Audrey Tousant Shelby, MSW, is a social worker, educator, author, trainer, coach, and group facilitator. Mrs. Shelby served in the field of child welfare for 20 years in the private and public sectors before transitioning to higher education and entrepreneurship.  She holds a Master of Social Work from the University of Southern California and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Sociology from the University of California, Riverside. She was fortunate to begin her career in the non-profit sector, where she designed, implemented, and managed child welfare programs spanning the continuum from prevention to post-adoption services.  Mrs. Shelby has served in various leadership and management capacities, including division administrator, program manager, project manager, supervisor, strategic consultant, and chief of staff. She has partnered with numerous child welfare jurisdictions across the United States, providing technical assistance, coaching, training, and workforce development to enhance practice and improve outcomes for children, youth, and families. 

Through her workforce development efforts, Mrs. Shelby facilitates professional development trainings, curriculum development, and coaching. Subject areas include cultural humility, equitable decision-making practices, effective client engagement and interviewing skills, leadership and management, and experiential learning through simulation labs. 

Mrs. Shelby is dedicated to analyzing the underlying causes of disproportionality and disparity for children of color in foster care and lifting promising practices to address those disparities. She is passionate about preparing the workforce to serve communities from a place of competence, compassion, and wellness.