Howard Ray Carter Jr, is a Certified Department of Defense Sexual Assault (SA) Victim Advocate, with expertise in providing essential support and care to victims of sexual assault to include providing non-clinical information on available reporting options and resources to assist victims in making informed decisions as they progress through resolution, healing and the life-cycle of their case. He serves as the primary liaison between the victim, service providers, and all intervening agencies ensuring victim support through the initial & ongoing investigation, including throughout the court proceedings.

A testament to Howard’s non-stop work ethic includes completing his Bachelor of Science Degree from Southern Illinois University-Carbondale in Workforce Education in 2010 while on an arduous 9-month deployment. Never content with the status quo, he went on to finish his Graduate degree in Human Relations from the University of Oklahoma, including earning a Certificate in Workforce Motivation, while serving as the full-time Pastor of Sure Foundation Ministries (Naples, Italy), and serving his country overseas, while full-time active duty in the Navy!

As a Certified Living Works Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Trainer (A.S.I.S.T.), he is both skillful and empathetic in understanding the ways that personal and societal attitudes affect the views on suicide interventions. He has provided guidance and suicide first-aid to over a 1000 personnel at risk in ways that meet their individual safety needs. His passion for suicide mitigation was never more evident when he saw there was no Suicide Prevention Program in place while serving in the Middle East (one of the highest suicide rates on any Naval base across the U.S. & overseas). He drafted, wrote, developed, and implemented the policies, regulations, & the crisis action plans required to stand-up an inspection ready, Navy Suicide Prevention Program, for two major Combatant Component Commands in the Middle East that are still in effect to this day.

Howard has earned two different country-wide, recognized Relationship Analysis Certifications. He is a Certified P.A.I.R.S. Facilitator (Practical Application of Intimate Relationship Skills) & a Certified P.R.E.P. Facilitator (Prevention & Relationship Education Program (P.R.E.P.). Over the past decade, he has selflessly committed over 25,000 pro bono hours mentoring & equipping singles for marriage & over 50,000 pro bono hours educating married couples how to effectively communicate, fight fair and strengthen the bonds of trust within their marriage & families. His anecdotal and written feedback from the Marriage Enrichment Retreats & the Family Enrichment Retreats he has facilitated seldom receive marks less than “5” on a 1-5 scale, with 5 being OUTSTANDING.

He spent over 2 decades in the Navy, earning numerous awards & commendations, completed over 15 world-wide deployments, & earned the highly coveted Sailor-of-the-Quarter & “Sailor-of-the-Year Award(s), and was a finalist for the Navy West Coast Sailor-of-the-Year. Some of the jobs he was hand-selected for include: Grief & Casualty Counselor, Sexual Assault Victim Advocate, Suicide Prevention Manager, Family Advocate Manager, Financial Counseling Manager, Mentorship Manager & Training Manager-truly a leader among men. He honorably discharged & retired in 2017.

Howard, alongside his soul-mate and beautiful bride of 18 years (Robin) currently serves as the Co-Founder’s & the brain trusts of R & R (F.L.A.M.E.) Consulting Group-long name: Ray & Robin’s Family, Life & Marriage Enrichment Consulting Group. A veteran-owned & operated company that chooses rubric over rhetoric and specializes in: Life Coaching, Interactive Marriage & Family Conferences, SA Victim Care, Suicide Mitigation, VA Disability support, and ghostwriting services that include everything from writing Commencement speeches to Wedding vows. The company’s motto is: Whether you’re single, married or divorced, kids or no kids, living a bad, great or good life R & R can make it better-after all-everyone needs some R & R at some point in their life.