Our Team
Adriana McKinnon - LPC
President and CEO
Adriana is a licensed and national board-certified professional counselor, her experience providing advocacy for victims and survivors of interpersonal violence span over 16 years.
Adriana’s areas of expertise include her work with individuals, groups, and families in settings such as non-profit organizations, residential treatment centers, and private practice providing clinical services in the areas of child sexual abuse, intimate partner violence and family violence, human trafficking, and commercial sexual exploitation. Adriana is also a Court Appointed Special Advocate with CASA of the Coastal Bend and a volunteer advocate for The Young Center for Immigrant Children’s Rights.
Ms. McKinnon’s professional experience includes her previous role as Program Director for Devereux Advanced Behavioral Health in Victoria, Texas, an unaccompanied children’s emergency shelter funded by the Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) and the Women’s Shelter of South Texas in Corpus Christi, Texas where she served as a Director of Outreach Services.
Adriana obtained her Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology from the University of Houston – Victoria and a Master of Science degree in Counseling Psychology from Texas A&M University – Corpus Christi.
Alexandria Garcia
LMSW – Program Director
Alexandria is a licensed master level social worker and has worked with our program since its inception in October 2019. She obtained her Bachelor’s Degree in Criminal Justice from Texas A&M at Corpus Christi and her Master’s Degree in Social Work at Our Lady of the Lake University. Alexandria has extensive experience working with victims and survivors of sexual violence experiencing complex trauma. Her extensive experience as a victims’ advocate has provided the Youth Center staff with invaluable insight and knowledge about CSEY and how survivors of sexual assault and exploitation change, both in treatment and on their own. Her studies and leadership experience provide the skills and insights needed to effectively oversee the day-to-day operations of the Youth Center of Texas.
Kayla Russell
Case Management Services Manager
Kayla obtained her Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology from the University of Texas at San Antonio and is currently studying to obtain her Master’s Degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling. Kayla is a former Rape Crisis Center advocate and has several years of experience working with survivors of sexual exploitation.
Kayla is responsible for ensuring that the Youth Center of Texas case management and advocacy services are carried out in an effective, results-driven, and survivor-inclusive manner.
