Latinos United for Peace and Equity | Doraville, Georgia

Olga Trujillo is the Director of Education and Social Change and is an internationally renowned speaker and author who has devoted her career to helping advocates, first responders and others in the field better understand the impact of trauma on survivors of sexual assault, domestic violence, child abuse and human trafficking. Her memoir, the “The Sum of My Parts,” for New Harbinger Publications, was released in October 2011, has sold more than 10,000 copies, and has been translated to Chinese, Japanese, and Spanish. Olga holds the distinct position of being one of the only speakers in the United States to address the issue of Dissociative Identity Disorder (a condition formerly known as multiple personality disorder) from a lived experience of diagnoses and healing.

Over a thirty-five year career, Olga worked on Capitol Hill for Senator Charles McC. Mathias, in private practice for the law firm of Seyfarth, Shaw, Fairweather and Geraldson, at the U. S. Department of Justice (DOJ) where she served as the General Counsel of the Office of Justice Programs, and as the Legal Counsel and then Director of the Special Projects Division for the Office for Victims of Crime. Since leaving the DOJ in 2001, Olga has consulted with hundreds of national, state and local organizations addressing gender based violence and has traveled to 49 states, 4 US territories, and 3 countries to deliver presentations and provide training on the impact of physical and sexual violence. A staple of her work, Olga weaves the role of culture, and in particular Latino culture, into every presentation, training and technical assistance opportunity.

Olga is featured in the documentary, A Survivor’s Story, based on her personal experience and live presentations and has appeared in several videos including Cut it Out, a domestic violence prevention course. She is a recipient of the Bud Cramer Leadership Award given by the National Children’s Alliance for her work to help professionals better understand the impact of violence on children and of a Sunshine Lady Foundation Peace Awards for her work for domestic violence victims and their children. Latina Magazine featured Olga in its August 2006 issue for her survival, resilience, and transformative work to help others.

Olga is a consultant for the National Center on Domestic Violence, Trauma and Mental Health and serves on their National Advisory Committee and Legal Work Group. She has authored a number of articles and publications including co-authoring a Handbook for Attorneys Representing Domestic Violence Survivors Who Are Also Experiencing Trauma and Mental Health Challenges released in January 2012.

Olga’s family roots originated in Puerto Rico and Columbia. She was born and raised in Washington DC and studied at George Washington University Law School. She currently lives in a rural area of Wisconsin with her partner, Casey, and their dogs and cat.