Master Chaplain Ken Schlenker is a chaplain, educator, nonprofit founder, and curriculum architect focused on trauma-informed care for first responders and faith-based organizations.

He is the Founder and Executive Director of RKM Crisis Team, operating as CAREForce, a nonprofit 501(c)3 that provides crisis training, response services, organizational development, and coaching for public safety, veterans, education systems, healthcare organizations, faith communities, civic groups, and businesses.

Ken also served as Assistant Professor and Director of Chaplain Degree Programs at Grace School of Theology, a fully accredited ATS and TRACS seminary in The Woodlands, Texas. He designed and built undergraduate through doctoral programs that now serve learners in 38 countries across eight languages, shaping academically rigorous and field-ready chaplaincy education.

Ken earned his Master of Divinity from Talbot School of Theology at BIOLA University and a Bachelor of Arts in Health Care Management from Southern Illinois University. He served as a Hospital Corpsman HM2 in the United States Navy and brings more than 30 years of ministry experience as a Care and Missions Pastor and Public Safety Chaplain delivering crisis intervention services nationwide.

In 2011, he authored the California Peace Officer Standards and Training Law Enforcement Chaplain Curriculum through the POST Master Instructor Instructional Development Institute program. He is a frequent national speaker and instructor for organizations that include the International Critical Incident Stress Foundation, International Conference of Police Chaplains, California Specialized Training Institute, Center for Domestic Preparedness, Homeland Security, California POST, LivingWorks, QPR, National Council for Behavioral Health, FBI National Academy programs, Salvation Army disaster training, and the International Law Enforcement Education and Training Association.

Ken has held multiple leadership roles within the International Conference of Police Chaplains, including Assistant Director for Region 7 covering Alaska, Kansas, Louisiana, Missouri, Oklahoma, and Texas. He hosted the Chaplain Enrichment Podcast, served on the Education Committee, and contributed to Special Presidential Projects.

He is a Board Member of the Marsh Institute for Chaplains and a contributing author to Heart of a Chaplain. He collaborates with national partners through initiatives such as ChaplainREADY and the Marsh Institute, helping design formation models, ethical practice tools, leadership pipelines, crisis response protocols, and digital learning systems that include CEU courses, simulation-based training, and competency-mapped assessments.

Ken currently serves in both virtual and law enforcement chaplaincy roles while completing advanced Clinical Pastoral Education. His work emphasizes reflective practice, bias awareness, trauma response, and disciplined pastoral presence in high-risk environments. He also serves as a trainer and Law Enforcement Chaplain with the Montgomery County Texas Sheriff’s Department and District Attorney Offices.

His recognitions include the Presidential Volunteer Service Award presented by President George Bush. He is a Diplomate of the American Academy of Experts in Traumatic Stress and the National Center for Crisis Management, is board certified in Crisis Chaplaincy, Emergency Response, and Stress Management, and is listed in the International Speakers and Trainers Bureau and the Directory of Expert Witnesses.

Ken has appeared on national radio and podcast programs including KKLA’s Frank Pastore Show, KSDW, KWVE, the Grace Café Podcast, and HeroTalkPodcast.

For professional inquiries, contact Ken at [email protected].

Scott D. Speight

Scott D. Speight is the Founder of the Peak Performance Leadership Training Center and a Chaplain in the U.S. Army Reserves currently on active duty in South Carolina. Scott earned his Bachelor of Science in Management from Troy University, a Master of Divinity degree in Chaplaincy from Liberty University and a MA in Marriage and Family Therapy from Texas A&M. Scott is a Diplomate Supervisor in Pastoral Supervision and an adjunct professor with the Grace School of Theology teaching Clinical Pastoral Education.  He is a certified coach, speaker and trainer with the John Maxwell Institute.  Scott is the author of Living Your Life in Peak Performance: Stop Playing Small. Scott has presented to a variety of audiences, ranging from large corporations, non-profits, small businesses and the U.S. Army.  Connect with Scott at www.scottspeight.com.

Chaplain (LTC) Ken Koon, US Army

"Chaplain Ken Koon is on a mission; a personal campaign to restore hope for all people.
Follow the leader!" Brigadier General Peter Madsen

In July of 2010 at the age of 47, Chaplain Kenneth Koon returned to military service. He alone, knew his true motivation – get deployed and die by enemy fire. A series of tragic events had put him in a tailspin of darkness and despair, the culminating event being the life flight of his third son after he was burned over 90% of his arms and half his face. Ken was broken from the crushing thoughts that Chad had been hurt on his watch; he felt responsible. 

It was his oldest son, MaCrae, a 19-year-old US Airman that saved his life when he boldly asked, “Dad are you thinking of suicide?” The moment MaCrae asked the question, Ken was filled with an overwhelming sense of hope. He was not alone; someone knew. A strong desire to overcome replaced the thoughts of darkness. It was a turning point for Ken that renewed the Chaplain and set him on a journey to save others just as he had been saved.

Since 2012 Chaplain Ken has conducted more than 800 successful suicide interventions. For five years as the Officer in Charge of Suicide Intervention he led the team that sustained a ZERO suicide rate in a Brigade covering Soldiers in ten states. Because of the success, he was called to a Command serving Soldiers in 40 states. 

Chaplain Koon is the founder of Armed Forces Mission and the Intervene Challenge. More than 13,000 individuals nationwide have participated in the Challenge gaining the skills to save lives.

Ken serves as the CIT (Crisis Intervention Team) Chaplain for Peachtree City Police Department and is a Chaplain in the US ARMY Reserves. He was inducted into the University of North Georgia Alumni Hall of Fame in 2018 and honored as the 2016 Trinity Awards Emergency Responder of the Year for his work in suicide intervention.

Ken is a Master Trainer of Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training (ASIST), Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) and serves as an instructor for the CIT program for law enforcement personnel in Georgia. He holds a Master of Divinity in Education, and Doctorate in Counseling and was trained in Clinical Pastoral Education at Atlanta Medical and Piedmont Hospital.

He is the author of Listen Learn Lead (Courage to Ask Power to Save). In October 2018 Chaplain Koon joined the staff of Behavioral Health Link (BHL) as the Liaison for Community Initiatives. BHL manages the Georgia Crisis and Access Line (GACAL) on behalf of the state of Georgia. 

Rodger Ruge

Rodger Ruge graduated in 1985 from Sacramento State University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Criminal Justice. Rodger began working as a Police Officer in 1986 for the City of San Rafael holding assignments as a patrol officer and member of the Special Weapons and Response Team (S.W.A.T.). In 1990, Rodger left San Rafael to become a Police Officer for the City of Santa Rosa where he held a primary assignment as a detective. Rodger also worked on the Neighborhood Enforcement Team focusing on street level narcotics, prostitution and gang enforcement in Santa Rosa’s most troubled neighborhoods. Rodger also became a member of the traffic division working as a motor officer and accident investigator. Ultimately Rodger was assigned to the training division completing duties as a training manager supervising thirty instructors and conducting instruction in all California POST perishable skills modalities.

During Rodger’s tenure as a training manager he was certified as an instructor in defensive tactics, firearms, emergency vehicle operations, Taser, tactical communications and dealing with emotionally disturbed persons. Rodger also participated in the prestigious California POST Master Instructor Certification Course (MICC). MICC is a yearlong program based in learner centered instructional system design. One of the many demanding requirements of MICC involves developing and conducting a 24-hour law enforcement related training program. Rodger chose to do his program on wellness, focusing on components of nutrition and fitness as well as a specific program for stress management and reduction of post-traumatic stress injury symptomologies and ideations for first responders and communications personnel.

Rodger is retired from Santa Rosa PD and is now the founder/owner of HeroTalk LLC. Currently he is using his skills as a master instructor to conduct mindfulness and resiliency programs for First Responders. Rodger is also a podcast host at HeroTalk.org focusing on building resiliency within the hero community of first responders and veterans. Rodger is also a certified Human Potential Institute life coach (CHPC) under the strict coaching guidelines of the International Coaching Federation (ICF) working with clients to teach, coach and empower them to their ultimate human potential.

John Avery

John Avery retired as a Sergeant from the Salinas Police Department after 24 years in service. The majority of his time was in the Patrol Division and held positions as a canine handler, crime scene investigator, latent print analyst, school resource officer, field training officer and street supervisor. He was also a member of the Crisis Intervention Team until his retirement in September 2009.

He earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Management from St. Mary’s College, Moraga, CA, earned his Master’s Degree in Emergency Services Administration from California State University, Long Beach and holds a part-time teaching credential for the State of California. 

He is a graduate of the California POST Instructor Development Institute having attained Master Instructor status. He has been an Instructor for the South Bay Regional Public Safety Training Consortium teaching classes in the Field Training Program.  He is the author and lead facilitator for the California POST certified course “Preventing Law Enforcement Suicide - PLES”.

He is member of the International Critical Incident Stress Foundation (ICISF) and has received training in Peer Support, Group Crisis Intervention, Advanced Crisis Intervention, Line of Duty Death, Critical Incident Stress Management (CISM), Suicide Prevention, Intervention and Postvention, Resilient Leadership and is an Approved Instructor for Individual Crisis Intervention and Peer Support.  John has been an active member of the Georgia Critical Incident Stress Foundation GCISF and responds as part of a CISM response team.

He has completed additional training in suicide prevention and intervention having attended training at the “In Harm’s Way” Suicide Prevention Conference, the Georgia Suicide Prevention Coalition of Stakeholders Conferences, attended the National Police S.U.I.C.I.D.E. Foundation’s course on Police Suicide Awareness PLES, attended Traumas in Law Enforcement training, and is a Certified Instructor for QPR Gatekeeper training through the QPR Institute.  He is a member of American Association of Suicidology, participated on the First Responder Task force and actively promotes and teaches the “Breaking the Silence: Preventing Law Enforcement Suicide” suicide prevention program developed by the task force.

John has obtained his Georgia POST Instructor certification and is an Instructor/ Facilitator / Coordinator in the NAMI Georgia CIT program and a NAMI volunteer.  John is also a NAMI GA State Trainer for the NAMI Homefront program as well as a co-facilitator in the NAMI Homefront Program. 

He has affiliated himself with the Armed Forces Mission as a co-facilitator teaching Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training (ASIST) and L3 (Listen, Learn, Lead) Suicide Prevention Training, has worked with the Georgia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities (DBHDD) teaching the Question Persuade Refer (QPR) Suicide Prevention Program and works with Mental Health America of Georgia co-facilitating Mental Health First Aid (MHFA), Youth Mental Health First Aid, Mental Health First Aid for Public Safety, Mental Health First Aid for Service Members -Veterans and Their Families courses.