develop the CAC Director’s Guide to Mental Health services.    Libby currently serves as a training and curriculum development consultant on the NIMH Family Navigator (E3) grant, a partnership between NCA and the University of Oklahoma.  In addition, she is a faculty member of Project BEST, is on the South Carolina Foster Care Health Advisory Committee and is the Chair of the South Carolina Children’s Justice Act Task Force. 

lralston0391@gmail.com