Dena L. Moore completed the Ph.D. in Rehabilitation Education and Research from the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville in 2002 and a master’s degree in Community Counseling from John Brown University, Siloam Springs, AR in 1997. The results of her dissertation research were published in The American Counseling Association’s Journal of Counseling and Development in 2005.

She has been licensed as a Professional Counselor since 1997 and is licensed in Louisiana as a Licensed Professional Counselor Supervisor. Prior to joining Florida Parishes Juvenile Detention Center, Dena has coordinated programs in higher education and nonprofit organizations in a variety of capacities for over 20 years. She served in faculty and coordinator roles at the graduate level from 1998 to 2008.

Dena possesses advanced education, training, and supervised experience with court-involved families, trauma-informed care, and parent education. She has presented locally and regionally on the application of a strengths perspective to various populations and presenting issues, including families involved in criminal justice system as well as to those in the child welfare system.

Dena joined FPJDC in 2016 and currently manages all facets of the agency’s programming. Dena supervises two clinicians, providing therapeutic counseling services to the facility’s juvenile population. In addition, the clinical team also provides group and individual counseling on areas such as anger management, trauma, and substance abuse. Dena also oversees the agency’s training department, which provides training curriculums for new and existing staff.