Biography
My first love is children. I began my career as a special education
teacher in Pittsburgh, PA. After several years, I returned to graduate
school and obtained my credentials as an administrator. I was the
Principal of a public K-8 school in Ann Arbor, MI for more than eight years.
I had my first experience with trauma and crisis response not as a
responder, but as a traumatized person. In 2000, a 5th grade student
at the school where I was a teacher was murdered. My school was
fortunate to have a partnership with a nearby mental health service,
and a trained Critical Incident Stress Management (CISM) team was
deployed to our school. The difference they made in the functioning of
the school and in the recovery of children, staff and parents from this
event was truly remarkable. In 2003, when I had the opportunity to be
trained in CISM and join a team myself, I jumped at the chance to help
others as I had been helped.
I am a member of the Washtenaw County Traumatic Events Network. For 6 years, I also served as a team leader and training coordinator of the Ann Arbor Public Schools CISM team.
I am an ICISF Approved Instructor and hold a certificate of specialized training in crisis response for schools & children. I have
responded to events including homicide, suicide, sudden death of
students, non-fatal and fatal car accidents, and public health
threats. I am passionate in my belief that everyone deserves a helping
hand in recovering from traumatic incidents, and that early, skilled
help can return organizations to their "new normal."
I live in Ann Arbor, Michigan with my husband and two children. In addition to my work in CISM, I am the author of Across the Chasm: A Caregiver's Story (2002: BMT Information Network, Highland Park, IL) which chronicles my
experiences caring for my husband during his recovery from a bone
marrow transplant in 1999.
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Contact me so we can help your organization
be ready for the day after.
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