Faculty
Heidi Olson
Heidi Olson, RN, MSN, CPN, SANE-P, is a Certified Pediatric Nurse and Certified Pediatric Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner (SANE). She is also the founder and president of Paradigm Shift Training and Consulting, which equips health care workers with skills-based training to identify human trafficking and exploitation. Heidi has a wide range of experience in pediatric and forensic nursing and has taught as an adjunct instructor for several universities.
Heidi previously managed the SANE Program at Children’s Mercy Kansas City, where she performed/reviewed over 1,500 pediatric forensic exams, many of them trafficking cases, communicated with law enforcement, child protective services, and a large multidisciplinary team, as well as educated hundreds of staff members on relevant topics regarding sexual violence. She also serves as an expert witness for the prosecution during trials for victims of sexual assault.
In 2019, Heidi implemented an evidence-based screening process in the Emergency Department, which has resulted in hundreds of vulnerable children being identified as victims of exploitation. She has testified in favor of bills that have been passed into law and testified at a briefing on Capitol Hill to discuss the protection of children online. Most recently, Heidi testified at the United Nations about the importance of protecting children from pornography exposure.
Heidi has done groundbreaking work in sounding the alarm about the role of pornography in influencing child-on-child sexual assault. She had the honor of submitting an amicus brief on this topic to the U.S. Supreme Court in January of 2025.
Over the last few years, Heidi has presented hundreds of times internationally about recognizing human trafficking, child-on-child sexual assault, pornography, exploitation, and trauma-informed care. She has been featured in several documentaries on these topics, including "Vulnerable Innocence," which has won 24 awards. Heidi won the Cry Purple award in 2023, which is presented to citizens who make outstanding contributions to anti-trafficking efforts in their communities.