A Lifetime Dedicated to Change
Her latest book, Every Homeless Person Has a Mother, is the culmination of a lifetime dedicated to social justice, systemic reform, and the universal bond of family.
After forty years of building opportunities for others, Jacqueline retired to dedicate her time fully to the things that matter most: writing from the heart, advocating for policy change, and volunteering.
The Advocate: Life for Families
Jacqueline is deeply committed to families affected by severe mental illness, working to ensure that the vital voices of loved ones are never excluded from the recovery process. She serves as California State Policy Director for the National Shattering Silence Coalition and heads the Advocacy group for NAMI Marin, where she is also a former board member.
As a former Commissioner on the County Mental Health Board, Jacqueline was one of the co-creators of the groundbreaking County Family Partnership Policy, designed to guarantee family involvement in mental health care and treatment.
The Changemaker: Championing Women’s Voices
A fierce activist for gender equality, Jacqueline was nominated as a Changemaker for the White House’s United State of Women. She is a member of the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women, a past presenter at the UN Conference on Women, and a lifetime member of the Ms. Foundation.
Whether delivering her specialised course, Women Can Negotiate, or placing women of colour into high-impact leadership positions, Jacqueline’s life’s work is focused on bringing women’s intellect, intuition, and compassion to the forefront of society.
The Career: Architect of Opportunity
As a nonprofit consultant and executive recruiter, she founded Janssen & Associates. Her team partnered with businesses and nonprofit Boards of Directors to place transformative leaders in organizations dedicated to social justice, education, the arts, women’s rights, and environmental protection.
Her passion for lifting up community leaders extended to the screen, where she hosted the television program Architects of Opportunities. Jacqueline holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of California, Berkeley.
The Author: Writing for Change
Jacqueline’s written works include Are They Poems Yet? Words of Friendship, A Brief History of NAMI Marin, LeaveLight, and Siege of the Heptanese.
Her current book serves a dual purpose: it acts as a compassionate guide for families whose adult children succumb to the crisis of homelessness, while actively advancing and elevating women’s voices in advocacy.
Contact Jacqueline