Leslie Briner, MSW – Principal

For over 20 years, Leslie has served families experiencing homelessness, youth with developmental disabilities, youth in the foster care system and, since 2005, has worked with commercially sexually exploited (CSE) youth. She has designed, implemented and directed services for sexually exploited and trafficked youth and developed comprehensive training on the topics of sexual exploitation and trafficking. To date, she has trained over 7000 people as well as providing substantial technical assistance and consultation on these issues in Washington State and across the country. Leslie works as a consultant with YouthCare and operates Social Strategies, a training and consulting practice based in Seattle, Washington as well as being Associate Faculty at the University of Washington, School of Social Work where she earned her Master’s in Social Work (MSW).

Click here to read Leslie’s story

Chris Free – Operations Director

Chris has spent more than 20 years working with private companies, non-profits, and government agencies to develop and implement employee benefits programs and employee on-boarding and education systems.  He continues to work with State and Federal legislators and regulators on health care finance programs and public policy and has held an official appointment as an advisor to the Washington State Insurance Commissioner since 2011. In addition to his public policy work, Chris has served as a member, Chair, and consultant for many boards and other governance organizations including for-profit businesses, local community non-profits, industry associations, and political action committees – and lectures on board governance at the University of Washington School of Social Work. Chris joined Social Strategies in 2019 as the Operations Director to develop organizational infrastructure and virtual training platforms.

Allison Briner – Office Manager

Allison has 20 years of experience in office management and client relations. Originally from Northern California, she moved to Seattle in 2020. Now, she’s Social Strategies’ office manager and oversees training coordination and communications.  Allison is a graduate from California State University East Bay, with a major in Political Science. Throughout her career, Allison has developed skills in project organization, database coordination, inventory management, and product importing and exporting. She thrives in any situation in which she can put her organizational skills to use.

Teddy McGlynn-Wright, MSW – In The Works, LLC

Teddy currently directs the Trauma Informed Schools Train the Trainer project in New Orleans. He is also a Belonging-Based Facilitator, politicized healer and award-winning professor, formerly of the UW School of Social Work. Recognizing that all interpersonal violence happens in the context of structural violence, Teddy takes a body-based approach to healing and clearing secondary trauma in individuals and collectives, whether the trauma is racialized or gendered, interpersonal or institutional. Teddy supports those on the frontlines of anti-violence movements including domestic violence and sexual assault advocates, anti-racist organizers, and prison abolitionists.

You can reach Teddy and In The Works, LLC here.