The Neurosequential Model is a developmentally informed, biologically respectful approach to working with at-risk children. Developed by Bruce D. Perry, M.D., Ph.D., the model has had global impact, informing professionals across multiple disciplines worldwide.
The model is not a specific therapeutic technique or intervention, but an approach that integrates core principles of neurodevelopment and traumatology to guide work with children, families and their communities. It provides a framework to organize a child’s history and current functioning, structure assessment, articulate primary problems, identify key strengths and apply interventions—educational, enrichment and therapeutic—in ways that best support the child’s needs.
This approach has been embraced by parents and caregivers, psychiatrists, physicians, policymakers, law enforcement, clinicians, educators and coaches. As communities adopt the model and incorporate neurodevelopmental concepts into their core practices, its reach and impact continue to grow.
In this webinar, presenters will share how the Neurosequential Model has been implemented in three county systems, as well as recent statewide efforts in California to expand its application in child- and family-serving systems.
Presenters:
Jessica Carrillo, MSW, is division chief with Fresno County Department of Social Services, overseeing the youth transitional shelter, child welfare client services and the county’s implementation of the Neurosequential Model. She has 25 years of experience in child welfare, including more than 15 as a trainer. Carrillo holds certification in cultural diversity and has contributed to statewide child welfare best practice standards.
Toni DeMarco, MS, MFT, is the retired deputy director for behavioral health and recovery services youth division at San Mateo County Health System. She has more than 30 years of experience in public and nonprofit sectors as a clinician, supervisor, manager and educator, with a focus on trauma and its generational impact. DeMarco coordinated San Mateo’s Neurosequential Model of Therapeutics (NMT) program for a decade and is a certified Phase II NMT trainer/mentor. She consults for the CDSS NMT Learning Collaborative.
Cindy Donis, LMFT, specializes in infant and early childhood mental health, trauma and attachment. She oversees training and implementation of the Neurosequential Model of Therapeutics for San Mateo County Behavioral Health and Recovery Services and is a certified NMT trainer. Donis has more than 15 years of experience serving children under five and perinatal caregivers in English and Spanish. She is adjunct faculty at the University of San Francisco and coordinates BHRS’s Prenatal to Three internship program.
Michelle Hauck, LCSW, has 20 years of experience in direct service, program management and cross-system implementation with a focus on youth in child welfare and juvenile justice. A certified trainer in the Neurosequential Model of Therapeutics, she is senior program manager with Santa Clara County Behavioral Health Services Department. Hauck leads initiatives supporting dually involved youth, crisis programs and development of youth residential care continuum.
Rachel Talamantez, Ph.D., LMFT, is division director with Santa Clara County Behavioral Health Services Department, with more than 20 years of leadership and direct service in behavioral health, child welfare and juvenile justice. A licensed marriage and family therapist, she is a certified trainer and mentor in the Neurosequential Model of Therapeutics, including the early childhood version. Talamantez is recognized for cross-system collaboration and fostering supportive, trauma-informed environments that strengthen community care.