California
Children’s Advocate & Philanthropist
Andrea Harner is a passionate children’s advocate. She is a Forensic Interview Specialist at the Children’s Advocacy Center in Covina, CA where she utilizes the Ten Step Forensic Interview Protocol developed by Thomas D. Lyons at USC to interview children who are suspected to have been victims of abuse. In this role, she works with law enforcement, social workers, prosecutors, and medical professionals to protect children. Previously she worked as a Senior Strategic Adviser for Darkness to Light, focusing on fundraising and social behavior and change communication initiatives. She also recently co-executive produced the documentary series Lorena, which has re-ignited the national dialogue on domestic violence. She is an Authorized Facilitator for the organization’s child sexual abuse prevention training program Stewards of Children®, and holds regular trainings to teach parents, organizations, and concerned adults best practices for protecting children. Harner received her Master’s Degree in Forensic Psychology from John Jay College in New York City. For her externship, she worked as a Clinical Forensic Specialist at the Safe Horizon Staten Island Child Advocacy Center where she provided counseling to children who had been abused and to their non-offending caregivers. She took a break from direct service work to raise her twin boys – during which time she discovered her love for interior design and worked as an Interior Designer for Homepolish for a few years. She lives in Los Angeles near her beloved Griffith Park where she enjoys hiking with her husband Jonah Peretti and their 10-year-old twin boys and one-year-old twin girls (mini Goldendoodles).
