About Us

The founding members of CSR are trusted leaders in times of crisis. We provide a full spectrum of support from crisis intervention to long-term recovery.    

Who We Are

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The Center for Safe and Resilient Schools and Workplaces (CSR) was founded by national experts in threat assessment, crisis response, and trauma-responsive practices. Collectively, we have over 50 years of experience providing training and consultation to organizations seeking to create safe and healthy organizational climates. Our programs and trainings are designed to help individuals and organizations address stress and trauma and promote individual well-being and organizational performance.    

What We Do

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We have developed programs and training to build organizational capacity to respond to stakeholder needs during both ordinary times and times of high-stress and crisis. We have responded to, and contributed to just-in-time training, recovery program development after many national and international small and large scale crises, including:  Columbine, Newtown, Mandalay Bay Las Vegas, Hurricane Katrina, Typhoon Yolanda, North Ridge earthquake.   

Meet Our Team

We are pivotal leaders in trauma-responsive education and we promote organizational change, risk mitigation, resilience, and recovery for individuals and organizations. We cover the spectrum of support from threat assessment, to crisis response, to long-term recovery.   

Marleen Wong, PhD

Identified as a “pre-eminent expert in school crisis and disaster recovery.” by the White House, and the “architect of school-safety programs,” by the Wall Street Journal. Dr. Wong has provided education and consultation to thousands of school districts, educational institutions, community, state, province, national and international federal agencies and ministries. She is one of the original developers of the evidence based Cognitive Behavioral Intervention for Trauma in Schools, and Psychological First Aid in schools. She has provided on-site crisis management for federal agencies, the United States Department of Education, school shootings, natural disasters, and acts of terrorism. Some of these include; the LA riots of fires,  the Oklahoma City Bombing, Sandy Hook Elementary shooting, the 9/11 terrorist attack,  and was requested to provide consultation following the Capitol Hill insurrection.

Vivien Villaverde, MS SW, LCSW, PPSC

Clinical Associate Professor at the University of Southern California Suzanne Dworak-Peck school of Social Work and incoming Program Director for the Treatment and Services Adaptation Center for Resilience, Hope, and Wellness in Schools. As an expert in trauma and resilience transformation, Ms. Villaverde has partnered and supported multiple organizations and school districts in mental health workforce and program development, consultation, and training. She has collaborated with the California Department of Education, the Republic of the Philippines Department of Education, and the National Center for School Mental Health in South Korea to build capacity in schools in response to crisis and disasters.

Pamela Vona, MA, MPH

Ms. Vona has worked with private corporations, public agencies and school districts to assess and promote organizational wellness. She was the lead developer of the Trauma-Responsive School Implementation Assessment and the Trauma-informed Skills for Educators (TISE) curriculums. For eight years she served as the Program Manager for the Treatment and Services Adaptation Center for Resilience, Hope and Wellness in Schools funded by the U.S Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. Ms. Vona is an expert grant writer and evaluator helping organizations obtain the resources needed to promote and maintain organizational wellness and success.

CSR Mission Statement

During times of personal, organizational, or societal stress and crisis, we provide training and consultation to restore and strengthen individual and organizational resilience, productivity, and potential. We support leaders to develop strategies that promote safety and mitigate the effects of toxic stress on individuals and within the organization.

CRS Vision Statement

Our vision to help build safe and resilient schools and workplaces: Where organizations can accomplish their mission, and achieve their objectives, and individuals can thrive and achieve their full potential.