Leadership
David Shrank MSW, LCSW-C, LICSW, Chief Executive Officer
David Shrank is a licensed therapist, social worker, and Chair of The National Trauma Education and Policy Board while also serving on various other boards. He is an expert in all types of traumas. David has also been deeply involved in gang intervention and has worked with the youth of Philadelphia, PA, and Trenton, NJ as well as the adults and correctional population of Trenton, NJ, Baltimore, MD, and Washington D.C.
AREAS OF SPECIALIZATION Anxiety Bullying Jail/Prison diversion Gang intervention Drug / Alcohol addiction Sexual assault Veteran care Martial Arts instructor Security detail Children’s trauma counseling
EDUCATION & EXPERIENCE David has trained professionals in all areas of mental health and gang violence/awareness. He has been teaching martial arts since 2003. He founded Greater Trenton Behavioral Healthcare’s self-defense program and trained all staff at the agency. David has provided security to multiple establishments and organizations. He has been cited and published by Greg Wright (National Director of Social Relations for the National Association of Social Work) in Socialworkersspeak.org online magazine along with other publications. David has been featured as an expert in various areas of mental health on several national and international radio shows.
PERSONAL While growing up in school and other social environments, David suffered severe and constant verbal and physical bullying. Through intense self-discovery, he has changed his life and has been able to help many others psychologically, who have been severely bullied, to work past these issues and become confident and self-assured children and adults. David also stutters and has addressed stuttering from a psychological perspective to reduce anxiety and increase self-esteem. With bullying, David is currently writing a book to better understand this social issue and change how teachers, school administration, parents, therapists, and the legal system handles it. The book also highlights ways for the victim of bullying to change his/her mentality and increase self-esteem thereby decreasing future bullying occurrences.
Make an appointment to speak with me. I would love to hear from you.
James T. Peeples, Vice President of Administration
James T. Peeples is Vice President of Administration. Every team needs an innovator, someone who thinks outside of the box. For Empowerment Behavioral Therapeutic Services (EBTS), James is just that person. He brings technical guidance and business process review to the team.
EDUCATION & EXPERIENCE Educated as a Public Administrator at Trenton State College (now The College of New Jersey), James used his previous learning in computers and electronics to go on to pursue an Information Technology/Network Engineering career with various firms. He accepted an offer with Siemens Business Services and worked there for a decade. 9/11/01 changed various industries and during the wake of this economic downturn, James left Siemens. He went on to form a small business technology consulting firm called Peeples Choice Consulting, in which he still maintains several long-term clients today. Also, during this time James joined forces with his family’s business to become VP of Field Operations for Allied Federal Electric Corporation. He still maintains this supporting role today.David Shrank and James met and connected sometime in the mid-2000s. Conversations between the two in support of non-profits and other community involvement lead both men to see the value of partnering; they began to pursue opportunities related to mental and social justice issues, personal development, and community. David’s drive to promote his message of anti-bullying, anti-violence, and mental health’s role in creating a better society was central to many of their late-night discussions and played a key role in the early development EBTS.
James remains dedicated to his role on the EBTS Team and helps guide the business and management structures that make us a success. He stays at the forefront of an ever-evolving system of business and consistently has new and innovative ideas to change and grow. James is consistently researching and planning how best to improve and empower the lives of our clients and constituents.
Charlie Williamson
Charlie is a pracademic, combining practical expertise with gained knowledge acquired from a doctorate in organizational behavior and leadership development. He has senior management experience within the public and private sectors, and has applied his behaviorist skills to influence people, processes, and outcomes.
EDUCATION & EXPERIENCE Charlie’s background includes the following: Assistant Vice President of Global Service Management at Citigroup, Chief Learning Officer at JPMorgan Chase, Executive Director of Global Process Reengineering at JPMorgan Chase, Chief Process Officer of Global Infrastructure Services for UBS, and Chief of Staff / Process Automation at Bank of America, Founder of AppThat Inc., Board Member of Monroe College School of Business, Board Member of Empowerment Behavioral Therapeutic Services, Committee Member of Leadership Advisory Council at Fordham University, and Chairman Emeritus of School of Business and Healthcare at MCNY, and Adjunct Professor at Kean University.
Charlie has received special honors including the Black Studies Distinguished Alumni Award from Manhattanville College, featured industry awards including Chairman’s Recognition for leading the advisory board in obtaining ACBSP Accreditation at MCNY, Sigma Beta Delta Lifetime International Award for business, community service and education, and a special award as one of the Top 40 Under 40 by The Network Journal.
Additionally, Charlie authored “I Need a Job” guiding inner-city minorities on how to apply for jobs; “Everybody Paddles” a leader’s blue print for creating a unified team; “Identifying the criteria for planning the selection and succession of a CIO”, and featured in articles related to diversity and women advancement in business.
Charlie holds a Bachelor of Arts in History and Masters of Science in Leadership and Strategic Management from Manhattanville College, Doctorate in Management and Organizational Leadership from the University of Phoenix, and several certifications in human subject research and law.
Harry Shrank, Chief Financial Officer (2014-2024)
Harry Shrank was a founding member of EBTS and The National Trauma Education and Policy Institute. He would always say, “If you’re going to do something, do it right” and “Pay attention to the best leaders so you can be a leader.” He always looked for ways to improve the system for those less fortunate.
After retiring from the business world, he became a professor at Temple University and Keen University. Harry was known to go out of his way and spend extra time with his students, ensuring they understood the material thoroughly and were highly successful. He didn’t follow textbooks. He drew upon his life experiences and nearly every student he taught claims that his classes were exceptional, preparing them for success in the business world. Numerous tributes were written about his time as a college professor, highlighting the appreciation and love expressed by his students.
He always tried to help everyone he came across in any way he could, but nothing made him happier than his grandkids. He treasured them immensely and derived endless enjoyment from them. And they reciprocated his love wholeheartedly.
He was not only a father but also a top mentor and superhero to his son David, the founder of EBTS and The National Trauma Education and Policy Institute.
His legacy is one of unwavering support for family and friends, alongside tireless efforts to combat stigma and improve the system. He will be honored by the realization of these changes in clinical, educational, and policy systems, and deeply missed by all fortunate enough to have known him.