Stephanie Small is the co-founder and co-creator of the Erik's Cause Prevention Program. She is a Licensed Marriage, Family, and Child Therapist with more than 28 years of clinical experience, as well as a retired R.N. with two decades of nursing experience.She specializes in treating individuals, couples, and families across a broad range of issues and is widely recognized for her unique work with children and adolescents. A graduate of Antioch University Los Angeles, she integrates contemporary clinical approaches—including EMDR and Integrative Somatic Therapies—to address trauma, PTSD, anxiety, depression, grief, and loss. She is known for her warm, authentic, creative, and compassionate approach, as well as her ability to integrate extensive medical knowledge into her psychotherapy practice.

Her considerable work with teens and reducing risk behavior led her to partner with Judy Rogg to co-found Erik's Cause and co-create its training program.

Stephanie served as Founding Director of Children’s Education and Training for the Trauma Resource Institute, where she created the Child Resiliency Model for treating children and adolescents. She has traveled extensively training first responders—including teachers, psychotherapists, firefighters, nurses, and physicians—and has brought innovative trauma-healing approaches to communities affected by catastrophic events such as the Columbine High School massacre, Hurricane Katrina, Hurricane Rita, and the 2008 California wildfires in San Bernardino. She was also called upon to consult with the Newtown Public Schools following the tragic Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting in 2012.

As a passionate child advocate, educator, and therapist, Stephanie frequently speaks locally and nationally to communities, educators, parents, and students on pressing contemporary issues affecting youth. A detailed list is on her website:  http://www.stephaniesmall.net

Patricia Russell, M.D., is a primary care and urgent care physician in Tacoma, Washington. She earned her medical degree from the University of Washington School of Medicine and was elected to the Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Medical Society in 1993. Dr. Russell is board certified in family medicine and is a member of the Washington State and Pierce County Medical Societies.

After her son Colin died in 2005 from the choking game, Dr. Russell became a leading national advocate for awareness, research, and prevention. At that time, there were only a few medical publications and limited public health warnings addressing oxygen deprivation activities.

Significant Achievements:

• Trish brought this issue to the attention of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and co-authored its subsequent formal study on the topic.  She has worked tirelessly to increase medical and public health understanding of pass-out games and their dangers.

• Trish helped secure an official ICD-10-CM code for injuries related to the choking game and pass-out activities. Her 2012 proposal was endorsed by the American Academy of Pediatrics and approved by the Committee, creating a critical tool for medical identification, data collection, and prevention.

Publications:

• McClave JL, Russell PJ, Lyren A, O’Riordan MA, Bass NE. The Choking Game: Physician Perspectives. Pediatrics 2010; 125:82-7 [E Pub-ahead of print December 14, 2009].

• Andrew TA, Macnab A, Russell P. Update on "The Choking Game". J Pediatr. 2009 Dec;155(6):777-80.

• Toblin RL, Paulozzi LJ, Gilcrist J, Russell PJ. Unintentional Strangulation Deaths from the “Choking Game” Among Youths Aged 6-19 Years - United States, 1995-2007. J Safety Res 2008;39(4):445-8.

• CDC Unintentional Strangulation Deaths from the “Choking Game” Among Youths Aged 6-19 Years: United States, 1995-2007. MMWR Morb Mortal WklyRep. 2008; 57(6):141-144. 

Mike Bleak is a semi-retired Detective with the Cedar City, Utah Police Department, a Field Investigator for the Utah State Office of the Medical Examiner, and an Iron County Commissioner. 

During more than 30 years in law enforcement, he served in Patrol, SWAT, Community Oriented Policing, supervision, and death investigation. He is one of only a handful of Medicolegal Death Investigators to hold board certification as a Diplomate of the American Board of Medicolegal Death Investigators (D-ABMDI).

Mike is a national educator on deadly social media challenges, particularly the Blackout Challenge, also known as the choking game. Drawing from his own investigations, he trains law enforcement and medical examiners to recognize the critical differences between suicide and accidental asphyxia deaths.

He also instructs for Utah’s Peace Officer Standards and Training Division (POST) in child abuse, sexual abuse, forensic interviewing, interrogation, death investigation, and in-custody death cases, and regularly lectures nationwide to law enforcement, mental health, and education professionals.

Alex Packer is an author, educator, and developmental psychologist specializing in adolescence, substance abuse prevention, and parent education. He holds undergraduate and Master’s degrees from Harvard University and a Ph.D. in Educational and Developmental Psychology from Boston College.

He served for many years as President and CEO of FCD Educational Services and now serves as President Emeritus. Prior to FCD, he was Headmaster of Parkmont School in Washington, D.C., an alternative school for students ages 11–15, and Director of Education for the Capital Children’s Museum.

A recognized expert in youth risk behavior, Dr. Packer served on the Authors Advisory Council of the Hazelden Foundation and has appeared widely in television, radio, and national media on parenting, adolescent development, etiquette, and substance abuse prevention.

He also played an important role in helping shape Erik's Cause’s video “Navigating Social Media Challenges” and has been a strong advocate for choking game awareness and prevention since Erik’s death, working to ensure the issue is included in school risk prevention programs.