Our Team
Our People
The FIRE Program is a team of social workers, psychologists, forensic interviewers, therapists, researchers, attorneys and administrators. Their diverse perspectives and skills interact through a shared goal of connecting forensic interviewers to new research as efficiently as possible. The FIRE team trains professionals both nationally and internationally by sharing this unique perspective. Our primary goal is to expand their toolbox to provide victims with the best chance to talk about their experiences and begin the process of healing.
Our Faculty
Crimson Barocca
Crimson Barocca, LCSW-C, is the Director of Forensic and Professional Services at Center for Hope, a consortium of comprehensive violence prevention and intervention programs, including a Child Advocacy Center. Crimson oversees and supports both internal and external training, research, expert testimony and consultation. She has been at Center for Hope for the last 17 years; however, she began her career over 20 years ago, in child protection, as an investigator, forensic interviewer and supervisor.
Crimson has conducted over 2,300 forensic interviews and led the development of the nationally recognized interview structure, Forensic Interview Toolbox (FIT). 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 a 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 that they receive.
To that end, Shannon 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, Shannon 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. She also prepared child witnesses for the challenging process of testifying in criminal court.
Shannon has been a field instructor and an adjunct faculty member for the University of Maryland, School of Social Work, co-teaching Introduction to Forensic Social Work. She is a member of the core Forensic Interview Toolbox (FIT) training team, and she 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.
Cathy Pajaro
Cathy Pajaro, LCSW-C, is a Forensic Interview Research and Education Trainer with extensive experience in forensic interviewing, child maltreatment, and professional training. She began her career as a forensic interviewer at Center for Hope and has since conducted more than 900 forensic interviews in both English and Spanish. She has also served as a forensic interviewer in Montgomery County and Prince George’s County, gaining extensive experience interviewing children and adolescents in cases involving suspected abuse and maltreatment.
In her current role with the FIRE Team, Cathy combines her extensive field experience with her expertise in professional education and curriculum development. She designs, develops, and implements training programs focused on forensic interviewing, child maltreatment, and related investigative and multidisciplinary response topics. Her training experience spans both English- and Spanish-speaking audiences and includes developing customized, research-informed curricula for professionals across disciplines and jurisdictions.
Cathy is passionate about translating research and best practices into practical skills that professionals can apply in real-world settings. Her unique combination of extensive forensic interviewing experience, bilingual expertise, clinical training, and curriculum development experience allows her to provide engaging, practical, and evidence-informed education to professionals working to improve outcomes for children and families affected by maltreatment.
Maggie Madden
Maggie Madden, B.A., is the Research & Education Coordinator of the Forensic Interview Research & Education team at Center for Hope. Maggie is currently pursuing a master’s degree in Forensic & Legal Psychology at Marymount University. Over the past year, she has facilitated and supported operational logistics, research initiatives and the coordination of training both internally and externally.
As a former intern with the FIRE team, Maggie now mentors and supervises incoming interns, supporting their professional development and engagement with Center for Hope’s multi-disciplinary teams. She facilitates these opportunities through research projects, local and national conferences and hands-on experiences working alongside professionals across various disciplines. Maggie received her Bachelor of Arts in Psychology with a minor in Sociology from the University of Maryland, Baltimore County.
Mallory Farmer
Mallory Farmer, B.S., is a FIRE Graduate Intern for the academic year 2026-2027. Mallory is from Wisconsin, where she received her Bachelor of Science in Psychology from the University of Wisconsin- Parkside. Presently, she is pursuing her master’s in Clinical Psychology at Towson University. As an intern at Center for Hope, Mallory assists the FIRE team with research-related tasks, such as conducting surveys, transcription, data entry and working closely with other professionals as part of a multi-disciplinary team. Mallory also spends time attending company-wide trainings and shadowing psychologists to learn how to best implement trauma-informed care.
Kathryn Gravely
Kathryn (Katie) Gravely is an Attorney for Violence Prevention at Center for Hope. Katie supports Center for Hope’s mission to safeguard children and neighborhoods from all forms of violence. In their current role, Katie serves as Center for Hope’s MDT facilitator, prepares staff and MDT members for courtroom testimony, assists children and their families with immediate legal needs and provides both local and national training with the Forensic Interview Research and Education team.
Before joining Center for Hope, Katie was a Special Victim’s Unit prosecutor handling sex crimes, child abuse, and infant death investigations, ultimately specializing in child sex offenses that involve delayed disclosures, recantations, polyvictimization, and repeat offenders. Barred in Maryland, Katie holds a law degree from American University’s Washington College of Law and a master’s degree in Political Science from Virginia Tech.
Anne Waller
Anne Walsh, LCSW-C, is the Clinical Supervisor of the Forensic Interview Tea at Center for Hope. She has conducted forensic interviews at Center for Hope for approximately eight years, and she has completed more than 1,200 interviews. In addition to conducting forensic interviews and providing clinical supervision, Anne serves as a member of the FIT faculty, training other multi-disciplinary and forensic professionals on forensic interviewing and related topics.
Anne has provided expert testimony in criminal trials on the processes of disclosure, grooming and the dynamics of child sexual abuse. Prior to joining Center for Hope, she interned with the Baltimore City State’s Attorney’s office, Special Victims Unit. Anne earned her master’s degree in Social Work from the University of Maryland.
Our Training Partners
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.
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.
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.