presents 

Please note that the conference will be held for 2 days:

February 7th from 9:00AM - 1:00PM 

**Resource Fair: 1:00PM -2:00PM

February 8th from 9:00AM - 1:00PM.

 Conference Presenter Bios

Dr. Aquil Basheer has been described as “One of the Nation’s most premier Violence Intermediation Professionals, Elite Public Safety Experts and Hard Core Gang Intervention Specialists” In Society Today. He is recognized as being at the top of a league of pinnacle specialists in area of discipline and acknowledged as one of the most accomplished authorities in this field of expertise.

He instructs & consults worldwide, has founded Maximum Force Enterprises, the License to Operate Movement (LTO) and the Professional Community Intervention Training Institute-International (PCITI); (the nations first “practitioner based’ professionally certifying 18-week Community Violence Intercession-Gang Intervention Academy).  PCITI has trained a multitude of cities throughout the United States and globally. Dr. Basheer is also a highly regarded Adjunct Professor for Alliant University International. 

His training sessions have garnered international attention and support, having traveled the world over to train specialty teams in Brazil, SWAT teams from Argentina, elite executive protection specialists from Africa, private crisis elimination teams from London, public safety experts from Beijing, Hong Kong & Shanghai, Gang Intersession specialists in El Salvador and emergency responders/peace keeping intervention experts all over the United States. He has provided his expertise in Geneva, Switzerland to the World Health Organization to guild their International violence prevention template and to the United Nations to assist in drafting the International “SaferCity” blueprint.   

Aquil is the brainchild of celebrated “The BUILD Program” and the “The License to Operate Movement” (LTO); the largest regional affiliated network of specially trained–Violence Intervention-Community Mobilization experts.

He is a published author of the “critically acclaimed” book “Peace in the Hood” (Working with gang members to stop the violence) which has set the standard for hard core community based violence intervention and is required reading in numerous Universities.

Aquil has appeared in countless documentaries and short films pieces including “Bloods and Crips”, Gangland, Made in America, “License To Operate” documentary which he has a staring role and “Black Jacket” which focuses on the Professional Community Intervention Training Institute (PCITI) which he founded, its methodology and the groundbreaking Operational Protocols which is being utilized in city after city throughout the nation.

He has received awards and honors much too numerous to list including the exalted Doctorate of Letters in Humanities from The Chicago School of Professional Psychology, and the celebrated “California Peace Prize” from The California Wellness Foundation. 

Dana Brown is the Southern California Regional Community Facilitator for ACEs Connection .A social entrepreneur, Dana founded a character development program at TierrasantaElementary in San Diego, CA; co-founded Youth Voice and OurSOLES (Our Students ofLeadership ~ Empowerment ~ Service), founded Youth Leadership TICS ( Trauma InformedCommunity Schools ) and Youth Leadership with McGill School of Success. Dana is aCommissioner on the City of San Diego Commission on Gang Prevention & Intervention andChair of the Youth Committee. and has been vested with several boards and advisory councils.Presently, she is the co-chair of the San Diego Trauma-Informed Guide Team , on the AdvisoryCouncil of University of San Diego's Character Development Center and leadership team of theClinton Health Matters Initiative . Receiving the Joy McAllister Advocacy Award from MentalHealth America in 2014, President Obama's USA Volunteer Presidential Award in 2013, and theCity of San Diego's Human Relations Commission Award in 2009, Dana’s passion and calling isco-creating, with like-minded individuals, ACEs Science systems change in a socio-ecologicalmodel through advocacy, prevention and resiliency building.

Paula Bunn, LMFT, FT is the Manager of The Elizabeth Hospice Center for Compassionate Care. A Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist, she holds two graduate degrees in counseling, an M.A. in Marital and Family Therapy from Bethel University/Seminary, and an M.S. in School Counseling from Butler University. In addition, she is a Fellow of Thanatology through the Association for Death Education and Counseling.

Paula’s years of clinical experience at a large San Diego psychiatric hospital included counseling, support groups, and case management with various populations and levels of pathology. In private practice settings, she worked with adults, adolescents, and couples, on a wide spectrum of individual and family issues, including depression and anxiety, as well as healing from trauma and abuse. In addition, she has presented workshops and seminars on a variety of grief and mental health issues, locally, nationally and internationally.

Paula has been with The Elizabeth Hospice, California’s largest non-profit hospice, since January 2010. As Manager, her responsibilities include overseeing daily operations and programs of the bereavement department; managing a team of bereavement professionals; providing clinical supervision and training for Registered Interns and Trainees; maintaining a caseload of hospice and community counseling clients; and providing education and outreach to San Diego and South Riverside Counties. Areas of special interest and focus for Paula have been supporting parents who have lost a child of any age, and supporting those who have had sudden and traumatic losses.

In addition to her position at The Elizabeth Hospice, Paula is an Adjunct Faculty professor at Bethel University/Seminary in San Diego, a COAMFT-accredited school, where she teaches graduate students in Marital and Family Therapy and Mental Health Counseling. She has taught at Bethel since 2011. 

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Jason M. Rasch, Supervising Probation Officer- Special Operations Division, Juvenile Gang Intervention and Intensive Supervision Unit:  Jason is a Supervising Probation Officer with over 24 years of experience in various roles with the San Diego County Probation Department. He began as a Student Worker/Intern in Juvenile Hall and for a Probation Department day treatment program called FACES. In 1994, he was hired as a Correctional Deputy Probation Officer and was assigned to Juvenile Hall, where he worked all living units, Main Control, and Intake.   

Upon promotion to Deputy Probation Officer in 1995, he was assigned to the Probation Department’s first Aftercare Unit, supervising youth recently released from camp or Residential Treatment facilities. After working in an unarmed capacity for approximately a year and a half, he attended the Weapons and Safety Academy and three days after graduation, was selected to fill a vacancy in the Juvenile Gang Suppression Unit. After spending a year in this assignment, he was selected to fill a vacancy with the North County Regional Gang Task Force, where he spent the next 4 ½ years (December 1997 – March 2002).  He was promoted to Senior Probation Officer and was assigned to the Intake, Booking, and Release Unit in Juvenile Hall. While assigned to Juvenile Hall, he became one of two senior training officers, responsible for all training provided to institutional officers. He was promoted to Supervising Probation Officer in May 2003, and was initially assigned to Juvenile Field Services, Intake and Investigation. While in this assignment, he was responsible for supervising officers assigned to investigations, Detention Control, and the Warrant Bank.  He spent a little over three years in this assignment.  In May 2006, he was selected to fill a Supervisor vacancy in the Juvenile Gang Suppression Unit, where he is currently assigned and has spent the last 11+ years.

Supervisor Rasch has implemented many programs over the years focusing on juvenile rehabilitation.  He is a representative on many of the community collaborations, to include Community Wrap, oversees tattoo removal treatment for youth, and has developed a life skills course for High Risk Gang Youth. He is passionate and is convinced that with a little guidance, direction, and support, most youth has the ability to change their way of thinking and put them on a path to success. 

Jason graduated from San Diego State University, San Diego, CA with a B.S. in Criminal Justice Administration.