Prior to coming onboard with Child Advocates of Placer County, Lauren worked as a Deputy Probation Officer in juvenile hall cultivating a rapport with at-risk youths and advocating for their safety and security while in custody. This is where she was introduced to the CASA and juvenile justice mentorship programs and Lauren was immediately drawn to the idea of pursuing a role that would allow her to be a part of the rehabilitation and reunification process once the child was released.
Lauren studied Early Childhood Development in college in Saratoga, CA but switched gears after her brother passed away in 2016. She went on to pursue a career in 911 dispatching, graduating from San Jose Police Department’s Communications Academy hoping to be the calm voice and listening ears for others who were potentially experiencing their worst day. Lauren lateraled to Folsom Police Department after her husband landed a job with Sacramento Metropolitan Fire District.
During COVID, they made the move to Tahoe Vista, CA and Lauren took this time to focus on her own healing which led her to Costa Rica for a month-long yoga teacher training. She earned her certification and decided to dive deeper into her offerings by taking an advanced trauma-informed course and teaching for a nonprofit organization in Reno, NV called Urban Lotus Project. It was their mission to offer classes and mindfulness tools to those experiencing the impact of violence, addiction, homelessness, incarceration, and recovery. Lauren has always had a strong passion for not only being a child’s voice but giving young people the safe space to let their voice be heard.