Elsie Boudreau (Yup’ik name: Apugen) is Master Social Worker (MSW) and a proud Yup’ik Eskimo from the village of St. Mary’s, Alaska. She serves as an Alaska Project Specialist with Tribal Tech, providing training and technical assistance to OVC grantees.  Prior to that, she was a trainer with the Child Welfare Academy.  She currently serves on the Alaska Children’s Justice Act Task Force.  She has served on the Alaska Children’s Trust board and a workgroup member within the Capacity Building for Tribes.  She helped establish an Alaska Native Unit within Alaska CARES, a Child Advocacy Center. She provided advocacy services and therapy for families whose child(ren) have been severely physically or sexually abused and conducted forensic interviews. As a prior Children’s Justice Act Project Coordinator for the Tribal Law & Policy Institute, she helped develop an educational video highlighting child sexual abuse in Alaska, grasping the wisdom of Elders, and identifying ways for healing to apply to traumatic experiences. She has also worked with law firms Manly & Stewart and Cooke Roosa Law Group as a Victims Advocate providing support to approximately 300 victims of clergy child sexual abuse in Alaska, South Dakota, Oregon, and Montana. Her advocacy work was featured in many venues including FRONTLINE (PBS) and The Huffington Post.  Elsie is a 2018 recipient of the Bonnie Heavy Runner Advocate award.

Elsie has a bachelor’s degree in social work from Carroll College in Helena, Montana, and a Master of Social Work degree from the University of Alaska Anchorage.  She is married, has 3 children and 2 grandchildren.  She enjoys working with and for her people and strongly believes that all children have the right to grow up in a safe and loving environment.  “Children are to be SEEN, HEARD and BELIEVED.”