Robert Hernandez

To see the staff biographies, please click on the Planning committee TAB

                    Dulce Acosta

University of Southern California

Dr. Marcos Briano is an adjunct faculty member with USC’s Rossier School of Education Marriage Family Therapy program. He teaches creating communities of interest, theories in counseling, and group counseling courses. His clinical experiences span from K-12 schools and universities to community centers to acute psychiatric hospitals within diverse and multicultural settings. His research/academic interests include advocacy for LGBT & ally communities, resiliency, intersectionality, social justice, application of professional ethics with an emphasis in Spanish-speaking communities. He is currently a board member of the California Psychology Internship Council, California Community College Mental Health & Wellness Association, and ECP member of LACPA’s Ethics Committee.

PAST SPEAKERS 

Ms. Acosta was born to parents who migrated from Mexico and was raised in the Northeast Los Angeles area. Dulce began her academic journey within various LAUSD academic institutions, and at the age of seventeen she successfully completed high school and received vocational certification in the health field. She entered the competitive workforce at the age of nineteen. Dulce became employed by University of Southern California Herman Ostrow School of Dentistry, where she currently administrates online education.

 Dulce pledged to continue her academic career and returned ten years later to ELAC and received her Associate Degree in Liberal Arts and Certification as a Recovery Specialist in Chemical Dependency. Dulce transferred to Cal State University Los Angeles in the fall of 2009, where she received her B.A. in Sociology with an emphasis in Diversity and Inequalities in 2011. While attending CSULA, she also served as a peer advisor in the Sociology Department. She was recognized for her contributions to CSULA and her community by her advisor and received a Special Congressional Recognition by Congresswoman Lucille Roybal Allard in March 2011. In addition, she was awarded and recognized in the “Latinas to Watch for 2012” by Hispanas Organized for Political Equality (HOPE). She pursued her lifelong dream of a Master’s in Social Work at the University of Southern California, where in May 2014, she completed her studies and was awarded the Order of Arête of USC; she was selected from more than 1,500 graduate students university wide. The award represents the highest honor accorded graduate students upon completion of their academic program. Students are recognized for demonstrating significant depth and scope of responsibility in a campus or community leadership role. Members of the Order of Arête uphold value and meaning over individual achievement. Dulce is committed to strengthening and empowering her community by serving as a mentor and sharing her journey and narrative of resilience and trauma.

2022 Presenters

Aquil Basheer, D. LITT
Executive Director and Founder: B.U.I.L.D, PCITI & The License to Operate Movement

Dr. Basheer has been described as “One of the nation’s premier, practitioner-based Violence Intermediation Professionals, Elite Public Safety Experts and Hard-Core Gang Intervention Specialists” in society today. He is recognized as being at the top of a league of specialists in the area of discipline and acknowledged as one of the most accomplished authorities in this field of expertise. Dr. Basheer is also a highly regarded Adjunct Professor and subject matter expert at Alliant University International. He instructs & consults worldwide and has trained thousands in the area of expertise.

Dr. Basheer founded Maximum Force Enterprises and the Professional Community Intervention Training Institute, (PCITI); (the nation’s first “practitioner based’ professionally certifying 18- week Community Violence Intercession-Gang Intervention Institute) and the License to Operate (LTO) Movement.

His training sessions have garnered international attention and support, having traveled the world over to train specialty teams in Brazil, SWAT teams from Argentina, elite executive protection specialists from Africa, private Crisis Elimination teams from London, public safety experts from Beijing, Hong Kong & Shanghai, Gang Intercession specialists in El Salvador and Emergency Responders/Peacekeeping Intervention experts all over the United States. He has provided his expertise in Geneva, Switzerland to the World Health Organization to guide their international violence prevention template and to the United Nations in Geneva to assist in drafting the International “Safer City” blueprint. Aquil is the brainchild of celebrated 501c3 non- profit “The BUILD Program” and the groundbreaking “Professional Peacekeepers Collaborative Alliance'' (PPCA), a network of professionally trained and certified Violence Intercession Experts and Community Restoration Specialists. A nationally read syndicated columnist whose column “Street Survival 101” was one of the most widely read columns in the nation at its height. He is a published author who has released the critically acclaimed book Peace in the Hood': Working with Gang Members to End the Violence, which sets the standard for hard core community-based violence intervention, conflict resolution and community empowerment and is a required textbook for courses at USC, The Chicago School of Professional Psychology, Alliant University International, UCLA and the Kinship Program in Orange County. Aquil has appeared in countless documentaries and short films including “Bloods and Crips”, Gangland, Made in America, “License To Operate,” a documentary in which he has a starring role and “Black Jacket,” a documentary based of the PCITI methodology which provides an in depth look inside the PCITI International Training Institute he developed. He has received numerous awards and honors, including the prestigious California Peace Prize and a PhD (Doctorate of Humanities) honoris causa from The Chicago School of Professional Psychology for his specialized expertise in this
discipline.

Larry Britton, Jr. Psy.D.
Britton is a Clinical Forensic Psychologist and Adjunct Professor. Dr. Britton currently provides individual therapy, group therapy, crisis intervention, psychological testing, and court-ordered psychological evaluations.  Dr Britton currently teaches various courses within the fields of Criminal Justice, Sociology, and both Clinical and Forensic Psychology amongst the Higher Education sectors. His research interests include topics within the post-incarcerated individuals, homelessness, psychological testing, and violence amongst all genders.

Sonya Carey, M.S.
Dr. Debra, LLC

Sonya Carey is a former foster youth and foster care advocate. She is a recent graduate and part of the first cohort for the Master of Science in Hospitality and Tourism Management at USC. She is the author of Make It or Bake It: Recipes for Transitioning Foster Youth. She has been working in food service for more than 15 years and has worked as a food service manager for LAUSD and Chicago Public Schools. Currently, she is working as an administrative services coordinator for Dr. Debra, helping to build courses, provide HR support, and building up the Dr. Debra brand through social media and as a SCRIPT planning committee member this year.

Sarah Cruz, BA
Mental Health Counselor II

Sarah Cruz has been working with children and families in the Mental Health field for the past 10 years as a Mental Health Counselor. Sarah currently works at the San Fernando Valley Community Mental Health Center in the Bullying and School Violence Advocacy Program, where she continues to work as a Mental Health Counselor. Within her role, she is an Educator, Advocate and Presenter of all things pertaining to Bullying. Sarah enjoys educating the community about the impact of bullying and how we can help one another to rise up against bullying.

Nikko Deloney
P.C.I.T.I Leadership Team

Nikko is a dedicated member of the P.C.I.T.I Leadership and Instructional Team. He has spent the past few years of his life assisting in restoring besieged communities locally and regionally. Currently, he manages the Pico Guidance Center in Mid-City Los Angeles and provides services ranging from youth development, intervention/prevention sessions, mentoring, community feed- the-needs, and a host of others. His mission truly defines the work of providing hope, restoring communities, and curbing violence through proactive solutions and self-determination as it relates to the field of Community Violence Intercession.

Julia Desantis

Julia DeSantis is a Senior at USC studying Communications, Social Entrepreneurship, and User Experience. After graduation, Julia will be joining The Farmlink Project - a startup that connects farmers to food banks, delivering millions of pounds of farm fresh produce that would otherwise be wasted to feed families in need. As the Director of Operations, she oversees Good2Go deliveries for Salvation Army and Family Health Care Resources.

“It has been a powerful experience meeting and working with the teams of women that run the small but mighty food pantries Good2Go partners with. These women are so incredibly dedicated, day in and day out, and it has been powerful to leverage the Good2Go volunteer driver network to help expand their distribution capacity to feed as much of the LA community with the abundance of food available. I am deeply passionate about food justice and have come to learn much of the issues with accessibility has to do with mindful distribution. Food has the power to nourish our bodies, bring people together and shift our relationship with the natural world around us. Good2Go has shown how good deeds, no matter how small, like a 20-minute food pantry delivery, have a compound positive impact. In what seems like an ever-accelerating world, we believe it is important to design convenient volunteer opportunities that individuals can integrate into their every day.” - Julia

Michel Faliski
Michel Faliski is a founding member of the Good2Go team that launched in January 2021! She worked closely with Family Health Care Resources in order to form the G2G partnership with their pantry in order to connect them with weekly volunteers to complete deliveries throughout the East LA area. Upon graduating from USC in May 2021, she moved to New York City and is working for MasterClass on their UX Research team. 

“I feel the most inspired when I’m working collaboratively on a project with a group of people - and I got really freaking lucky that I met some of the most amazing humans I’ve ever worked with to solve a problem together. Our team discovered a problem together that so many people are struggling with - we’ve been on that journey since the beginning together, I’m really grateful for that. And now we’re doing the fun part - we’re learning, growing, failing, and learning all over again.” - Michel Falisk

Sandi Forti
MenHealing

Sandi is a Licensed Clinical Psychologist in private practice in Columbus, Ohio, and has been a facilitator for the Weekends of Recovery for Men Healing since 2006, and Taking Back Ourselves since 2014. Sandi sees herself as providing context within which trauma can be understood as part of the landscape of soul, and healing can lay the foundation for the development and expression of the authentic self. She has worked for many years with victims and perpetrators of sexual abuse, and with families who struggle to love and heal both. She is versed in working with the patterns of thinking and behavior that grow out of the effort to cope with abuse, such as depression, dissociation, use and abuse of alcohol and other drugs, etc. Her interests in archetypal psychology, body awareness, and the healing power of meditation have added breadth and depth to her work with individuals who are seeking to heal from past traumas and who desire new ground for a relationship with the present.

Leticia Frayre, MS
Mental Health Clinician I

Leticia Frayre is a Mental Health Clinician within the Bullying and School Violence Advocacy Program at San Fernando Valley Community Mental Health Center. She obtained her Master’s Degree in Marriage Family Therapy from California State University, Los Angeles. She has a passion for working with children and families. Her experience includes providing mental health therapeutic services to children as well as facilitating parenting groups within community agencies and school settings. She emphasizes the importance of strength based and family centered approach.

Marshall Fryman
Marshall Fryman is an Associate Professional Clinical Counselor and Forensic Clinician who works with offenders diagnosed with comorbidities including trauma, severe mental illness, mood disorders and substance abuse disorders. Marshall’s career in mental healthcare began as a paraprofessional counselor in 2017. Marshall graduated from the Chicago School of Professional Psychology with a Master’s degree in Forensic Psychology in January 2021.

Lorna Hawkins
Lorna is the founder of Drive by Agony, a non-profit organization based in California. She has been one of the trailblazers for the “Stop the Violence movement”, since 1988. Lorna has been certified as a specialist in violence prevention, intervention, and community organizing, from USC. She has also is a certified Domestic violence and Anger management counselor since 1992. Drive By Agony, under Lorna’s direction, created and form, a mother’s march for peace in downtown Los Angeles California in 1990 calling for the end of violence. Mrs. Hawkins has implemented platforms for victims of crime to express their feelings, by sharing their story since the deaths of their children in her cable television talk show she created a month after the murder of her first-born son Joe, to a drive by shooting. Her son was murdered the night before Thanksgiving in 1988. Lorna also has another son murdered four years later. She continued her work and Marches for peace to stop the violence, became a national event for victims of crime all over the country. Lorna Hawkins has also been an advocate for victims of crime since her sons murder and through her work. She has been instrumental in helping bring more legislation for the rights of victims of crime. With the help of her friend Colleen Campbell, she was able to ensure that victims had their say in court and speak at the sentencing of the accused and receive restitution. Colleen Campbell was the Mayor of San Juan Capistrano. Colleen’s brother was a famous race car driver named Mickey Thompson. He and his wife were murdered in their driveway.

Through her work with drive by agony Lorna has been able to advocate, empower and educate  young people in schools about the results of violence and anger, especially gun violence and has lectured at hospitals, corporations, and in universities. Lorna has been a presenter for Physicians for Social Responsibility and was awarded the first “Peace Prize” from California Wellness Foundation. interviewed with Katie Couric, on The Today’s show, Larry King, of CNN and has been featured in
many major newspapers and magazines across the country. Her story of courage and being the Hero next door is what she has been honored for. Lorna has appeared in People and McCall’s magazine and Alaska Airline made her the “Hero Next door” when her face was featured on the front page of their magazine cover 1992. “Peter Jennings” of world news tonight made Lorna Hawkins: Person of the week in television” in 1992.
 
Martice Hawkins
FBI Los Angeles Community Outreach Specialist

Martice attended Louisiana State University where she completed a double major in Psychology and History and went on to earn a master’s degree in History at Louisiana Tech University. Martice has been with the FBI for six years assigned to the Office of Public and Congressional Affairs as a Community Outreach Specialist and Diversity and Inclusion Coordinator. As outreach coordinator she serves as the primary liaison for the African American, Hispanic, and LGBTQ+ communities where she collaborates with faith-based and community organizations to bring awareness to issues impacting their respective communities. Internally she oversees the programming for nine affinity groups and external diversity recruitment. Martice is also the recipient of the 2021 SCRIPT Lifetime Achievement Award. 

 Barbara Jett
Phenomenal Angels of the Community

Barbara Jett is the Chief Operations Officer for Phenomenal Angels of the Community, an organization that provides youth support, mentoring and training opportunities that provide cultural enrichment, effective communication, civic engagement, educational enhancement, and individual development. Ms. Jett is responsible for the delivery and operations of the organization. Through her love for the community and potential to inspire change, Ms. Jett is on call twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week. She is a trained experienced professional Intervention Specialist specializing in community service, crisis intervention, case management and street mediation. She has worked in the non-profit community for many years. Ms. Jett developed a strong sense of devotion for the non-profit sector when she noticed that a change was needed in the community in which she was raised. She has a deep appreciation for people and is diligent in working to improve the quality of life. Ms. Jett is an active member in her community. She is on the leadership team and is an instructor for Professional Community Intervention Training Institute (PCITI). She is a member of the Neighborhood Action Committee and the Westmont/Athens Task Force. Currently, she is a case manager with Soledad Enrichment Action Charter School. Ms. Jett is a graduate of Washington Prep and studied at Los Angeles Southwest College. She is a certified graduate of the Professional Community Intervention Training Institute. Additionally, she has received certificates from the City of Los Angeles Mayor’s Office, City of Los Angeles Fire Department, Maximum Force Enterprises, The Chicago School of Psychology, Yuba College, Leo Chesney Center of Live Oaks, and Los Angeles Office of Education.

 

Lisa Davis Larry
Ms. Larry up in Indianapolis, Indiana.  She attended Massachusetts College of Art and Design and received a BFA in Art Education and a minor in Filmmaking. Upon graduating from art school, Ms. Larry moved to Los Angeles to pursue work in the film and television industry. For many years, she worked in post-production for National Geographic Specials, The Walt Disney Company, DreamWorks Animation Studio, Paramount Pictures, Warner Brothers, and Universal Pictures.

Ms. Larry co-produced the documentary “An Ordinary Couple.” This film is about a long-term gay relationship that ends with their beautiful wedding.  It was made during Proposition 8 the gay marriage ban that eventually was lifted.

For the past 10 years, Ms. Larry started her second career in education.  Currently, she is the Visual Art Teacher at Citizens of the World Mar Vista, a charter school for elementary and middle school students. While working in the film business and teaching, Ms. Larry wanted to make a documentary about the surviving family members of gun violence victims and how they handled this tragic event that would change their lives forever. Her grandfather, an Indianapolis businessman was gunned down in his department store.

Ms. Larry directed and co-produced the short documentary, “When The Shooting Stops,” to search for families nationwide so they could tell their stories and share how they gave back to their communities in positive way. Besides her own family, she found 3 other families nationwide that were willing to share their stories. That’s how she met Lorna Hawkins, Executive Director of the non-profit organization Drive-By Agony. Lorna generously participated in the documentary by sharing her painful story and how she decided to give back to her community in positive ways.


Michael Levittan
Private Practice
Dr. Michael Levittan is an accomplished and recognized expert on domestic violence, anger management, child abuse, and PTSD. He is a licensed psychotherapist, director of a state- certified batterers’ treatment program, and serves as an expert witness in court. Dr. Michael teaches seminars at UCLA Extension, National Alliance on Mental Illness, International Conference on Violence, Abuse, and Trauma, Women’s Shelters, U.S. Marines, L.A. Superior Court, California Association of Marriage, and Family Therapists, etc. He has appeared on the Tyra Banks Show, Starting Over, Bad Girls Club, Montel Williams, Hollywood 411, and wrote "The History of Infanticide" – a chapter in Violence in Our Society. He recently completed the soon-to-be-published “Essentials of Anger Management.” Dr. Levittan believes in his work to further the cause of establishing safety in the family and peace in the world. His passion comes across in his presentations.

Melinda Meshad, LCSW
Melinda Meshad, LCSW, has over twenty years working with individuals and families. She has focused her career serving populations with high rates of trauma. She found her passion in social work while attending Occidental College and volunteering in Los Angeles with asylum-seekers escaping war in Central America. Her experience includes teaching incarcerated youth, ten years in child welfare, and clinical backup for veteran crisis lines. She currently sees clients in private practice while training and consulting in trauma-informed care. Her training, 4 Points Builds a STAR, has been recognized for providing a thorough understanding of the impact of adverse experiences and trauma in order to promote wellbeing through self-care and client engagement based on trauma-informed principles.

Michael Munson
Michael Munson is the co-founder and Executive Director of FORGE, an organization focused on improving the lives of transgender individuals by building stronger connections, providing resources, and empowering growth through knowledge. FORGE is a national training and technical assistance provider funded in part through the Office for Victims of Crime, the Office on Violence Against Women, and the National Institutes of Health. Munson's educational background is in psychology, with an emphasis on trauma-informed care and non-traditional healing modalities. His work on violence against trans and nonbinary individuals stresses the intersectionality between complex components of identity, experience, and societal constructs that can both spur violence, as well as catalyze healing for individuals and communities. He is passionate about engaging professionals to embrace these complexities and learn key skills to better serve their clients/constituents.

Bill Murray
National Association of Adult Survivors of Child Abuse
Mr. Murray is the founder of multiple organizations that has been assisting the Southern California community for years. One of those organizations is the National Association of Adult Survivors of Child Abuse (NAASCA), which is a grassroots organization that fights against child abuse and trauma on a national stage. Mr. Murray also is the founder of the National Association of Alert and Concerned Citizens and the Los Angeles Community Policing organization as well. Mr. Murray works diligently with these organizations to prevent child abuse and trauma due to the fact that he is a child abuse survivor himself. He is also a producer, director, editor, and writer for over 30 years with careers in both film/TV and journalism.

Ryun Oddman
Ryun Hamilton Oddman has been a resident of Southern California for 7 years. Mr. Oddman attended San Bernardino Valley College and received a degree in Radio, Television, and Film in May 2019. He has won first place in the Inland Empire’s International Speech Contest. He is also a Qualified Speaker for the Inland Empire Speakers Bureau through the Toastmasters organization.  Mr. Oddman has made it his mission to help individuals in the special needs community to find their purpose. From this mission, he founded Whole Creations; a podcast created to empower people with special needs to actualize their dreams. Mr. Oddman has worked in the non-public school system for people with special needs for 3 years. In his spare time, Ryun enjoys watching Star Wars, trying new coffee shops, and meeting different people on the streets.

Mariajose Oliva
Mariajose is a first-generation Chicana, she was born in East Los Angeles and raised in South Los Angeles, getting to experience both sides of the Harbor and Santa Ana Freeway has shaped how she values community cultural knowledge. As an undergraduate student leader and community organizer she organized and advocated for student rights. She received her Bachelors in Mexican American Studies and a Minor in Women and Gender Studies. 

Mariajose’s 10 plus years of experience working with the community has helped her become the Community Engagement Coordinator for the Rape Prevention and Education program at the East Los Angeles Women Center. In this department Mariajose connects community, organizations and schools to our Rape Prevention and education program to capacitate and inform our youth/parents and allies. Mariajose works directly with families at an intergenerational level to prevent violence from manifesting in their homes from a very early age. 

Ruth Rivera
Ruth Rivera has always had a passion in serving her community. Gaining her Bachelor’s in International Relations and a Masters in Globalization and Latin American Development; it helped fuel her determination to help her Latino community. She joined the East Los Angeles Women’s Center in 2018, first as volunteer, and then as staff in 2019. She is the Wellness Programs Coordinator for East Los Angeles Women’s Center at LAC+USC. In her duties, she carries out advocacy and outreach to the medical campus and creates a bridge to help survivors that identify violence in their lives when they step foot at LAC+USC by providing them a proper healthcare screening and resources. Ruth also coordinates the Sexual Assault Response Team and Domestic Violence Task Force at The Wellness Center which brings together people from the county and the LAC+USC medical campus to create sustainable change through partnerships for survivors and their families.

Tommie Rivers
P.C.I.T.I. Leadership Team
One refined and committed individual in restoring peace to traumatized and violent-prone communities, Tommie has re-dedicated his life to community restoration. He is an abundance of positivity in the lives of youth and young adults he touches. He is not only a member of the phenomenal Instructional and Leadership Team of P.C.I.T.I but he also coaches, speaks, and gives every bit of himself to his community and those in need.

Kashira Rodgers, Psy.D.
Dr. Kashira Rodgers is a Forensic Psychologist. She addresses diverse topics including Gang Intervention, human trafficking, violence against all genders, sexual assault, and mental health. Dr. Rodgers currently provides individual therapy, group therapy, crisis intervention and conducts court ordered psychological evaluations. Awarded the Distinguished Service Award from the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department Vital Intervention and Directional Alternatives (VIDA) program. Dr. Rodgers is also the Founder of Facing Our Facts, a community agency providing individual counseling and support groups for survivors of sexual assault, human trafficking, domestic violence, adults molested as children and victims of violent crimes. Dr. Rodgers has devoted her life’s work to addressing trauma in the African American community and at-risk youth.

Carol Sligh
Author, Overcoming Obstacles and Living Your Dreams

Carol Sligh is an author, speaker, and philanthropist. She is focused on developing, encouraging, and empowering men, women, and children to walk in their God-given purpose. Carol believes every person has been placed on the earth for a reason. This reason is the core of who they are and embodies their individuality. She sets the groundwork for people to identify their dreams, then encourages and teaches them to live a life where those passions take precedence. She believes once this has happened, life will be more fulfilling for both them and those around them. In Carol's newly released book, "Overcoming Obstacles and Living Your Dreams," she reveals proven techniques in overcoming obstacles and facing adversity. She has over two decades of experience in law enforcement and almost a decade in corporate, industrial and government settings. Whether combating everyday crime or providing groups or individuals with guidance on how to navigate through life challenges in personal situations or work environments, Carol has become adept at overcoming obstacles across the full spectrum of challenges in life. Within her chosen profession, Carol herself has experienced and overcome obstacles and helped others confront and overcome their situations. Her experience also includes teaching both youth and adults about purpose, life skills, safety, and drug education.

Carol has sat on several planning committees, some of which include: The Los Angeles Marathon and Bicycle Tour, an event that hosts over 30,000 participants; the Olympic Torch Run that ran through Los Angeles en route to Atlanta; and the 1994 Soccer World Cup Planning Committee that was held in Pasadena where she represented local city and government agencies. Carol believes all of her life experiences have prepared her to nurture others and encourage them to pursue their passions. Her philanthropic activities include globally partnering with other organizations and churches to address the AIDS epidemic, socio-economic development, entrepreneurship, community redevelopment and spiritual growth of individuals. She has spoken to groups in the United Kingdom, South Africa and throughout the United States, where she inspires and motivates others to take action. She conducts workshops, speaks at churches, and schools, and provides individual coaching. Carol works with people who want to improve their lives and with organizations that encourage personal achievement and character development.

She is a dynamic and powerful speaker that has been described as the “obstetrician to your life purpose...assisting with the delivery of a dream.” She captivates and infuses her audiences with high energy, sincerity, compassion, and compelling enthusiasm.

Jim Struve, LCSW MenHealing
Jim Struve has been providing clinical services to male survivors since 1976 and his experience ranges from child protective services, residential treatment, in-patient hospitals, community agencies, and private practice. Jim was a co-organizer of one of the earliest conferences (1988) to address concerns of non-offending male survivors. In 1995, he was a founding member of the National Organization Against Sexual Victimization of Males (currently MaleSurvivor.org). He has been a member of the Weekends of Recovery Facilitator Team since 2003. In 2017, Jim was instrumental in the incorporation of MenHealing and has served as Executive Director since that time. He has numerous professional publications and is a nationally known Conference presenter. In 2010 he was the recipient of the Richard Gartner Outstanding Services Award. In his personal time, Jim is dedicated to outdoor adventure, including skiing, biking, and hiking.

Tatiana Vaz
Tatiana Vaz is a founding member of the Good2Go team. She works closely with the Salvation Army food pantry, focusing on door-to-door deliveries. She graduated from USC in May 2021 and currently works as a Startups Account Executive at Amazon Web Services. 

 “I used to associate food insecurity with a lack of availability. However, we found that the root of the problem actually lies in accessibility. There is enough food in the world to feed everyone on the planet 1 ½ times. It is crazy to know that there is so much food out there, yet 1 in 4 people in the city of Los Angeles don’t know where their next meal is coming from. This absolutely baffled me and encouraged me to dive deeper. As we learned more, I became passionate about addressing this gap in our society!” - Tatiana Vaz

Marcos Briano

KEYNOTE SPEAKER 

To see 2022 full schedule and PAST abstracts, please head to the SCRIPT 2022 tab

KEYNOTE SPEAKER 

​SCRIPT

​Summit on Community Resilience, Intervention, Prevention, and Training

Robert Hernandez has a strong knowledge base in working with vulnerable youth populations and the impact of community trauma on healthy development. He aims to educate and engage in practice-driven research to address critical areas of society that continue to hinder communities from flourishing. His areas of interest include adolescent social issues, adolescent gang intervention, strength-based/resiliency and youth empowerment models of practice. In particular, Hernandez's work examines risk and protective factors within communities that are associated with vulnerable youth populations residing in trauma-exposed communities. He has focused on advancing marginalized populations through a range of practice approaches addressing violence related trauma through violence reduction, prevention and intervention strategies. In 2014, Hernandez was awarded the highly acclaimed Jane Adams Award at the USC Suzanne Dworak-Peck School of Social Work that goes to the instructor of the year as voted by the students. In 2014, he was recognized and awarded by the Asian Pacific American Student Assembly & Academic Culture Assembly as the most influential Professor of Color. He is constantly being summoned by cities, counties, and states nationwide to assist with their community violence reduction strategies and trainings; most recently Iowa, New Mexico, South Carolina, Sacramento, San Diego, Solano County, Orange County, Riverside, Ontario, and Los Angeles. These efforts have assisted in the development of several publications.

CLOSING SPEAKER

STOP THE STIGMA