Our Team

Elaine Miller-Karas is a prominent figure in the field of trauma resiliency, serving as the Co-Founder and Director of Innovation at the Trauma Resource Institute. She is also the author of the book titled Building Resiliency to Trauma, the Trauma and Community Resiliency Models, 2nd Edition (published in 2023). Her work has had a profound impact globally, as she has dedicated herself to promoting healing in communities around the world.

Miller-Karas' innovative trauma resiliency models have been introduced in 75 countries across Asia, Africa, North America, Australia, the Middle East, South America, and Europe. Her expertise as an international speaker and author has led her to present the Community Resiliency Model (CRM)® at prestigious events like the Skoll World Forum and the United Nations. Remarkably, her book has been recognized by the United Nations, and her publisher, Taylor and Francis, curated online library as a valuable resource contributing to the achievement of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.

In addition to her written work and public speaking, Elaine Miller-Karas launched her successful radio show, Resiliency Within, on VoiceAmerica in 2021. She is also a regular contributor to Psychology Today as a blogger.

Furthermore, Ms. Miller-Karas is a founding member of the International Transformational Resilience Coalition, where she advocates for understanding the impact of climate change on the human condition.  She is also a Consultant to Emory University's SEE Learning program, initiated by His Holiness the Dalai Lama in New Delhi, India, in April 2019. She contributed to the trauma-informed and resiliency-informed chapter (Chapter 2) of this curriculum, which is rooted in the Community Resiliency Model.

In response to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Elaine Miller-Karas designed and led the Ukrainian Humanitarian Resiliency Project, offering online support to Ukrainian teachers, children, and community members through EdCamp Ukraine. She is also a valuable member of the advisory board of the Christopher Wolf Crusade, an innovative program addressing the opioid epidemic. Her advisory role extends to Reena Evers Everette of the Myrlie and Medgar Evers Institute in Jackson, Mississippi.

Her dedication to her work is deeply influenced by her bi-cultural family background and the experiences of her parents. Her father hails from Libby, Montana, while her mother's roots lie in Atiquizaya, El Salvador. They met in post-war San Francisco, and the family's experiences have instilled a strong commitment to supporting immigrants, refugees, and internally displaced people. Elaine Miller-Karas is a staunch advocate against xenophobia, racism, and discrimination, values that have defined her life's journey. She also holds a strong commitment to destigmatizing the impact of trauma, including combat-zone trauma, on military personnel and has presented the Trauma Resiliency Model (TRM)® and CRM Skills to many military bases and conferences including Edwards Air Force Base, Fort Drum, Walter Reed Military Medical Center, the Veterans Administration, Loma Linda, and the Marine Base in Barstow, California. She presented CRM at the Wounded Warrior Chronic Pain Conferences in San Diego and Washington, D.C.

Throughout her career, Ms. Miller-Karas has traveled extensively, providing training and support to community members, mental health professionals, and health practitioners in the aftermath of disasters. She has responded to natural disasters such as earthquakes in China, Haiti, and Nepal, as well as wildfires in California, typhoons in the Philippines, hurricanes in Louisiana, and mass shootings in various locations. She has also consulted with communities affected by civil unrest in countries like Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda, and Northern Ireland, as well as hurricanes in North Carolina and Florida and mass shootings in many parts of the United States. These experiences have fueled her passionate advocacy for accessible and affordable healing strategies for communities worldwide.

Before her founding role at TRI, Ms. Miller-Karas served as the Associate Director of Behavioral Sciences at Arrowhead Regional Medical Center's Family Practice Residency Program from 1994 to 2006. Earlier in her career, she completed her graduate internship at Stanford University's Perinatal Outreach Program and worked as a clinician and lecturer there. She also founded and directed Helping after Neonatal Death in Santa Clara County, California, for six years, a support network for bereaved parents.

Elaine Miller-Karas currently resides in Claremont, California, with her husband, Jim. Her family includes two children, a son-in-law, and a granddaughter, along with a cherished assortment of lovable dogs.

Michael Sapp serves as the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Trauma Resource Institute (TRI), where he has been actively involved since 2010, initially as Senior Faculty for both TRM and CRM. His educational background includes an M.A. in General Psychology and a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology, both earned at The New School in New York, NY. Dr. Sapp is deeply committed to disseminating TRI's innovative healing approaches to a global audience.

Dr. Sapp's journey within TRI has been marked by his dedication to its vision and his leadership qualities. In 2016, he assumed the role of Associate Executive Director, and his exceptional leadership skills led to his appointment as CEO in 2020.

A notable aspect of Dr. Sapp's work lies in his keen interest in neuroscientific approaches to trauma healing. This interest culminated in his co-authorship of the chapter "The Nervous System, Memory, and Trauma" in Ms. Miller-Karas' book, Building Resilience to Trauma: The Trauma and Community Resiliency Models, first published in 2015 and subsequently in its second edition in 2023.

Dr. Sapp has made significant international contributions by training clinicians and community leaders in various parts of the world. His humanitarian efforts have taken him to regions affected by earthquakes, typhoons, mass shootings, and crises, where he has displayed exceptional leadership skills in guiding teams and contributing to TRI's growth and success.

In collaboration with the United Nations Population Fund, Dr. Sapp played a crucial role in establishing a CRM Teacher Training program for Angola in 2023. This program aims to educate 180 Young Adult Social Mobilizers (YASM), impacting up to 6,000 Angolan Youth. His humanitarian work was further shaped by experiences in Istanbul, Turkey, supporting Syrian refugees and assisting survivors of the "troubles" in Northern Ireland. He was instrumental in launching TRI's training programs in Belfast, Northern Ireland, and London, England, and also participated in the Ukrainian Humanitarian Resiliency Project. Currently, Dr. Sapp continues to offer support to CRM teachers in the Middle East.

His commitment to global healing efforts is underscored by his role as the team leader for CRM Teacher Training workshops in Kathmandu, Nepal, following the devastating 7.8 earthquake in April 2015. Additionally, he co-led TRI's response in Cebu City, Philippines, aiding communities affected by Typhoon Yolanda.

Under Dr. Sapp's leadership, the Trauma Resource Institute achieved the highest level of recognition from GuideStar in 2023 – the Platinum Seal of Transparency. This acknowledgment represents a testament to TRI's commitment to transparency and its significant contributions to the nonprofit sector.

Dr. Sapp's early career included serving as a supervising psychologist at the Child and Family Guidance Center in Northridge, CA, for three years after completing his Ph.D. He subsequently embarked on a private practice journey and served as an adjunct professor at a local university.

Currently, Dr. Sapp resides in Upland, CA, with his wife, Shannon, and their two sons, Christian and Caleb.

Kirsten Vinther-Fanucchi is the Director of Education and Training with the Trauma Resource Institute. Kirsten’s responsibilities include oversight of training and curriculum development, training administration, certification, and community building and education. She will implement effective training programs as we continue to expand our reach globally.

Kirsten comes to TRI from California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo (“Cal Poly”) with most recent experience building collaboration in higher education communities through volunteerism, identity and affinity centers, and education and outreach focused on mental health and substance use and misuse. Kirsten nurtured a new and growing recovery community on campus as well as launching the institution’s overdose prevention and Narcan distribution program. She was also heavily involved in Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Belonging (DEIB) work on campus helping to create DEIB pathways for Student Affairs’ staff development and was co-founder of the Womxn’s Faculty & Staff Association on campus. During her time at Cal Poly, she was lucky enough to attend a CRM training and become a certified CRM Teacher.

She has worked as a staff therapist at RISE (now Lumina Alliance) working with individuals and families affected by gender and power-based violence and was responsible for building the agency’s first certified crisis volunteer training that included both intimate partner violence and sexual assault. Kirsten has also worked locally within the Child Welfare system. Her work has always centered on the intersections of trauma—both systemic and interpersonal, mental health, and substance misuse and she believes in the inherent capacity for humans to grow and change.

Kirsten currently resides in San Luis Obispo, ten minutes from the beach with her husband Lance, and two kitties—Luna and Huxley. She is also the fiercely proud single mama to a now 25-year-old daughter who lives nearby.

Kevin McLeod is the Director of Development at the Trauma Resource Institute. His responsibilities include impact and evaluation, fundraising and marketing, and proposal development. Kevin will also lead TRI’s equity, diversity, and inclusion work. This work, along with the EDI Committee, centers around developing, supporting, implementing, and evaluating EDI strategies, content development, and programs serving Community Resiliency Model (CRM)® and Trauma Resiliency Model (TRM)® training team members and participants.

Having planned to create college programs for student success and retention originally, Kevin holds a B.S. in Communications and an M.A. in Higher Education Administration from Appalachian State University. He has experience working with youth and their families, and while living in Charlotte, NC, Kevin worked as the Multisystemic Therapy supervisor at ProCure Therapeutic Agency. Here, Kevin followed a model for community-based treatment aimed at decreasing anti-social behavior and reducing the risk of out-of-home placement for court-involved juveniles.

Recently, Kevin served as the Director of Operations & Strategy for the Division of Community Health at Duke University. His work aimed at improving community outcomes at the intersection of health, place, and equity by addressing social drivers of health, trauma, resilience, and other factors that influence a community’s ability to thrive. While in this role in 2018, Mr. McLeod was introduced to the Community Resiliency Model and completed a CRM Teacher Training Program later that year.

Kevin has also worked for the YMCA of the Triangle as the Sr. Director for Community Outreach leading various education programs and community initiatives. He currently serves as a board member at ReCity, a non-profit incubator in Durham, NC, focused on solving systemic issues related to discrimination, economic disparity, and opportunity.

Kevin resides in Raleigh, North Carolina, with his wife Niesha, and their two daughters, Kaitlyn and Aubrey.

Rebecca Cleland is the Trauma Resiliency Model Training and Support Specialist. Rebecca supports TRI trainings in preparation, facilitation, and post-training activities as well as TRM Practioner Management, TRM Practioner Certification Management, TRM Consultation Management, and other duties required by TRI.

Rebecca completed her Bachelor's in Human Services and a Masters of Science in Marriage Child Family Therapy from the University of Phoenix. She is currently a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and has been working the last several years at REACH, formerly Center Against Sexual Assault, as a program manager and direct service provider specializing with survivors of human trafficking, domestic violence, sexual assault, child abuse and neglect. Rebecca was first introduced to the Trauma Resiliency model in 2016 and found it so useful personally and professionally that she returned to get certified as a Community Resiliency Model Teacher in 2018.

Ms. Cleland is a single mom to three boys and lives in Southwest Riverside County, California.

Stephanie Branscum is the CRM Certification Manager. She supports the CRM training team in bringing the Community Resiliency Model (CRM)® to more people and assisting with the teacher certification process. Stephanie earned her Bachelor’s of Political Science and her Master’s of Social Work degrees from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. Stephanie’s graduate research focused on the impact of shared learning environments on the reduction of trauma symptoms among newly resettled refugees in the U.S. While earning her MSW, Stephanie’s internships focused on working with newly resettled refugees, particularly in the areas of employment and access to other resources. Stephanie was instrumental in developing the Knit Together program with Refugee Support Services of the Carolinas, which created a safe space for refugee women to learn a new skill and earn additional income, all while increasing their support network within their community. After receiving her MSW, Stephanie went on to work for a nationally recognized refugee resettlement agency as a Department of Justice certified specialist in Immigration Legal Services. During her time working in Immigration Legal Services, Stephanie aided hundreds of refugees and immigrants in the Triad area of NC with applications for Permanent Residency (Green Cards), Citizenship, Work Authorization, and Family Visas.

Stephanie began perusing her associate licensure in clinical social work (LCSWA) in 2021 and became a certified CRM teacher that same year. Stephanie used her CRM certification to offer classes through a non-profit working with individuals in rural communities impacted by chronic and generational poverty. Stephanie found the CRM skills to be incredibly effective, both as a group intervention in a professional setting and also in her personal life.

Stephanie lives in Rockwell, NC with her husband, Chris, child, Ava, and Ava’s two gerbils, Orville and Redenbacher.

Anthony Martinez is the Public Training Coordinator at Trauma Resource Institute. He coordinates the logistics for both CRM and TRM trainings including registration, participant details, and training team facilitators. He directly communicates with participants ensuring that all inquiries are addressed and tracked respectively before their training(s) begin. 

Anthony gained most of his professional experience working 8 years for a local non-profit after-school program, Think Together. There, Anthony evolved through varying roles supervising, supporting, and collaborating with after-school professionals. He gained a passion to connect families, school districts, and communities to resources designed to enhance the lives of their students. As Anthony understood that his work created an impact and key relationships within the San Gabriel Valley he grew up in, he anticipates on further expanding his skillset in providing the pivotal, life-changing models TRI provides across the nation and globe. 

Anthony is currently completing his college education with a vision of becoming a licensed professional within the psychology/educational realm of work. He lives in Pomona, CA with his wife Elizabeth.  

Lori Eisenberg is the Private Training Coordinator for Trauma Resource Institute. Her responsibilities include liaising with agency point of contacts, coordinating training logistics, monitoring training registrations, and post training support and follow up.

Lori received her Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Redlands. Her past work experience has included working with unhoused individuals, the juvenile justice system, and volunteer management and relations. She currently resides in the Pasadena area.

Karen Chatt is the Administrative Assistant for the Trauma Resource Institute. She manages the TRI Office Monday-Thursday. She Coordinates with Trainers all the materials that are needed for trainings. She also handles all the merchandise on line if you have questions in regards to online purchases. In addition she also coordinates referrals about Trained TRI Practitioners for those who are looking for a TRM- or CRM-trained therapist in their area.

Wendy Flick is the International Coordinator Consultant for TRI. For more than two decades she has worked in the nonprofit sector, creating and implementing programs to empower people to transform their lives, both internationally and domestically.

Within the context of that work, since 2006 she has had the pleasure and privilege of collaborating with Elaine Miller-Karas and other TRI trainers to bring TRM and CRM to east Africa, Haiti, the Philippines, and various communities within the U.S. The focus of those collaborative efforts has ranged from post-disaster recovery to the healing of long-term trauma resulting from situations such as genocide and gender-based violence. Ms. Flick received her Masters in Public Administration from Harvard University‘s JFK School of Government. She earned undergraduate degrees in Biology with a concentration in Psychology from Pennsylvania State University and in Hospice and Grief Counseling from Northern New Mexico College.

She is a certified teacher of CRM. Additionally, she has co-led trainings in Training for Transformation, Adaptive Leadership, Entrepreneurship, and Systems Thinking. She has an intermediate level of fluency in Spanish and Haitian Kreyol. After living in New Mexico for many years, Wendy relocated to Florida in 2018 to support her parents with some health challenges. She currently resides in central Florida

Drew Pledger is TRI’s Regional Coordinator for the State of North Carolina. Drew has come to us after retiring from the Wake County Public School System in Raleigh, NC where he was Coordinator of Mental Health Services. In this role, he was essential in developing and implementing a plan for CRM throughout the school system. He has several years’ experience as a CRM teacher and currently is a CRM Senior Trainer and has provided trainings across the Southeast.

Drew has a long and inclusive history in the mental health field. He received his MSW at UNC Chapel Hill and has followed that with his ACSW certification as a clinical supervisor and is a Board Certified Diplomate in Clinical Social Work. His work history has covered a wide range of roles across multiple systems. He began his work in the field as a house parent in a group home for emotionally challenged children. He went on to lead multiple residential treatment facilities both community-based and institutional. He also has experience with foster care services having been both a foster parent and a director of a foster care program. He was Coordinator of Children’s Services at Durham County Mental Health before establishing his own independent private practice, which he ran for thirty-plus years. He worked to develop mental health services within the school system for nearly thirty years before recently retiring.

Drew has established a longstanding history of leadership and advocacy within the field. He is a past president of the NC Association of Community Alternative for Youth. He has served twice as the President of NC Society for Clinical Social Work and was a founding board member for establishing The National Association of Clinical Social Work. He has also served as a board member on the national board of NASW. Drew was awarded the NC Clinical Social Worker of the Year and the NASW social worker of the year. In addition, he has been active in policy-making efforts. Drew served as Chair of the Juvenile Justice Committee and member of the Governor’s Crime Commission. He was also appointed as a member of the Governor’s Executive Cabinet for Children. Drew was awarded the Order of the Long Leaf Pine by Governor James Hunt. This is the highest civilian award given for public service to the state. He is currently serving as Chair of the Governor’s Social Service Commission which establishes policy for government and public social services.