Speakers

Steven Crimando, MA, BCETS

Mr. Crimando is a clinician and educator specialized in crisis management, disaster recovery and traumatic stress response. His is the managing Director of Extreme Behavioral Risk Management LLC (XBRM), a crisis management training and consulting firm serving clients worldwide. This past year, he has served as a member of the United Nations Global Pandemic Preparedness Initiative.

Supporting Community Recovery post Pandemic Influenza

Pandemic Influenza Preparedness: Adaptive Responses to an Evolving Challenge

April Naturale, MSW, LCSW, ACSW

Ms. Naturale is a consultant who works with over 25 states and three countries on disaster response, preparedness planning, program management and training. She is the former Statewide Director for Project Liberty, the Crisis Counseling Program launched by the New York State Office of Mental Health in response to the World Trade Center attacks of 9/11/01.

Planning for Large Scale Disaster Response: Lessons Learned from New York to Lousiana

Josef Ruzek, Ph.D.

Dr. Ruzek is a psychologist with the Veteran’s Affairs Palo Alto Health Care System, where he is Associate Director for Education at the National Center for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. He is involved in treatment of veterans with chronic combat-related PTSD, and is responsible for education of those treating PTSD in the nationwide VA Health Care System. He is an editor of the text Cognitive-Behavioral Therapies for Trauma and an author of The Psychological First Aid-Field Operations Guide.

Toward Stepped Care in Disaster Mental Health: Psychological First Aid and Skills for Psychological Recovery

Rose L. Pfefferbaum, Ph.D., M.P.H.

is Professor of Economics at Phoenix College, the oldest of 10 colleges in the Maricopa County Community College District in Arizona and one
of the largest community college districts in the nation. Dr. Pfefferbaum has been with the Maricopa District for over 30 years, serving in a variety of positions and teaching in several disciplines including the social sciences and health-related subjects. Dr. Pfefferbaum was the lead author of a survey instrument to ascertain perceptions, needs, and interests of counselors, teachers, and other school personnel with respect to terrorism and disaster preparedness; she is currently developing the tool into the TDC School Preparedness Screen. Dr. Pfefferbaum is a
member of the TDC community resilience team and is the lead author of the TDC Community Assessment of Resilience Tool (CART) © survey
instrument to assess community resilience to disasters. She is responsible for TDC community college curriculum development and field testing
as well as TDC’s work with volunteers. Dr. Pfefferbaum is currently adapting Psychological Aid (PFA) for CERTs and other volunteer responders.

The Core Factors of Community Resilience

The Community Assessment of Resilience Tool© (CART) Training Project

Gayle Cullinan, MSW

has been working for more than 15 years to develop pioneering counseling programs, which focus on occupational and traumatic stress issues experienced by emergency service personnel, such as fire, ambulance, disaster rescue volunteers and helicopter rescue services, throughout Queensland, Australia. Since 1992, she has been State Coordinator of support services for the Queensland Department Emergency Services.
This role has coincided with international experience with the New York Fire Department and Emergency Medical Service, Boston Police
Support Unit and other American agencies. She has also participated in international professional traumatic stress delegations to South Africa, Vietnam, the Middle East and Russia. Gayle is now concentrating on her private psychotherapy and consultancy practice, which provides employee assistance, training and counseling. In June 2007, she will join U.N.I.C.E.F as a global staff counselor, where she will develop support programs to look after the well-being of staff in emergencies and high-risk locations.

Chip Benight, Ph.D.

is a Professor of Psychology at the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs. Dr. Benight earned his Ph.D. in Counseling Psychology from Stanford University with an emphasis in Health Psychology/Behavioral Medicine. He teaches graduate and undergraduate courses in Clinical Psychology, Health Psychology, and Trauma Psychology. He served as Director of Clinical Training for the Clinical Masters Program from 1996-2004. Recently, Dr. Benight founded and is the director of the CU-Trauma, Health & Hazards Center.

Community and Individual Resilience Through Empowerment