M. Melissa Earley, RN, BSN, QMHP-C, NHDP-BC, is a survivor of domestic minor sex trafficking who has dedicated her life to working in healthcare. She earned her National Registry Certification as a Paramedic at The Medical College of Virginia in 1988 and has maintained her Paramedic Certification ever since. Throughout her EMS career she has held many leadership positions, including an appointment to the inaugural State Childhood Injury Prevention Committee. Ms. Earley later earned her Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Virginia Commonwealth University. Choosing to devote much of her career to child and adolescent behavioral health afforded her the opportunity to register with the Board of Counseling as a Qualified Mental Health Professional- Child. Ms. Earley is also a National Healthcare Disaster Professional – Board Certified by the ANCC and is a member of the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services, Disaster Behavioral Health Team and actively volunteers with the Medical Reserve Corps. Ms. Earley has been involved in advocacy at the level of the state legislature for decades. To date she considers her greatest achievement as an advocate to be notifying her main perpetrator’s wife after learning that her perpetrator had three young children, all girls, about his history. His wife confirmed the information and was able to safely leave the marriage and prevent further contact with the children. Ms. Earley has used her past experience to educate and train various organizations and groups in order to raise awareness of human trafficking and to give the unique perspective of a survivor through the lens of a healthcare provider.
