Guest bio:

Before entering academia, Dr. Bratina held several positions in the State of Florida, including Forensic and Children's Mental Health Coordinator for the Florida Department of Children and Families (FL-DCF) in the 19th Judicial Circuit, Systems Integrator for the Southeastern Florida Behavioral Health Network (SEBHN), and Criminal Justice Program Director for a small university in West Palm Beach. She is a Past-President of the Northeastern Association of Criminal Justice Sciences (NEACJS), and a three-time award recipient of the Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences (ACJS)/SAGE Junior Faculty Professional Development Teaching Award.

In 2020, Dr. Bratina and several students co-founded the first NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness) chapter at WCU. Currently, Dr. Bratina serves as the co-advisor, and she is the advisor for Nu Beta, the WCU Chapter of Alpha Phi Sigma—the national criminal justice honor society. Dr. Bratina endeavors to advance mental health awareness and advocacy in the criminal justice system and in the community.