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Celia VanDeGraaf, MA Counseling

Executive Director, Center for Survivors of Torture (CST)

For over seventeen years, Celia VanDeGraaf has led Center for Survivors of Torture (CST) to address impact of trauma among international survivors of torture through mental health care; social, medical, and legal services; clinical training in Spanish and English; community capacity building, and data collection and reporting. As Executive Director of CST she is responsible for overall strategy, mission, vision, program planning, and budgeting. Under her leadership CST has expanded treatment services throughout Texas, providing services in four locations to more than 750 clients per year. Celia has built organizational capacity through board development, fundraising, staffing, partnership-building, communications, and significant outreach. She has recruited a diverse Board of Directors, staff, professional volunteers, and interns, leading to thousands of hours of pro bono support in legal expertise, mental health, medical services, and strategic guidance. Celia is responsible for HIPAA compliance, accounting, social media, grant oversight, internal controls, monitoring, and evaluation. Celia has formed partnerships with university psychology programs, hospitals, and medical schools to recruit clinical interns for one of the large wraparound services programs in the nation specializing in international trauma. She is the subject expert regarding torture treatment in Texas and is Clinical Assistant Professor, University of Texas, Clinical Psychology Department. Additionally, she serves on the Executive Committee of National Consortium of Torture Treatment Providers as Membership Chairperson and National Capacity Building Advisory Group.