Skip to content

Find Support Today

About

About Us

Guiding From Experience. Leading for Change.

It all began with a mom searching for answers. Amy VanTine had spent her career supporting children and families as a residential care provider, early childhood educator, foster care mentor, and case aide. But when it came to helping her own adopted daughter with reactive attachment disorder (RAD), also known as developmental trauma, she found herself lost. Despite countless therapies and parenting approaches, the effects of her daughter's early trauma weren't being addressed, and her family fell into crisis.

When Amy was losing hope, she connected online with other moms facing similar struggles — two of whom, by chance, lived in her small Colorado town. For the first time, Amy realized she wasn't alone.

As she continued connecting with caregivers around the world, it became clear that many families parenting children with RAD weren't receiving the support they needed. Too often, caregivers were blamed for behaviors rooted in developmental trauma that existed long before the child entered their care.

Determined to make a difference, Amy and two other parents from her community founded RAD Advocates in 2017. RAD Advocates is a grassroots 501 (c) (3) nonprofit, led primarily by people with firsthand experience parenting a child with reactive attachment disorder. Our advocates have spent countless hours supporting families through crises, providing parent support, and educating communities about RAD and developmental trauma disorder (DTD). From teaching graduate students and training clinicians to sharing their stories with Mayo Clinic professionals and lobbying for family protections, RAD Advocates is building understanding and support for families everywhere.

And we're just getting started. Join us.

Get Involved

Who We Are

Administration/Parent Support

  • Amy VanTine

    Founder/CEO/Advocate

  • Heather Houze

    COO/Advocate

  • Nichole Noonan

    Marketing/Communications

  • Misty Bickham

    Parent Empowerment Specialist

  • Lauren Henderson

    Advocate

  • Kathy Lindemann-Hijar

    Advocate

  • Jenni Koenig

    Advocate

  • Jan Lundell

    Advocate

  • Dr. Allison Quadhamer

    Parent Self-Care Support/ Chiropractic Neurologist

Board of Directors

  • David Eplion

    Board Chair/Dean of Indiana University School of Business

  • Jeff Bickham

    Board Member/Software Engineer

  • Mike Bouchard

    Board Member/Inventory Manager

  • James Brandon

    Board Member/Technical Consultant

  • Melissa Youngman

    Board Member/Practicing Lawyer, Florida

Educational Committee

  • Kristy Brewer

    Trauma and Attachment Therapist

  • Leslie Brunner

    Special Education Educator

  • Ryan Brunner

    Psychology Professor

Other Volunteer Support

  • Elizabeth Meyer

    Volunteer

  • Amy Horton

    Volunteer

  • Richard Choi

    Business Development Volunteer/ Small Business & Nonprofit Consultant

  • Cherie Eplion

    NavRAD & Donor Relations Volunteer

  • Cami Lewis

    Writing Volunteer/ Cybersecurity Practitioner

  • Micaela Myers

    Writing Volunteer/Professional Writer & Editor