Linda E. Johnson, Executive Director of Prevent Child Abuse Vermont
Linda has served as the Executive Director of Prevent Child Abuse Vermont for 34 years, a Chapter of Prevent Child Abuse America. During that time, she has been responsible for the statewide expansion of the Nurturing Parenting® Programs and Circle of Parents support groups. Linda conceived, created and managed the publishing and distribution of Vermont Parent’s Home Companion and Resource Directory, now in its 31st edition (parents of newborns and newly adopted children in Vermont receives one) and has established a comprehensive Shaken Baby Syndrome/Abusive Head Trauma Prevention Program to Vermont.
Linda founded The Partnership for an Abuse Free State, which successfully nurtured several child sexual abuse prevention initiatives including STOP IT NOW! Linda is responsible for the development of primary prevention child sexual abuse prevention programs known as the Healthy Relationships Project. These include: Sexual Abuse Free Environment for Teens Program™ (SAFE-T™ ), Care for Kids (CFK), Nurturing Healthy Sexual Development™ (NHSD). Under Linda’s leadership PCAVT also created the Adult Repsonsibility Project, a series of trainings for adult who care for children and youth, to prevent their sexual abuse. These trainings include: Understanding and Responding to the Sexual Behavior of Children (URSBC), TECHNICOOL: Keeping Kids Safe on the Internet, Plugged In, and Overcoming Barriers to Protecting Children from Sexual Abuse, Brain Development and Consent, Protecting LGBTQAI +T Children and Youth from Sexual Abuse, Nurturing Healthy Sexual Development, Also, she is responsible for the creation of “Protecting Children from Child Sexual Abuse, A Guide for Parents and Caregivers”, and “Protecting Children from Child Sexual Abuse, A Guide for Mentors.
Under Linda’s leadership, PCAVT has become a premier training center for child sexual abuse primary prevention for adults, children and youth. This work focuses on adult responsibility for protecting children, is trauma-informed, victim/victimization prevention and is developmentally appropriate. Training of Trainers takes place in locations throughout the United States, abroad and in Vermont and is currently delivered virtually.
Linda is a member of the National Coalition for the Prevention of Child Sexual Abuse and Exploitation, serves as an advisor to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, and provides consultation on primary prevention of Child Sexual Abuse nationally and internationally.
Linda is a member of the Vermont Council for Children and Families Prevention Programs and served on the Vermont Domestic and Sexual Violence Prevention Task Force. She is also a member of the Vermont Citizen’s Advisory Board on Child Abuse Prevention, for the Vermont Department for Children and Families.
Michelle Richling M.Ed., Family Support Programs Director at Prevent Child Abuse Vermont
Michelle Richling joined the team at Prevent Child Abuse Vermont, as the Director of Family Support Programs in September 2021. Michelle received her Bachelor's Degree from The University of Vermont, her Master's Degree in Early Childhood Education from Champlain College and holds a Vermont State Teaching License birth through third grade. Michelle has immersed herself in supporting children and families in a variety of settings for over 25 years; most recently, as the Director of the Kids & Fitness Preschool at the EDGE since 2006 before coming to Prevent Child Abuse Vermont. Michelle joined the PCAVT team to continue her journey in promoting healthy relationships within families, schools and communities.
