AMBER Alert in Indian Country: Supporting Our Tribal Child Protection Partners

Janell Rasmussen

Valerie Bribiescas

Tyesha Wood

 

Brittni Farmakes

 

Inquiries may be directed to askamber@fvtc.edu or by calling 877-712-6237; program personnel will work with tribal liaisons and associates to properly route and coordinate information and assistance requests:


Janell Rasmussen

Janell Rasmussen has spent over 20 years working in Public Safety to develop, implement and operate multiple statewide law enforcement programs that have been highly successful and nationally recognized.  During her time at the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA), Rasmussen was responsible for the development and operations of multiple statewide programs, including the Minnesota AMBER Alert Plan, the Missing Children’s Clearinghouse, the Communication & Duty Officer Program, the Crimes Against Children in Indian Country Conference and the President’s Initiative on Missing & Unidentified Persons. She also served in capacities as Legislative and Media Coordinator during her tenure at the BCA. Janell is a highly regarded professional known for building collaborative partnerships with diverse stakeholder groups, enhancing government operations and her work in Law Enforcement Training.  Janell recently left the BCA as Director of Criminal Justice Training & Education after 16 years to continue her work in child protection as Deputy Director at the Archdiocese of St. Paul & Minneapolis. Janell has received certifications from the Federal Bureau of Investigation Training School - Instructor Development Program, International Association of Chiefs of Police - Leadership in Police Organizations Program, National Judicial College - Tribal Faculty Development Program, and numerous training certificates on a multitude of topics including Management, Leadership, Human Trafficking, AMBER Alert, Domestic Violence, Investigative Resources, Information Sharing, Project Management and Program Development.


Tyesha Wood

Tyesha M. Wood is a Program Manager with the AMBER Alert in Indian Country initiative. Tyesha is a former Police Detective with 17 years of law enforcement experience with tribal nations in Arizona.  A majority of her police career was comprised of work in criminal investigations, with more than 15 years as a detective working in the areas of sex crimes and crimes against children. Tyesha has experience in working with multi-disciplinary teams in tribal family advocacy centers to ensure the safety and protection of children. She also served for two years as an Executive Protection Officer for the Navajo Nation Office of the President and Vice-President. Tyesha is an alumnus of the 2018-19 McCain Institute of International Leadership Next Generation Leaders Program. Tyesha holds a BA in Sociology from the University of Arizona, and is a member of the Navajo Nation.


Valerie Bribiescas

Valerie Bribiescas is a Project Coordinator with the AMBER Alert in Indian Country program. She is a retired Detective with the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office in Arizona where she specialized in crimes of violence, child abuse, and family violence investigations.  She has over 25 years’ experience as a peace officer, with the majority of her policing career with tribal law enforcement.  Her assignments included field operations, professional standards, administration, records, and criminal investigations. Valerie is a nationally recognized expert on the cultural complexities of law enforcement operations on tribal lands and advanced forensic interviewing.  She teaches law enforcement officers, prosecutors,  and child protection officials culturally based approaches to conducting forensic interviews involving Native American children and adults.  She has taught extensively for the Arizona Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training, the Advanced Forensic Interview Training sponsored through Prevent Child Abuse AZ, as well as various tribal, state, local, and federal agencies. Valerie holds a Masters Degree of Education through Northern Arizona University, and is an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, residing in Chandler, Arizona.


Brittni Farmakes

Brittni Farmakes is a Project Coordinator with the AMBER Alert Training and Technical Assistance Program (AATTAP), working primarily in support of the AMBER Alert in Indian Country initiative. Brittni is responsible for such tasks as coordinating delivery of training and technical assistance materials; identifying and assigning instructors; planning, developing, and coordinating project deliverables; assisting in planning, budgeting, and allocating resources; preparing statistical project reports; and developing and implementing training calendars, agendas, and other program materials. Prior to joining the AATTAP team, Brittni worked with the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA) for more than 15 years—serving most recently as a Criminal Intelligence Analyst for homicide and missing persons investigations. Earlier in her BCA career, she worked as Training and Conference Coordinator and helped support the Minnesota AMBER Alert and Missing Persons Clearinghouse. Brittni holds a Bachelor of Science degree in criminal justice from Metropolitan State University in St. Paul, Minnesota.