Executive Director, Marcus Stamps
Middle Tennessee has always been home for Marcus, with the most recent twenty-two years spent in Franklin. For sixteen years he was engaged in the financial services industry, providing financial planning, investment management and insurance services to individual and corporate clients. For seven years his career focus was on fundraising, starting with a four hospital health system for which he handled major and planned gifts. Following that, he directed the major and planned giving efforts on a national basis for a prominent university. During a portion of his time in higher education fundraising, Marcus also led strategic planning, fiscal oversight, and staff direction as he managed the university’s Department of Institutional Advancement.
In April 2011, Marcus accepted the position of Executive Director of the Williamson County Child Advocacy Center after having served on that organization’s Board of Directors. He previously served as the Chairman of the Board of Directors for the Young Leaders Council (YLC) and is a past recipient of the Young Leader of the Year honor awarded annually by that organization. For eight years, Marcus served as a volunteer leader for a prison ministry, conducting bible study classes and chapel services in local prisons, and currently volunteers for the youth ministry in his church where he is active in many capacities.
Marcus graduated in 1988 from Rhodes College with a B.A. degree in Psychology, and has a wonderful family which includes his wife Pam, three daughters and one grandson.
marcus@williamsoncountycac.org
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Program Director, Amy Baynes
Amy Baynes has worked in the field of Child Protection since 1998 and has been with the Williamson County Child Advocacy Center for over five years. She received her Bachelor's of Arts degree in Social Work from David Lipscomb University in 1997.
Before coming to the Williamson County Child Advocacy Center, Ms. Baynes worked for both the Department of Children's Services in the Child Protective Services Unit investigating allegations of Child Abuse and Neglect and for the 21st District Attorney’s Office as an Assistant Victim/Witness Coordinator. While employed at the District Attorney's Office, Ms. Baynes initiated the effort to start a Child Advocacy Center in Williamson County. She served as "point person" and started the Williamson County Child Advocacy Center Task Force.
Through her work with the Department of Children's Services and the District Attorney's Office, she gained valuable experience and received extensive training in investigating child abuse and neglect and working with law enforcement.
Ms. Baynes served as the Center Director of the Child Advocacy Center from February 2001 to August 2006. In August 2006, she transitioned into the new position of Program Director on a part-time basis. This new position allows Ms. Baynes to focus on direct service to clients rather than administrative responsibilities and also allows her to spend more time with her family.
Since being employed at the Child Advocacy Center, she has received further training in Child Protection, Crimes Against Children, Forensic Interviewing of Children and Child Abuse Prevention. Ms. Baynes is a trained facilitator for the Stewards of Children program and has provided training on Child Sexual Abuse to many local daycares, churches, schools, law enforcement agencies, community groups and at the Tennessee Child Care Association Conference.
amy@williamsoncountycac.org |
Forensic Interviewer, Charlsi Legendre
Charlsi Legendre has been working in the field of Child Protection since 2000. She received her Bachelor’s of Arts degree in Family and Consumer Sciences in the field of Family Studies with a Business Minor from Lamar University in Beaumont, Texas, in 2000. After graduation, Mrs. Legendre worked for the Department of Family and Protective Services (DFPS) in Houston, Texas for 6 years. While with DFPS, Mrs. Legendre worked as an Investigator for Child Protective Services. During this time she also worked in Family Based Safety Services and in Substitute Care. Mrs. Legendre received 316 hours of training in the field of child abuse while working for CPS. In 2006 she became a Forensic Interviewer at the Nashville Children’s Alliance. She was also appointed as secretary of the Tennessee Child Advocacy Center Forensic Interviewers (statewide quarterly forensic interviewer meetings). She served as part of the Child Protective Investigative Team and facilitated CPIT meetings. Mrs. Legendre trained new forensic interviewers, as well as assisted trainings with the Department of Children Services. While in Nashville, she received 120 hours of training in the field of child abuse relating to child sexual abuse. In October 2007 Mrs. Legendre became the Forensic Interviewer for the Williamson County Child Advocacy Center. Since then she has been eager to work with team members to assist in the investigations of child abuse.
A Forensic Interviewer gathers facts from a child victim while being sensitive to the child’s emotional needs and developmental level. The purpose of a Forensic Interview is to gather as many facts as possible about the allegations of abuse in an objective, non-threatening, comfortable and non-leading manner. Mrs. Legendre conducts Forensic Interviews both at our Williamson County office as well as our satellite office in Hohenwald, TN. Our satellite office allows us to better serve Hickman, Lewis, and Perry Counties.
charlsi@williamsoncountycac.org |
Child and Family Advocate, Ashley Townsend
The position of Child and Family Advocate is multi-faceted and involves working with child abuse victims and their non-offending family members. The main goal of this position is to ensure the child’s safety by providing the support and services needed to both the non-offending caregiver and the victim. One of the main responsibilities of this position is assisting child victims and their non-offending family members through case management and support. This includes contacting all involved agencies and people to make sure that the family is updated on the status of their case. The Child and Family Advocate organizes a children’s support group and a non-offending caregiver’s support group. Court Orientation is provided for children who have to testify in a criminal proceeding. The Child and Family Advocate strives to maintain open communication with the Child Protective Investigation Team to allow the caregiver’s concerns to be considered throughout the investigative process. The Child and Family Advocate educates the community about Child Abuse with a focus on prevention and early intervention
ashley@williamsoncountycac.org
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Clinical Therapist, Kelly Stephens
Kelly Stephens joined the Williamson County Child Advocacy Center as a Clinical Therapist in March of 2007. Kelly has worked with children and families for many years, previously as a therapist for children who experienced divorce and family transitions and as a case manager/therapist for children at-risk of being placed outside of the home due to a serious emotional disturbance.
Kelly has a Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology and a Master’s Degree in Professional Counseling. She is a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) with Mental Health Service Provider designation in Tennessee. She is also a Registered Play Therapist Supervisor. She is a member of the American Counseling Association and Association for Play Therapy. In addition, Kelly is trained in Applied Suicide Intervention Skills, Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, the Neurosequential Model of Therapeutics and Forensic Evaluation.
Kelly’s role as therapist is to provide counseling to children who receive services through Williamson County Child Advocacy Center for sexual abuse or severe physical abuse. She also works with non-offending caregivers by facilitating a support group.
kelly@williamsoncountycac.org |
Forensic Interviewer, M'Lee Hudgins
M’Lee Hudgins, LBSW, joined the Child Advocacy Center staff in May of 2010 and serves as the Forensic Interviewer in our Hohenwald office, working with child victims in our Lewis, Hickman and Perry county service areas. In addition to her role as a forensic interviewer, M’Lee is a facilitator for the Center’s Prevent Now and Stewards of Children child abuse prevention trainings for the community. She also coordinates the Center’s participation in the multi-disciplinary team investigate approach to allegations of severe physical and/or sexual abuse in which the victims are under the age of 18.
M’Lee earned a B.A. Degree in Social Work from the University of North Alabama with previous experience as a forensic interviewer and family advocate for A Kid’s Place Child Advocacy Center in Lawrenceburg, Tennessee and the Tennessee Department of Children’s Services as a case worker. Additionally, she has prior experience as a case manager for Lifecare Family Services, as a legal advocate for The Shelter, Inc., and as an in-home counselor for Youth Villages.
Ms. Hudgins has conducted over 600 forensic interviews with children who are alleged victims of severe physical and/or sexual abuse.
m'lee@williamsoncountycac.org |
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