In 2000 Brenda began her professional career as a probation officer with the State of Nebraska. In 2006, Brenda was promoted as one of the first Specialized Substance Abuse Supervision (SSAS) officers in the State of Nebraska as the Community Based Programs Division developed and expanded. Brenda played an active role in the development, training and policy implementation of Evidence Based Practices statewide including: LS/CMI, case planning and motivational interviewing. She worked diligently for over 12 years within Nebraska State Probation with specialized populations of youth, domestic violence, sex offenders, substance abusers and gang members. Brenda greatly enjoyed not only inspiring her clients toward positive behavior change, but also her colleagues.
In 2012, Brenda formed her own company, Motivate 2 Communicate, LLC in which she offers tailored certified trainings and curriculum development for multi-business models in evidence based practices, risk/needs assessments, motivational interviewing, personality assessments, trauma informed care and leadership enhancement. She is a highly sought trainer and guest speaker amongst the criminal justice and human services industries. She contracts with several local and state government and non-profit agencies throughout the U.S. to assist in implementation of evidence based practices and programming. Brenda is a member of the highly esteemed MINT international network of Motivational Interviewing trainers, and holds over a dozen other nationally recognized training certifications in assessments from Mulit Health Systems Inc and case management from the University of Cincinnati. Additonally, Brenda is a certified MITI coder and provides various MI coaching services to enhance skill levels of all ranges and group sizes.
Brenda is a criminal justice adjunct faculty member at the University of Nebraska at Omaha and full-time faculty member at Metro Community College. She developed a course in Effective Communication in the Criminal Justice and Sociology Field and also teaches courses in sexual offenses, gangs and community corrections. Brenda facilitates professional criminogenic CEU courses in the like subjects as well for Bellevue University. She has contracted with the University of Nebraska’s Center for Justice Research Department in the development of prison inmate behavior change curriculum, The Transformation Project. Recently Brenda collaborated with the founder of Psychotherapy.net in developing several professional web-based MI training offerings as well.
Brenda completed her Masters in Health Communication and Non-Profit Management through Johns Hopkins University. She serves as a Court Appointed Specialized Advocate (CASA) volunteer and is a member and trainer for the American Probation and Parole Association. Brenda was also selected to be a part of the Omaha’s Women’s Fund Inner Circle and is in the process of leading a women’s jail ministry & mentoring program in collaboration with her congregation. She is an active board member of the Heartland Juvenile Services Association, and member of the Nebraska Justice Alliance, the Association of Talent Development, and the Metropolitan Child Advocacy Coalition. Her company sponsors multiple local and nationwide non-profit organizations, grassroots initiatives and social justice conferences. Motivate 2 Communicate, LLC is a member of the Omaha Chamber of Commerce and was recently featured in the Midlands Business Journal.
In Brenda’s free time she enjoys coaching her daughter’s basketball team, playing sand volleyball, attending her four children’s activities, and organizing community and neighborhood events.
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