Laura E. Smith, LMSW — Executive Director

Laura Elmore Smith has a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and a Masters of Science in Social Work from the University of Texas at Austin and is a licensed master social worker, licensed since 2001 by the State of Texas. Her professional experience highlights include parent training, group facilitation, case management, drug treatment, program coordination, staff supervision, and non-profit management. She has utilized her many-faceted social work skills in school settings, non-profit organizations, and correctional facilities. Ms. Smith is currently the Executive Director for Crime Prevention Institute, where she is responsible for oversight of current transitional programming for ex-offenders, development of new programming, community collaborations, outcome measurements, intern and volunteer supervision, and resource and fund development. She is a founding member of the Austin/Travis County Re-Entry Roundtable, a collaborative body initiating macro level change in the area of offender re-integration.

Christina Hamilton, LMSW — Operations Manager

Christina Hamilton has a Bachelor of Social Work and a Masters of Science in Social Work from the University of Texas at Austin and is a Licensed Master Social Worker, licensed since 2002 by the State of Texas. Her professional experience highlights include parent training, group facilitation, program planning and coordination, grant and contract report writing, conference and event planning and implementation, database management and intern and volunteer supervision. Ms. Hamilton is currently the Operations Manager at Crime Prevention Institute, where she works with the Executive Director and Case Managers to manage daily operations and administration of grants and program contracts and develop organizational systems to guide efficiency and monitoring. She also volunteers her time and organizational skills at local non-profit fundraising events.

Char Evans, BSW — Outreach Specialist

Charnese Evans has a Bachelors of Social Work from UT Arlington and is currently pursuing a Masters of Social Work degree at UT Austin.  She has worked for Child Protective Services as a Conservatorship worker and as a case manager for two foster care agencies, Covenant Kids and A World for Children.  She has also worked for Cigna Behavioral Health as a Member Advocate and with American Cancer Society as a Quitline Counselor. Char is currently the Outreach Specialist for the Right at Home collaboration, conducting screening and intakes for those leaving the state jail at risk of homelessness, and also assisting with case management duties

Chris Anderson, BSW — Housing Case Manager

Chris Anderson comes to us from Nashville, TN and has a Bachelor’s of Social Work from Freed Hardeman University and is a second year graduate student at Middle Tennessee State University to earn a Master’s in Criminal Justice. Her professional experience includes work with at-risk youth, counseling and mental health settings, Mental Health Court/Probation (FACT model), Child Abuse Prevention, and crisis intervention. Chris is currently the Housing Case Manager, providing housing location and case management and stabilization services to our clients through the Right at Home collaboration.

Jennifer Hernandez, LMSW — Program Manager, Lead Clinician

Jennifer Hernandez has a Bachelor of Arts in English and Secondary Education and a Masters of Science in Social Work from the University of Texas at Austin and is a Licensed Master Social Worker, licensed since 2009 by the State of Texas. Her professional experience highlights include parent training, life skills training, group facilitation, individual counseling, alcohol and drug treatment, and case management. Ms. Hernandez is currently the Program Manager and Lead Clinician at Crime Prevention Institute where she works with the Case Managers and MSW Interns to manage client cases and needs. In addition, she is responsible for all group facilitation and individual counseling in and out of Travis State Jail for CPI clients.

Carre Adams — Employment Specialist

For the past eight years Carre Adams has been deeply involved in social and economic justice campaigns across the United States and abroad. He as done work with several non-profit organizations including the American Friends Service Committee, FIERCE!, ACORN, African National Congress Youth League, the Audre Lorde Project, Institute for Policy Alternatives, and SCO Family of Services. His primary efforts have focused on increasing access to higher education and employment opportunities, advocating for immigrant worker’s rights, building better support networks for youth in the local foster care system, and combating police brutality against homeless LGBTQ youth of color.

Carre is a recent alumni of Sarah Lawrence College where he double majored in global economic theory and visual arts. As the Crime Prevention Institute’s Employment Specialist, he is developing employment readiness workshops targeted towards ex-offenders that builds upon the pre-release cognitive behavioral curriculum.
The ultimate aim of the employment counseling workshops is for clients to obtain sustainable employment that will enable planning for a new future.

Cynthia Densmore — Financial Manager

Volunteers:

Layla Fry
Chris Honeycutt
Joe Maloney
Laura Maxwell-Scott

Interns:

Chris Babb
Anna Gruzinov
Cecil Ruby