About Us
Teah Hughes, Founder of Stuck In The Middle, is pursuing a dual degree in Psychology and African American Studies at Penn State University. Teah is also a naturally gifted artist and aspires to become am entrepreneur. She continues to follow her childhood passion for animals by volunteering at her local animal shelters and currently works as a Vet Tech. Her mission and vision for Stuck In The Middle evolved from her own personal experience as a child in middle school and becoming emotionally impacted by her parent's separation and contentious divorce. Teah continued to be a resilient, well-rounded honor student and athlete throughout high school and has served in various volunteer capacities, She was awarded the prestigious NAACP President's Youth Image Award. During her senior year in high school, Stuck In The Middle became her mission to ensure children like her would have the resources needed to help minimize the mental trauma and grief suffered from their parent's separation or divorce early on during this process.
April Payne (Hughes) completed her B.S. in Business Administration with a concentration in Accounting from Drexel University. She later earned her MBA and Master's in Network Communications and Management. She has more than 28 years of service in telecommunications, field operations, and customer service. She co-founds SITM with her daughter and is currently volunteering as its Executive Director. She's certified as both a QPR Gatekeeper and QPR Suicide Instructor, and is also aCertified Breathrough Parenting Instructor. April wears many hats but undeniably admits that wearing the hat of MOM is the most purposeful and important hat to her.
Shirley T. Johnson holds a Graphic Design Certificate from Moore College of Art and Design and a B.S in Communications and Journalism from Indiana University of PA. Ms. Johnson has been a graphic designer for more than 12 years. Her experience includes publication design, logo and branding design and marketing and collateral design. Before becoming a full time entrepreneur, Ms. Johnson worked for The Philadelphia Tribune in September 2000 as a page designer. Several of her page designs were acknowledged and awarded. In 2006, Ms. Johnson joined CMA Publishing as an Assistant Art Director. The new title enhanced and expanded her skill set. Ms. Johnson recognized for her intense drive and love of art chose to open the doors to Gray Eye Graphics full-time in 2006.
Andrea Lynn Warthen-Flint, BSW, MSW is currently a Medical Social Worker at Positive Impact Health Centers in Atlanta, Georgia. Originally from Philadelphia, PA, Andrea received her BSW from Temple University in 1990. Worked in several areas of child welfare before relocating to Atlanta, Georgia in 1996 to pursue her Master in Social Work at Clark Atlanta University. Andrea obtained her MSW in 1998 and continued her career in child welfare, which is not limited to foster care and adoptions. Her current certifications include Model Approach to Partnerships in Parenting, IMPACT for foster and adoptive parents along with Trauma Informed Care and Motivational Interviewing. Her additional training and certifications includes Trauma Focused Care, SOAR, Substance use/prevention screening, Play therapy for children and adults, and Andrea volunteers with her local Girl Scouts troop, has served as a Principal Council and Parent and Teacher Association member. She is a longstanding member of of the National Association of Black Social Workers.
Our Story
As a Daughter/Mother team, Teah and April respectively serve as the Founder/Co-Founder/Executive Director at Stuck In The Middle (SITM). Through Teah's personal story as a child who endured mental health challenges due to her parent's divorce, SITM was created. Like them, having personal and family challenges, a lack of resources, and stereotypes associated with mental health, many families forgo the services needed to help mitigate the emotional damage caused by divorce and other adverse childhood experiences (ACEs).
Inspired by their personal story, educational programs like The Education and MisEducation in Mental Health and other workshops were created to educate families on topics like emotional regulation, grief, co-parenting solutions, intergenerational traumas, and child development. Bringing awareness to these areas can help parents better understand how/why a child's age and mental development are so fragile during a divorce and other adverse childhood experiences. In addition, parents will understand that it is essential to address their traumas to successfully provide their children with the tools necessary to become more resilient and thrive as emotionally healthy adults. The two aim to work in alliance with families for the sake of the children stuck in the middle.
The uniqueness is in their story and the ability to become transparent enough to help others. If that means going to court with families to offer emotional support, chaperoning a therapy visit, or attending a sporting event with a family, they will go beyond to support families because they understand and have similar experiences.