Ava Scheffler works as a Family Advocate and Trainer at First Witness Child Advocacy Center, where she provides support to families as they move through the process of a child maltreatment allegation. In her time spent with families, Ava focuses on helping caregivers make informed decisions that meet their self-identified needs. Using a trauma-informed approach, Ava strives for empowering and guiding families towards a place of healing. Ava received a bachelor’s degree in criminology from the University of Minnesota Duluth, while also minoring in psychology. Alongside her education, Ava has several years of experience working with children and families in different capacities. She has presented at various state conferences on advanced advocacy topics as well as trained other advocates on a national level. Ava’s perspective on training is that it is a mutual exchange of knowledge and experiences. Not only does she enjoy sharing her passions with individuals that work in the field, but she also finds immense benefit in having conversations and learning from those who attend her trainings. Due to this, Ava’s sessions are interactive, and participation is encouraged! Ava is dedicated to always leading with empathy and compassion in her work with children and families!