shannon collins

Shannon Collins (she/her) is an autistic survivor advocate living in Denver, CO who strives to cultivate collective leadership, survivor empowerment, and peer support in her work. A licensed clinical social worker, Shannon has dedicated 25 years working to end domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking (DVSAS) through advocacy, response, prevention, and education primarily in college and university settings. Shannon currently serves as the Director of Training & Technical Assistance at the National Organization for Victim Assistance (NOVA), where she provides leadership for a portfolio of federally funded training and technical assistance grants, including programs designed to build the capacity of victim service professionals to support college campuses, to engage youth, and to serve military-connected survivors. Shannon specializes in the formation of trauma-informed victim advocacy programs and the development and maintenance of Coordinated Community Response Teams (CCRTs) to address DVSAS. Shannon serves as adjunct faculty for several Colorado universities and teaches workshops and academic courses on the ethics of campus advocacy, evidence-based practice, trauma-informed leadership, and gender-based violence over the lifespan. Shannon is grateful to serve her community as a member of the Board of Directors for the Colorado Coalition Against Sexual Assault (CCASA). Shannon holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Anthropology, a Master of Social Work degree, and a Women’s Studies Certificate of Graduate Study from the University of South Carolina, as well as an Executive Certificate of Nonprofit Management from the Georgetown University Public Policy Institute. When Shannon is not working to promote justice and healing for survivors and communities, she can be found immersed in a crochet project or exploring the natural Colorado landscape with her family.