John Airsman is a licensed professional counselor, specializing in addiction treatment. He has been licensed for five years, and is currently finishing up a doctoral dissertation. He currently is a psychology instructor at Jefferson College in Hillsboro, Missouri for the past three years. John’s research is related to the addiction field, focusing on etiologies of substance use disorder. He finished his doctorate in late September 2017. He specializes in many areas related to substance use disorder. His dissertation focused on the problematic issue of high relapse rates. The aim of his work is to bring it to focus areas for more research, and more dynamic clinical approaches to mitigating relapse. John’s future plans are to publish his findings, and to work on publications for assisting clinicians with treatment of addiction, and practical publications to assist recovering individuals in comprehending addiction and overcoming obstacles to regulating emotions.

Presentation(s): 

Etiologies of Substance Use Disorder

Tracy Kirksey is the Director of the Second Chance Risk Reduction Center and the Metropolitan Community Service Program. She joined the Kansas City Metropolitan Crime Commission in September 2016 after retiring from the Missouri Department of Corrections where she had worked for over 33 years. During her tenure with the State of Missouri, Tracy served as District Administrator for the Missouri Probation and Parole District 28 office in Cass County, the District 4C Missouri Probation and Parole Office in Kansas City, Missouri and the District 24 Missouri Probation and Parole Office in Independence, Missouri. Tracy brings with her an abundance of knowledge in leadership and management and a multitude of experience working with the offender population and reentry. Tracy is a graduate of Lincoln University with an Associate Degree in Law Enforcement. Tracy co-chaired the Department of Corrections partnership with the Missouri Children’s Division collaboration to keep children safe. Tracy was also part of the originating committee with Missouri Probation and Parole in the establishment of the Metropolitan Community Service Program. She is a member of the Kansas City No Violence Alliance Social Service Committee and the Greater Kansas City Reentry Team Board. She has a genuine passion for the reintegration of offenders and helping them to achieve their goals of becoming a successful and active member of society.

Presentation(s): 

Thinking Outside the [Felony] Box

Brittany Peterson is the Senior Resource Specialist and RES Training Facilitator with the Second Chance Reentry Program of the Kansas City Metropolitan Crime Commission. She holds special certifications through the National Institute of Corrections (NIC), including Offender Workforce Development Specialist (OWDS), Offender Employment Retention Specialist (OERS) and Employment Retention Specialist – Criminal Justice (ERS-CJ). Brittany is a 2009 graduate of Graceland University in Lamoni, Iowa, with dual degrees in International Studies and Sociology, minor specializations in Peace Studies and Political Science. Also, as a college honor student, she spent a semester abroad in El Salvador and Nicaragua, Central America, for thematic study on “Revolution, Transformation and Civil Society”, as well as conducting research on domestic violence. She has a broad base of experience in the Social Work profession. Her experience includes working with anti-human trafficking projects, work with at-risk, under-privileged youth, behavior modification and family reunification in both rural Iowa and low income communities of Kansas City, MO. She places an emphasis on successfully assisting reentry clients with violent criminal histories in order to break the chain of victimization. Her high quality, energetic, and focused performance makes her a valuable asset within the Greater Kansas City Reentry services community.

Presentation(s): 

Thinking Outside the [Felony] Box

Kristen Myers is a Prevention Specialist for Crider Health Center – Compass Health Network. Kristen, along with her team of coworkers, educates students in violence prevention across St. Charles, Lincoln, and Franklin counties in Missouri. Kristen’s engaging and relatable presentations teach students about the importance of staying composed in the midst of bullying situations and the importance of self-worth and empathy. Kristen also adapted the material in order to instruct consumers at Headway Clubhouse in St. Charles about the same techniques. Kristen holds a master’s degree in clinical psychology. She previously worked as a Licensed Masters Level Psychologist in Kansas, Training Director for Youth In Need Head Start/Early Head Start, inspirational speaker, and is the author of Coffee with the Savior.

Presentation(s): 

Teaching Bullying Prevention Strategies to School-Aged Youth

Rachael Fields is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker in Illinois and Missouri.  She attended Southern Illinois University Edwardsville where she earned both her Bachelor and Master of Social Work. Mrs. Fields proudly serves a Captain in the United States Air Force Reserves as a social worker where she raises awareness of mental health concerns and promotes initiatives to reduce suicide and sexual assault among service members. In her civilian role, Mrs. Fields is a social worker for St. Louis Psychiatric Rehabilitation Center where she provides therapeutic and case management services to a mostly forensic client population. Mrs. Fields is also a Licensed Direct Child Welfare Services professional in Illinois where she provided services to families involved with the Illinois child welfare system and managed day to day operations of a foster care program. Mrs. Fields has also provided clinical support services to inner-city youth attending a charter school in St. Louis City, and has provided therapeutic services to children, families, and couples as a therapist at a community mental health facility in Illinois.

Presentation(s):