Toni Bankston, LCSW, BACS currently serves as the Chief Executive Officer of the Baton Rouge Children’s Advocacy Center (BRCAC) and Senior Faculty of the Center for Mind-Body Medicine(CMBM), Washington, DC.  She has over 38 years experience as a therapist and trauma responding professional.

She serves as the Clinical Lead of the CMBM’s Puerto Rico and Baton Rouge, Louisiana Community Wellness Programs.  She also consults with CMBM by bringing her knowledge of experience in the design and execution of trauma programs, particularly those targeting children and families, to build trauma training for children and their providers.

Toni has worked with the CMBM Global Trauma Relief Team in the programs of Haiti, Israel, and Gaza.  She has worked with high school students and teachers in Parkland Florida in the aftermath of the massacre at Stoneman Douglas High School and in Cumberland, Maryland in response to the Opioid Crisis.

In her local community, Toni serves as a Master ACES (Adverse Childhood Experiences) Trainer for the State of Louisiana, the LA Governor’s Children’s Cabinet Advisory Board, and the Governor’s Advisory Board for Human Trafficking.  Her work in Baton Rouge has included developing and leading wellness programs for the homeless, disaster-impacted and children in urban school-based settings. In her role as the BRCAC’s Director, she also trains educators, law enforcement officers, judges and other community service professionals in building trauma-responsive teams and systems helping them mitigate the effects of secondary stress and vicarious trauma.  In collaboration with the Baton Rouge Mayor’s Office under the umbrella of the BRCAC, she consults and provides leadership to other organizations towards the aim of developing a more trauma-informed city of Baton Rouge.