Braced for Impact is more than an event—it’s a movement. As the first official gathering hosted by Unity for Children, this event brings together advocates, experts, community leaders, legislators, and concerned citizens to take a bold, collaborative approach to child welfare.
Too often, issues like parental substance abuse, domestic violence, and neglect are addressed on the surface level and in isolation. But real change requires us to confront the root causes of trauma that affect children in unison. Braced for Impact focuses on addressing these underlying issues by fostering meaningful conversations, innovative solutions, and cross-sector partnerships that put children at the heart of our work.
Join us as we break down silos, align our efforts, and take collective action with shared vision—because the best we can do for a child should never be in question. Together, we are Braced for Impact.
2025 Event Program
9:30 am - 10:00 am Registration and Networking
10:00 am - 10:10 am Welcome Remarks
10:20 am - 10:45 am Keynote Speaker Presentation
10:50 am - 11:45 am Panel Discussions & Q&A
11:45 am - 12:45 pm Closing Remarks and Networking
EVENT PANELISTS
more photos and bios coming soon…
Aiyana Emsun
Aiyana Emsun is the Program Manager of Prevention Education at A Safe Place and a Certified Domestic Violence Professional. With a bachelor’s and master’s degree in education, she spent eight years as an elementary music teacher before shifting her focus to advocacy.
Passionate about education and social change, Aiyana works to empower communities with the knowledge and tools to prevent domestic violence and build healthy relationships. Her teaching background helps her connect with people of all ages, making important topics easier to understand. She’s dedicated to creating safer spaces and inspiring positive change through education and awareness.
Tammy Burns
Tammy Burns is the Outreach & Community Education Manager at Zacharias Sexual Abuse Center. She has been a dedicated educator and advocate for over 18 years. Since joining the team at ZCenter, she has had the pleasure of speaking to a wide range of audiences, including children, school personnel, college students and community members.
She is passionate about spreading sexual violence awarenss to others. She works hard to eliminate barriers to services, engaging with community members and policy makers alike. As an advocate, she supports survivors and their significant others with compassion and empathy. She serves on several committees and task forces to aid in bringing more support to survivors at the local and global level. Every day she is inspired by the strength of the survivors she meets and the positive impact ZCenter has had in their lives.
Andrew Shelton, LCSW
Andrew is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker who has worked in the mental health field since 2012. For over a decade, he has dedicated his career to supporting young people and their families through some of the most challenging and transformative periods of their lives. His work has largely focused on helping youth navigate crises and trauma.
Andrew earned his Master of Social Work from Loyola University in 2016 and became clinically licensed in 2018. He has received advanced training in six trauma-informed modalities and has extensive experience working with young people affected by complex and developmental trauma, including those who have grown up in homes impacted by domestic violence.
His professional background spans a wide range of settings, including private practice, partial hospitalization and intensive outpatient programs (PHP/IOP), and high school and college counseling centers.
Andrew currently serves as a Clinical Mental Health Therapist at Harper College in Palatine and also runs a small virtual private practice, Roots of Renewal Therapy.
Mary Beth Canty
Elected in 2022, State Representative Mary Beth Canty represents the 54th District of Illinois. Canty is an attorney, specializing in insurance coverage and construction liability. She was elected to the Arlington Heights Village Board of Trustees in 2019. In 2020, she was appointed to the Board of Directors of the Regional Transportation Authority (RTA), a position she held until her election to the Illinois House.
In her time in office thus far, she has proven herself to be a champion of issues impacting children and families. In her first term, Canty passed legislation expanding access to full-day kindergarten, creating the Department of Early Childhood, and establishing the Family Recovery Plans Implementation Task Force to support substance-exposed infants and their families. She also successfully advocated for a robust child tax credit for Illinois’ working families.
Canty began her second term by filing legislation closing loopholes related to child grooming and protecting survivors of gender-based violence. Additionally, with a focus on equity and support for working Illinoisans, she is advocating for property tax relief, as well as governance reform and adequate funding for our public transit system. She continues to be a strong advocate for social justice reform and a voice for those who cannot speak for themselves.
INDIVIDUALS AND ORGANIZATIONS
more updates to come soon
To help us manage capacity and plan for a welcoming experience, please use the form below to register.
This event is not affiliated with the Arlington Heights Memorial Library. Use of library meeting space does not constitute endorsement or approval of the organization, this program or its content by the library.