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Jessica joined the Office of Victim Assistance in October 2007.ÌýShe has held various positions in the office and was promoted to Director of the department in January 2012.ÌýIn summer 2024, Jessica was promoted to the Senior Director of Trauma Response.ÌýJessica is familiar with the Â鶹ӰԺ as she received her undergraduate degree in Psychology here. She then went on to earn a Master’s degree in Community Counseling and is a Licensed Professional Counselor in the State of Colorado.

Jessica is trained in a variety of trauma-informed therapeutic modalities including, but not limited to, mindfulness techniques, short-term solution focused, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), and Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT).Ìý She also has presented locally and nationally on a variety of topics related to trauma support, for example how to support survivors, neurobiology of trauma, self-care for vicarious trauma, the trauma of oppression, advocates role in the Title IX processes and creating campus advocacy programs. Jessica believes in a trauma-informed, multicultural approach and that we must look at the intersection of trauma, oppression, and discrimination and how that can play a role in impact and recovery. Jessica's career has always focused on crisis and trauma work and has an on-going commitment to social justice and she continues to bring her skills of integrated therapy, advocacy, and presenting to support the CU Â鶹ӰԺ community.ÌýÌý

Jessica was the Interim Director of CU's Counseling and Psychiatric Services (CAPS) from Sept. 2021 through Feb. 2022.ÌýCAPS is a team of over 60 clinicians providing on-campus mental health and psychiatric services. In the Spring of 2014 Jessica was a negotiator for the Department of Education's Federal Rulemaking Committee helping inform new regulations based on the 2013 re-authorization of the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA). Jessica has worked as a contract therapist at MESA (Moving to End Sexual Assault), Â鶹ӰԺ's sexual assault advocacy center, providing individual therapy and running primary and secondary survivor groups.Ìý Before that she was MESA's Client Services Coordinator, as well as a counselor and supervisor on MESA's 24-hour hotline.Ìý Jessica also has past experience as a victim advocate for the Â鶹ӰԺ County Sheriff’s Office.Ìý

As a long time victim advocate and trauma therapist her motivation is "sometimes we have to do the work even though we don't yet see a glimmer on the horizon that it's actually going to be possible." -Angela Davis.Ìý As well as her core goal in her work is, "I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel." -Maya Angelou.