Our Team
Our People
FIRE is a team of social workers, psychologists, forensic interviewers, therapists, researchers, attorneys and administrators. Their diverse perspectives and skills come together in a shared goal of connecting forensic interviewers to new research as efficiently as possible. The FIRE team trains professionals throughout the country and internationally by sharing this unique perspective. Our end goal is to expand their toolbox, so that victims have the best chance to talk about their experiences and begin the process of healing.
FIRE Team
Crimson Barocca
Crimson Barocca, LCSW-C, is the manager of Forensic Interview Research & Education at Center for Hope. She has been at Center for Hope for the last 14 years; however, she began her career 20 years ago at child protective services in Baltimore as a forensic interviewer, investigator, and supervisor. Crimson has conducted over 2300 forensic interviews and has provided training locally, nationally and internationally to interviewers, child protective services staff, law enforcement, legal, medical and mental health professionals.
Crimson provides training on basic and advanced forensic interviewing topics, working with multi-disciplinary teams, and dynamics of abuse in children. She led the development of the nationally recognized interview structure, Forensic Interview Toolbox (FIT). Crimson manages interview training and ongoing curriculum development. Crimson was at the forefront of developing tele-forensic interview practice nationally and continues to research and present nationally on this topic. She currently provides peer review to Center for Hope’s forensic interview team and interviewers across Maryland and is routinely an expert consultant and witness on forensic interviewing and sexual abuse dynamics. Crimson received her master’s degree in social work from the University of Maryland and is a licensed clinical social worker.
Shannon Wood
Shannon Wood, LCSW-C, is the Forensic Interview Research & Education Operations Supervisor and Forensic Interviewer at Center for Hope, where she has been working since 2011. Shannon’s career began in 1995 as a clinical social worker working with child survivors of abuse and non-offending caregivers. This led her to recognize the difficulties faced by children as they move through the forensic interview process as well as the criminal justice system. She utilized her clinical skills and an abiding interest in linguistic development to assist children and make broad changes in the services they receive.
To that end, she began working as a forensic interviewer in 1998 at the Baltimore Child Abuse Center. In 1999, she joined the Felony Family Violence Division at the Baltimore City State’s Attorney’s Office, as a clinical social worker and forensic interview specialist. In addition to coordinating physical abuse investigations, she broadened the forensic interview program to include survivors and witnesses of sexual and physical abuse, child witnesses of homicide, domestic violence and arson, as well as other felonies. Shannon also prepared child witnesses for the challenging process of testifying in criminal court.
Shannon has been a field instructor and adjunct faculty member for the University of Maryland, School of Social Work, co-teaching Introduction to Forensic Social Work. She was a member of the Core Training Team of ChildFirst Maryland and is trained in numerous forensic interview protocols accredited by the National Children’s Alliance. Shannon continues to conduct forensic interviews and provides interview training and supervision locally, nationally and internationally.
Our Faculty
Nicole Brim
Nicole Brim is a recent graduated from the University of Maryland, and a licensed social worker. She is a forensic interviewer and has been with Center for Hope for almost a year. Nicole has done over 50 interviews so far. She also works as a FIT educator and assists with trainings when needed.
Reva Chopra
Reva Chopra is a prosecution-oriented attorney with approximately 20 years of criminal litigation experience as an assistant state’s attorney. she spent most of her career as an assistant state’s attorney for the Anne Arundel County State’s Attorney’s Office before becoming chief of the Special Victim’s Unit for the Caroline County State’s Attorney’s Office. She transitioned to the role of an assistant chief counsel, Office of the Principal Legal Advisor, United States Department of Homeland Security, before resuming her prosecutorial career in the Howard County State’s Attorney’s Office where she has worked for over one year as deputy chief of the Body Worn Camera Unit. She has an especial passion for the rights of child exploitation, sexual assault and human trafficking victims and was recognized with a Project Safe Childhood Award from the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland in 2018. She has been honored to have volunteered with the Center For Hope’s FIRE program, assisting with both FIT and Trial Skills Trainings, since its inception and looks forward to continuing to assist in any way possible.
Leonard Croft
Currently at Center for Hope, Leonard Croft is the elder justice manager who oversees the Enhanced Multidisciplinary Project (E-MDT) that has created a multidisciplinary team made up of diverse professionals to discuss and consider cases of abuse of older adults in a manner that: mitigates harm and enhances safety and justice for older adults; identifies and assesses system gaps; and advocates for policy changes that increase access to prevention and intervention strategies for older adults in Baltimore. In addition, he is responsible for conducting needs assessments, engaging the community in partnership and implementing programming efforts around elder justice issues.
Leonard has grown into a seasoned leader with 8+ years of supervisory and direct human service program management experience, along with 5+ years of providing case management services to diverse vulnerable populations. He has a passion for advocating for vulnerable populations which include older adults and during his tenure at Health Care for the Homeless he was the recipient of the 2016 Health Care for the Homeless Core Value Award for Justice.
His past experience includes being a case manager at Health Care for the Homeless and elder rights program manager at the Maryland Department of Aging. Through his journey in working to support vulnerable populations throughout the community, Leonard has established a proven track record with work in preventing, educating and spreading awareness around elder abuse.
Rob Daniels
Rob is a trial attorney who serves on the faculty for FIT training, regularly presenting the legal considerations lecture to program attendees and participating as defense counsel in the mock trial exercise. He also is a member of the Center for Hope Advisory Council.
Janee A. Fountain, Esq
Janee is a dedicated and passionate advocate, lecturer and public interest attorney. She is currently an assistant attorney general at the Maryland Office of the Attorney General and a member of the Maryland Sexual Assault Evidence Kit Policy and Funding Committee. Prior to joining the Attorney General’s Office, Janee investigated and prosecuted cases of physical and sexual abuse of children at the Baltimore City State’s Attorney’s Office. She was previously a member of the BCAC Multidisciplinary Team and was a recipient of the Community Champion Award presented by Center for Hope.
Cathy Gonzalez
Cathy Gonzalez is a forensic interviewer for Montgomery County Child Welfare Services. She was previously a bilingual forensic interviewer at Center for Hope. She has done over 250 forensic interviews in both English and Spanish. During her time at Center for Hope, she provided leadership in forensic interview legal trainings and mock trials.
Elisha Hawk
Elisha N. Hawk is a partner with Jenner Law, P.C., focusing her practice on advocating for people and families who have been injured by the abuse and neglect of others. Her practice focuses on cases involving personal injury, mass torts, therapy abuse, clergy abuse, and nursing home abuse and neglect. Prior to earning her law degree, Elisha taught middle school English for eleven years in Baltimore. She is an active member of Maryland Association for Justice (MAJ). She served as President of MAJ from 2017 – 2018, and she remains active in the organization. Elisha graduated from the University of Maryland Francis King Carey School of Law, with a certificate in Health Law.
Nicole Lytle
Nicole E. Lytle is an associate professor of social work and child advocacy at Montclair State University. She received her Ph.D. in experimental psychology from the University of Toledo. Nicole’s research interests are in forensic developmental psychology and include examining interviewing techniques used with child witnesses. She teaches courses on forensic interviewing of children, developmental psychology and forensic psychology.
Anne Waller
Anne Waller, LCSW-C is the clinical supervisor of the Forensic Interview team at Center for Hope. Anne has been conducting forensic interviews at Center for Hope for about five years and has conducted over 630 interviews. In addition to conducting forensic interviews and providing clinical supervision, Anne provides training on forensic interviewing and related topics as a member of the FIT faculty. Prior to her time at the Center for Hope Anne was an intern at the Baltimore City’s State’s Attorney’s Office, Special Victims Unit. Anne received her master’s degree in social work from the University of Maryland.
