This training was developed by the North Carolina Disaster Response Network and produced by the North Carolina Center for Public Health Preparedness at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Updated 10/22/2008
Instructor and Reviewer Biographies
Click on a name to jump to the bio:
Tab Ballis - Instructor for Modules 2 & 4
Joanna Forester - Instructor for Module 8
Laurie Hamilton - Instructor for Modules 3 & 7
John Simpson - Instructor for Module 5
Sandra Wartski - Instructor for Module 1 & 6
Sally R. Cameron - Reviewer & narrator for Module 1
Cathy Womack - Reviewer
Degree/License: Masters in Social Work from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Licensed Clinical Social Worker and Licensed Clinical Addictions Specialist
Professional membership: National Association of Social Workers, North Carolina Chapter, and member of the NCPA Disaster Response Network
Current employment: Mr. Ballis is a Managing Partner of Insight Health Services, in Wilmington, NC, where he specializes in addictions, couples and family therapy. He also works with individuals and groups, to achieve peak performance, through "Conscious Creativity".
Disaster response experience: Through the Disaster Mental Health Response network of the American Red Cross, Tab has served as a disaster mental health responder on national disasters, including the 9/11 terrorist attacks in New York City. He has also been employed as a mental health professional with Crisis Management International.
Tab has also been a grateful recipient of disaster services, after his Carolina Beach home was flooded by Hurricanes Fran and Floyd, and he is glad to have been able to indirectly repay the kindness of the Red Cross volunteers who were there when his community needed them.
Other background: Tab can be contacted through his web site, www.insightcounseling.com
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Degree/License: Masters in Social Work, Licensed Clinical Social Worker
Professional membership: National Association of Social Workers
Current employment: Disaster Preparedness and Response (DPR) Coordinator for the North Carolina Division of Mental Health/ Developmental Disabilities/ Substance Abuse Services
Disaster response experience: Ms. Forester has been working closely with the Division’s disaster response since 2003. She has presented at state and national conferences on disaster behavioral health response and has coordinated the behavioral health response for Hurricanes Isabel, Charley, Frances, Ivan, Katrina and Ophelia.
As current DPR Coordinator, Ms. Forester is collaborating with other response agencies to incorporate behavioral health response into the North Carolina’s State emergency response infrastructure. Ms. Forester is a member of the Disaster Response Network task force and an American Red Cross volunteer. Recently Ms. Forester responded to the Raleigh townhouse fire, and she has coordinated responses to several hurricanes in the past few years.
Other background: In her spare time, she enjoys reading, gardening, traveling and, most of all, quality time with her dogs.
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Degree/License: Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) from International College, Licensed Psychologist/California; Licensed Professional Counselor/North Carolina; Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist/California and North Carolina
Professional membership: North Carolina Psychological Association, American Psychological Association , American Association of Marriage & Family Therapy (Approved Supervisor), Association of Traumatic Stress Specialists (Trauma Specialist), and American College of Forensic Examiners (Fellow)
Current employment: Private Practice - Market Street Neuroscience, 30 Clayton Street, Asheville, NC 28801
Disaster response experience: North Carolina State Mental Health Lead/Red Cross; Disaster Mental Health Instructor (Red Cross); Critical Incident Stress Debriefing; response to local, regional and national disasters primarily with CISM and Red Cross since 1992, serving as a senior trainer and debriefer; developed training program for the North Carolina Disaster Response Network.
Other background: The way I cope with the stress of an active practice, disaster response and being the "ham" in the middle of my family sandwich (aging parents and grown sons in the medical profession) is with daily spiritual practices, exercise in a warm pool, two large dogs (Akitas), sports (golf, horseback riding, bicycling, and skiing) and hanging with my husband who makes me laugh a lot.
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Degree/License: Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Psychology from University of Tennessee, Licensed Psychologist in North Carolina
Professional membership: North Carolina Psychological Association and American Academy of Experts in Traumatic Stress
Current employment: Licensed psychologist, private practice, Charlotte, North Carolina
Disaster response experience: Dr. Simpson has been working with the Disaster Response Network (DRN) of North Carolina Psychological Association and the American Red Cross. He has responded to a number of disasters including Hurricane Katrina, ice storms, residential and commercial fires, chemical spills, and plane crashes. He attended the National Summit "When Terror Strikes", held in NYC in 11/2001, as a representative of the N.C. delegation. He has served as an instructor for the DRN and helped to develop the initial training as well as this online training.
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Degree/License: Doctor of Psychology (Psy.D.) from Widener University in Pennsylvania, Licensed Psychologist in North Carolina
Professional membership: North Carolina Psychological Association, American Psychological Association and National Register of Health Service Providers in Psychology
Current employment: Clinical psychologist with Silber Psychological Services in the Raleigh and Cary, North Carolina
Disaster response experience: Dr. Wartski has been working closely with the Disaster Response Network (DRN) of North Carolina Psychological Association and as Mental Health Lead at the Triangle Red Cross since 1995. As current DRN Coordinator, she has worked to organize and maintain a framework for mental health professionals to volunteer their talents in times of crisis. Although two young children at home keep her from wanting to respond for long periods of time away from her local area, she has been active in various disasters over the past 12 years. Her first large disaster work occurred after Hurricane Fran in 1996 at a Red Cross service center. Other larger natural disasters, such as Hurricane Floyd and more recently Hurricane Katrina, provided more learning experiences about response to large scale disasters. Being involved with the Triangle area Red Cross has involved volunteering as a mental health professional with smaller disasters, such as responding to house fires, death notices, and local tragedies. For her work in disasters, Dr. Wartski has received several awards: the North Carolina Psychological Foundation President’s Award, The Exceptional Volunteer Service Award from the American Red Cross and the “Heroes in the Fight” Award from the Coalition for Persons Disabled by Mental Illness.
Other background: In her spare time, she enjoys reading, outdoor activities, traveling and, most of all, quality time with her family.
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Module Reviewers:
Executive Director, North Carolina Psychological Foundation and Association
Ms. Cameron has been director of the North Carolina Psychological Association since 1981, and is also the director of the North Carolina Psychological Foundation which was formed in 1992. The Foundation began its work on disaster response in 1994 and Ms. Cameron has been active in the development of the Disaster Response Task Force and the Network. She has worked closely with the American Red Cross and served for a number of years on the Red Cross Hurricane Watch Team for North Carolina. She has helped coordinate mental health professionals responding to disasters in North Carolina and events like 9/11 and Katrina, as well as local disasters around the state.
Ms. Cameron is the current chair of The Coalition, a group of 35 statewide non-profit organizations who advocate for funding for the public mental health, developmental disabilities and substance abuse system. In her 25 years with NCPA, the organization has grown from about 250 members to close to 1000, owns its own office space, and has numerous activities to benefit psychology and the public.
She has been an active volunteer with Meals on Wheels of Wake County for 30 years, and is currently a member of the Board of Directors.
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Cathy Womack
Executive Director, North Carolina Association for Marriage and Family Therapy
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