Trauma and 9/11: Facing Challenges Together – Part 1: Hope
Streaming 3 short films over 3 nights
November 15, 16 and 17
Streaming Online
8-9:00 PM EST
Click here for viewing details on November 17 film.
Join the National Law Enforcement Museum for this first part of the Trauma and 9/11 program series,
Part I: HOPE
- This segment will be presented as a series of 3 one-on-one interviews focusing on hope amidst the trauma of 9/11, including responses to PTSI that have the demonstrated potential; moments of communities pulling together for support; and stories about community organizations supporting those affected by trauma and loss.
About “Trauma and 9/11, Facing Challenges Together”
The jarring and difficult nature of the 9/11 attacks brought a new light to how officer trauma is viewed. While societal perspectives of post-traumatic stress have changed over the last few years, stigmas remain. By focusing on a large-scale, shared event, like the 9/11 attacks, perhaps we can open the door to better understanding the nature of trauma in the ongoing work of law enforcement.
This series was made possible by
Participants
Cherie Castellano, MA, CSW, LPC, AAETS
Ms. Castellano is a national expert in the field of peer support after 20 years of experience as the creator of the “Reciprocal Peer Support Model” recognized as a national best practice by the American Psychiatric Association (2019) and Department of Defense Center of Excellence (2011). Cherie began as the Program Director for Cop 2 Cop, the first legislated law enforcement crisis hotline in the United States. She is a voluntary faculty member of the Rutgers Department of Psychiatry where she has honed her clinical skills as an expert in peer support and law enforcement psychological services. She is also a member of the American Academy of Experts in Traumatic Stress. As the Director of Cop 2 Cop, Ms. Castellano has facilitated response to over 100,000 calls from law enforcement officers in need and the team at Cop 2 Cop has averted over 300 crises to date. The American Association of Suicidology certified Cop 2 Cop with the highest score ever awarded by that organization. Currently Cherie is the Rutgers National Call Center Peer Support Director leading more than a dozen peer programs for a variety of populations staffed by 150 peers and clinicians providing services on a state and national level yielding over $5 million of funding annually.
Edward T. Cetnar, Superintendent of Police; Director, Public Safety Department
Edward T. Cetnar was appointed Superintendent of Police and Director of Public Safety of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey Police Department on May 11, 2018. Mr. Cetnar oversees the daily operation of the over-2,300 person police department. He is responsible for the police and security services of the New York Metro area’s airports, including John F. Kennedy International, Newark Liberty International and LaGuardia Airport. Additionally, Mr. Cetnar is responsible for the Path Train System, Port Authority Bus Terminal, Lincoln and Holland Tunnels, Port Newark, Brooklyn Piers, George Washington Bridge, Staten Island Bridge Crossings, as well as the World Trade Center Complex. Prior to his appointment to the Port Authority, Mr. Cetnar served over 27 years with the New Jersey State Police. At the end of his service, Mr. Cetnar served as a Lt. Colonel serving as the Deputy Superintendent of Operations. During his tenure, Lt. Colonel Cetnar was tapped as the Incident Commander for the 2013 and 2014 Miss America Pageants, the 2014 National Special Olympics, and most notably the 2014 NFL Super Bowl.
Theresa Creedon
Theresa Creedon is a police officer family member deeply impacted by the events of 9/11. One of three children to Terry and Ed Gorman, Theresa is the middle child and only girl between her brothers Tom and John. Tom Gorman, a Port Authority Emergency Services Unit Police officer was killed while rescuing others on 9/11. Her younger brother John, a Citigroup employee, in the North Tower, 81st floor survived the attack and succumbed to 9/11 cancer in 2016. Her father Ed, a retired Bayonne, NJ fire captain died of a broken heart in 2018. Theresa would like to share her story of grief, resilience and hope over the past 20 years that was bolstered by the support of an incredibly strong mother, the inspiration of her brothers’ wives and children, the Port Authority Police family and the unique opportunity she had to give back and grow through her work as a peer support counselor with renowned trauma specialist Cherie Castellano.
Jim Nestor, Consultant, Center on Policing, Rutgers University
After six (6) years as the Director of the First Responder Addiction Treatment Program at the Livengrin Foundation in Bensalem, PA, Jim is developing a specialty program for First Responders at Caron Treatment Center as a national model for trauma centered and evidence based treatment. He was the Director for the State of New Jersey’s Department of Law & Public Safety – Office of Employee & Organization Development, a position held for 23 years. As a Senior Executive Service Governor appointment, he led the Employee and Management Assistance Services for the 9,500 employees/families within the Office of the Attorney General and the New Jersey State Police. Management and Organization Development, Peer Advocate Services, and Critical Incident Stress Management practices were integrated into the daily operational strategies. His office oversaw a Statewide Disaster Response Support Program that maintains emergency management coordination of all first responder mental health support during state and national disasters.
