Ashaunti Edwards is a Licensed Professional Counselor. She received her Bachelor of Science degree from Southern University at New Orleans in Addictions Counseling and Prevention. She received her Master of Science from Capella University in Marriage and Family Counseling Therapy. She has been counseling couples, veterans, adolescents since 2009. Ashaunti is currently the Regional Director (South Region) for BCFS Common Thread which provides long term relational advocacy to commercially exploited youth in the State of Louisiana. She has worked as the Mental Health Professional for Catholic Charities; she has worked in roles as Assistant Program Director for RHD and has worked for FPS ACT team in Mental Health Sector. Ashaunti has volunteered at Gateway Recovery for veterans. She has extensive experience of working with over 50 Mental Health Rehabilitation Agencies throughout the New Orleans Metropolitan Area to provide counseling and conduct clinical assessments. Her expertise has afforded hundreds of people and families the opportunity to gain access to the quality mental health care and overall wellness.

Debbie Solcher is State Director for BCFS HHS Common Thread Program providing long term relational advocacy to commercially sexually exploited youth in the State of Louisiana. Debbie has supported the Texas Model of Care Coordination and was an integral part of building services and collaborations state-wide as well as provided technical assistance to local children’s advocacy centers to support protocol development for care coordination during her tenure at the Office of the Texas Governor’s Child Sex Trafficking Team and Children’s Advocacy Centers of Texas. Debbie has extensive experience in the educational system and has worked to further strategy for exploited youth at the state and local levels.