HFA LIVE: Together we Thrive

Toree Peters (she/her), from Indianapolis, is a certified Trainer with Great Kids, Inc., a non-profit dedicated to developing early childhood and home-based programs for families with young children. After earning her Bachelor of Science in Family Studies from Ball State University, she began working with preschoolers and their families to improve behavioral health. After a couple of years on the intervention side, Toree made the switch to prevention by taking a role with Healthy Families Indiana. Throughout her time there, she fulfilled the roles of home visitor, resources specialist, and supervisor, as well as a partner with the Wee One’s Nursery at Indiana Women’s Prison, where she facilitated home visits with mothers who were raising their infants and toddlers while incarcerated. These experiences gained over the past decade have helped Toree develop a passion for ensuring all home-visiting professionals have practical tools to partner with families and support their communities. She starts every day with cold-brewed coffee and is always thrilled to recommend a new podcast or two when not sharing anecdotes about her three best friends – who happen to be her cats.

We’ll kick off the week with Ebony Glover-Epps, who will share her personal journey as a parent who has overcome challenging times, alongside others who have faced similar experiences. In our conversation, we’ll explore the power of sharing our stories to lighten the load, both professionally and personally. We’ll take time to reflect on our journeys, appreciate the challenges we’ve navigated, and understand the motivations that drive our work.

Anni Reinking, Ed.D. is the Vice President of Prevention Services at Children's Home Association of Illinois and the CEO of Reinking Education Consulting, LLC. She has been in the field of early childhood education for 20 years. She is a best-selling author, advocate for equitable environments for all, and researcher.

Laycee Thigpen, MS.Ed.is a lead consultant at Reinking Education Consulting, LLC. She has been in education for 10 years and began her career as a head stat teacher. She has worked with schools, organizations, churches, and communities to create equitable environments.

Cristina Nealon is a certified Trainer and Program Specialist with Great Kids, Inc. She started in the field of home visiting in 1987. Since 1999, Cristina has provided a wide range of trainings and technical assistance to home visitors and program managers through The Hawaii Institute for Family Enrichment, Healthy Families America, and Great Kids, Inc. Cristina is committed to supporting home-visiting professionals in building skills to support families. She graduated from Honolulu University with a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and Substance Abuse Counseling. She is also certified as an Infant Massage Instructor through the International Association of Infant Massage. Cristina grew up in Argentina until the age of 15. She currently resides in Volcano, Hawaii, and is bilingual in English and Spanish.

We’ll kick off the week with Ebony Glover-Epps, who will share her personal journey as a parent who has overcome challenging times, alongside others who have faced similar experiences. In our conversation, we’ll explore the power of sharing our stories to lighten the load, both professionally and personally. We’ll take time to reflect on our journeys, appreciate the challenges we’ve navigated, and understand the motivations that drive our work.

Committee Members

Since 2019, Catherine has been a member of PCA America’s research team. She holds a BS in Criminal Justice & Criminology from Loyola University Chicago and a MA in Public Policy & Administration from Northwestern University. Her career focuses on public policy, programmatic research, and, most importantly, advocating for and serving vulnerable populations. Prior to joining PCA America, she worked at the Cook County Juvenile Court Clinic, a program that provides forensic mental health evaluations for the children and families involved in the Juvenile Justice and Child Protection court proceedings. Research projects she has participated in include economic support and family violence policy analysis, child sexual abuse prevention in schools policy analysis, understanding the impact of family violence during the COVID-19 pandemic, and an evaluation of state-level police use of force data collection policies. Catherine is passionate about working with PCA America’s chapter and Healthy Families America networks and other national partners to translate research to policy and practice, promote primary prevention, and advocate for families and children.

Dr. Klika is the Chief Research Officer at Prevent Child Abuse America (PCA America) and a research faculty at Florida State University College of Social Work. Prior to joining PCA America, Dr. Klika was an Assistant Professor in the School of Social Work at the University of Montana. His research examines the causes and consequences associated with child abuse and neglect in an effort to prevent its occurrence. He is currently the co-principal investigator of two CDC funded projects, a CDC grant (R01CE003178) examining the effects of paid family leave and childcare subsidies on family violence and CDC cooperative agreement (R01CE003408) examining the effects of school-based CSA prevention policies on rates of CSA. In 2011, he was selected for the inaugural cohort of fellows for the Doris Duke Fellowship for the Promotion of Child Well-Being, a national fellowship providing support and mentorship for doctoral students seeking innovations in the prevention of child abuse and neglect. Dr. Klika is the senior editor for the APSAC Handbook on Child Maltreatment (4th Ed.) and an Associate Editor for the Journal of Interpersonal Violence.

Dr. Thibodeau is PCA America’s Research Scientist and Co-Investigator for PCA America’s two federally funded opportunities—CDC grant (R01CE003178) examining the effects of paid family leave and childcare subsidies on family violence and CDC cooperative agreement (R01CE003408) examining the effects of school-based child sexual abuse (CSA) prevention policies on rates of CSA. He supports the policy evaluation analyses, manuscript writing, and research dissemination for these funded opportunities. In addition to this funded work, he provides overall project leadership and management, conducts research across programs and projects, produces scholarly materials, and participates in research planning for the organization. He has advanced analytical training, including difference-in-difference analysis, longitudinal data analysis, latent growth models, structural equation modeling, and finite mixture models including latent class analysis and growth mixture models. With specific training in developmental psychology, developmental psychopathology, prevention science, risk and resilience, he has authored numerous papers focused on understanding typical and atypical development in children with histories of adversity. Dr. Thibodeau has awards and honors from the Jacobs Foundation, a NIMH T32 traineeship, the NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program, and the European Association of Developmental Psychology.

L. Elizabeth Gotay is a dedicated Technical Assistance Quality Assurance and Training Specialist on the Healthy Families Virginia Central Administration team, with fourteen years of experience with Healthy Families America. She has more than twenty-four years of experience working with children and families in the home visiting field, with ten years as a Teacher, Family Engagement Specialist, and Program Supervisor for the first bilingual Head Start Program in the state of Washington. Over her years with HFA, Elizabeth Gotay has worked in each position (Family Support Specialist, Family Resource Specialist, Program Supervisor, and Program Director). In addition, Elizabeth is a native Spanish speaker and brings twenty-four years of lived experience as an immigrant to the United States. Elizabeth is very passionate about her work because home visiting works! Elizabeth tiene mucha pasión por su trabajo porque las visitas al hogar funcionan!

Christi Pritchard discovered Healthy Families in Oregon in 1999, shortly after having her first child. She was originally hired part-time to focus on data sharing and database development across five partners. In 2005 she became a program manager, just in time for Oregon’s first round of Healthy Families America (HFA) accreditation. Christi became committed to the HFA accreditation process after seeing firsthand the difference it makes to truly embrace model fidelity—when comparing families served prior to accreditation with those served after Oregon’s state system reached accreditation, many family outcomes dramatically increased and child maltreatment rates were cut in half. In an effort to strengthen her own site, in 2007 Christi trained as a peer reviewer and learned about how other sites implemented the HFA model. Shortly afterward she began contracting with the central administration of Oregon’s multi-site system to conduct quality assurance site visits across the state. She was hired by central administration in 2008 as a program specialist and then as a statewide coordinator in 2010. She began working for the national office in 2013, when she joined HFA’s team as an implementation specialist. Christi was raised in rural northeast Oregon and now lives south of Portland with her husband, Chris. They have four grown children.

Shayna Cooper joined the national office team in 2022 as a Training and Technical Assistance Specialist. In this role, she supports multi-site systems and individual sites. Shayna is an HFA-certified trainer for the Family Resilience and Opportunities for Growth Scale (FROG) and for Supervisor Core Training. She has been involved with Healthy Families since 2003, starting as a home visitor and then supervisor at a local site in northern Indiana. Before joining the national office, Shayna worked at the state level for 8 years supporting sites within Indiana’s multi-site system in the areas of quality assurance, technical assistance, and training. She is a peer reviewer and has served on the HFA Training Advisory Committee. Shayna and her husband currently live in Indiana, but they have also enjoyed living in five other states over the years. She enjoys traveling, cooking, volunteering in her community, and spending time with family.

I hold a bachelor's degree in Sociology and have furthered my education in public and global health to deepen my understanding of how social determinants affect communities with limited resources. Additionally, I am certified as an integrated nutrition health coach through the Institute of Integrative Nutrition and as a mind-body skills facilitator through the Center for Mind-Body Medicine. These qualifications allow me to provide trauma-informed, holistic services that equip individuals and groups with tools to build resilience and improve their well-being. Driven by a passion for holistic health, I focus on techniques that regulate the nervous system, fostering resilience and balance. I believe true wellness stems from the integration of mind, body, and spirit, and I am committed to creating supportive environments where individuals feel connected to themselves and others. Healthy Families America (HFA) holds a special place in my heart. In 2018, I had the privilege of working as a family support specialist in North Charleston, SC. My experience as a home visitor ignited my passion for exploring ways to further support individuals who have experienced trauma. It was incredibly heartwarming to witness the strong bonds that naturally formed between HFA’s families and their home visitors, reminding me that none of us has to face challenges alone. This experience deepened my commitment to trauma-informed care and community building.

My name is Kelly Foster and I am a Training and Technical Assistance Specialist for Healthy Families America. I live in southern Arizona. Prior to my work with Healthy Families, I had spent several years prior to that working in human services in a variety of capacities. At one point I was an intern for then-Arizona Attorney General Janet Napolotano as a Victim Advocate. I dipped my toes in the mental health field, and finally landed in children and family services. I worked in intervention, primarily with families who were already deeply involved with the Department of Child Safety. Once I started working in Healthy Families and saw the benefits of “working upstream” in prevention, there was no going back. Prevention and strength-based, relationship-focused work is where it’s at…and it works! I have held just about every position you can imagine as a Healthy Families staff member since I started in 2010! I started as a Family Resource Specialist, and over time became a Family Support Specialist, a Program Supervisor and most recently, a Program Manager. I love to travel! One of my favorite trips was to England and Wales a few years ago: I loved the scenery, and the people were so friendly, they inspired me to be more thoughtful and kind to complete strangers on the street. As a peer reviewer, I get to travel to sites all over the country and meet amazing people just like you. I love animals and I share my home with 3 dogs, 2 cats, 2 rabbits, and 9 chickens. In my free time, I love to hike, kayak and camp with my husband and son.

Kerrie Green worked as part of the Healthy Families Arizona Multisite system for 13 years prior to joining HFA in 2021. They began as a home visitor in Tucson, Arizona and worked most recently as Program Director of the Pima County Healthy Families program. Additionally, Kerrie worked as a state and national trainer, certified in HFA Foundations for Family Support and Great Beginnings Start Before Birth. Kerrie served as a member of the HFA National Advisory Council as well as a Peer Coordinator for the HFA accreditation process. Kerrie holds a master’s degree in Social Work and an Infant Mental Health Endorsement through the Infant Toddler Mental Health Coalition of Arizona. Areas of interest for Kerrie include the continuous improvement process and reflective work’s impacts on child development, supervision, and organizational change. Kerrie lives in Tucson, AZ with their husband and middle schooler, along with their dog and an assortment of foster kittens.

On Wednesday, Anthony Barrows will discuss how our personal stories and experiences can drive systems change, especially for those of us who have lived experience within the same systems our families navigate, such as child welfare and home visiting. He’ll share his own journey, introduce the concept of ‘Intersectional Professionals’—individuals who use their lived experience in their work—and offer strategies for effectively integrating their dual expertise into program design and delivery.

Ashley Purdue is the Prevention Supervisor for Indiana Department of Child Services-Prevention Services division. She has been with DCS in various roles for 12.5 years and supporting Healthy Families at the State level for the last 2.5yrs

Klarinda Tutterow has been with Healthy Families for 12 years. She is currently a Program Manager and Co-Chair of the training committee and a member of the leadership and QA/TA committees!

Jennifer Bush has worked in different positions of Healthy Families for over 25 years in Orange, Lawrence, Brown and Monroe.

Sandra Gabbard has been with HFI for 25 years. She is a peer reviewer, a state of Indiana Foundations trainer, Co-chair of the HFI QA/TA committee, a member of HFI Leadership and a supervisor for Decatur County.

Tanya Machek is the Director of Healthy Families in Elkhart County. It is her passion to help others to provide children with a safe, stable, and loving environment where they can thrive to reach their best potential.

I have been with Healthy Families for the last 21 years: started as an FSS, moved up to Supervisor, then Program Manager. I have served as a Co-Chair of our Leadership Committee for the past 4 years.

Jennifer Webb has been a part of the HFI network for 16 years, taking on various roles such as Family Support Work, Supervisor, site QA lead, peer reviewer, and Database co-chair.

Casey Holt has 29 years of experience with the Healthy Families model at the local, state and national levels. She is co-owner of Straight Path Consulting which currently holds the contracts for HF Indiana’s QA/TA and Training services.

Meggan has a Bachelor of Social Work degree from Ball State University. For the past 18 years, she has worked with the Healthy Families program starting as a home visitor, then moving into assessments before becoming a supervisor, and now Program Manager.

Deanna Dodson has been working for Healthy Families for over 12 years and serves as the Supervisor at Large on the Leadership committee.

Cristina Nealon is a certified Trainer and Program Specialist with Great Kids, Inc. She started in the field of home visiting in 1987. Since 1999, Cristina has provided a wide range of trainings and technical assistance to home visitors and program managers through The Hawaii Institute for Family Enrichment, Healthy Families America, and Great Kids, Inc. Cristina is committed to supporting home-visiting professionals in building skills to support families. She graduated from Honolulu University with a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and Substance Abuse Counseling. She is also certified as an Infant Massage Instructor through the International Association of Infant Massage. Cristina grew up in Argentina until the age of 15. She currently resides in Volcano, Hawaii, and is bilingual in English and Spanish.

Claire Louge is the Executive Director of Prevent Child Abuse Arizona, a statewide nonprofit that partners with organizations to strengthen families.

Nicole Cunningham (she/her), Executive Director, Prevent Child Abuse Oregon. 

A graduate of the University of South Carolina with a bachelor’s degree in women’s and gender studies, Cathy provides operational strategic leadership and key oversight functions for the Children’s Trust-led home visiting initiative, which includes administration of the South Carolina Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting Program (MIECHV).

In her role at Children’s Trust of SC, Stacy provides technical assistance to home visiting programs throughout the state, coordinates workforce development, monitors program implementation, and assists with statewide systems coordination. Prior to joining Children’s Trust, Stacy worked in the maternal and child health field in northern New Jersey. Her previous roles as a family success center coordinator and program supervisor for the Healthy Families model have allowed her to translate her passion for helping others into a profession. She holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Caldwell University (N.J.).

Toree Peters (she/her), from Indianapolis, is a certified Trainer with Great Kids, Inc., a non-profit dedicated to developing early childhood and home-based programs for families with young children. After earning her Bachelor of Science in Family Studies from Ball State University, she began working with preschoolers and their families to improve behavioral health. After a couple of years on the intervention side, Toree made the switch to prevention by taking a role with Healthy Families Indiana. Throughout her time there, she fulfilled the roles of home visitor, resources specialist, and supervisor, as well as a partner with the Wee One’s Nursery at Indiana Women’s Prison, where she facilitated home visits with mothers who were raising their infants and toddlers while incarcerated. These experiences gained over the past decade have helped Toree develop a passion for ensuring all home-visiting professionals have practical tools to partner with families and support their communities. She starts every day with cold-brewed coffee and is always thrilled to recommend a new podcast or two when not sharing anecdotes about her three best friends – who happen to be her cats.

Nickey is the BRHF Program Director at the Blue Ridge Partnership for Children., Nickey has served in a variety of leadership roles including serving as the Executive Director of the Children’s Advocacy Center of the Toe River and working as a CPS case manager. Her long-time work in intervention services brought her to the keen awareness that power lies in prevention and she made the leap to HFA where she has served as the program director since 2012. Nickey is an HFA Peer Reviewer and is endorsed by the North Carolina Infant Mental Health Association as an Infant Family Reflective Supervisor and holds her NC Certificate in Trauma and Resilience. She enjoys traveling with her husband and son and spending time with her cats.

Angela Robinson is a full-time researcher at the University of California, Irvine. Through academic research and work in nonprofit management, Angela has dedicated her career to using research and program evaluation to maximize the impact of community-based work. Her research interests include maternal health, discrimination, and the fight against human trafficking. Her past research included topics ranging from the prevention of domestic violence to understanding the impact that more equitable political representation has on women and BIPOC. Angela completed a BA at the University of Illinois; an MS in Cross-Cultural Psychology at Victoria University of Wellington; and a PhD in Social Psychology at the University of California, Irvine.

Isabel Almeida has a B.A. in Psychology from the University of California, Riverside and a Master’s and Ph.D. in Health Psychology from the University of California, Los Angeles. Dr. Almeida’s program of research explores how biological, psychological, and cultural factors interact to influence women’s reproductive health, with a focus on perinatal processes in Latinas. Specifically, her work is grounded in understanding how cultural factors influence prenatal emotional health, and the biological pathways linking emotional health to birth outcomes. Her research—which uses both quantitative and qualitative methods to address theory-driven research questions—spans various areas of psychology and other disciplines, including the social sciences, public health, anthropology, and medicine.

Jimena Renteria-Gonzalez: Hi, my name is Jimena Renteria-Gonzalez! I am a fourth-year Psychological Science and Spanish double-major here at UCI. While studying here, I have developed an interest in learning more about how much and to what extent cultural differences have been researched in the psychology field. More specifically, I tend to focus more on the research being conducted on and for the Latine community and how it is affecting the group as a whole. This interest of mine has led me to join Dr. Isabel Almeida, Angela Robinson, and my fellow lab partners in hopes of helping the underrepresented communities of BIPOC women living in the US.

Laura began her Healthy Families journey with a local program, first as a Family Resource Specialist and then as a Supervisor. After nearly 10 years, Laura moved to the Healthy Families Virginia state office, where she provided technical assistance, quality assurance, and training to Healthy Families Virginia’s multi-site system. Laura is a certified trainer for HFA Foundations for Family Support and Parent Survey for Community Outreach, as well as an HFA Peer Reviewer and former member of the HFA Training Advisory Committee. Laura’s areas of interest include reflective supervision, infant mental health, continuous quality improvement, and data-driven service delivery. Laura has a Master of Social Work from the University of Southern California and has worked with families and children for more than 18 years. She currently lives in Virginia with her husband, two children, and a very noisy dog, but will always consider the west coast to be “home”.

Kit Patterson worked with Healthy Families programs for 18 years prior to joining the national office in 2019. She began as a home visitor at a Healthy Families site in the Chicago suburbs in 2001 and held a variety of program positions over a ten-year period. Kit subsequently supported home visitors, supervisors, and doulas in the state of Illinois through training and technical assistance. She is a certified trainer in HFA Foundations for Family Support (FFS) and has served as a member of the HFA accreditation panel. Kit is fluent in Spanish and English, and has a particular interest in professional development, reflective practice, and continuous quality improvement processes.

Danielle Gagnier is a program coordinator for the Arizona Department of Child Safety and the Healthy Families Arizona Central Administration team. She has worked in home visitation for 40 years but found her true work home in child abuse prevention when she came to work for Healthy Families Arizona 26 years ago. During her time with the HFAz and HFA network, she has worked as a supervisor, program manager, peer reviewer, FFS core trainer and as part of the central administration team in Arizona. She has had the opportunity to experience the power of the strong connections we form with families and to see that the way we do our work has allowed families to do their best work at the most important job in their lives…being a parent. She lives in Phoenix, Arizona and has three adult children and 6 grandchildren. She enjoy being with family along with gardening and reading

Pauline Haas-Vaughn is the HFAz Statewide Manager for the Arizona Department of Child Safety. She will reach her 30 year anniversary with the program this December. Pauline lives in Marana and also runs an animal rescue so has a large fur family with a special connection and affection for senior and special needs dogs. During her time with the HFAz and HFA network, she has worked in most of the program roles which has provided the opportunity to see the resilience of parents and power of love.

Michele C. Schmidt, MPA, is a Senior Evaluation Associate and Quality Lead at LeCroy & Milligan Associates, Inc. Ms. Schmidt has 25 years of experience in providing evaluation and research services for statewide, regional, and local non-profit and government programs. Her areas of expertise include: home visitation programs, child welfare, early childhood education, family literacy, and foster and kinship care services. Ms. Schmidt has extensive experience in presenting evaluation findings at state and national conferences, both in person and virtually. Ms. Schmidt is the lead evaluator of the Healthy Families Arizona statewide evaluation team. She is also part of the LeCroy & Milligan Associates training team to teach home visitation staff on how to use the Healthy Families Parenting Inventory and the CHEERS Check-In Tool to guide their clinical practice and for evaluation purposes.

Cristina Massey’s career in Early Childhood started with a 12-year role in Early Intervention before transitioning to HFA in 2012. She started as a Family Support Specialist/Family Resource Specialist before her program received a MIECHV expansion which led to her becoming a supervisor and then Program Manager at her site in Rhode Island. Through her various roles, she saw the importance of the parallel process and grew her passion for reflective practice and relationship-based work. Cris is committed to supporting staff and programs who provide trauma-informed care for families. She is also PAT certified and oversaw the PAT and WIC programs at her agency before joining the national office in 2022. She is a peer reviewer and briefly served on the HFA Accreditation Panel. She is also bilingual and speaks fluent Spanish. Cristina was born and raised in Rhode Island where she attended Providence College to study Psychology and currently lives with her husband and two children. Cristina was born and raised in Rhode Island where she attended Providence College to study Psychology and currently lives with her husband and two children.

Sarai Perez embarked on her journey with Healthy Families America in Phoenix, Arizona, starting at the Maricopa County Site — the largest in the HFA network. Her career began in the impactful role of a Family Assessment Worker, where she introduced new parents in the hospital to the program. Her responsibilities included conducting intake visits and engaging in regular community outreach, laying the groundwork for family retention and strong community connections. Sarai's dedication and skill soon led to her promotion to a Supervisor position, a role she excelled in for over eight years. In this capacity, she was not just managing day-to-day operations but also took an active part in training staff at her site and played a pivotal role in the development of the site’s Community Advisory Board. Her commitment to excellence and her deep understanding of the program’s core values were further strengthened when she became a peer reviewer in 2015, followed by her appointment as an Accreditation Panel Member in 2022. After 12 years of substantial contributions and growth at the Phoenix site, Sarai took her rich experience and expertise to a broader stage with Healthy Families America. Her journey reflects a deep commitment to family support and community development, marking her as a valuable asset to the HFA community.

Lynn Tiede is a policy consultant for Healthy Families America (HFA) at Prevent Child Abuse America. She serves on the National Home Visiting Coalition (HVC) Steering Committee and leads the HVC Family First working group that is seeking to improve utilization of Family First for early childhood home visiting. She also supports an HFA Family First Learning Community comprised of HFA state leads where Family First is being implemented. Prior to joining HFA, Lynn was an independent consultant working with nonprofit organizations, government agencies and foundations to strengthen their programs and initiatives, and previously served as Policy Director for the Jim Casey Youth Opportunities Initiative. In her prior roles, Lynn has supported state and local implementation of federal laws such the Family First Prevention Services Act (2018) and the Fostering Connection to Success and Adoption Act (2008).

My journey with HFA began thirteen years ago when I became a mom in the program and later a home visitor with the Healthy Families program. This experience ignited my passion for supporting families and led me to take on supervisory and coordinating roles within the program. HFA has profoundly impacted my life as a parent and professional. I've gained a deeper understanding of myself and developed valuable coping strategies. Additionally, I've found a supportive community of individuals who share similar experiences. My family has been my greatest source of strength throughout this journey. My children, husband, mother-in-law, and mother have provided unwavering love, support, and guidance. Their belief in me has been instrumental in my personal and professional growth. Overall, my journey with HFA has been one of growth, resilience, and gratitude. I'm grateful for the support I've received from my family and the community I've found along the way

Gina Cornwell M.Ed. has served the children of Arizona in various capacities for 20 years. With two Bachelor of Science degrees, a Master's in Education, and a graduate certificate in Applied Behavior Analysis from Arizona State University, using the goal-setting process, Gina has worked both in clinic and home settings to help children and adults become self-sufficient and to learn skills needed to thrive in their communities. Her passion to help others led her to Healthy Families, where she currently serves as a Program Manager. In this role, Gina applies her extensive experience and education to develop and implement programs that support families in fostering healthy, nurturing environments for children. Her dedication to evidence-based practices and individualized support continues to make a positive impact on the lives of countless families across Arizona.

We are the Butters family—Daniel and Morgan, and our three wonderful children, Samson, Arden, and Penny, as well as our bonus daughter Lauren, who is away at college right now. We live in the beautiful mountains of Payson Arizona. Daniel owns an insurance brokerage and we co-run a nonprofit for foster and at-risk children and their families. We were introduced to HFA by Penni Stonebrink, the local family support specialist for the Payson area. I (Morgan) was at the end of a very stressful high-risk pregnancy, which we had tried our best to navigate in a town that we were very new to. Our families strived to help out whenever they could throughout our pregnancy, but as soon as our baby girl was born, they all understandably needed to get back to their own lives, and we found ourselves on our own again. Penni was a wonderful emotional and physical support during our weekly FHA meetings together, making sure to not only help identify when my children may benefit from additional support or resources, but also identifying when I myself needed a little extra support or encouragement. She helped me realize the importance of having a goal and a dream outside of motherhood, and helped me make reasonable progress towards those goals, being a cheerleader and advisor every step of the way. During our time with HFA we also founded a nonprofit for local at-risk and foster children. As foster and adoptive parents, we feel so strongly that it is the duty of the community, of each individual person, to step in and care for the at-risk children in their area. When we moved to Payson, and inquired into getting licensed to foster, we realized very quickly that there were hardly ANY resources for foster families in our area, and that foster homes were closing at an alarming rate due to lack of support. We decided to step in and make the difference. We know firsthand that fostering is NOT easy, and especially for kinship families, it can be massively expensive. We founded Northern Arizona Children's Advocates because we believe that if you have the heart to take in a child in your life, you DESERVE all of the support, encouragement, and help that you can get. These children deserve to feel loved and supported, as do the families that are sacrificing so much to be there for them amidst the storms in their lives.

Marialena is a Native Tucsonan that has been enrolled in the Healthy Families Arizona Program with her youngest child since July of 2022. Mom said she was attracted to the idea of the Healthy Families program because she felt she had been navigating things alone much of her life. She heard that she would get to talk to somebody about her life and also learn and watch your baby develop. Marielana shared that the relationships she has experienced in the program have really meant a lot to her. She highlighted specifically when she was in the program previously with an older child and a previous visitor. Marialena shared that the visitor made the time to say goodbye to her with a last visit instead of leaving without a good bye. She shared that this was different from her experience with any other worker or therapist she had ever had and that meant a lot to her that the visitor wanted to see her and say goodbye. Marialena is a proud mother of three daughters, with a fourth on the way, and credits her boyfriend as her strongest support. Recently, she celebrated turning 26 while also reaching 26 weeks of pregnancy. She has strong family ties to Tucson, enjoys art and music, and loves to sing and style her own hair. Marialena is also the daughter of a Tucson pastor and former worship leader, and is currently working toward her high school diploma.

Laura began her Healthy Families journey with a local program, first as a Family Resource Specialist and then as a Supervisor. After nearly 10 years, Laura moved to the Healthy Families Virginia state office, where she provided technical assistance, quality assurance, and training to Healthy Families Virginia’s multi-site system. Laura is a certified trainer for HFA Foundations for Family Support and Parent Survey for Community Outreach, as well as an HFA Peer Reviewer and former member of the HFA Training Advisory Committee. Laura’s areas of interest include reflective supervision, infant mental health, continuous quality improvement, and data-driven service delivery. Laura has a Master of Social Work from the University of Southern California and has worked with families and children for more than 18 years. She currently lives in Virginia with her husband, two children, and a very noisy dog, but will always consider the west coast to be “home”.

Danita Roberts is a Training and TA Specialist with Healthy Families America. Prior to this she served as the Program Manager/ Supervisor for a Healthy Families Program in Providence, RI and was also an HFA Peer Reviewer and member of the HFA REaCH Committee. Danita graduated from Wheelock College with a degree in Human Development and a concentration in Child Life. Originally she thought that she wanted to work to promote development and attachment within a hospital setting, however, after taking a job in Early Intervention, she realized that seeing people in their homes was an opportunity to understand and support them more holistically. And when she found HFA a little later, realized that a program specifiaclly designed to promote attachment and bonding through the fostering of relationships was what she had been looking for this whole time. Still located in Providence, RI, Danita lives with her teenage daughter and twin boys. She continues to work to support the home visiting workforce in RI by serving as the Board President for RI’s Infant Mental Health Association.

My name is Kelly Foster and I am a Training and Technical Assistance Specialist for Healthy Families America. I live in southern Arizona. Prior to my work with Healthy Families, I had spent several years prior to that working in human services in a variety of capacities. At one point I was an intern for then-Arizona Attorney General Janet Napolotano as a Victim Advocate. I dipped my toes in the mental health field, and finally landed in children and family services. I worked in intervention, primarily with families who were already deeply involved with the Department of Child Safety. Once I started working in Healthy Families and saw the benefits of “working upstream” in prevention, there was no going back. Prevention and strength-based, relationship-focused work is where it’s at…and it works! I have held just about every position you can imagine as a Healthy Families staff member since I started in 2010! I started as a Family Resource Specialist, and over time became a Family Support Specialist, a Program Supervisor and most recently, a Program Manager. I love to travel! One of my favorite trips was to England and Wales a few years ago: I loved the scenery, and the people were so friendly, they inspired me to be more thoughtful and kind to complete strangers on the street. As a peer reviewer, I get to travel to sites all over the country and meet amazing people just like you. I love animals and I share my home with 3 dogs, 2 cats, 2 rabbits, and 9 chickens. In my free time, I love to hike, kayak and camp with my husband and son.

And in our final keynote on Thursday, we’ll hear from Lea S. Denny, CEO and Founder of HIR (Healing Intergenerational Roots) Wellness Institute about communal healing and mending the social fabric of familial and community mental health and wellbeing. Lea’s insights—drawing from Indigenous knowledge systems, culturally rooted practices, and healing-informed approaches—will inspire us to move beyond individualism toward intergenerational healing, relational health, and communal wellbeing.

Shelby is a Project Coordinator for Healthy Families San Diego County and has been with the program for four years. As part of the Central Administration team, she leads coordination and communication efforts for training, quality assurance, technical assistance, and outreach. Shelby is also a certified HFA Peer Reviewer and part of the team conducting annual site visits. In training, she leads training on the program’s secondary curriculum, Mothers & Babies. Shelby holds a Master’s degree in Child Development and an Early Childhood Mental Health certificate. She is endorsed as an Advanced Transdisciplinary Infant-Family and Early Childhood Mental Health Practitioner by the California Center for Infant-Family and Early Childhood Mental Health.

Miriah is the Training & Technical Assistance Senior Manager for Healthy Families San Diego County and has been with the program for nearly a decade. She currently leads the Central Administration training team. This role includes being a certified HFA Foundations for Family Support and Supervisors: Reflections and Relationships trainer. Miriah also supports the team in conducting annual quality assurance site visits and providing technical assistance. She is an HFA Training Advisory Committee member and a Peer Reviewer. Miriah is certified as a Baby TALK trainer and serves on their Board of Directors. She holds a Master’s of Public Health and two Master of Arts in Bilingual Special Education and Latin American Studies.

Allyson is a Senior Project Specialist for Healthy Families San Diego County and has been with the program for six years. As part of Central Administration, she is involved in Training activities, which include being a certified HFA FROG Core and Supervisors Trainer and co-curriculum trainer for Mothers & Babies. She has recently been certified in the Healthy Outcomes from Positive Experiences (HOPE) framework. Allyson also supports the team with Quality Assurance, such as co-leading site visits and providing technical assistance. Allyson is a founding member of AAP-CA3's Compassionate Actions to Realize Equity (CARE) Team to support strengthening diversity, equity, belonging, and inclusion practices. She holds a Master of Arts in Education.

Lenny Rivota joined the National Office as a Training & TA Specialist in 2021. She has over 16 years of early childhood experience with over 10 years of work directly in Healthy Families America programs. She has worked in HFA programs as a Home Visitor, a Lead and a Program Supervisor. Her other early childhood roles include working in a pediatric behavioral health facility, leading an early childhood community collaboration and supervising a Parents as Teachers home visiting program. She earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Dominican University and a master’s degree in child development from Erikson Institute. She is bilingual and speaks fluent English and Spanish. She is passionate about supporting and strengthening families and communities. Lenny lives in the Chicagoland area with her husband. She enjoys cooking, gardening, and cheering for Chicago sports teams.

Sarai Perez embarked on her journey with Healthy Families America in Phoenix, Arizona, starting at the Maricopa County Site — the largest in the HFA network. Her career began in the impactful role of a Family Assessment Worker, where she introduced new parents in the hospital to the program. Her responsibilities included conducting intake visits and engaging in regular community outreach, laying the groundwork for family retention and strong community connections. Sarai's dedication and skill soon led to her promotion to a Supervisor position, a role she excelled in for over eight years. In this capacity, she was not just managing day-to-day operations but also took an active part in training staff at her site and played a pivotal role in the development of the site’s Community Advisory Board. Her commitment to excellence and her deep understanding of the program’s core values were further strengthened when she became a peer reviewer in 2015, followed by her appointment as an Accreditation Panel Member in 2022. After 12 years of substantial contributions and growth at the Phoenix site, Sarai took her rich experience and expertise to a broader stage with Healthy Families America. Her journey reflects a deep commitment to family support and community development, marking her as a valuable asset to the HFA community.

My name is Elizabeth, and I have been with Healthy Families North Dakota for a little over a year, and have worked in various community support roles for many years. I was drawn to HFA because the job posting looked like a cut and paste of my experiences and skills. What I love most about working with HFA is the parallel process; I love working with families and modeling the strength-based approach of support and education, and I love supporting staff in the same way. I love being a supervisor because it allows me to support even more families through each staff, and I get to be part of setting the culture of a great workplace, supporting growth and healing in staff as well as families!

My name is Amanda, and I have been a family support specialist for 2.5 years with Healthy Families North Dakota. With a degree and background in Nursing and as an In-Home Childcare Provider, my passion has always been caring for others. As a wife and mom, who worked hard to break the cycle of generational trauma for my own 11-year-old son, my heart is poured into my work with families. I love HFA's strength-based focus and helping families realize they have all the tools need to be successful in their parenting journey within themselves and their communities!

My name is Savanna, and I have been with Healthy Families North Dakota for 5.5 years, first as an FSS and the last 1.5 years as a supervisor. I live in rural ND with my husband, who farms and ranches, and our 3 young children. I like that the HFA model allows me to walk with parents on their journey in a way that highlights their resilience and strengths and shows them, they are truly the experts in their child's life. Watching families reach goals, grow their confidence and realize their potential is a highlight to my career.

My name is Katelyn, and I have been a Family Support Specialist with Healthy Families North Dakota for a little over a year. I came across Healthy Families while job searching online. I had never heard of Healthy Families and thought to myself "this is exactly what I've been looking for." I had no clue that a program like this even existed! What drew me to this job was my love for children along with my want to help people. I have especially enjoyed the relationships that I have built with the families I have supported along with the relationships I have built with my supervisors and coworkers. When I am not working, I enjoy spending time with family and friends as well as reading and watching movies.

I’m aging myself, but I was led to the Healthy Families program by a newspaper ad. I had recently finished graduate school and was looking for a job in my field (health promotion and behavior with a violence prevention specialization). I did not get the job I applied for, but I was offered a home visitor position. I accepted and for almost 17 years, I have worked within the program as a home visitor, clinical supervisor and now, program manager. One thing that makes my experience with HFA unique is that I had the opportunity to do research on my local program and have scientific evidence that the program works! There is truth in the African Proverb that “it takes a village;” not just for children, but adults as well and I have been fortunate enough to have an extremely supportive village my entire life. The people in those thriving relationships include: my parents, brother, best friend, godparents, “other parents,” college friends, sorority sisters, church friends and yes, even work friends. I also have a seven-year-old nephew and 21-year-old goddaughter that keep me busy and fairly young!

In 1998 I was on the Advisory Board and was so impressed with the work HFA and Brightpaths (BP) was doing, that I decided that as soon as there was an opening I would go work there. I liked the idea of prevention and working with families from a place of strength and dignity. HF has changed the way I parent and grandparent. With an 8-year-old when I started and a newborn 4 years into working with HF and BP, everything I did as a parent was shaped by this work. I have never felt this work was a burden and have always felt I had an honored and privileged position working with so many families. I have too many thriving relationships to list. I am fortunate to have a large and supportive family as well as supportive husband and in-laws. I also consider many of my friends to be family and my children call many of our friends "aunt and uncle". But in the 24 years I have been with BP I have also been lucky to make friends that have become lifelong and partners during the most important parts of my life. The support of the village around me, whether by blood or fortune, has been the most precious thing in my life. I have a wonderful family by birth including sisters who are best friends. But they live a few hours away and so I am also fortunate to have made friends through life in the Athens community and my Brightpaths family, that have continued with me for half of my life. Family, to me, is the support system we are surrounded by and that may be by birth or fortune. I am very fortunate and I do know that it is fortune and not because of myself, that I have such a good support system.

I had completed one of the other programs the agency offered for parents and wanted to pay forward the support I received in time of need. I wanted to help spread awareness, child development education and help connect parents with resources in hopes to make a positive impact for the future Spanish speaking generations in the community. I have been blessed with HFA training, curriculum materials, reflective supervision that has helped me in my own life, with my family, friends and out in the community. Relationships that have helped me thrive: first in this line of work is my personal relationship with Jesus. I needed protection and prayers for the difficult situations I come across that are beyond what I can do and needing a miracle for those around me. My own family (husband and children) has volunteered and helped me throughout the years I have worked with families. I am also blessed with great supportive co-workers, and I would like to recognize Jennifer Henderson, Grace Arthur and Tiara Smith who have played a critical role in helping thrive in the many roles I have had with Healthy Families and Brightpaths Athens. I could not have done it without their experience, grace and guidance. The connections with community partnerships. I do now believe that it takes a village and coming from another country and not being close to my blood relatives all the time. I have learned that for me family is a group of individuals who share the same and, in some areas, similar values to mine, people who have played a key role in my continuous personal growth. Like my church family and others who I have adopted as my US next to kin.

I’ve worked in the area of family support services for over 20 years, and with HFA specifically for almost 7 years. My current role is with Brightpoint in DeKalb, where I have the privilege of supervising a team of Home Visitors, who are in turn supporting families. I love Healthy Families because of the focus on prevention, the strength-based approach, and the importance of relationships. I’ve been married to my husband John for 13 years, and between us we have 7 grown children and 9 grandchildren (with one more due November 1st!). I’m lucky to have that whole crew living near me in IL, as well as a host of other family members and friends who make up my support system. I’m truly blessed!

Hi! I'm Samantha, I'm 31 and a single mom of 3; my kids are 8, 6, and 4. I'm a full time pharmacy technician, and a full time college student pursuing my law degree. I've been with the program since early in my pregnancy with my youngest so right around 5 years now. This program has been such a blessing to my life.

My name is Loretta and I live in DeKalb IL. I have one son who is 19 months old. I’m currently employed part time. I am a big Harry Potter fan, and enjoy watching the movies with my son. I’ve been involved with Healthy Families for a year and a half, and I’m grateful for the time we get to spend with our Home Visitor Kisha.

Diana Sanchez has fifteen years of home visitation experience working at a nonprofit in Northern California. In 2014 she became the program manager of the Healthy Families program at her organization and immediately stepped into an accreditation year. It was through the accreditation process that Diana experience first-hand the parallel process in the support from her then Implementation Specialist. Diana was able to see the fidelity to the model through the work by the staff and the impact on the families served. In the years that followed, Diana and her team were often referred to when new sites needed local support in the implementation process. With the desire to do and learn more, Diana joined the HFA Accreditation Panel in 2018 and completed the Peer Reviewer training. As the Healthy Families America Site Development Specialist, Diana looks forward to working with potential new sites, walking them through the affiliation process and supporting them as they join the HFA family. Diana lives in Chico, California with her husband and loves to read, meditate, travel, host gatherings, attend concerts and live sports. Diana also fills her cup by spending time with family, especially her two adorable nephews.

Kim Taylor’s journey to Healthy Families America (HFA) is a testament to resilience and adaptability. After a distinguished 20-year career in Early Childhood Administration, she faced a life-altering event when she had to evacuate a preschool and flee from a wildfire that devastated an entire town. Once her family had recovered, Kim sought a new professional path that aligned with her values. She found a perfect match in the HFA program, where her commitment to early childhood prevention and family support resonated deeply with the program's mission. Kim’s initial role in the Family Support Specialist (FSS) position was marked by a dedication to providing exceptional service to families in need. Her transition to a supervisory role allowed her to further her impact, leading a team that has become a cornerstone of support for the community. Her work with HFA has not only been professionally fulfilling but also personally healing, helping her process the trauma of the wildfire and use reflective practice for personal growth. Outside of work, Kim enjoys a lively home life with her husband, two teenage children, and a menagerie of pets including two Great Danes and a Dachshund. The dynamic personalities in her household ensure that there is never a dull moment, reflecting the vibrant and engaging spirit that Kim brings to both her professional and personal life.

Danita Roberts is a Training and TA Specialist with Healthy Families America. Prior to this she served as the Program Manager/ Supervisor for a Healthy Families Program in Providence, RI and was also an HFA Peer Reviewer and member of the HFA REaCH Committee. Danita graduated from Wheelock College with a degree in Human Development and a concentration in Child Life. Originally she thought that she wanted to work to promote development and attachment within a hospital setting, however, after taking a job in Early Intervention, she realized that seeing people in their homes was an opportunity to understand and support them more holistically. And when she found HFA a little later, realized that a program specifiaclly designed to promote attachment and bonding through the fostering of relationships was what she had been looking for this whole time. Still located in Providence, RI, Danita lives with her teenage daughter and twin boys. She continues to work to support the home visiting workforce in RI by serving as the Board President for RI’s Infant Mental Health Association.

Cristina Massey’s career in Early Childhood started with a 12-year role in Early Intervention before transitioning to HFA in 2012. She started as a Family Support Specialist/Family Resource Specialist before her program received a MIECHV expansion which led to her becoming a supervisor and then Program Manager at her site in Rhode Island. Through her various roles, she saw the importance of the parallel process and grew her passion for reflective practice and relationship-based work. Cris is committed to supporting staff and programs who provide trauma-informed care for families. She is also PAT certified and oversaw the PAT and WIC programs at her agency before joining the national office in 2022. She is a peer reviewer and briefly served on the HFA Accreditation Panel. She is also bilingual and speaks fluent Spanish. Cristina was born and raised in Rhode Island where she attended Providence College to study Psychology and currently lives with her husband and two children. Cristina was born and raised in Rhode Island where she attended Providence College to study Psychology and currently lives with her husband and two children.

Paula Gyurcsan is the Home Visiting Manager at New Hampshire (NH) Department of Health and Human Services, Division of Public Health Services for the Healthy Families America (HFA) program, through NH’s Maternal Infant and Early Childhood Home Visiting Program (MIECHV). Ms. Gyurcsan has been involved with the HFA program for six years serving as the program manager in Strafford County and Continuous Quality Improvement (CQI) Lead for Public Health. She serves as an HFA model peer reviewer throughout the national HFA network and is a member of the HFA National Advisory Committee. Ms. Gyurcsan earned a Master’s degree in Education (school counseling) from Plymouth State University. Through Paula’s work in the school system, she realized that supporting children starts in their home. She raised her three, now adult children, in a bilingual home.

Delmy Bonilla was born and raised in El Salvador, San Salvador and moved to Manchester, NH with her family when she was a young adult. It was through the experiences connecting her family and friends with services that she discovered a passion for working with families. Delmy is an intake worker and Family Support Specialist in Waypoint’s Healthy Families America (HFA) Program. The Healthy Families America program was a new program at her agency 11 years ago. She sees the benefits of providing parenting education through the Growing Great Kids curriculum (GGK). She loves spending quality time with parents and children, teaching them about the importance of play and gentle holding, recognizing their child’s cues and responding to them appropriately. She enjoys seeing the smiles when children greet her. She feels thankful to celebrate with parents when their child meets behavioral milestones and when parents achieve their goals. She has over 25 years of experience working with minority, refugees, and undocumented families. These families speak a variety of languages including Spanish, Swahili and Rohingya. She is trained in the PHQ-9 (Patient Health Questionnaire), the EPDS (Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale) IPV/Relationship Assessment Tool and The Ages and Stages Questionnaires, ASQ-3 and ASQ-SE. She provides interpretation/translation services to clients in Spanish. Delmy is the 2019 recipient of the NH HFA (Healthy Families America) Shining Star Award for outstanding work in the field of Infant Mental Health and Strengthening Families. She has earned the NH Early Childhood and Family Mental Health credential. Delmy previously worked with the NH Minority Health Coalition, Women to Woman Program-Peer Educator, REACH 2010 Initiative-Latino Program Peer Educator, Hablemos de Diabetes (“Let’s Talk about Diabetes.”) Certified Home Visitor and the Manchester Community Health Center.

Christa Austin is a Principal Trainer with Healthy Families America. In this role, she provides foundational training and technical assistance and support to assigned region and Foundational trainers. She serves as a Peer Reviewer and has enjoyed it! Christa has 25 years of experience working in early childhood home visiting and center-based arena. Her varied career includes management and supervision of multi-site Early Head Start and Head Start home visiting and center-based services, family case management, substance abuse, program monitoring, and parent group development, Infant Mental Health, organizing and facilitating workshops and training. She received her bachelor’s in social work from the University of Illinois Springfield, Master’s in Public Administration from University of Illinois Springfield and Master’s in Social Work from University of Illinois Urbana with concentration in Mental Health. Christa is Licensed in the State of Illinois Master’s in Social Work and Infant Early Childhood Mental Health Consultation through the Illinois Association for Infant Mental Health. Christa is happily married to a wonderful husband of 27 years, and they have six adult children and nine grandchildren. She is actively involved in her church, where she serves on the usher and new member’s ministry. She is a proud member of Delta Sigma Theta, Inc. and enjoys volunteering in her community. Last but definitely not least, Christa is an avid sports fan of college basketball and football and her favorite NFL team are the Pittsburg Steelers!

Bijoux Pighee is a Little Rock, Arkansas native and serves as Program Manager and Supervisor at Healthy Families - Choosing to Excel. She started her Healthy Families journey as an FSS and spent 8 years in the role before taking her current position. In addition to her dual role at the site, Bijoux also works with her state Training Advisory Committee and serves as an HFA Peer Reviewer and a member of NAC. Bijoux is an avid “plant lady” and anime enthusiast. When she’s not working with Healthy Families, she can be found on various stages around Arkansas.

Cristina Massey’s career in Early Childhood started with a 12-year role in Early Intervention before transitioning to HFA in 2012. She started as a Family Support Specialist/Family Resource Specialist before her program received a MIECHV expansion which led to her becoming a supervisor and then Program Manager at her site in Rhode Island. Through her various roles, she saw the importance of the parallel process and grew her passion for reflective practice and relationship-based work. Cris is committed to supporting staff and programs who provide trauma-informed care for families. She is also PAT certified and oversaw the PAT and WIC programs at her agency before joining the national office in 2022. She is a peer reviewer and briefly served on the HFA Accreditation Panel. She is also bilingual and speaks fluent Spanish. Cristina was born and raised in Rhode Island where she attended Providence College to study Psychology and currently lives with her husband and two children. Cristina was born and raised in Rhode Island where she attended Providence College to study Psychology and currently lives with her husband and two children.

Sarai Perez embarked on her journey with Healthy Families America in Phoenix, Arizona, starting at the Maricopa County Site — the largest in the HFA network. Her career began in the impactful role of a Family Assessment Worker, where she introduced new parents in the hospital to the program. Her responsibilities included conducting intake visits and engaging in regular community outreach, laying the groundwork for family retention and strong community connections. Sarai's dedication and skill soon led to her promotion to a Supervisor position, a role she excelled in for over eight years. In this capacity, she was not just managing day-to-day operations but also took an active part in training staff at her site and played a pivotal role in the development of the site’s Community Advisory Board. Her commitment to excellence and her deep understanding of the program’s core values were further strengthened when she became a peer reviewer in 2015, followed by her appointment as an Accreditation Panel Member in 2022. After 12 years of substantial contributions and growth at the Phoenix site, Sarai took her rich experience and expertise to a broader stage with Healthy Families America. Her journey reflects a deep commitment to family support and community development, marking her as a valuable asset to the HFA community.

L. Elizabeth Gotay is a dedicated Technical Assistance Quality Assurance and Training Specialist on the Healthy Families Virginia Central Administration team, with fourteen years of experience with Healthy Families America. She has more than twenty-four years of experience working with children and families in the home visiting field, with ten years as a Teacher, Family Engagement Specialist, and Program Supervisor for the first bilingual Head Start Program in the state of Washington. Over her years with HFA, Elizabeth Gotay has worked in each position (Family Support Specialist, Family Resource Specialist, Program Supervisor, and Program Director). In addition, Elizabeth is a native Spanish speaker and brings twenty-four years of lived experience as an immigrant to the United States. Elizabeth is very passionate about her work because home visiting works! Elizabeth tiene mucha pasión por su trabajo porque las visitas al hogar funcionan!

Amelia Doggett-McCulloch is a Program Manager overseeing an Evidence-Based Home Visiting Program, utilizing the Healthy Families of America framework across 15 counties in Middle Tennessee. Amelia has been working for Healthy Families for 8 years and also utilizes her knowledge as a Peer Reviewer, providing support to sites all over the U.S. Amelia was trained as a HOPE Facilitator in April, 2024 and moved on to become a HOPE Champion in July 2024.

Melissa Gilbreath is a dedicated Project Manager overseeing an Evidence-Based Home Visiting Program across 15 counties in Middle Tennessee. With a decade of affiliation with the Healthy Families America model, Melissa brings over 25 years of experience as a social worker, having served communities in both Pennsylvania and Tennessee. Melissa also utilizes her skills as a Bereavement Doula and Certified Grief Practitioner to support families through loss when needed.