Dr. Bratina has been teaching in the Department of Criminal Justice since 2016. She
has served as President of the Northeastern Association of Criminal Justice Sciences
(NEACJS) (2017-2018) and has held positions of Executive Counselor for the International
and Juvenile Justice & Delinquency Sections of the Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences
(ACJS). Currently, she is serving as the Region 1 Trustee (Northeast U.S. and Eastern
Canadian Provinces) for ACJS and also serves as Board Liaison to the Representative
to the United Nations and Membership Committees for that organization. In 2023, Dr.
Bratina was elected to the position of Executive Counselor for the Division of International
Criminology, of the American Society of Criminology.
At WCU, Dr. Bratina has served as Advisor for Nu Beta, the WCU Chapter of Alpha Phi
Sigma, a nationally recognized criminal justice honor society, and continues in her
role as Adviser for the campus chapter of the National Alliance for Mental Illness
(NAMI on Campus), an organization she co-founded with two former students in 2020.
Additionally, she is currently serving as the Practicum Coordinator for the Department
of Criminal Justice.
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. Dr. Bratina endeavors
to advance mental health awareness and advocacy in the criminal justice system and
in the community.
In her spare time, Dr. Bratina enjoys playing acoustic guitar and traveling.
- Ph.D. Criminology, Indiana University of Pennsylvania
- M.A. Criminal Justice, University of Arkansas at Little Rock
- B.S. Applied Behavioral Science, Pennsylvania State University, Harrisburg
Dr. Bratina holds the following Certifications: Crisis Intervention Team Coordinator
(CIT International), Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) instructor, and SAMHSA-certified
trainer for How Being Trauma-Informed Improves Criminal Justice System Responses.
Dr. Bratina is co-author with James Fagin of CJ 2019 and CJ 2022 (Pearson), and the author of Forensic Mental Health: Framing Integrated Solutions, 2nd Edition (Routledge). Her research has focused on specialized training for criminal justice
professionals and the development of community partnerships in forensic mental health.
Other areas of interest include secondary trauma among law enforcement officers and
examining offending/offending risk and victimization through a trauma-informed lens.
Dr. Bratina’s publications have appeared in the Journal of Ethnicity in Criminal Justice, International Journal of Police Science and Management, Police Practice and Research, Abuse: An International Impact Journal, Salus: An International Journal of Law Enforcement & Public Safety, the Journal of Correctional Health Care, and the Journal of Community Mental Health.
Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences (ACJS):
· Region One Trustee
· Executive Counselor, International Section
· Executive Counselor, Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Section
American Society of Criminology (ASC):
· Executive Counselor, Division of International Criminology
Northeastern Association of Criminal Justice Sciences (NEACJS):
· Co-Chair, Professional Development Committee, Annual Meeting
· Program Committee, Annual Meeting
· NEACJS Chair, Criminal Justice Policy Review (CJPR) & NEACJS Paper Award
· Immediate Past President
· President
· First Vice President
· Second Vice President
· Chair, Awards Committee
Pennsylvania Statewide Forensic Interagency Task Force (FITF)
Chester County Police Crisis Intervention Team (CIT):
· Executive Steering Committee
· Curriculum Committee
- West Chester University of Pennsylvania (WCUPA) University Writing Council Advisory
Board: Representative, College of Business & Public Management
- Advisor, Nu Beta Chapter of Alpha Phi Sigma (National Criminal Justice Honor Society)
- Co-Advisor/Founder NAMI on Campus (National Alliance on Mental Illness)
- Theories of Crime and Delinquency
- Forensic Mental Health
- Mental Health and the Criminal Justice System
