Leadership - Signs of HOPE

Kimberly Small is the CEO of Signs of HOPE, a 49-year Southern Nevada nonprofit formerly known as the Rape Crisis Center that provides hope, help, and healing to those affected by sexual violence and exploitation.

In her role, Small oversees all facets of the organization including crisis response, counseling and support groups, prevention and education initiatives, and the Resources and Integration for Survivor Empowerment or RISE program, which provides crisis response and long-term case management services to victims of all forms of human trafficking.

Small built her career with a personal philosophy of servant leadership, starting as a Teach For America elementary school teacher for the Compton Unified School District and carried through two decades that saw Small transition from teaching in the Los Angeles Unified School District and serving as school director for students with special needs to leadership roles with Specialized Education Services, Inc. and Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship, West where she served as executive director.

Small brings over 25 years of progressive leadership experience in strategic planning, partnership building, management, professional fundraising, program oversight, and collaboration with boards and staff to her position as CEO of Signs of HOPE. Her experience, fresh perspective, and core beliefs in transparency and honesty uniquely position Small to lead this key nonprofit that delivers vital services to the Southern Nevada community.

Small holds a Master of Science in Educational Administration and a Master of Arts in Education from Pepperdine University and earned her Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Southern California.

Lachell Jordan joined the Signs of HOPE (SOH) team in November 2021. Her devotion to people and her eagerness to support the community was the inspiration behind her transition from for-profit to nonprofit. As a small business owner for over 15 years, Lachell brings skills such as decisive problem solving, creativity, as well as business development and management to the SOH team. As a holder of a Business Management degree, she brings the knowledge needed to assist with creating sustainability for funding and programs within Signs of HOPE.

Born and raised in Southern California, Lachell has been a Las Vegas local for over 20 years.  She has made Southern Nevada her home and is committed to doing purpose driven work in the communities of Clark County. Even though Lachell is new to the non-profit world, she is well equipped with the necessary passion and credentials needed to be an asset to the Signs of HOPE Leadership team.

Liz Carrasco is a licensed psychotherapist and Clinical Director at Signs of Hope. Liz earned her Master of Social Work degree (MSW) and her Bachelor of Arts degrees in Psychology and Criminal Justice at UNLV.  She is also currently a Trauma Psychology PhD student at Northcentral University. Liz is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, a Certified Clinical Trauma Professional (CCTP), and specializes in working with victims of interpersonal violence and sexual trauma.

Liz has worked with survivors of power based violence for the past twelve years. Liz’s clinical training includes working with foster care children, adults, youth, mandated clients in the CPS and criminal justice systems, and post-prison re-entry clients. She is a clinical supervisor for the Board of Examiners for Nevada Social Workers, is passionate about working with clients who have experienced trauma and abuse, and enjoys training other professionals to work with survivors of trauma.

Prior to becoming a clinician, Liz worked as a court and victim advocate for a domestic violence shelter; a mediation specialist for victim-offender cases for justice court; a case manager, a constituent relations specialist for a former US Senator, a public information officer, a fundraiser, and a community and political organizer. Liz is well versed in diversity issues and is a passionate ally for social justice, anti-racism, gendered anti-violence, and oppression-based issues.

Liz is a part-time instructor for the UNLV School of Social Work where she teaches bachelor-level courses for students preparing to become social workers. Liz is also an agency field instructor for the UNLV School of Social Work and has supervised and trained master level students completing their practicum hours to help prepare them to become clinical interns and future psychotherapists. Liz previously worked for several years at the UNLV Student Counseling Center where she oversaw the interpersonal violence program for the university, and supervised doctoral psychology interns and practicum students in the clinical mental health counseling, couple and family therapy, and social work graduate programs. Liz also provided diversity training and coaching for university faculty.

Liz was born in Mexico City but has lived the majority of her life in the United States, and as such, considers herself to be bi-lingual and bi-cultural. Las Vegas has been her home for over 40 years, she is a lifelong UNLV Runnin’ Rebels fan, a Golden Knights fan, a die-hard Star Wars fan and her hobbies include reading, singing, baking, and binge-watching good dramas on television.

Jamie Tullius has resided in Las Vegas for over 20 years. Her experience includes several years of working for various non-profit organizations in positions including client services, case management, administration, and community outreach. She is a nationally credentialed advocate with multiple certifications and extensive trauma informed-informed training. Currently, Jamie serves as the Director of Advocacy for Signs of HOPE, where she oversees all direct services and programs, including crisis response, court advocacy and PREA advocacy. As a survivor. she is passionate about providing victim-centered services, support and spreading awareness in the areas of sexual assault, domestic violence and human trafficking.

Jackie Gaetos joined Signs of HOPE in 2019 as a Prevention and Education Youth Facilitator, where her passion for helping others grew. In this role, she taught elementary, middle, and high school students how to be safe from harm, how to be an active bystander, and the dynamics of healthy vs. unhealthy relationships. Although in 2020 Jackie’s role dissolved due to the Covid-19 pandemic, she returned in 2022 as the Curriculum Specialist, continuing her work as a facilitator and updating curriculum. In 2023, Jackie became the Director of Prevention, Education, and Outreach where she leads her amazing team with the goal of educating the community, especially those who are most vulnerable, and preventing all forms of sexual violence. Jackie has her Bachelor’s Degree in Sociology from the University of California Los Angeles. In her free time, she likes to read, cook, workout, and spend time with family and friends.

Joanna received a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas with the intent to bring strength to those vulnerable and affected by violence. She had the opportunity to intern with SEEDS of Hope in 2017, and after that she continued to devote an additional 2 years as a volunteer. Through this experience Joanna was able to advocate, empower, and encourage survivors of human trafficking. In 2019, she joined Signs of HOPE in her continued dedication and strong passion in being a voice for those who are marginalized. During her time at Signs of HOPE Joanna has worked diligently in advocating for underserved populations, while always finding ways to give back to her community. In her role as the R.I.S.E Client Services Director she oversees many aspects of direct services, such as case management, the internship/practicum program, and housing and employment services. Additionally, she has spent the last year developing an outreach program that specifically targets the Hispanic community with a focus on those who have or are experiencing labor trafficking. Joanna is excited to apply her skills and knowledge to this agency, and to pursue better ways to connect with this population to better understand their needs and barriers, while also bringing awareness.

Caspian, “Cassie,” Matheus is a graduate of the University of Oklahoma and holds a Master’s in Social Work degree. For the last 8 years, she has worked in the anti-violence and victim advocacy spaces, at different non-profits, in multiple states, as an experienced and vetted victim advocate and service provider.

After relocating to Las Vegas in 2021, she was fortunate to be hired as the Training Specialist with the RISE anti-human trafficking program, under the umbrella of Signs of HOPE. She now serves as the RISE Outreach Director, overseeing all operational and outreach supports, the RISE 24/7 ALERT Hotline, and provides all human trafficking related trainings. She is also a dedicated member, partner, and co-chairs the Southern Nevada Human Trafficking Task Force.