Ms. Shackelford received her B.A. in Psychology from California State University Dominguez Hills in 1997 and her Master degree in Social Work from San Diego State University in 2000. Ms. Shackelford is currently working towards her LCSW.

Ms. Shackelford has worked with at risk children and families since 1991 in a variety of settings. She began her career as a Child Development Teacher for Los Angeles Unified School District. She went on to work in Group Homes and Non-Profit agencies that served at risk youth.

Ms. Shackelford is currently employed as a Protective Service Worker for the County of San Diego. She has worked with children and Families in the adoptions program, the Independent Living Skills program, and the C.A.R.E unit. . Ms. Shackelford also teaches and provides training including to San Diego County staff through the San Diego Community College District and San Diego County Training and Development Program. Training topics include; Working with Sexually Reactive Children, The Dynamics of Family Dysfunction, and Cultural Competence.

Ms. Shackelford also served as a therapist for the STEPS program in San Diego which provides day treatment services to sexually reactive youth ages 6-18.

Ms. Shackelford is a member of the American Psychological Association, National Association of Social Workers and San Diego Association of Black Social Workers.