Heather Flett, Executive Director

Heather is the founding Executive Director of Taking Back Our Lives and Take Back the Halls, where she leads with extensive experience in nonprofit management, domestic violence prevention and intervention, youth engagement, and clinical supervision. A Licensed Clinical Social Worker and Certified Domestic Violence Professional, she holds a B.S. in Psychology and Sociology from John Carroll University and an A.M. in Social Service Administration from the University of Chicago.

Her career spans the full spectrum of nonprofit work—direct clinical services, teaching and training, criminal justice collaboration, program design and management, and development—giving her a comprehensive understanding of how systems impact survivors and communities.  She managed domestic violence and clinical programs at Metropolitan Family Services’ Midway Center, served as the VOCA Training Coordinator for the Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority, and led development efforts at the Women’s Network. She also spent five years as Deputy Director of Clinical Services for the Social Service Department of the Circuit Court of Cook County, overseeing adult misdemeanor probation programming.

Heather has also been a trusted voice on numerous committees and advisory bodies working to transform responses to intimate partner violence. Her service includes the Illinois Department of Human Services’ Domestic Violence Advisory Council, the Cook County Domestic Violence Coordinating Council, the Administrative Office of the Illinois Courts, the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office Domestic Violence Task Force, and multiple committees of both the Illinois Coalition Against Domestic Violence and the Chicago Metropolitan Battered Women’s Network.

A sought-after presenter, she has trained professionals across justice, healthcare, education, and human services settings.  She has presented at local, state, and national trainings and conferences as well as being invited by the US State Department to provide 7 days of training in Saudi Arabia in 2019.