Heather Williams is a Master's prepared Registered Nurse (RN) with 28 years of nursing experience in emergency medicine, orthopedics, hospice care, and education. Heather obtained her post-graduate degree and earned her Master’s in Science of Nursing (MSN) with an emphasis in Education from Regis University in 2013. She served in a clinical facility position for five years at Southeastern Technical College Associate in Science in Nursing (ASN) program. Additionally, Heather is a board-certified SANE-A and certified FN-CSp. With her team, Heather provides direct care to patients that have experienced sexual assault and domestic violence, often collecting patient histories that reveal the prevalence of strangulation in sexual assault events and intimate partner violence. Understanding the potential lethality factor of strangulation and the importance of the medical assessment after a strangulation event, Heather expanded The Refuge SANE program services to include Non-Fatal Strangulation focused assessments for patients in her community. Heather attended the Training Institute on Strangulation Prevention 4-day Advanced Course on Strangulation in 2019. In 2020, she attended the Strangulation Training Institute's Master's Summit, and the Expert Course on Strangulation Prevention in February of 2023. With this training, she has had the opportunity to educate agency partners and her community about the dangers of strangulation and advocate for appropriate patient assessment and treatment necessary after a strangulation event. Additionally, she has served in the legal system, consulting and testifying in non-fatal strangulation cases as an expert witness. Heather is a life-long learner, currently serving on the State Expert Committee for Sexual Assault.