Sara Stanton

Professional Background

Sara Stanton obtained her Masters in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from Indiana University of Pennsylvania in 2013. She studied Psychology at the undergraduate level at the University of Pittsburgh in Pennsylvania. Sara has maintained her status as a Nationally Certified Counselor (NCC) since graduating. She has also been a Certified START Coordinator since 2015. Sara joined the NC START East team in 2014 where she served in many roles including START Clinical Coordinator, Clinical Team Lead, Associate Clinical Director, and Clinical Director. Sara joined the National Center for START Services in December 2021. She has experience working in a variety of settings including maximum security prisons and acute psychiatric inpatient settings although her favorite and most impactful work has been in the community. Sara is the Training Content Specialist which is a dynamic role including both providing training and supporting training development as well as quality assurance of on-going trainings. Sara works with a variety of stakeholders across the nation both within START programs and the IDD-MH community at large. Sara's background is heavily influenced by systemic crisis intervention. Sara values community collaboration for positive change evidenced by her time spent supporting people's successful transition back to the community after extensive inpatient stays. Sara also worked to train thousands of law enforcement officers positive crisis intervention techniques to respond to behavioral health crisis events in their communities utilizing the Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) modality. Community education and change remain a passion for Sara in her role with the NCSS training department. When she isn't working, Sara enjoys playing with her dog Hope, spending time with family and friends, and video gaming.

Education

MA, Clinical Mental Health Counseling, Indiana University of Pennsylvania
BS, Psychology, University of Pittsburgh