Fr. Schmidt comes from the Kalamazoo Diocese where he as the Advocate for Priestly Ministry and Support. A canonist and a Licensed Professional Counselor, he's a cofounder of the Trauma Recovery Program (TRA) in his Diocese, and cofounder of Trauma Recovery Associates. TRA educates and fosters the development of organizational leaders, human service providers, and trauma survivors to respond more effectively to the impact of childhood trauma. He's published in the areas of psychology, spirituality, pastoral theology, and canon law.