St. Augustine, Fla. (April 23, 2018) – Lindsay Gamboa-Thompson has joined Betty Griffin Center as its new Green Dot Coordinator, responsible for outreach and training for the program on the Flagler College Campus.
Gamboa-Thompson was previously a senior case manager/screener for the Safe Horizon Family Justice Center in Manhattan, New York, which provides criminal justice, civil legal, and social services for victims of domestic violence, elder abuse and sex trafficking. She initially joined Safe Horizons as a client service specialist in January 2017.
Prior to that, she was a shelter advocate at Betty Griffin Center, where she was responsible for engaging with clients who contacted the 24-Hour Help Line, provided assistance and crisis management for clients residing in the Betty Griffin Shelter, advocated on behalf of clients and coordinated with other client service providers in Northeast Florida.
She received her Bachelor of Arts Degree from the University of North Florida in 2015. Prior to graduation, she also interned with The Delores Barr Weaver Policy Center where she worked directly with girls at George Washington Carver and North Shore Elementary schools through the Girl Matters program – an in-school program for early intervention in girls’ lives to improve school success and to stop suspension from school.
“This is where my passion grew for advocating on behalf of those whose voices needed to be heard,” she said.
Gamboa-Thompson has also received certification from the Client Centered Practice for Case Management in Engagement, Safety Assessment, and Risk Management and has Mental Health First Aid Certification.
“We’re glad to have Lindsay in this position, since she already has a thorough understanding about our agency’s mission and how the Green Dot Strategy complements our other programs and services,” said Betty Griffin Center CEO Joyce Mahr.
The Green Dot Program, nationally recognized and already implemented at Norte Dame, University of Kentucky and the University of Tampa, is a collaboration with Flagler College and Betty Griffin Center aimed at involving students, faculty and administrators in developing a campus culture where violence of any type is not tolerated – including sexual violence, domestic violence, dating violence, stalking and bullying behavior. Through the program, Flagler College Students receive certification in Green Dot Bystander Training, which helps them learn how to handle any violence, stalking or bullying behavior if they should ever observe it – while receiving co-curricular credits or community service hours in the process.