Pro-ACT Directors/Co-owners:
top row (l. to r.): Lorraine Fox, Lois Johnson, Mary Ann Nihart
lower row (l. to r.): Kim Warma, Louanne Shahandeh, Nick Smiar

Lois M. Johnson, MA

Lois holds a master’s degree in Human Behavior and is a Certified Child Care Worker. She has worked in child and youth care and the human services for 35 years. She has worked in both the public and private sectors as a direct service worker, supervisor, program director, tutor/counselor, teacher, county officer, and outreach worker. She has also worked as a contract instructor with the University of California, Davis. Lois has presented at conferences both nationally and internationally. She is a co-author of the Pro-ACT training curriculum and serves as President and CEO of Pro-ACT, Inc.

Lorraine E. Fox, PhD, CCCW.

Lorraine holds a doctorate in clinical psychology and a doctoral certificate in organizational development, and is a Certified Child Care Worker. She is in her fortieth year working in child and youth care work and in the human services. Lorraine has been a direct service worker, a supervisor, a clinical director, an executive director, and an Assistant Professor. She has delivered keynote addresses both locally and internationally, including an address at the World Forum 2000 conference on children in Sydney, Australia. Lorraine has presented at conferences and provided services in the United States, Australia, Canada, Guam, England, Scotland, and the Czech and Slovak Republics. In addition to extensive work with private service agencies,

Lorraine is an instructor with the University of California, Davis, and with the San Diego State University Foundation, training public service employees serving welfare and child protective clients. She was awarded the Outstanding Service Award for Excellence in Teaching by the UC-Davis. Lorraine has published scholarly articles, written a monthly Parenting column for her church newsletter, and co-authored an internationally recognized training curriculum. Lorraine has appeared on radio and television in the U.S., Canada, and Australia. She is listed in many Who's Who publications, and is a consulting editor for the Journal of Child and Youth Care.

Mary Ann Nihart, MA, ARNP, CS, BC

Mary Ann Nihart is a well-known advanced practice psychiatric-mental health nurse, ANCC certified both as a Clinical Specialist and Nurse Practitioner in adult psychiatry. As an instructor, she received the Outstanding Service Award at the University of California, Davis. More recently, she received the Nursing Excellence Award given by the Association for Advanced Practice Psychiatric Nurses in the State of Washington and serves on the executive board for the National Association of Nurse Practitioner’s in Women’s Health (NPWH).

Since receiving her Master’s degree in nursing from the University of Iowa, Mary Ann has been involved in outreach services, provided clinical supervision in a crisis intervention program, and developed training programs for nursing staff in acute hospital settings. Mary Ann is in private practice, specializing in the treatment of mood and anxiety disorders in women, and provides ongoing consultation for a variety of outpatient, residential, and hospital settings.

Mary Ann is well published, including professional journals and co-editing a nursing textbook, and has co-chaired and/or presented at numerous national psychiatric nursing and multi-disciplinary conferences, including the U.S. Mental Health Congress for several years. Most recently, she served as curriculum developer and founding faculty for the National Executive Training Institute: A National Initiative for Reduction of Seclusion and Restraint Reduction Initiative, sponsored by the National Association of State Mental Health Program Directors and funded by the Substance Abuse Mental Health Services Administration. She also developed the curriculum for NASMHPD’s regional trainings in Disaster Mental Health and is currently working on trauma informed interventions in practice. In addition, Mary Ann holds a second Master’s degree in clinical psychology.

Louanne Shahandeh

Louanne Shahandeh has dedicated 26 years of service to the Child Welfare System, working with emotionally disturbed children and youth in both the private sector and residential care settings. Prior to becoming an independent consultant and trainer in 2004, Louanne served as Assistant Executive Director of Casa Pacifica in Ventura, California for six years and, prior to that, spent nineteen years at Hathaway Children's Services where she began her career as a Child Care Worker and held the position of Residential Services Director upon her leaving. Louanne is currently on the faculty of Ventura Community College, providing training and support to Foster Parents and the staff of Ventura County Social Services to Children and Families. Additionally, she provides technical support to the CDSS Office of Child Abuse Prevention, and serves as a consultant to the state Citizen Review Panels. She is co-founder and past chair of the Ventura County Youth in Transition Advocacy Committee, and currently serves as advisor to this organization which strives to link community resources to emancipating Child Welfare youth. Louanne has extensive training experience, which began in 1986, when she became a PART trainer. In 2004, she joined the Pro-ACT training for trainers team and in January, 2006, she became a Pro-ACT, Inc., Director/Co-owner. Louanne holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Sociology from California State University Northridge.

Nicholas P. Smiar, PhD, ACSW, CISW

Nick Smiar is Professor of Social Work at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire. His MSW specialization was group work and casework (combined methods), with a focus on psychiatric social work, and his PhD specialization was social welfare and public policy. Prior to his work in social work education, Nick was executive director of a multi-service child and family welfare agency in Illinois for five years. He has been a child and youth care worker since 1966, a social worker since 1973, and a social work educator for the past nineteen years. His special interests are violence in the workplace, professional ethics, social welfare policy, international social work and child and youth care work, and organizational and community development. Nick is also a graduate of the Divinity School of the University of Chicago. He is an Adjunct Professor in the graduate program in Philanthropy and Development at St. Mary’s University of Minnesota and is an invited Guest Lecturer in social welfare policy analysis at the University of South Africa. Nick has served as a board member of the Wisconsin Chapter of NASW, of the Bolton Refuge House (Eau Claire), and of the National Executive Board and Wisconsin State Board of the Professional Association of Treatment Homes (PATH). He works in Finland, Germany, and South Africa on a regular basis.

Kim Warma

Kim Warma received a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of California-Santa Barbara in 1981. In 2005, she received a Master of Education degree from Vermont College in Montpelier, Vermont. She has worked with developmentally disabled and mentally ill children, adolescents, and adults in both residential and acute inpatient environments. She has also been actively involved in education and business. Kim has worked in areas of curriculum development in the public schools, teaching at the college level, and corporate training and consulting in a variety of service and manufacturing organizations. In 1992, she wrote and published a leadership curriculum for middle school students. As a teacher, trainer and consultant, Kim is dedicated to asking questions, seeking answers, and encouraging others to do the same. With a strong commitment to social justice and an understanding of other persons, cultures, and practices, her continuing involvement with Pro-Act is closely aligned with her belief that all people, regardless of ability, deserve to be treated with dignity, humanity and respect. In January, 2007, Kim became a Pro-ACT, Inc., Director/Co-owner.

Beth Ferrara, Administrative Assistant

Pro-ACT^®Trainers provide you with years of experience

Trainers with Professional Assault Crisis Training, Inc. are professionals who have backgrounds working with individuals across the lifespan and in diverse areas such as residential treatment, developmental disabilities, psychiatric nursing, hospital and outpatient treatment, crisis and emergency programs, corrections, special education, clinical-counseling psychology, and social work.

Peggy Bishop, Trainer

Peggy has over eighteen years of experience in the Human Services field. Her main focus has been in the field of Intellectual Disabilities, having been both the Transition Specialist and the Manager of Day and Residential Services for Work Training Programs, Inc., in Ventura County, California. She has also been a Program Coordinator and Project Manager for several grants, including Youth Programs serving current and former foster youth, Workforce Investment Act and Improving Transitional Outcomes for Youth with Disabilities. She has served on numerous committees including the Interagency Transition Coordinating Council and Youth in Transition Coordinating Council. Peggy graduated from California State University Northridge with a Bachelor's in Speech and Language Pathology. She is currently a Trainer for Ventura, Santa Barbara and Los Angeles Counties Work Training Programs, Inc.

Austin Lambe, Trainer

Austin Lambe is Behavior Analyst, Achievekids, Palo Alto, California, and currently the head of the behavioral department at Achievekids, providing services to a broad range of students with special needs, including autism, in a non-public school environment. Austin has 18 years experience working with children and adults in a wide range of settings. He earned his Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and Master's degree in Clinical Psychology from University College Dublin and a second Master's degree in Behavior Analysis and Therapy from Southern Illinois University at Carbondale. He is also the board chair of a non-profit agency, Sunset Youth Services, which positively transforms children's lives in the Sunset District of San Francisco. Austin is nationally certified as a Behavior Analyst, and he has a growing private practice. He and his wife live with their 3 year old daughter in Oakland.

Philip Solomon, Trainer

Philip Solomon: In 1993, shortly after receiving his Bachelor of Science degree at San Diego State University, Philip moved to Los Angeles, where he began his career working as a Child Care Counselor with adolescent boys and girls in group homes throughout the San Fernando Valley. Throughout his career, Philip has held numerous positions in residential care: Group Home Supervisor, Program Specialist, Training Coordinator, and Assistant Director of Staff Development and Training. Currently, he is the Residential Director at Rosemary Children's Services, in Pasadena, California, which is a 43-bed program providing an array of services to female residents. In addition, he has served on the Foster Care and Kinship Education Committee and the Youth in Transition Advocacy Council in Ventura County as well as the Continuing Education Committee with the California Alliance for Children & Family Services. Philip resides in Los Angeles, with his wife, three children, and three dogs. He enjoys spending time with family and volunteering as a youth sports coach for local recreation programs.

Jessica Vallely, Trainer

Jessica received her degree in 1991 from Loyola Marymount University in Westchester, California, where she worked with at-risk youth at camps and in after-school programs. In 1993, she started working at Maryvale, a residential treatment program for severely emotionally disturbed and abused girls. In the course of the last 14 years, Jessica has had numerous positions in residential care: Residential Counselor, Assistant Group Supervisor for girls 2-8yeras old, Work Experience Coordinator,and Group Supervisor for girls 16-18 years old. Since 2001, Jessica has been the Agency Trainer for Maryvale, where she trains residential, school and daycare staff as well as Maryvale's foster parents. She is a past president and current board member of the Southern California Trainer's Network.

Jessica lives in Rancho Cucamonga with her pets, a dog and three cats. She has two adult children and loves to spend time with her family. Jessica enjoys playing cards, hiking, reading and arts and crafts. She is a Red Cross instructor and enjoys volunteering her time helping others.