Nancy Mullen is the executive director of Youth Outlook, the first and longest running not-for-profit organization serving lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans and non-binary youth in DuPage, Kane, Whiteside, LaSalle, DeKalb, Will, Peoria and suburban Cook Counties in Illinois. Nancy is in her 27th year with Youth Outlook, coming to the agency when it was only 6 months old and developing it into a statewide service provider. A transplant to the Midwest, Nancy holds a Master of Social Work degree from Syracuse University, where she focused on family mental health. Away from the world of social work, Nancy is 10 credits away from a culinary degree to become a pastry chef and published her first book, Urban Tidepool, in 2020 and has her second book underway. 

Nancy is a sought-after speaker on LGBT topics, including Developmental Challenges of LGBT Youth, Current Trends in Working with LGBT Youth, Trauma Informed Practices for the LGBT Community. She provides consultation for other organizations and groups getting ready to start their own support services for LGBT youth across IL.

In 2023, Nancy branched out through her own business, Tidepool Communications LLC, to begin speaking publicly on living with challenges resulting from multiple concussions when she developed her presentation Breathing and Blinking: An Intersection of PTSD and TBI. Since spring 2023, Nancy has provided presentations to staff meetings of domestic violence shelter staff, offered sessions at the National Association of Social Workers conferences in PA, IN, WI, VA and Metro DC, and led presentations for local county health department staff and county mental health boards. As the executive director of a not for profit, Nancy realizes the privilege of holding a job in the public eye and has been able to bring attention to issues related to brain injury for her colleagues, her board of directors and staff, and to the social work field in general. In May 2024, Nancy provided the keynote address for the Hillside Children’s Center’s Clinicians Conference in Rochester, NY and would like to seek additional keynote opportunities in the coming months.

2024 Presentations

IL Coalition Against Domestic Violence Trauma-Informed Children’s Training

Statewide, Virtual Training, February 2024 (LGBTQ Youth dating violence training)

“LGBTQ Youth: Trends, Connections, and Community” 

NASW Wisconsin State Chapter Lunch and Learn

Virtual, February 2024

“Breathing and Blinking: An Intersection of PTSD and TBI”

Hinsdale School District Institute Day

Hinsdale, IL March 2024

“LGBTQ Youth Services in the Western ‘Burbs, Year 26”

Boone County Health Department All Staff Meeting

Belvidere, IL March 2024

“Affirming Employment Settings for the LGBTQ Community”

Downers Grove Public Library

Downers Grove, IL March 2024

“Breathing and Blinking: An Intersection of PTSD and TBI

Freeman LGBTQIA+ Business Resource Leadership Training

Global through Freeman BRG Employment, March 2024

“Bridging Communities: Understanding LGBTQIA + Inclusivity”

NASW Virginia and Metro DC State Chapter Annual Conference

Norfolk, VA March 2024

“Breathing and Blinking: The Intersection of PTSD and TBI”

McHenry County Mental Health Board

Crystal Lake, IL  March 2024

“Breathing and Blinking: The Intersection of PTSD and TBI” 

NASW Virginia and Metro DC State Chapter Virtual Conference

Virtual, April 2024

“Breathing and Blinking: The Intersection of PTSD and TBI”

Juvenile Justice Council of Madison County

Edwardsville, IL April 2024

“LGBTQ Youth: Supportive Engagement and Current Trends”

Boone County Health Department All Staff Meeting

Belvidere, IL May 2024

“Pride in a Hostile Climate”

Hillside Children’s Center Clinicians’ Conference

Rochester, NY May 2024

“Affirming Trans Youth: Understanding Current Trends and Trauma Risks”

And Keynote Address

“Lead with Your Light: The Importance of Self-Care and Connection”

Community Mental Health Board of Oak Park Township

Virtual, May 2024

“Trauma Informed Practices with LGBTQ+ Populations”