Ruthlyn Webster, Ed.D., LCSW, ACSW As Kristi House’s former Programs Director, Dr. Webster oversaw Therapy and Project GOLD departments at Kristi House, which encompasses 28 staff members. She has shepherded Kristi House’s program growth during her 16 years at the agency, reaching more and more clients each year. She served as Director for Kristi House’s ongoing federal SAMHSA grant, which is spreading evidence-based interventions for child trauma throughout South Florida. In its first four years, the Miami C-START program a community based learning collaborative; treated 1,200 children and trained 172 therapists and caseworkers in evidence-based interventions for child sexual-related trauma. The SAMHSA project is now exploring evidence-based interventions that hold promise for child sex trafficking survivors, and is working closely with clients in Project GOLD, our CSEC program. Dr. Webster holds a Doctor of Education degree in Organizational Learning and Leadership; she is also a licensed clinical social worker, with more than 35 years’ experience as a field instructor, managing state and federally funded programs for abused children in culturally diverse settings, primarily in Harlem, NY and Miami. She has been trained and provides trainings in multiple Evidence Based Treatment Interventions. These includes: Trauma Focus Cognitive Behavior Therapy (TF-CBT); Problematic Sexual Behavior-Cognitive Behavior Therapy (PSB-CBT); Risk Reduction Family Therapy (RRFT); Modified TF-CBT for CSEC; and Infant Mental Health. Dr Webster also served on various NCTSN collaborative groups such as Child Abuse, CSEC, PSB and Sexual Health committees. She has been an adjunct faculty at Marymount College and Florida International University. Most recently November 2017-present Dr. Webster received training in the Core Curriculum in Childhood Trauma Facilitator’s College, and is now conducting training workshops on the Core Curriculum as part of The National Child Traumatic Stress Network (NCTSN) initiative. December 2018 Collaborative Paper submitted: Journal of Administration and Policy in Mental Health and Mental Health Services Research on: Preaching to the choir? Predictors of engagement in a community-based learning collaborative.

Master's Level, License eligible to provide counseling services. 15+ years of providing care coordination, case management, and individual/group counseling to children and youth with emotional disabilities through outpatient and residential treatment.

The Detroit Trauma-Informed Project (D-TIP) at the Southwest Michigan Children's Trauma Assessment Center will support further development of a collaborative continuum of trauma-informed services in Detroit. Working with traumatized urban youth and their families within the child welfare and juvenile justice systems, the project will increase child and familial resiliency, and will identify and address trauma from a multisystem perspective. Services will include trauma screening, comprehensive trauma assessment, parent trauma training, resiliency strategies for children and families, and workforce development. D-TIP will expand on existing treatment modalities and introduce Strengthening Families Coping Resources (SFCR). Cohorts in at least two agencies will also be trained in After Deployment: Adaptive Parenting Tools (ADAPT), a Parent Management Training (PMT) for military families.

Cheryl Williams-Hecksel (she/her) is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker in Michigan. She has been on the faculty of the School of Social Work at Michigan State University since 2006. Prior to joining the faculty at MSU, she has spent more than 25 years in clinical and administrative roles in public and private child welfare and mental health agencies. She is the team leader for MSU’s work with the National Child Welfare Workforce Institute where she serves as coordinator of the University Partnerships team. She developed the School's Evidence Based Trauma Treatment Certificate for MSW students. This certificate experience includes course work that uses the NCTSN Core Curriculum in Child Trauma (CCCT), training and clinical consultation in an evidence based trauma treatment (TF-CBT or CPT) and a concurrent advanced clinical field placement. Cheryl was originally certified in the CCCT in 2010, she attended a CCCT re-certification in 2020 and was certified as an Advanced Facilitator of the curriculum in 2023. In the fall of 2023 with colleagues, Connie Black-Pond and Karen VanDeuson and with support from CCCT faculty Leslie Ross, Laura Katz and Allison Hrovat launched a Michigan CCCT College for 10 colleagues committed to teaching and training about trauma and trauma informed work.