Heidy Quintanilla, a Master of Social Work graduate from the University of Toronto, specializes in trauma-informed care and violence prevention within the youth and adult justice system. As a Latina, she is deeply committed to enhancing mental health services for marginalized and racialized communities. Her motivation for engaging in research stems from a desire to develop effective, tailored interventions for children and families affected by trauma and to improve support systems within the justice system, particularly for racialized communities. Her focus on crime and violence prevention aims to create preventative measures and solutions that address systemic issues in these communities.