Heartland Virtual Conference 2025

Brittany Gomez serves as the Field Education Director for the Social Work Program at Oral Roberts University. After several years of direct practice, she joined the faculty at ORU in August 2017 and continues to enjoy teaching as an Assistant Professor of Social Work. In addition to field education, Gomez can often be found teaching courses on social welfare policy, basic counseling skills, and research methods.

Gomez’s direct practice specialties include childhood trauma, attachment disorders, and human sex trafficking. She has conducted seminars on childhood trauma and emotional healing in Brazil, India, and Nepal. She has been involved with anti-trafficking efforts in Oklahoma and has also served as a consultant for an anti-trafficking safe house in India.

When it comes to the classroom, Gomez creates an engaging learning environment through active discussions, role plays, and the simulation of real-life scenarios from the social work field. She is passionate about training the next generation of social workers to serve and lead with excellence!

Outside of teaching, Gomez loves being mom to her 2-year-old son, traveling, songwriting, and sipping coffee with friends.

Riena is a graduate of Upper Iowa University with a dual major bachelor’s in psychology and human services and master’s degree in social work from Washburn University. Riena is licensed as a clinical social work in both South Carolina and Kansas. Riena also holds an ADHD- Certified Clinical Services Provider title. She is a wife and mother who loves of travel, be in nature and spend time with her dogs and a good book. Riena has over 12 years of experience in working with at risk youth and adolescents. When she isn’t conducting sessions within her private practice, she can be found offering clinical supervision or trainings for both states of licensure. Her experience spans from child welfare social work, school-based therapy, and private practice. It is her hope to share her passion for ADHD with you today as we work toward growing our competency on a complex diagnosis

Reggie Jackson, LSCSW, has spent two decades in mental health, Reggie earned a BS in History from Kansas State University in 2002 and a master's in social Welfare from the University of Kansas in 2009. During his graduate studies, he engaged in academic pursuits at the University of Costa Rica and represented students on the KU SSW advisory board. Prior to founding Satori Counseling Services in 2014, Reggie held several leaderships roles in non-profit organizations over his career.

Reggie has delivered training sessions on diverse subjects including mental health, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, and fostering healthy masculinity among men. He has also worked extensively with athletes ranging from high school to professional and world class athletes. From 2015 to 2018, he served as an Adjunct Professor at the University of Kansas MSW program, earning recognition as the Adjunct Professor of the Year in 2018.

Beyond his professional achievements, Reggie is a proud father of two and a sports enthusiast. He enjoys the outdoors, learning and spending time with his family.

Gigi Tsontos, LCSW, LSCSW, MPA, PCC,  aka, Angelique, is the Executive Director of Not One More Vet and an entrepreneurial social worker and founder of Gigi Tsontos Coaching where she is a nonprofit consultant, leadership coach, and clinical therapist. Gigi serves as the secretary for the KNASW and as a member of the board of the Wichita Area Sexual Assault Center. 

After studying Social Welfare Policy at the University of Kansas, Gigi spent two years in Mali West Africa as a Peace Corps Volunteer, returning to complete a Master of Science in Social Work at Columbia University. Her career led her to work in social services, homeless services, mental health, victims’ rights, and nutrition supporting administrative roles and becoming a clinical social worker licensed in California and Kansas. Gigi’s passion for organizational development has led her to provide consulting support to several nonprofits as they engage in change management, fundraising campaigns, and provide leadership development within organizations and communities.

Gigi lives in the Midwest with her husband and four furry children. She sees the world as her home and has traveled extensively.  She has a passion for animal welfare, volunteering for rescues, and supporting animal sanctuaries

Monica Kurz is an accomplished behavioral health leader who has been involved in implementation of 988 in Kansas from the ground floor.  With a focus on community-based services for adults with severe and persistent mental illness, Monica brings extensive experience in recovery-oriented services and person-centered care. She is trained in the Strengths Model, which has significantly influenced her approach. Monica’s career encompasses roles including as a consultant and trainer who supported Community Mental Health Center case management teams and leading upstream suicide prevention efforts in Kansas by developing and delivering trainings supporting the Zero Suicide Model and collaborating on key state initiatives such as the state suicide prevention plan and 988 implementation plan. Her passion is bringing a systemic and strategic approach to influencing factors that affect the daily lives of those with lived experience. Monica earned her Masters of Social Welfare from the University of Kansas.

Jessica Willemsen graduated from Simpson College in 2001 with her BS in Sociology, and the University of Kansas in 2003 with her MSW.  She has 13 years of non-profit experience, providing clinical services to youth in residential treatment for 5 years, and running an adult and adolescent mental health program for 8 years, both in the urban core of Kansas City, MO.  In 2014 she started her private practice, De Novo Mental Health, LLC, which is currently located in Overland Park, KS.  Jess specializes in adults and adolescents, complex-chronic to single-event trauma, mood disorders, and chemical and behavioral addictions.  She holds a clinical social work license in Illinois, Kansas, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Missouri, New Mexico, and has permission to provide virtual services in Florida.  She holds an LMAC (Licensed Masters Addiction Counselor) in the state of Kansas.  She is EMDR trained, EMDR certified, and an EMDR approved consultant.  She contracts with Miranda Counseling to provide EMDR trainings, and is on the steering committee of the Kansas City Trauma Recovery Network (#KCTRN) to respond to natural and man-made disasters.  She is a proud member of the National Association of Social Workers (NASW), the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), and the Human Rights Campaign (HRC).  You can find De Novo Mental Health, LLC at www.denovomentalhealth.com, as well as Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn (#therapywithjess).

Dr. Tara D. Wallace is a licensed clinical social worker.  Her ten-year career has led to specializations in art therapy, bibliotherapy, maternal mental health, naturopathy, and trauma focused cognitive behavioral therapy/problematic sexualized behavior. Tara volunteers on numerous community boards whose missions support the wellbeing of children and families in Kansas. She is a member of the KS Citizen Review Panel’s Custody to Transition group and previously served on the Kansas Governor’s Child Welfare System Task Force Protective Services and Family Preservation Work Group.

Tara is also the CEO of a non-profit, Lighthouse Therapeutic Community Outreach Foundation, which promotes (W)Holistic Wellness in low-income and low-access communities. In addition to providing free and reduced mental health services to families, Lighthouse TCO Foundation supports low performing schools in these communities by volunteering on literacy projects, facilitating social-emotional groups for students, and contributing to activities and projects to boost staff morale.

As an adjunct professor, best-selling author, and public speaker, Tara promotes awareness of issues related to child welfare and foster care, parental mental health, social justice, and trauma. Motivated by her experiences as a Black female navigating the professional worlds of higher education, social work, child welfare, and non-profits, Tara also provides education in the areas of cultural bias, privilege, and intimate partner abuse.

Tara currently serves as chair of the Social, Economic, Justice and Peace Specialty Practice Section for the National Association of Social Workers. She is a member of the Chi Delta Zeta chapter of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Incorporated, and The Topeka (KS) Chapter of The Links, Incorporated.

Child Welfare Project Coordinator for the Kansas Coalition Against Sexual and Domestic Violence (KCSDV).  In that role, Kristina has developed and provided training to enhance the capacity of child welfare professionals to respond to the needs of families when addressing the co-occurrence of domestic violence and child welfare-related issues, as well as facilitated collaboration on the local and state levels between child welfare stakeholders and domestic and sexual violence advocacy programs in Kansas. Before joining KCSDV, Kristina worked in the child welfare system in varying roles including providing family therapy, permanency case management, and as a Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA).  She holds a Master of Social Work degree from Washburn University and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Sociology with an emphasis on Psychology from Emporia State University.  Kristina can be reached at kscott@kcsdv.org.

Dr. Amanda Baranski is a dedicated social work educator and the current President of the National Association of Social Workers, Colorado Chapter. Based in Denver, Colorado, she serves as a faculty member supporting MSW students and has extensive teaching experience across BSW, MSW, and DSW programs.

With a rich clinical background in hospital social work, mental health, recovery services, education, mediation, and consultation, Dr. Baranski brings a wealth of expertise to her work. She is skilled in supervising and delivering services to diverse populations within recovery-oriented care systems and excels at fostering collaborative relationships with clients, teams, and programs alike.

Dr. Baranski’s specialized areas of focus include artificial intelligence in social work, ambiguous grief and loss, queer issues, mental illness, and substance use disorders. A sought-after speaker and thought leader, she combines her clinical experience and innovative perspective to inspire and inform social work practice.

Dr. Meza is an Army combat veteran and Purple Heart recipient with 12 years of military experience and currently one of the 29 Governor’s Military Council Members for the state of Kansas. She joined the faculty in the School of History, Philosophy, and Social Sciences in the fall of 2022. Dr. Meza earned her Ph.D. in social work from Our Lady of the Lake University in San Antonio, TX, and her dissertation focused on military women who were sexually assaulted while serving active duty and sought mental health services within the civilian sector. Prior to joining PSU, Dr. Meza worked for the Veterans Benefits Administration Regional Office at Fort Snelling in St. Paul, MN, serving the veteran population and their families. She also has many years of experience in child welfare in the state of Kansas as well as interpreting for the courts. Dr. Meza is interested in research topics related to intimate partner violence, military sexual trauma, best practice mental health modalities for service members, gun violence prevention, preparing social work students for gun violence, and undocumented immigrants/refugees residing in the United States.

In her spare time, Dr. Meza enjoys spending time with her husband and two children, engaging in activities around their hobby farm, serving her community, the veteran population, rescuing homeless cats and dogs, fishing in the lakes and strip pits of Southeast Kansas, and participating in trapping, hunting, and camping.