Meet the Presenters
Autumn Banning, MSW, is a healthcare leader and social worker committed to advancing equity, dignity, and justice for people in larger bodies. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Psychology with a minor in Human Services from Granite State College and a Master of Social Work from the University of New Hampshire. With over a decade of experience in healthcare management, Autumn has led multidisciplinary teams and championed trauma-informed, patient-centered systems, particularly in mental health and eating disorder care. Her work is grounded in Health at Every Size (HAES)® principles and a belief that ethical healthcare must be affirming, accessible, and free from stigma. Autumn brings both professional expertise and lived experience to her advocacy for size-inclusive, justice-oriented care.
Liz Canada (they/them) is the Advocacy Director at Planned Parenthood of Northern New England and Planned Parenthood New Hampshire Action Fund. Liz helps lead New Hampshire’s Reproductive Rights Coalition, which includes incredible organizations and individuals who work hard - and care deeply - about abortion rights and access in the Granite State. Liz previously worked in public education, beginning as a high school English teacher and college instructor in Denver…before students or teachers had smartphones. After teaching, they became a College Advisor, working with seniors on their post-high school plans, including helping them complete the FAFSA. They were the first full-time hire at a Boston nonprofit that focused on family engagement, where Liz coached educators, school leaders, and school districts in how to build positive relationships with their students’ families. They’ve written many education policy memos and reports, some that were fun, some that were not. They have their B.S.Ed in Secondary Education English from Bloomsburg University, their M.A. in English from Seton Hall University, and their M.Ed. in Education Policy and Management from the Harvard Graduate School of Education. They also host a podcast called New Hampshire Has Issues.
Chelsey Canavan, MSPH, is a Senior Lecturer in Public Health at The Dartmouth Institute for Health Policy and Clinical Practice where she teaches in the residential MPH program. Chelsey is a Manager in Population Health at Dartmouth Health where she is responsible for operations and programming for the Center for Advancing Rural Health Equity and also and oversees Food is Medicine programs for the health system. For over two decades, Chelsey has built partnerships to promote public health with a focus on food and nutrition security and maternal and child health. Chelsey’s work has included program design, implementation, and evaluation; implementation science; and capacity building for public health programs at home in New England and in over a dozen countries in sub-Saharan Africa, Southeast Asia, and Central America. Previously, she managed a global food systems and nutrition research program at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. She was an Allan Rosenfield Global Health Fellow at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and has a MSPH from UNC Chapel Hill Gillings School of Global Public Health.
Devon Chaffee, As the Executive Director of the ACLU of New Hampshire since 2012, Devon has overseen the organization’s major growth in membership and its success in protecting and defending civil rights in the Granite State. Devon’s fight for civil liberties in New Hampshire continues to be one focused on deepening relationships with communities impacted by injustice and disparities and fighting to create a more equitable Granite State for all.
Previously, Devon was in the National ACLU’s Washington D.C. Office, where she worked to stop biased policing, prisoner abuse, privacy violations, and free speech infringement. Prior to joining the ACLU, she served as Advocacy Counsel at Human Rights First, fighting against U.S. counter-terrorism and national security policies that violate human rights.
Devon has also served on the Governor’s Advisory Council on Diversity and Inclusion (2018-2021), the Inter-branch Commission on Criminal and Juvenile Justice Legislative Commission (2017-2021), the NH Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty (2017-2021), and was the former Chair of the ABA Subcommittee on National Security and Civil Liberties. She received her J.D. magna cum laude from Georgetown University Law Center where she was a Public Interest Law Scholar, and received her B.A. from Hampshire College.
Steven Durost, PhD, LCMHC, REAT, TEP, TSM Level II Trainer is the Executive Director & Owner of C.R.E.A.T.E! Center for Expressive Arts, Therapy and Education in Manchester, N.H., U.S.A, which employs 25+ counselors and arts-based therapists. C.R.E.A.T.E! is the recipient of the 2010 New Hampshire National Alliance for Mental Illness Award for Systems Change. Steven has been awarded the Heroes of Justice Award by the YWCA Crisis Services for his work with the Male Sexual Abuse Survivor's Group and for being a first responder for human trafficking. Steven is one of the first dozen people in the world to earn a Doctorate in Expressive Art Therapy through Lesley University in Cambridge, MA. and is also adjunct faculty at Lesley University. In learning about trauma work, Steven conducted research, taught courses and created groups in South Africa, Israel, New Zealand, and Australia.
Steven is a Registered Art Therapist with the International Expressive Art Therapy Association, and he is the recipient of the 2014 ASGPP's Zerka T. Moreno Award for outstanding achievement in psychodrama. Steven is the only fully trained TSM Psychodrama Level II Trainer and has taught workshops around the world in China, Singapore, Sweden, Denmark, Greece, Croatia, India, and the United States. Steven is also an international show kite flyer and a professional Master's bodybuilder in the 50+ category.
Dr. Samantha Dutra has an earned doctorate in education from Endicott College in Higher Education and Leadership. She has been an instructor both online and on ground at Middlesex Community College, Endicott College Van Loan School, Lasell University, Fitchburg State University, and Bay State College. She currently teaches online for Southern New Hampshire University. In addition to this, she is the Professional Development Coordinator for the New England College Personnel Association. Her recent political interests include her position as an elected town meeting member for Arlington, her service as a member of the equal opportunity committee in Arlington, as well as her membership in the League of Women Voters of Arlington. She has also participated in many endeavors on Capitol Hill during representative meetings to voice concerns about Medicare issues, the opioid crisis, and community impact.
She graduated with her Master’s in Education, specializing in mental health and addictions counseling, from Cambridge College. This educational preparation has enhanced the versed knowledge she acquired in her work experience. She has, conjointly, 20 years of experience successfully counseling a versatile population, handling a caseload of up to 100 clients, and providing employee training and supervision in both counseling and research environments. She worked in an agency setting for over 10 years. She also provides licensure supervision to therapists working toward their licensure. In addition, she has been employed as an assistant faculty member for several years by Cambridge College, assisting the Chair of Human Services and the Chair of Juvenile Justice. She is currently in private practice in Arlington, Massachusetts.
Throughout her career, she has naturally sought out increasing levels of responsibility, which has further advanced her leadership skills. She was honored to be selected as a guest presenter at the 21st annual conference of the Association for Nontraditional Students in Higher Education (ANTSHE) at Johnson Smith University in North Carolina. She was also selected to present her dissertation results at Harvard University for the International Journal of Arts and Sciences at their annual conference in May 2020. She has had the opportunity to train and supervise other employees in organizational and customer service strategies, counseling, and research techniques. As a leader in many educational and professional roles, she directs both by example and by fostering a desire to learn while establishing positive, mutually beneficial working relationships. Additionally, she has been frequently recognized for producing top-notch work, performing effectively and efficiently within timelines—always with the goal of making a positive impact on the agency and its clients and consumers. A few of the institutions she has worked within include Boston Medical Center, Tufts Medical Center, the Department of Mental Health, and the Department of Developmental Disabilities.
Chris Erchull serves as Senior Staff Attorney at GLBTQ Legal Advocates & Defenders (GLAD Law). At GLAD Law, Chris leads and supports policy advocacy across New England, with a particular focus on advancing transgender rights in New Hampshire. His work has included successful opposition to numerous legislative efforts targeting transgender youth. Chris also collaborates with families and schools across the region to ensure LGBTQ+ students have equal educational opportunities.
Chris’s litigation portfolio includes Pangborn v. Ascend, a case involving a hospice nurse denied healthcare because he is transgender; Bernier v. Turbocam, a challenge to a religious employer’s exclusion of gender-affirming care; Doe v. Ladapo, a federal challenge to Florida’s ban on medical care for transgender adolescents; and Tirrell v. Edelblut, a lawsuit contesting New Hampshire’s ban on transgender youth participating in sports. In addition to litigation, Chris has co-authored numerous amicus briefs, including in Commonwealth v. Carter, where the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court held that individuals cannot be excluded from jury service based on sexual orientation.
Gretchen Grappone, LICSW (she/her/hers) is a New York City-based training consultant and clinician specializing in structural change and she is guided by the important work of the Center for Institutional Courage and the Intersectionality Training Institute. Over the past two decades she has worked in clinical, research, educational, and training settings and has always emphasized the importance of providing effective services for people with mental illness and substance use disorders through an intersectional lens.
She has worked as a cognitive behavioral therapist and dialectical behavioral therapist at The Mental Health Center of Greater Manchester in NH, and as an implementation monitor and trainer for a national evidence-based practice implementation project at Dartmouth Psychiatric Research Center. She has facilitated intersectional stigmatization reduction trainings in a variety of healthcare settings in the United States and has served as a subject matter expert on stigma reduction, behavioral health, trauma-informed care, and vocational services interventions for grants funded by SAMHSA, the Endowment for Health, the Department of Veterans Affairs, American Medical Women’s Association, and Ryan White HIV funding.
Gretchen co-wrote the chapter “Recovery Perspectives” in Evidenced-Based Mental Health Practice: A Textbook and has written about stigmatization from her perspective as both a social worker and someone with lived experience of depression for the Journal of Mental Health, Behavioral Health News, and the NAMI Advocate. She advocates for anti-racist, LGBTQ+ affirming, recovery-oriented services and work environments, and is committed to addressing disparities in care with the goal of health equity for all.
Jessica Goff, MSW (she/her) is the Education and Training Director with New Hampshire Outright, a nonprofit organization that serves, supports, and advocates for LGBTQ+ youth across New Hampshire. As part of this role, she coordinates educational opportunities and spaces within schools, organizations, and the broader community that aim to increase the visibility of LGBTQ+ youth and foster the implementation of supportive practices. Jessica graduated with her Master’s Degree in Social Work from the University of New Hampshire in 2022. She has worked within the nonprofit sector for the past decade, continually seeking to create intersectional safe spaces in her work with youth, unhoused folks, individuals with Developmental Disabilities, and the LGBTQ+ community.
Rachel Henderson, LICSW earned a Bachelor’s degree in Social Work from Elms College and a Master’s degree in Social Work from Westfield State in 2015. During their graduate studies, she completed a master’s-level internship with the After Incarcerated Support Systems through the Hampden County Sheriff’s Department, providing counseling and support to individuals post-incarceration.
Rachel's professional experience primarily focuses on working with children, including collaborating with the Department of Children and Families to connect families with childcare services and other vital resources. Prior to entering social work, Rachel gained extensive experience coaching youth sports and working in daycare settings across multiple age groups, providing a unique, well-rounded perspective on child development.
Passionate about supporting both children and adults, Rachel integrates her diverse experiences—both within and outside the social work field—into equipping people across the lifespan.
Kaitlin Jones, MSW, CPS, earned her Bachelor’s Degree in Social Work from the University of New Hampshire in 2010. She began her career in the nonprofit sector, providing comprehensive wraparound services to individuals and families in need. In 2016, Kaitlin pursued her Master’s Degree in Clinical Social Work at Bridgewater State University, completing the program while continuing to work in the field. After graduation, she shifted her focus to clinical practice, delivering in-home family therapy services.
In 2017, Kaitlin transitioned from the nonprofit world to public education, joining Rochester Middle School as a Student Assistance Counselor. There, she provided substance misuse prevention and early intervention services to students. She earned her Certified Prevention Specialist (CPS) credential in 2019. In February 2022, Kaitlin became the first Police Social Worker at the Dover Police Department—and the first in the state of New Hampshire to hold such a position. She was promoted to Social Work Unit Supervisor in 2023.
Kaitlin describes feeling more energized in her career than ever before, grateful for the opportunity to develop and shape the Social Work Unit from the ground up. She is proud to be part of a forward-thinking, trauma-informed, and collaborative police department and hopes to inspire other law enforcement agencies to integrate social work into their approach to public safety."
Jermaine Moore is a trusted partner to organizations committed to developing courageous leaders, inclusive teams, and thriving workplace cultures. As the Founder and Principal of The Mars Hill Group, Jermaine brings over two decades of experience in leadership development, team performance, and I&B (Inclusion and Belonging) strategy. He works closely with executives, boards, and staff across industries, from finance and healthcare to education and tech, designing multi-layered programs that blend coaching, training, and organizational strategy. Jermaine’s signature approach integrates mindset work, inclusive leadership, team development, and practical I&B frameworks that move organizations from awareness to action. He is especially known for guiding long-term culture transformations, designing experiential learning sessions, and equipping leaders to model authenticity, clarity, and care in their decision-making. Beyond his consulting work, Jermaine is a board member for the Diversity Workforce Coalition.
Lynne Schmidt LCSW, is the queer, neurodivergent, disabled, grandchild of a Holocaust survivor, and a therapist with a focus in trauma and healing. They obtained their MSW in 2020 from UNE with Trauma Informed and EFT-1 Certificates. They are the 2025 Maine Arts Fellow for Literary Arts and the author of Dying Dog Poems, The Unaccounted for Circles of Hell, and Dead Dog Poems which was the 2020 New Women's Voices Contest winner, and Gravity, which has been listed as One of the Best Breakup Books of All Time by Book Authority. When given the choice, Lynne prefers her pack of animals to humans.
Sara Sullivan, LCMHC (She/Her) is a mental health clinician and educator who is dedicated to the creation of safer, affirming spaces for LGBTQ+ folks of all ages. Recognized nationally as Counselor of the Year by the American Mental Health Counselors Association, Sara is deeply committed to her clients and to her profession. Sara created and developed the mentoring program within the NH Mental Health Counselors Association and served on the board of directors for more than a decade. In partnership with New Hampshire Outright, Sara founded the Queer Youth Resilience (QYR) project which is an initiative to increase access to informed mental health care for LGBTQ+ clients by training and supporting mental health clinicians. Prior to becoming a clinician, Sara was a participant, Board Member, Program Director, and interim Executive Director for various Outright organizations across New Hampshire. Sara currently runs a private practice in Greenland, New Hampshire where her specialties include EMDR, neurodiversity, and LGBTQ+ informed therapy.
Jennifer Wolfe, BS Edu, MSW, LICSW (she/they) is a creative leader, trainer, clinician, supervisor, artist, and change-maker. They provide LGBTQIA+ and NeuroDivergent Affirming clinical psychotherapy, clinical supervision, professional training, and creative expression workshops for helpers and healers. Committed to inspiring self- advocacy for clients and colleagues, Jennifer strives to walk the walk, not just talk the talk and believes that “Role Model” is one of her most important titles. Across multiple mediums Jennifer inspires folx to break cycles of pain and live free, authentic, and joy-filled lives! Jennifer is based in Southern New Hampshire with their kiddo, animals, family (bio & chosen), and friends. Connect with them at KindnessCornerTherapy.com & KindnessCornerStudio.com!
Angela Zhang, LICSW, Originally hailing from Virginia and now living in Lebanon, NH, Angela earned her B.A. in Geography at Dartmouth College in 2012 and her Master of Social Work at the University of New England in 2018. From 2017 to 2024, Angela served as the Programs Director at LISTEN Community Services, where she managed a team of service coordinators, a food pantry, and a community dining hall. She now works part-time at the Dartmouth Health Center for Advancing Rural Health Equity and at the Upper Valley Haven. In these roles, she works to deepen community engagement around issues such as poverty, homelessness, and racism. Angela is a founding member and co-chair for Upper Valley Equity and Anti-Racism (UVEAR), which brings together leaders of color to advance racial justice through community-building, advocacy, and leadership development in this region. She also teaches in the undergraduate Social Work program at Plymouth State University. In her spare time, she volunteers as a crisis line advocate and a board member for WISE. In 2022, Angela was named the NH Social Worker of the Year by the New Hampshire chapter of the National Association of Social Workers.