Walter S. Gilliam, PhD, is the Elizabeth Mears & House Jameson Professor of Child Psychiatry and Psychology at the Yale Child Study Center and Director of Yale’s Edward Zigler Center in Child Development and Social Policy. Dr. Gilliam is Vice President of ZERO TO THREE, a past president of Child Care Aware of America; a board director for the Irving Harris Foundation, First Children’s Finance, and All Our Kin; and a former Senior Advisor to the National Association for the Education of Young Children. Dr. Gilliam is co-recipient of the prestigious 2008 Grawemeyer Award in Education for the coauthored book, A Vision for Universal Preschool Education. His research and scholarly writing address early childhood care and education, early childhood mental health, school readiness, developmental assessment of young children, and race and gender disparities in early childhood, as well as issues of COVID-19 transmission, vaccination, and health and safety promotion in early childhood settings. He is most known for his work on preschool expulsion and suspension, early childhood mental health consultation, and race and gender bias in early childhood settings. His work frequently has been covered in major national and international news outlets, and he actively provides consultation to state and federal decision-makers.

Walter S. Gilliam, PhD, is the Elizabeth Mears & House Jameson Professor of Child Psychiatry and Psychology at the Yale Child Study Center and Director of Yale’s Edward Zigler Center in Child Development and Social Policy. Dr. Gilliam is Vice President of ZERO TO THREE, a past president of Child Care Aware of America; a board director for the Irving Harris Foundation, First Children’s Finance, and All Our Kin; and a former Senior Advisor to the National Association for the Education of Young Children. Dr. Gilliam is co-recipient of the prestigious 2008 Grawemeyer Award in Education for the coauthored book, A Vision for Universal Preschool Education. His research and scholarly writing address early childhood care and education, early childhood mental health, school readiness, developmental assessment of young children, and race and gender disparities in early childhood, as well as issues of COVID-19 transmission, vaccination, and health and safety promotion in early childhood settings. He is most known for his work on preschool expulsion and suspension, early childhood mental health consultation, and race and gender bias in early childhood settings. His work frequently has been covered in major national and international news outlets, and he actively provides consultation to state and federal decision-makers.

Elizabeth O’Brien, LPC PMH-C
Founder + CEO Elizabeth A. O’Brien & Associates, LLC

Elizabeth has over twenty years of clinical experience and is a recognized expert in women’s well- being specializing in Perinatal Mood and Anxiety disorders. She has been a featured contributor for articles, podcasts, and an ebook, including The Washington Post and Atlanta Magazine. In 2017, she founded the Postpartum Support International Georgia Chapter (PSI-GA) where she served as president for three years, and continues to volunteer on the board. This chapter has become a national leader recognized for its fundraising, innovative training courses, and mentorship of other PSI chapters. Additionally, Elizabeth is a national trainer with Postpartum Support International, and the 2019 winner of the Carolyn Wetzel Continuum Award honoring her role as an agent for positive change for the health and wellbeing of Georgia families.

Elizabeth earned an MA in Dance Movement Therapy, where she focused on complex trauma and early childhood mental health. Elizabeth served on the Alaska Early Childhood State board as a founding board member when she lived in Fairbanks, Alaska. Committed to integrating mind and body treatment, she serves women throughout their lifespans. Additionally, she consults with creatives, therapists, and female entrepreneurs both individually and in groups to help them launch their own businesses.

Prior to opening her own practice, Elizabeth worked on the rural tundra of Alaska, in hospitals, correctional facilities, and intimate partner settings. A feminist, activist, wife, mother, beekeeper, yogi, kayaker and gardener, Elizabeth is passionate about changing the mental health landscape for all mothers in Georgia.

Arietta Slade, PhD, is Professor of Clinical Child Psychology at the Yale Child Study Center. An internationally recognized theoretician, clinician, researcher, and teacher, she has written widely on reflective parenting, the development of parental reflective functioning, and the implications of attachment and mentalization theory for child and adult psychotherapy. She is a Co-Founder and Director of Training of Minding the Baby®, an evidence-based interdisciplinary reflective home visiting program for high-risk mothers, infants, and their families, at the Yale Child Study Center and School of Nursing. Dr. Slade is a winner of the Bowlby-Ainsworth Award from the New York Attachment Consortium, and author, with Jeremy Holmes, of Attachment in Therapeutic Practice (Holmes & Slade, SAGE Publications, 2018), and editor of the six volume set, Major Work on Attachment (Slade & Holmes, SAGE Publications, 2014), of Mind to Mind: Infant Research, Neuroscience, and Psychoanalysis (Jurist, Slade, & Bergner, Other Press, 2008), and Children at Play (Slade & Wolf, Oxford University Press, 1994). Currently, she and her Minding the Baby® colleagues are writing a book on reflective parenting (Forthcoming, Guilford, 2022). She has also been in private practice for nearly 40 years, working with individuals of all ages.

Monica Tsethlikai, PhD, is an enrolled member of the Zuni (A:shiwi) Nation. She is currently an associate professor in the T. Denny Sanford School of Social and Family Dynamics at Arizona State University. In all of her work, Dr. Tsethlikai incorporates a strengths-based focus on the role cultural pride and cultural engagement play in shaping cognitive development and well-being in American Indian children. Her latest project examined the development of mental health and executive functions among urban American Indian children in relation to toxic stress (measured by parental report and cortisol levels in children’s hair). She also contributes to research on a culturally grounded parenting intervention for urban American Indian families with colleagues at Arizona State University. Dr. Tsethlikai received her undergraduate degree from the University of Notre Dame in Psychology and Japanese. She earned her doctoral degree at the University of Kansas in Psychology – cognitive and quantitative. She completed a postdoctoral fellowship at the University of California, Santa Cruz under the direction of Dr. Barbara Rogoff. Her first academic position was at the University of Utah in the Department of Psychology. Her research has been funded by a William T. Grant Scholars Award, the Ford Foundation as both a pre-doctoral and post-doctoral fellow, and the Spencer Foundation. She also received support from the Native Children’s Research Exchange Scholars Program funded by the National Institute on Drug Abuse. She is currently a William T. Grant Advanced Quantitative and Computational (AQC) Scholar.

Jessica Barnes-Najor, PhD, is a developmental psychologist at Michigan State University who focuses on engaging community in the research process. Barnes-Najor works with the Tribal Early Childhood Research Center, partnering with Native early childhood programs to address community defined research topics. Barnes-Najor is also a co-PI of Wiba Anung, an early childhood research collaborative of partners representing Michigan tribes. Barnes-Najor and partners have developed approaches for conducting culturally sensitive research in collaboration with community partners.

Hiram (Hi) Fitzgerald, PhD, is a University Distinguished Professor of psychology Emeritus at Michigan State University, and an Adjunct Professorial Fellow at Curtin University, Australia. He is past president and executive director of both the Michigan Association for Infant Mental Health and the International Association for Infant Mental Health, and for 16 years served as executive director of the World Association for Infant Mental Health. He served two terms as Editor of the Infant Mental Health Journal, and currently is Associate Editor of Adversity and Resilience Science. He has received the ZERO TO THREE Dolley Madison Award for Outstanding Lifetime Contributions to the Development and Well Being of Very Young Children, the Michigan Association for Infant Mental Health Selma Fraiberg Award, and the designation of Honorary President from the World Association for Infant Mental Health. He is a Fellow of the American Psychological Association and the Association of Psychological Science. His most recent book is Handbook of Fathers and Child Development: Prenatal to Preschool, Springer

Elizabeth Schultz is the Community Relations Manager with the All Alaska Pediatric Partnership. In this role she oversees Help Me Grow Alaska outreach and co-leads the Alaska Early Childhood Network, a statewide peer-to-peer network of community leaders focused on the health and wellbeing of children and families. Elizabeth holds a bachelor’s degree in Natural Science and Psychology from Juniata College and a Master of Divinity from Princeton Seminary. She has worked as a Presbyterian pastor, focusing on youth and families, community outreach, and national and international service opportunities. She served as the Community and Nonprofit Liaison and policy analyst on Housing and Homelessness for Governor Bill Walker. In this role, Elizabeth had the opportunity to build strong relationships within the nonprofit community, identify gaps and barriers, and work collaboratively to improve systems to meet various challenges faced by Alaskan families and communities. She also planned and implemented statewide interfaith forums and a training for SOA commissioners and division directors on the ACEs (Adverse Childhood Experiences) study and trauma engaged response. Elizabeth and her husband, Matt, are the proud parents of three children and love to call Alaska home!

Robert J. Hilt, MD, FAPA, FAAP is a Professor of Psychiatry at the University of Washington and Seattle Children’s Hospital. Prior to his career as a child psychiatrist, Dr. Hilt worked as a primary care pediatrician and then as a pediatric hospitalist. Dr. Hilt is the Program Director for the new Partnership Access Line child mental health consultation service for primary care providers in Alaska, also known at PAL-PAK. He directs similar services for Washington and Wyoming, is also the Program Director for the Medicaid Medication Second Opinion Programs of Wyoming and Washington, and MDT Consult Service in Wyoming. He has served as co-chair of the Committee on Collaboration with Medical Professions with the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, and as a Mental Health Editor for the American Academy of Pediatrics’ PREP-Self Assessment, and serves on the editorial boards for Pediatric Annals, Psychiatric Annals, and Psychiatric Services.

Marcy Ash is the Community Relations Coordinator at the All Alaska Pediatric Partnership. She has a Bachelor's of Science degree in Family and Consumer Sciences with a concentration being in Child and Family Studies. Marcy’s background has primarily been in early childhood education and non-profit organizations providing direct services to children, families, and a variety of home visiting programs. Alaska holds a very special place in her heart due to her only child being born here in 2014.

Elizabeth O’Brien, LPC PMH-C
Founder + CEO Elizabeth A. O’Brien & Associates, LLC

Elizabeth has over twenty years of clinical experience and is a recognized expert in women’s well- being specializing in Perinatal Mood and Anxiety disorders. She has been a featured contributor for articles, podcasts, and an ebook, including The Washington Post and Atlanta Magazine. In 2017, she founded the Postpartum Support International Georgia Chapter (PSI-GA) where she served as president for three years, and continues to volunteer on the board. This chapter has become a national leader recognized for its fundraising, innovative training courses, and mentorship of other PSI chapters. Additionally, Elizabeth is a national trainer with Postpartum Support International, and the 2019 winner of the Carolyn Wetzel Continuum Award honoring her role as an agent for positive change for the health and wellbeing of Georgia families.

Elizabeth earned an MA in Dance Movement Therapy, where she focused on complex trauma and early childhood mental health. Elizabeth served on the Alaska Early Childhood State board as a founding board member when she lived in Fairbanks, Alaska. Committed to integrating mind and body treatment, she serves women throughout their lifespans. Additionally, she consults with creatives, therapists, and female entrepreneurs both individually and in groups to help them launch their own businesses.

Prior to opening her own practice, Elizabeth worked on the rural tundra of Alaska, in hospitals, correctional facilities, and intimate partner settings. A feminist, activist, wife, mother, beekeeper, yogi, kayaker and gardener, Elizabeth is passionate about changing the mental health landscape for all mothers in Georgia.

Arietta Slade, PhD, is Professor of Clinical Child Psychology at the Yale Child Study Center. An internationally recognized theoretician, clinician, researcher, and teacher, she has written widely on reflective parenting, the development of parental reflective functioning, and the implications of attachment and mentalization theory for child and adult psychotherapy. She is a Co-Founder and Director of Training of Minding the Baby®, an evidence-based interdisciplinary reflective home visiting program for high-risk mothers, infants, and their families, at the Yale Child Study Center and School of Nursing. Dr. Slade is a winner of the Bowlby-Ainsworth Award from the New York Attachment Consortium, and author, with Jeremy Holmes, of Attachment in Therapeutic Practice (Holmes & Slade, SAGE Publications, 2018), and editor of the six volume set, Major Work on Attachment (Slade & Holmes, SAGE Publications, 2014), of Mind to Mind: Infant Research, Neuroscience, and Psychoanalysis (Jurist, Slade, & Bergner, Other Press, 2008), and Children at Play (Slade & Wolf, Oxford University Press, 1994). Currently, she and her Minding the Baby® colleagues are writing a book on reflective parenting (Forthcoming, Guilford, 2022). She has also been in private practice for nearly 40 years, working with individuals of all ages.

Bunti Reed, BA, has more than 27 years’ experience in providing services, administration, program design, and the supervision of children’s behavioral health and developmental disability programs. She worked for16 years in various positions at non-profits in Juneau before moving to the Office of Children’s Services central office to become their community services program manager. Two years ago, she came to the Division of Behavioral health as a program manager for child and youth residential treatment services.

As an advocate for community services, a specialist in the issues of children of incarcerated parents, and as a private citizen who is a parent of a now grown son with TBI, she has presented in multiple state and national venues such as the CWLA national convention, 4 National Child Abuse Prevention Conferences, The AK Children of Incarcerated Parents Summit, and 4 National Parent Leadership Conferences.

Bunti moved to Alaska 29 years ago from California. She holds a BA in Liberal Arts with a Social Science emphasis from Thomas Edison University, an AAS in Chemical Dependency Treatment from Peninsula College, a Certificate in Children’s Mental Health from the University of Alaska Anchorage, and a Certified Ethics Associate certification from Management Strategy Institute.

Elijah McCauley, MA, CRC, CTP-CE, is a dynamic & innovative presenter with 26 years of experience in training and development, as well as advanced application of therapeutic services to youth with Emotional & Behavioral Difficulties (EBD). His expertise lies in Evidence Based Practices in Trauma Focused Care as well as effective methods for dealing with difficult and resistant youth. He currently holds an M.A. in Health Science – Rehabilitation Psychology from the University of Florida.

Elijah holds certifications as a Certified Rehabilitation Counselor (CRCC), Certified Master Trainer of Aggression Replacement Training (ART), Certified Master Trainer of Structured Psychotherapy for Adolescence Responding to Chronic Stress (SPARCS), Certified Master Trainer for Transition to Independence Process (TIP), and Certified Trauma Practitioner (Clinician) through Starr Commonwealth.

Patrick Sidmore, MSW, is the Health Schools Specialist with the Division of Public Health. He holds degrees in economics and social work and studied elementary education. He has worked for the Alaska Mental Health Board, Senior and Disabilities Services and in multiple non-profits over his career. He has presented hundreds of times in Alaska to a wide variety of audiences often covering topics related to working with people who have experienced trauma.

Heather Coulehan joined the Alaska AASB Team in May 2015, moving to Juneau (and is so happy to be here!) from Anchorage where she had been engaged in social and emotional learning (SEL), positive youth development, and prevention work for over 20 years. Heather brings her experience with supporting educators, developing curriculum, and facilitating professional development for the Anchorage School District to collaboration with school districts across the state. Focused on engaging families in the school community and in planning for and implementing evidence based SEL approaches, these collaborations increase academic achievement and other positive outcomes for students. Heather holds a master’s degree in Education from the University of Alaska Anchorage and an Alaska K-12 School Counseling Certificate.

Evon Peter, MA, is Neetsaii Gwich’in and Koyukon from Vashrąįį K’ǫǫ (Arctic Village), Alaska. He is an advocate of Indigenous knowledge, languages and rights, especially as they relate to the health and well-being of communities, and has focused on incorporating Indigenous knowledge and practices into healing, leadership development, research and Alaska Native language programs. Areas of expertise include Alaska Native and Indigenous studies, Arctic Council, University of the Arctic, suicide prevention and film production.

Lisa Wexler, MSW, PhD, has been working in partnership with rural and remote Alaska Native communities since 1999. She is currently a Professor at the University of Michigan with a joint appointment at the School of Social Work and the Research Center for Group Dynamics, ISR. Her federally-funded, participatory research aims to (1) translate research into strategic, self-determined community action; (2) describe and amplify sources of strength in rural Indigenous communities; and (3) develop practical multilevel approaches to reduce youth suicide risk across the prevention spectrum. This work uses a variety of mixed methods including intergenerational and digital storytelling, Photovoice, social network analysis, narrative analysis, and community-level measurement to generate useful information for action.

Elijah McCauley, MA, CRC, CTP-CE, is a dynamic & innovative presenter with 26 years of experience in training and development, as well as advanced application of therapeutic services to youth with Emotional & Behavioral Difficulties (EBD). His expertise lies in Evidence Based Practices in Trauma Focused Care as well as effective methods for dealing with difficult and resistant youth. He currently holds an M.A. in Health Science – Rehabilitation Psychology from the University of Florida.

Elijah holds certifications as a Certified Rehabilitation Counselor (CRCC), Certified Master Trainer of Aggression Replacement Training (ART), Certified Master Trainer of Structured Psychotherapy for Adolescence Responding to Chronic Stress (SPARCS), Certified Master Trainer for Transition to Independence Process (TIP), and Certified Trauma Practitioner (Clinician) through Starr Commonwealth.

Patrick Sidmore, MSW, is the Health Schools Specialist with the Division of Public Health. He holds degrees in economics and social work and studied elementary education. He has worked for the Alaska Mental Health Board, Senior and Disabilities Services and in multiple non-profits over his career. He has presented hundreds of times in Alaska to a wide variety of audiences often covering topics related to working with people who have experienced trauma.

Leah Van Kirk is the Suicide Prevention Coordinator for the State of Alaska, Division of Behavioral Health. She also manages and provides technical assistance to prevention grantees for the Comprehensive Behavioral Health Prevention and Early Intervention grant. Leah graduated from Concordia University and holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Child Development. She has over 20 years of professional experience working with vulnerable Alaskans in the field of Child Protection, Corrections and Education. Leah was born and raised in Alaska. She and her husband have 4 children and live in the Juneau area.

Harmony Academy’s Founding Principal, Sharon Dursi Martin is a passionate advocate for young people. She has dedicated her career to creating vibrant school and classroom communities where students can experience deep belonging, connection, and personal growth.

Early in her career, Sharon found her place as a much-loved alternative high school teacher. Her energetic and collaborative work to empower young people living with high risk factors ignited her passion to pursue educational leadership as a catalyst to change.

In 2016, Sharon was awarded an Equity Fellowship to study educational leadership at the University of Oregon while serving as the principal of a local charter school. She earned her Oregon Administrator’s License in 2017. In 2018, she was appointed to fill a vacancy on the Board of Directors of Lane Education Service District, which provided her with a more birds-eye view of the joys and challenges of larger equity work and a broader understanding of how people can interact, with love, to create innovative systems that support learners.

In addition to her leadership at Harmony Academy, Sharon now serves on the Board of Directors for the national Association of Recovery Schools and is chair of its data committee. The committee is currently working on a universal data collection instrument for recovery schools that will measure all the ways youth participating in recovery schools find and sustain meaningful and lasting recovery in community.

Opening and leading Harmony Academy is the culmination of Sharon’s personal and professional goals. Sharon has been highly active in recovery communities since March 29, 2006. Fierce love, compassion, and unwavering hope have characterized her work with others suffering from substance use disorders. Sharon shares her own story openly and honestly and lives the message—there is hope. Recovery is real and it is amazing. Like education, it has the power to transform us.

University of Oregon, Administrator Licensure Program, 2017
Pacific University, Master of Arts in Teaching, 2002
Bryn Mawr College, B.A. Fine Arts and Creative Writing, 1996, magna cum laude