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Monique Williams, MA, is a Professional Speaker, Consultant, and Trainer. She has developed and facilitated numerous trainings and workshops on trauma-informed practice for the Virginia Department of Education, Department of Criminal Justice Services, Department of Corrections, and local agencies that serve youth in foster care, residential care, and early childhood education. She offers consulting to schools, public and private agencies, and nonprofits to strengthen youth and family engagement at all levels of service.

Her experience in the field of mental health has greatly impacted the services provided to youth and families involved in multiple systems including social services, behavioral health, juvenile justice, and criminal justice. In her experience, she has provided expertise within the State Office of Children and Family Services at the Virginia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services (DBHDS) and has served on national demonstration projects funded by the Office of Victims of Crime that focused on the identification and coordination of care for children, youth, and transitioning young adults who have been victimized by a broad spectrum of crimes and other traumatic violent events. As a Training Faculty with the Virginia Sexual and Domestic Violence Action Alliance Training Institute, Ms. Williams is often requested to facilitate trainings, workshops, and webinars centered on adverse childhood experiences and trauma, resiliency, intergenerational violence and historical trauma, and services to support communities of color. She most recently began statewide facilitation of the Essential Elements of Collaboration: Behavioral Health & Domestic Violence, a continued advocacy training intended to help build capacity and improve collaboration between domestic violence programs (DVPs) and Community Service Boards (CSBs) in Virginia. As a Nationally Certified Nonviolent Crisis Intervention Instructor and Certified Positive Discipline Educator, Ms. Williams also provides consultation, workshops, and trainings on the use of discipline and behavioral strategies for managing children and adults suffering from mental health crisis and behavioral dysregulation. Her work has been adapted in community-based settings for both families and professionals.

As a busy mother of a very active schoolager, Monique balances quite a few hats with BFE and in her personal life. She integrates her own experiences to share how her education, coaching, and practices have been effective in her life too. The biggest reflection of her work is in her story of resilience! Having grown up with adverse childhood experiences that statistically identify that she could have difficulty with authority figures, social problems, and a greater likelihood of early death, Monique has defied those odds in every way. 

During her studies for her Master of Arts in Human Services, with an emphasis on Marriage and Family Counseling, Monique focused her work in the study of women and the support needed to help families experience growth and resilience through transitions (e.g., divorce or separation, changes and losses, and family structure).  In addition to her personal and professional experience, Monique boasts advanced training and certification as a Cognitive Behavioral Coach.  She is also certified in various programs including parenting education, relationship enrichment, positive psychology, and purpose and passion development. ​

More about Monique Williams!

Education & Experience
  • Master of Arts: Human Services: Marriage & Family Counseling
  • Master of Arts: Criminal Justice - Juvenile Justice; Research publication: Assessing the Effectiveness of Juvenile Drug Treatment Courts 
  • Bachelor of Arts: Criminal Justice; minors: Psychology & Sociology
  • Certified Cognitive Behavioral Life Coach (Purpose & Positive Psychology)
Experience in Marriage & Family counseling, Family Systems & Parent Education Facilitation Skills:
  • Certified Parent Resource for Information Development Education (PRIDE) Instructor - Foster, Adoptive, & Kinship Parenting
  • Certified Positive Discipline Educator
  • Marriage & Relationship Education Training with National Healthy Marriage Resource Center
  • Statewide Facilitator on various topics in Family Violence Prevention - Domestic and sexual violence, youth violence, child abuse/neglect
  • Collaborating partner on multiple state and local multidisciplinary teams to improve the practices for children and families impacted by child abuse, neglect, violence, and crime.

Cognitive Behavioral Techniques, Trauma Focused Care, & Behavior Modification Skills:
  • Certified Crisis Prevention Institute (CPI): Nonviolent Crisis Intervention Instructor
  • Qualified Mental Health & Developmental Disabilities Provider
  • Cognitive Behavioral Assessment & Treatment
  • Cognitive Behavioral Coaching
  • Perinatal Mental Health Assessment & Treatment
  • Trauma Informed Care Professional: Child Populations, Organizational Assessment, & System Collaboration

For booking and more information: Download Speaker Bio 

Publications & Media
  • Commonwealth of Virginia Organizational Readiness Survey: The goal of the organizational readiness survey was to better understand policies and daily practices at the central office, state agencies and agency-related services and programs that influence the treatment and intervention of children, youth, and transitioning young adults within the Commonwealth.
  • ​Linking System of Care Resource Mapping: To effectively link systems of care, local communities may have to work across programmatic and geographic boundaries to effectively identify their resources.  When both traditional and non-traditional, ancillary services are identified; the ability to access and utilize referrals and services to support children, youth and families is enhanced. 
Keynote & Plenary Address
Virginia AmeriCorps Youth Summit
​Virginia Department of Corrections Women's Re-Entry Summit
Fall Into Fabulous at Quinn Rivers
​Training, Conference, and Workshop Facilitation
​Conferences & Organizational Training
​Virginia Department of Education
Virginia Sexual & Domestic Violence Action Alliance
Virginia Department of Social Services
The Virginia Victim  Assistance Network
Virginia Department of Criminal Justice Services
Virginia Department of Behavioral Health & Development Services
Virginia Commonwealth University Training and Technical Assistance Center​
​Newport News Juvenile Detention Center
​School-Based Training Services
​Mecklenburg County Public Schools
Appomattox County Schools 
Richmond City Public Schools
Fredericksburg Public Schools
Cumberland County Public Schools