At Survivor-Led Change, we believe that every pregnancy, birth, and new beginning should be met with safety, dignity, and support. Yet in the United States today, intimate partner violence is the leading cause of maternal death — a crisis born not from individual choices, but from systemic failures to protect survivors.
We work at the critical intersection of maternal health and domestic violence, advancing survivor-led solutions that honor autonomy, address root causes, and transform the systems that too often cause harm instead of healing. Our approach is rooted in the belief that survivors — especially those navigating pregnancy and early parenthood — are the true experts in what lasting change requires.
Hi, I’m Cassandra
I am a survivor, a midwife, and a systems-change advocate.
As a Certified Professional Midwife with a master’s degree in Maternal and Child Health Systems, I bring both lived experience and professional practice. I’ve seen firsthand how violence can shape the journey of pregnancy—and how healing begins when survivors are met with dignity, not control.
Currently pursuing my Doctorate in Public Health (DrPH) at Johns Hopkins University, I am deeply committed to reshaping how systems respond to pregnant and birthing people exposed to domestic and intimate partner violence. My consulting work is grounded in survivor-led, trauma-informed principles and informed by years of clinical experience, policy engagement, and community collaboration.
I believe that transformation is possible—because I’ve lived it. When providers and systems prioritize autonomy and uphold the decision-making power of survivors, they create space for safety, healing, and lasting change.
OUR Approach
What sets our work apart is the fusion of the Midwives Model of Care and Survivor-Centered Advocacy.
As a midwife, I’ve learned to hold space for complexity, to honor autonomy, and to walk alongside people—not ahead of them. The midwifery model teaches us to trust the body, to listen deeply, and to center the wisdom of the person giving birth. It’s an approach grounded in dignity, consent, and presence.
As an advocate and systems-change strategist, I bring those same principles into policy rooms, multidisciplinary teams, and institutional training. I challenge systems to move beyond surveillance and control—to instead embrace collaboration, accountability, and survivor leadership.
In every setting, the goal is the same: to create safer, more compassionate responses to violence—especially for pregnant and birthing survivors whose lives and health depend on it. We believe systems can change. We believe survivors can lead that change. And we believe the way we show up—for one another—matters.
“I had the privilege to know and work with Cassandra for many years. She has been a revolutionary force addressing IPV as a critical component in midwifery care. She has a long-standing dedication to holistic humanity within this public health crisis. This is demonstrated through a compassionate focus on the intergenerational empowerment that can occur through the childbearing process, and the role a medical-provider/midwife can bring to that exchange. Cassandra’s work in this field is an exponential asset both for pregnant persons, through midwifery services, as well as providers, through your training programs and presentations. Thank you, Cassandra, for your willingness to address IPV and childbearing health. You are an inspiration!”