Richard Kagan, Ph.D. has had extensive leadership experience in child and family services and behavioral health care as director of professional development, QI, research, and psychological services and served as the principal investigator for two NCTSN grants. He is the author or co-author of 34 articles, chapters, and papers and ten books: Families in Perpetual Crisis, Turmoil to Turning Points; Building Hope for Children in Crisis Placements, Wounded Angels; Lessons from Children in Crisis; Rebuilding Attachments with Traumatized Children; Healing from Losses, Violence, Abuse, and Neglect, the Real Life Heroes Life Storybook 1st, 2nd and 3rd editions, the Real Life Heroes Practitioner’s Manual, the Real Life Heroes Toolkit for Treating Traumatic Stress in Children and Families, and Wounded Angels; Inspiration from Children in Crisis.

Dr. Kagan developed Real Life Heroes, an evidence-supported treatment model for children and families with Complex Trauma. He is currently the director of Training Programs on Traumatic Stress in Columbia, SC and provides training and consultation on practical and innovative approaches that organizations and therapists can utilize to engage hard-to-reach children and parents/caregivers, to strengthen resilience and to reduce toxic stress. Dr. Kagan has also served on the NCTSN Steering Committee, the Affiliate Advisory Board, the Complex Trauma and Child Welfare Committees, the Trauma-Informed Organizational Assessment Advisory Group and he co-led development of the NCTSN curriculum,Caring for Children Who Have Experienced Traumatic Stress as co-chair of the Resource Parent Committee.

Kayla has used her lived experiences in foster care to implement policies and procedures on a local and National platforms. Kayla has dedicated her career to healing and uplifting Black and Brown communities with advocacy to prevent further generational trauma that is rooted in our nation's historical traumatization. As a Trauma Informed Yoga instructor, Kayla provides a safe space for individuals who have experienced trauma to reconnect with their bodies through movement, positive:” I am” affirmations, meditation, and journaling. When we slow down and take time to connect with ourselves we can change the narrative of our lives. We are brave. We are strong. We are resilient like our roots!

Judith has training in identifying and treating trauma, attachment issues, substance abuse, and learning difficulties.  She was chair of the Crisis Response Team in the Rapid City Area Schools from 1999-2001 and served on the community Crisis Response team.

Laurel J. Kiser, Ph.D., M.B.A. is a psychologist and Associate Professor in the Department of Psychiatry, University of Maryland School of Medicine. Dr. Kiser served as School of Medicine Principal Investigator of the Family Informed Trauma Treatment (FITT) Center, a National Child Traumatic Stress Network Category II Center, from 2007-2022. Dr. Kiser has expertise in the development and provision of interventions for children and families living in under-resourced, minoritized communities. She is the lead author of the conceptual model of complex trauma in families.  Partnering with Charles Figley, she co-authored the second edition of Helping Traumatized Families. Her articles appear frequently in the professional literature, and she is a regular presenter and invited lecturer at national conferences. Dr. Kiser received support from the National Institute of Mental Health and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration to develop family-based interventions to address the high rates of trauma exposure and the prevalence of trauma-related disorders in highly vulnerable families.  Strengthening Family Coping Resources: Intervention for Families Impacted by Trauma is the culmination of her 30+ years working to address the needs of this highly impacted population. She has established the non-profit Center for Strengthening Family Coping Resources to sustain the model.