Michaela Anastasia Austin

Bio

Michaela Anastasia Austin (she/her) is Research Manager for the Health & Human Rights Program. In partnership with the City of San Francisco’s Department on the Status of Women and the Safety, Opportunity, and Lifelong Relationships (SF SOL) Collaborative, Michaela is overseeing the evaluation of three groundbreaking interventions for San Francisco foster youth who have experienced or are at risk of commercial sexual exploitation: a family-based foster care model, emergency housing model, and multi-service drop-in center. Prior to her appointment at Berkeley Law, Michaela was Grants Manager at First Place for Youth, the largest provider of housing and comprehensive services for transition-age foster youth in California. Weaving together internal data, external research, and a call for systems change, Michaela secured $6M+ annually in wraparound support service funding for over 500 foster youth. Before First Place for Youth, Michaela served as Research Assistant for the Global Environmental Justice Project, where she analyzed and reported on human rights violations in prisons with the goal of transforming criminal justice policy and public health protections. Michaela holds a dual bachelor’s degree in Environmental Studies and Sociology from the University of California, Santa Barbara.

Publications

• “Family And Me (FAM) 2.0: A New Model of Foster Care for Youth Impacted by Commercial Sexual Exploitation in San Francisco,” with Julie Freccero, Audrey Taylor, and Ana Linares Montoya (Human Rights Center, SF SOL, 2023).