Yolanda Cruz

Executive Leader | National & International Speaker | Founder, The LEAD Trainers | Disability & Justice Systems Specialist

Yolanda founded The LEAD Trainers to help bridge the gap between disability knowledge and practical professional response.

Through specialized training, consultation, and curriculum development, LEAD supports law enforcement, disability organizations, behavioral health professionals, justice-system personnel, and community partners.

Training areas include intellectual and developmental disabilities, co-occurring mental health conditions, sensory processing, crisis prevention, communication, exploitation, victimization, and justice-system involvement.

LEAD's approach emphasizes practical strategies that professionals can use to recognize disability-related needs, reduce unnecessary escalation, improve communication, and support safer interactions.

National & International Crisis Intervention Leadership

Yolanda joined the CIT International Board of Directors in 2020 and has held several leadership positions, including Board Secretary, Board Treasurer, Awards Committee Chair, International Relations Committee Co-Chair, and Public Policy Committee member.

These roles have contributed to her experience in nonprofit governance, financial oversight, international collaboration, organizational leadership, and public policy.

Since 2021, Yolanda has presented annually at the CIT International Conference, delivering presentations on IDD and co-occurring mental health, sensory implications to crisis response, and cross-system collaboration.

Her international contributions include presenting in Spain to support Crisis Intervention Team program development and providing technical assistance to Chihuahua, Mexico.

Featured National Training — Miami, Florida

In 2026, Yolanda delivered specialized law-enforcement training in Miami addressing intellectual and developmental disabilities, sensory implications, communication, and crisis response.

Public Policy & Behavioral Health Leadership

Yolanda's professional experience includes participation in California's statewide 988 crisis-system planning process, including the Statewide Standards & Guidance Workgroup.

In 2024, she presented to the California Department of Justice's SB 882 Advisory Council on law-enforcement academy training and Crisis Intervention Team education.

She also served on the Fresno County Behavioral Health Board, bringing a developmental-disability and systems advocacy perspective to county behavioral health discussions.

These experiences complement her broader work promoting accessible, coordinated, and disability-informed public systems.

Yolanda is also a sibling to a brother with developmental disabilities and co-occurring mental health, he is the reason she works hard educating the criminal justice system on people with IDD.

Through government leadership, The LEAD Trainers, board service, national and international presentations, and community partnerships, Yolanda continues to advance efforts that strengthen inclusion, improve crisis response, and support safer, more accessible systems.

Dr. Amber Doucette is a Clinical Forensic Psychologist, and the Clinical Director for California START Central Valley. As Clinical Director, Dr. Doucette strives to inspire her team, and her community to provide person-centered, trauma-informed support to people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, strengthening PERMA and resilience in their everyday lives. Through outreach and training, Dr. Doucette also provides psychoeducation to law enforcement, hospital staff, mental health clinicians and other community partners to ensure informed treatment and support while ensuring the safety of those within the I/DD community. In addition to her role as Clinical Director, her passion for helping and empowering others is exemplified through her decade of work as adjunct faculty for the Criminology Department at California State University, Fresno, where she utilizes the same fundamental principles to guide future generations entering law enforcement, and other criminology focused careers.

Scarlett vonThenen is an authority in the field of Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (I/DD), with a tenure exceeding two decades. Her multifaceted career is marked by her commitment to advancing the quality of life for persons with intellectual and developmental disabilities and their families through the provision of comprehensive training, technical assistance, capacity enhancement, and systemic change advocacy focused on improvements in process, practice, infrastructure, and policy.

In her role as a Public Agency Representative for the Orange County Child Care and Development Planning Council, Scarlett steers initiatives that significantly impact community standards and care quality for young children with disabilities. Her professional journey encompasses a broad spectrum of the I/DD sector, ranging from initiating early start services to advocating for the rights of adults with I/DD across various critical platforms, including special education, Regional Center, IHSS, Medicaid/healthcare meetings, and Social Security disability benefits appeals. Scarlett's commitment is to ensure that individuals with I/DD receive the respect, support, and opportunities they deserve.

Scarlett is a certified instructor for the California Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST) through the Academy Instructor Certification Course (AICC) as well as a certificated work incentives practitioner navigating the interplay between employment and Social Security work incentives.

Christman Bio

Officer Christopher Christman is a 29-year veteran of the Seattle Police Department, he is currently assigned to the Washington State Basic Law Enforcement Academy as a TAC Officer.

As a TAC Officer, he is responsible for curriculum development and daily instruction of Basic Law Enforcement Academy classes/topics including: Social Contacts, Terry Stops and Probable Cause Arrests, Crisis Intervention Techniques, Multiple Officer Building Search, Traffic/High Risk Vehicle Stops, etc.

From 2017-2022, Officer Christman was a full-time instructor in the Seattle PD Education and Training Section, where he was the department’s lead CIT/De-Escalation instructor. In this role, he was responsible for developing and instructing SPD’s annual CIT curriculum for all sworn Seattle officers. He instructed on CIT related topics including Verbal De-Escalation, Tactical De-Escalation, Response to Suicidal Subjects and Law Enforcement & Autism. Officer Christman was also responsible for ensuring that SPD’s CIT/De-Escalation training met the requirements agreed upon in 2012 as part of SPD’s Settlement Agreement with the US Dept. of Justice.

Ofc. Christman has presented his classes on both a multi-state regional and National level including at the 2019/2021 CIT International Conferences and 2022 International Law Enforcement Educators and Trainers Association Conference.

Additionally, in 2019 Ofc. Christman’s “Law Enforcement & Autism” class was selected by the Washington State Criminal Justice Training Center to be mandatory state-wide curriculum for every sworn law enforcement officer in Washington State.

Officer Christman has presented at many international conferences and has volunteered his time in California, presenting his Law Enforcement & Autism class.