Crimson Barocca, LCSW-C, is the Manager of Forensic Interview Research & Education at Center for Hope- Forensic Services (formerly Baltimore Child Abuse Center). She has been at Center for Hope for the last 11 years; however, she began her career 17 years ago at child protective services in Baltimore as a forensic interviewer, investigator, and supervisor. Crimson has conducted over 2200 forensic interviews and has provided training locally and nationally to interviewers, child protective services staff, law enforcement, legal, medical and mental health professionals. Crimson provides training on basic and advanced forensic interviewing topics, working with multi-disciplinary teams, and dynamics of abuse in children. She and the interview team developed the nationally recognized interview structure, Forensic Interview Toolbox (FIT). Crimson manages interview training and ongoing curriculum development. Crimson was at the forefront of developing tele-forensic interview practice nationally and continues to consult and present nationally with researchers on this topic. She currently provides clinical supervision to Center for Hope’s forensic interview team, provides statewide peer review and is routinely an expert consultant and witness on forensic interviewing and sexual abuse dynamics. Crimson received her master’s degree in Social Work from the University of Maryland and is a licensed clinical social worker.

Teresa Huizar was appointed the Executive Director of National Children’s Alliance, February 26^th, 2008.  National Children’s Alliance, headquartered in Washington, DC, is the national association and accrediting body for nearly 900 Children’s Advocacy Centers in the US.  These centers provide comprehensive services to child victims of abuse including:  forensic interviews, victim advocacy, medical evaluations, and mental health treatment. Children’s Advocacy Centers coordinate the multidisciplinary team as it carries out its investigative, prosecutorial, and treatment functions.  In 2018, Children’s Advocacy Centers served over 367,000 child victims of abuse, and provided child abuse prevention education to more than 2 million individuals.

Prior to her tenure with NCA, Ms. Huizar served as the Executive Director of the Western Regional Children’s Advocacy Center, a technical assistance and training center for­­­ two hundred Children’s Advocacy Centers and multidisciplinary teams in twelve Western states.  And, has served as the Executive Director of two local Children’s Advocacy Centers.

Ms. Huizar has a special interest in public policy in the child welfare arena, especially, in reducing child abuse fatalities and in the provision of trauma-focused, evidence-supported mental health treatment to child victims of abuse.  She has testified before Congress on child abuse issues.  And, she has conducted and participated in numerous child abuse-related Congressional briefings.  Ms. Huizar has been interviewed by CNN, WSJ, USA Today, New York Times, Washington Post, Fox News, NPR, and numerous other media outlets, on child welfare policy matters.

Ms. Huizar has served on numerous related Boards and Committees over the years.  She is currently a member of the Advisory Board of the National Child Traumatic Stress Network and the Steering Committee of the National Coalition to End Child Abuse Deaths.