Dr. Amy Nitza is the Executive Director of the Institute for Disaster Mental Health at SUNY New Paltz. She is a psychologist who specializes in providing mental health training in academic and non-academic settings both nationally and internationally, with an emphasis on disaster mental health and trauma recovery. As a Fulbright Scholar at the University of Botswana, she trained mental health and school counselors and studied the use of group counseling interventions in HIV/AIDS prevention among adolescents. She has collaborated with the University of Notre Dame in Haiti to develop trauma-related interventions for children in domestic servitude, and to provide training for teachers in dealing with traumatized children in the classroom. She is also currently collaborating with UNICEF USA to develop and implement a program of mental health support for children impacted by Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico. Amy is the author and editor of numerous publications, including the recent book Disaster Mental Health Case Studies: Lessons Learned from Counseling in Chaos. She is a Fellow of the Association for Specialists in Group Work and serves on the Executive Board of the Society for Group Psychology and Group Psychotherapy (Division 49) of the American Psychological Association. She holds a Ph.D. in Counseling Psychology from Indiana University. She formerly served as an Associate Professor and Chair of the Department of Professional Studies at Indiana University-Purdue University Fort Wayne.
Karla Vermeulen, Ph.D., is the Deputy Director of the Institute for Disaster Mental Health and an Associate Professor of Psychology at SUNY New Paltz, where she teaches undergraduate and graduate courses in disaster mental health, grief counseling, and developmental psychology. She also oversees the Advanced Certificate in Trauma and Disaster Mental Health, and the Student Psychological Resilience Project, a campus peer support initiative intended to reduce stigma and build awareness around student mental health issues. In addition to teaching and research, she has coordinated the development and production of training curricula for the New York State Department of Health and Office of Mental Health, the American Red Cross, the United Nations, and other organizations. She is co-author of Disaster Mental Health Interventions: Core Principles and Practices (2017) and co-editor of Disaster Mental Health Case Studies: Lessons Learned from Counseling in Chaos (2019), both published by Routledge. Her next book, Generation Disaster: Coming of Age Post-9/11, was published in August 2021 in the Oxford University Press Emerging Adulthood series. Learn more about the book at generationdisaster.com.
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Andrew O’Meara, M.S., is the Project Coordinator for the Institute for Disaster Mental Health (IDMH). He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology from the State University of New York at Potsdam and a Master’s Degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from the State University of New York at New Paltz. Andrew has worked extensively with IDMH since 2019 advising students in the Disaster Studies Minor, planning the Annual IDMH Conference and assisting in programmatic development in response to acute and chronic disasters, including during the COVID-19 pandemic. Andrew has assisted in developing and delivering content to victim service providers, mental health clinicians and first responders, among others. Currently, Andrew is engaged in a 5-year grant from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) to support the mental health needs of children in Puerto Rico, and is collaborating locally with the NYS Office of Mental Health and NYS Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services to help develop a state-wide team of disaster mental health responders. Additionally, Andrew is the current instructor for the Practicum in Disaster Studies course at SUNY New Paltz, where he supervises up to 20 students per year conducting field work with local government and non-profit disaster response agencies. The Institute for Disaster Mental Health also focuses on international response capabilities, with Andrew serving as a consultant to the non-profit organization The UkrHelp Foundation to help support the mental health needs of children impacted by the current conflict in Ukraine. Andrew also enjoys outdoor activities such as hiking and camping, and can be found enjoying the beautiful scenery around the Hudson Valley with his wife and dogs when away from work.
Chrissy Lawlor, Operations Manager at the Institute for Disaster Mental Health (IDMH), holds a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from the State University of New York at New Paltz. With a background as a former library director, Chrissy brings strong organizational skills and a commitment to inclusivity to her role. Transitioning to IDMH, she oversees day-to-day operations, ensuring the institute fulfills its mission of providing mental health support post-disaster. Outside of work, she enjoys exploring the Adirondacks with her family and indulging in outdoor activities like hiking and kayaking, while also remaining an avid reader.
Caroline Contillo combines her background in mindfulness instruction and group facilitation with graduate work in crisis intervention, collective trauma and disaster equity to create engaging curriculum and experiential workshops. In 2022, Caroline completed the Tulane School of Social Work’s Dual MSW/MS in Disaster Resilience program through the Disaster Resilience Leadership Academy. During her time at Tulane, Caroline also completed a certificate in Collective Trauma and Disaster Mental Health and received an award for Excellence in Disaster Resilience Leadership. She completed 900 internship hours at Family of Woodstock, where she conducted crisis counseling in person and over the phone and helped create workshops for staff and volunteers. She also helped to launch the Homeshare Woodstock program, a social service designed to help address the local housing crisis. Since graduating, Caroline has been a part of the Consortium for Equitable Disaster Resilience, where she has helped with research and writing about the obstacles faced by marginalized groups during the disaster recovery process. Her research interests include climate justice, equitable disaster resilience, and addressing collective trauma through community healing.
Nathan is a NY State Disaster Mental Health Trainer for the Institute for Disaster Mental Health at SUNY New Paltz. He is responsible for development and delivery of training curricula for IDMH in various county agencies and mobile crisis organizations across New York State, supporting the partnership between IDMH, NYS OMH, and DHSES to establish and train a state-wide Disaster Mental Health response team. He has overseen a Type-1 Mobile Emergency Medical Team, as part of a WHO initiative, including oversight of all equipment, policies, and operational procedures ensuring the coordination of safe, effective, equitable, and accountable domestic and international emergency response, as well as assisting with the integration of mental health and psychosocial support services across all response activities. This work led to Nathan being certified by the Pan-American Health Organization as an EMT Mentor, supporting national and sub-regional capacity building throughout the Americas, and collaboration with INSARAG, the Brown / Naval War College Civ-Mil Humanitarian Coordination Working Group, and WHO Technical Working Groups on Mental Health and Psychosocial Support in Emergency Settings and Civ-Mil Coordination in Health Emergencies.
Nathan is a Marine Veteran with multiple combat deployments to the Middle East and Horn of Africa, in addition to a stint serving in several training and ATFP roles aboard MCAS Iwakuni, Japan, and was medically retired in 2011. After a number of surgeries and related recovery and rehabilitation, he embarked on the next chapter as a licensed social worker helping other Veterans to recover from mental and physical trauma. He also joined, and currently serves on, the Board of Directors for the National Purple Heart Honor Mission, a 501c3 dedicated to paying tribute to our nation’s combat wounded through special outreach and educational programs. Nathan’s work and research interests are focused on complex/chronic trauma, traumatic brain injuries, and the overlapping symptomatology of the two.
Aidan is joining the IDMH team in support of the partnership between IDMH, NYS Office of Mental Health, and NYS Division of Homeland Security & Emergency Services to establish and train a state-wide Disaster Mental Health response team — ensuring each county in New York has a deployable team of trained professionals available if and when a disaster arises. Aidan grew up in Saratoga Springs, NY and now lives in West Hurley, NY trading the Adirondacks for the Catskills; she holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology from the State University of New York at Geneseo and is currently obtaining her Master’s Degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from the State University of New York at New Paltz with an expected graduation of Spring 2025.
Aidan has extensive experience within digital healthcare, previously working at the mental health company Talkspace as their Director of Employer Sales, where she worked alongside employers and educational institutions as they implemented mental health and therapy benefits for employees and students alike. As a sales leader Aidan was specialized in hiring, training, and leading high-performing sales teams while maintaining an empathetic, collaborative, and mission-driven team culture - this experience combined with her personal mental health journey led her the professional goal of becoming a clinician herself. Aidan has been passionate about mental health and a vocal advocate for reducing the stigma and the barriers to mental health since her early teens. As an IDMH team member, Aidan has found a tremendous amount of overlap with this personal mission and the mission of IDMH; to address the diversity of disaster mental health demands so that all those impacted by disaster and trauma have access to the mental health support they need.
Juan Carlos Rivera Ramos, M.Ed., LPC, is a trainer for the Institute for Disaster Mental Health (IDMH). He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Communications and a Master’s Degree in Professional Counseling from the University of Puerto Rico, Rio Piedras Campus, where he is currently pursuing a Doctoral Degree in Social Work with an emphasis in Social Policy. Over the past decade, Juan Carlos has worked as a Counselor for a TRIO Talent Search Program and as a Lecturer for a post-secondary institution. He has served as public policy intern in Washington DC advocating for Hispanic population rights, and has been an active advocate for low income and first-generation students in the Federal Capitol. During his Masters studies, Juan Carlos explored the impact of internet addiction on youth. With IDMH, he has collaborated with UNICEF USA to train teachers from Puerto Rico’s Department of Education and elsewhere throughout the Caribbean. He is currently a member of the Caribbean Association of Educational Opportunity Programs, where he has served as Treasurer and Coordinator for Government Affairs and Professional Development. He has participated in trainings with the Association for Specialists in Group Work, and the Council for Opportunity in Education. He is currently working as researcher and contact tracer in a regional epidemiology office on the island of Puerto Rico.
Cassandre Surinon is a clinical psychologist who is currently working in the suburbs of Paris, in the adult psychiatric unit of the public Henri Mondor University Hospital. Her work there is primarily around group therapy and individual psychotherapy with patients who are predominantly migrants and/or underprivileged. She previously worked in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, where she provided psychotherapy in the mental health center, CESSA, while also coordinating and supervising Haitian students who were offering group therapy to children in underprivileged schools of Port-au-Prince and its suburbs. Then she moved to the United States where she started to work for IDMH at SUNY New Paltz as a Special Programs Manager. She mainly managed programs in Haiti and Puerto Rico, dedicated to preparing students, community members, paraprofessionals, and professionals in the helping fields to care for others following a disaster. She was also a guest lecturer in a Multicultural Counseling course and instructor of record for two study abroad courses. She is the author of An Unusual Situation, a children’s book made to help families with young children cope during the COVID-19 pandemic. Today, in parallel to her work as a clinician, she is earning a Ph.D. at University Paris 8. Her research areas focus on psychological consequences of slavery on slaves’ descendants in France through the prism of Historical Trauma. Finally, Cassandre is the author or co-author of several publications of her diverse works in Haiti and Puerto Rico, the latest one being ‘Perceived impact of Hurricane Maria on Education on Educators and students in Puerto Rico’ published in the CENTRO Journal of the Center for Puerto Rican Studies.
After the volcanic eruption of the La Soufriere Volcano on the island of Saint Vincent, Synde worked with the Institute for Disaster Mental Health in emergency response, providing training in Psychological Social Support. Working with teachers and social workers, Synde helped them understand stress and how to manage it. She equipped them with easy-to-use tools for coping and stress management. Synde also trained community-based individuals to provide Psychological Social Support to children to help them understand and deal with traumatic events.
Synde holds an AS and BS in Social Work and an MS in Management with a focus on Human Resource Management. She has also been trained in Psychological Social Support, Psychological First Aid and Disaster Risk Reduction.
Jayson Kratoville is an emergency management professional with over a decade of experience helping people, organizations, and communities adapt to evolving risk. He has built programs enhance public and private sector resiliency to a range of threats and hazards. Jayson’s most recent efforts have focused on severe weather, technology adoption, and mental health. This includes an NSF-funded initiative with partners in the U.S. and Taiwan to improve the use of data in severe weather decision-making, including the foundations of human-AI interaction.
As Interim Director at the University at Albany’s National Center for Security & Preparedness (NCSP), Jayson led a statewide training program empowering emergency managers and responders to adopt new technologies and best practices. The NCSP team mobilized 250+ staff, subject-matter experts, and professional role players to develop 20+ new courses and execute 100+ deliveries per year. Topics included crisis decision-making, integrated active shooter response, mass casualty incident management, unmanned aircraft systems application, and complex coordinated terrorist attack preparedness. The NCSP’s efforts reached 40,000+ professionals and drove a 385% increase in annual training enrollment for its State Agency partners.
Jayson has also contributed to the creation and ongoing advancement of the University at Albany’s College of Emergency Preparedness, Homeland Security, and Cybersecurity (CEHC). The College is one of the fastest-growing emergency management academic programs in the country. Jayson is a member of CEHC’s adjunct faculty, helping students connect project management and technology solutions to real-world challenges. He previously co-chaired the Committee on External Partnerships and Community Responsibility as part of the College’s Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (JEDI) initiative.
Jayson holds a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and a Master of Public Administration (MPA) in Homeland Security and Information Strategy & Management from the University at Albany’s Rockefeller College of Public Affairs and Policy.
Jayson is proud to officially join the IDMH family after several years of collaborating on key projects. He believes that the emergency management field’s increased emphasis on mitigation should also focus on people—the most critical and complex aspect of our preparedness posture. Proactive mental health programs make people, organizations, and communities more resilient to crisis while bolstering creativity and innovation. To advance these goals, Jayson will work with the IDMH team to help public and private sector partners build mental health preparedness into their planning, training, exercise, and workforce development systems.
Guy Shrayer has over seven years of experience in Projects and Disaster Operation Management in the Humanitarian and Non-Profit Sector. He specializes in crisis management and has worked and managed projects in harsh circumstances, from natural to man-made disasters in as many as five countries located across four continents. He managed emergency recovery operations during earthquakes, deadly snowstorms, volcanic eruptions, hurricanes, conflict, and post-conflict refugee settings.
Guy is an emergency response consultant for NGOs and is an active research member at the London Institute of Peace Research (LIRP). He is also a consultant for the Institution of disaster mental health (IDMH) at the State University of New York in New Paltz where he is teaching an academic course for the Trauma and Disaster Mental Health Certificate program through the Institute for Disaster Mental Health at SUNY New Paltz. Focusing on Post Trauma Growth (PTG), burnout, Secondary Traumatic Stress (STS), Vicarious Traumatization (VT), Resilience, Self Care, etc.
He has earned his Bachelor's degree in Economy and Psychology, and his Master's degree in International Development and Conflict Resolution within the framework of the UNESCO Chair of Philosophy for Peace. His master’s research thesis was on Secondary Traumatic Stress Among Aid Workers, Self-Care, and Coping Mechanisms.
As part of his achievements, As Head of Mission to Saint Vincent following the La Soufriere volcanic eruption Guy designed and developed, from an idea to a successful rollout, a program for Psychological First Aid training and the creation of 18 Child-Friendly Spaces for 650 displaced families, and over 50 sustainable jobs for displaced persons. He established a strong partnership with UNICEF, The Red Cross & local government, and ensured the program will continue to grow into the future under their care.
As Head of Mission to Greece, Guy established a highly successful & sustainable community development center for Syrian refugees together with the NRC (Norwegian Refugee Council), to promote participatory integrated protection and livelihood programs for a population of 600 refugees and 50,000 local residents, developing linguistic, social, health, and vocational programs, assisting community integration & cohesiveness and securing financial independence for women.
Guy is joining the IDMH team after a successful collaboration to build a self-care and resilience program for the government of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines following a volcanic eruption and a hurricane that hit the small Caribbean Island. As part of the emergency preparedness efforts, Guy will join the IDMH team to build a training program for students to develop field-based experiences in emergency preparedness and response. He is also an instructor for the Trauma and Disaster Mental Health Certificate program through the Institute for Disaster Mental Health at the State University of New York at New Paltz.
Danielle Hodes has worked in the museum space for over ten years. She specializes in program and event management, specifically co-creating public programs with community partners. She graduated from New York University with a master’s in Museum Studies in May of 2014 with a focus on historic house museums and interactive technologies. She received her bachelor’s degree in Psychology and Art History with a minor in Neuroscience in 2011 from the University of South Carolina. Danielle began interning at the Morris-Jumel Mansion in upper Manhattan and ended her time as the Director of Education and Public Programs. She spent four years at the National September 11 Memorial & Museum producing programs ranging from discussions examining post-9/11 national security to hosting events with partners such as ESPN, Hulu, CIA, FBI, VICE, Showtime, and more.
Most recently as a senior program manager at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History, she co-led the institution’s 20th-anniversary commemoration of the September 11, 2001 attacks, 9/11: Hidden Stories, Hidden Voices. Partnering with communities underrepresented in the traditional 9/11 narrative, she led the creation of co-curated public programs and the development of a story-gathering web tool to collect and share personal and community stories of a post-9/11 world. Her time at the 9/11 museum and work on the Hidden Stories, Hidden Voices project laid bare the necessity of supporting museum staff who engage with difficult and potentially traumatic subjects and served as the seed for NMAH’s partnership with IDMH.
Danielle is proud and honored to explore the future of Trauma-Based Knowledge Work with IDMH and continue to support and uplift those who engage with difficult content and, in turn, share this vital information with the world.
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