About me
Alyson Simmons is the Founder and Executive Director of the Central Iowa Trauma Recovery Center (CITRC) and a former principal for A. Simmons Consulting, LLC. She has over twenty-five years of experience in health care and contract administration, policy and fund development, and systems change. Alyson has provided technical assistance and consulting services to private companies, nonprofits, and state agencies, including the Iowa Department of Human Services, Public Health, Corrections, Transportation, Human Rights, and the Iowa Department of Justice. She served as a member of the Former IA Governor’s Health & Human Services Buying (Appropriations)Team, established to make recommendations and evaluate the effectiveness and efficiency of the IA Departments of Public Health & Human Services. Throughout her career, Alyson has worked independently and as a key member of a fund development team, securing extensive resources to advance health and social service initiatives for medically underserved Iowans. As Executive Director of the Central Iowa Trauma Recovery Center, Alyson oversees the organization’s operations and strategic priorities. CITRC provides mental health, medication management, and clinical care coordination to survivors of homicide and other violent crime. She works diligently to advance a community of allies and stakeholders to elevate the standard of care for individuals impacted by violence. Under her direction, CITRC serves as the Homicide Certification, Training, and Technical Assistance Provider for the Iowa Attorney General’s Office Victim Assistance Section. In this role, CITRC trains and certifies agencies and staff who provide services to surviving family members of homicide victims. Alyson is an appointee of Iowa to the Iowa Domestic Abuse Death Review Team, which investigates and makes recommendations in review of cases of homicide and suicide resulting from domestic violence. With compassionate accountability, Alyson leads a dedicated team of licensed behavioral health clinicians and victim service professionals to implement Iowa’s first trauma recovery center. She serves as an Executive Board Member of the National Alliance of Trauma Recovery Centers (NATRC). The NATRC provides onboarding training and technical assistance to 53 trauma recovery centers located throughout the U. S. to ensure programmatic fidelity and quality assurance standards for states implementing trauma recovery centers. Alyson is a Fellow of the Mid-Iowa Health Foundation’s Health Connect Fellowship, an initiative designed to lead and expand system-change efforts to improve children's health and well-being. Alyson is a nationally credentialed victim counselor, administrator, and trainer specializing in homicide, sexual assault interventions, and other violent crimes. She is deeply committed to building a culture of resilience and compassion to instill hope and the belief that healing and recovery are possible even when faced with overwhelming obstacles.
