PREPaRE Developers & Workgroup Members

Melissa A. Reeves, PhD, NCSP, LPC is a founding member and current Chair of the PREPaRE Workgroup. She is the primary author of PREPaRE Workshop 1: Crisis Prevention and Preparedness. Dr. Reeves received her doctorate from the University of Denver (Denver, CO), where she researched school-based mental health programming and interventions. She is a school psychologist, licensed special education teacher, and licensed professional counselor, and is currently employed as a Lecturer for Winthrop University (Rock Hill, SC). Dr. Reeves formerly worked for the Cherry Creek School District (Greenwood Village, CO) as a school psychologist and district coordinator of social/emotional/behavioral services. She has served as the Colorado Delegate to NASP and the Western Region Delegate Representative to the NASP Executive Council. Having participated in many different school crisis responses, she travels both nationally and internationally training professionals in the areas of crisis prevention and intervention, threat and suicide assessment, the impact of trauma and PTSD on academic achievement, and establishing a response to intervention model. She has testified before the U.S. Senate Ad Hoc Subcommittee for Disaster and Recovery regarding Children and Disasters: A Progress Report on Addressing Needs. She is the primary author of the book titled, Comprehensive Planning for Safe Learning Environments: A School Professional’s Guide to Integrating Physical and Psychological Safety, and co-author of two other books titled: School Crisis Prevention and Intervention: The PREPaRE Model and Identifying, Assessing, and Treating PTSD at School. She has also contributed to numerous newsletter and journal articles. Dr. Reeves is a two-time recipient of both the NASP Presidential Award and the NASP Crisis Management Interest Group Award for Excellence, and was awarded the Special Friend of ISPA Award by the Illinois School Psychology Association.

Curriculum Vitae (PDF)

Benjamin S. Fernandez, MS.Ed,is a PREPaRE workgroup member. He completed his graduate work at Bucknell University and has worked as a school psychologist in Pennsylvania and Virginia. Currently, he works for Loudoun County Public Schools (LCPS) in Northern Virginia. In his service to LCPS, he fulfills the typical role of a school psychologist by completing assessments, consultation, threat assessment, suicide prevention, and is a member of the PBIS, RtI, and Clinical teams at his assigned schools. In addition to these duties, Mr. Fernandez leads one of six district level teams made up of school psychologists and school social workers. He also is responsible for the development and annual maintenance of the crisis team manual. Mr. Fernandez was appointed as one of the PREPaRE trainers for LCPS and oversees debriefings of crisis staff after large-scale deployments. He conducts trainings and workshops in the areas of crisis management/intervention, depression awareness/suicide prevention, and issues impacting ELL/Immigrant students. In addition, he also serves as the Northern Virginia Regional Representative for the Virginia Academy of School Psychologists and was the 2012 NASP School Psychologist of the Year.

Curriculum Vitae (PDF)

Stephen E. Brock, PhD, NCSP, is a founding member and current Co-Chair of the PREPaRE Workgroup. He is the author of PREPaRE Workshop 2: Crisis Intervention and Recovery, and is also a member of the National Emergency Assistance Team. Dr. Brock received his doctorate from University of California, Davis, where he researched AD/HD, school crisis intervention, and school suicide prevention. Currently, he is Professor and School Psychology Program Coordinator at California State University, Sacramento (CSUS). Before joining the CSUS faculty Dr. Brock was the Lead School Psychologist for the Lodi Unified School District (Lodi, CA). He has also served as the California Delegate to NASP, the Western Region Delegate Representative to the NASP Executive Counsel, Coordinator of the NASP Crisis Management in the Schools Interest Group, and President of the California Association of School Psychologists. Having participated in many different school crisis responses, he travels both nationally and internationally training professionals in the areas of crisis intervention, suicide prevention, PTSD, autism, and AD/HD. He is the author of numerous crisis related publications and lead editor of Best Practices in School Crisis Prevention and Intervention (2nd ed.), and primary author of School Crisis Prevention and Intervention: The PREPaRE Model. He has previously served as an Associate Editor of The California School Psychologist and Guest Editor of the Journal of School Violence and School Psychology Forum. Currently, he is an Editor of the Developmental Psychopathology at School book series, a Contributing Editor to the NASP Communiqué, and on the editorial advisory boards of School Psychology Review, Journal of School Violence, and Contemporary School Psychology. Dr. Brock is a two-time recipient of both the NASP Presidential Award and the NASP Crisis Management Interest Group Award for Excellence, and was named an Outstanding School Psychologist by the California School Psychology Association.

Curriculum Vitae (PDF)

Amanda B. Nickerson, PhD, NCSP, is a founding member of the PREPaRE Workgroup and an author of PREPaRE Workshop 1: Crisis Prevention and Preparedness. Dr. Nickerson received her doctorate from the University of South Carolina, where she researched school crisis prevention and intervention, parent and peer attachment relationships, and assessment and intervention for youth with emotional and behavioral disorders. Currently, she is an Associate Professor and Director of the Jean M. Alberti Center for the Prevention of Bullying Abuse and School Violence in the Department of Counseling, School, and Educational Psychology at the University at Buffalo, the State University of New York (SUNY). A licensed psychologist and nationally certified school psychologist, Dr. Nickerson serves on the New York Association of School Psychologists’ executive board as their bullying and school violence liaison. She has authored numerous journal articles and book chapters on school crisis prevention and intervention; violence and bullying prevention; and the role of schools, parents, and peers in promoting social-emotional strengths of children and adolescents. Dr. Nickerson is the primary author of Assessing, Identifying, and Treating Posttraumatic Stress Disorder at School, co-author of School Crisis Prevention and Intervention: The PREPaRE Model, and co-editor of School Violence and School Safety: International Research and Practice (2nd ed.). She also serves as an associate editor of the Journal of School Violence and is on the editorial boards of several other journals, including School Psychology Quarterly and Psychology in the Schools. Dr. Nickerson is a recipient of the NASP Presidential Award, the NASP Crisis Management Interest Group Award for Excellence, the University of South Carolina Outstanding Graduate Work in Research, and the University of South Carolina Dean’s Award for Excellence in Graduate Study.

Curriculum Vitae (PDF)

Christina Conolly-Wilson, PsyD, NCSP, is a member of the PREPaRE Workgroup and an author of PREPaRE Workshop 1: Crisis Prevention and Preparedness. Dr. Conolly-Wilson received her doctorate in the Combined-Integrated Clinical and School Psychology program at James Madison University, where she researched eating disorders. Currently she is the Director of Crisis Intervention and Safety for the Waukegan Public Schools (Waukegan, IL), and is responsible for managing the four phases of emergency management (Prevention-Mitigation, Preparedness, Response, and Recovery) for her school district. In this capacity she supervises the suicide and bullying prevention programs, the district mental health response team, physical restraints, isolated timeouts, district and school crisis plan development, incident action planning for large scale school events, staff training, and consultation with school buildings and community agencies. She also serves as a Regional Director on the Illinois School Psychologists Association Executive Board and sits on the Lake County Suicide Prevention Task Force. Before taking the position of Crisis Intervention Coordinator, Dr. Conolly-Wilson was the Coordinator of Psychological Services in Waukegan. Dr. Conolly-Wilson has authored and co-authored several articles and book chapters on school crisis prevention and intervention.

Curriculum Vitae (PDF)

Shane Jimerson, PhD, NCSP is a founding member of the PREPaRE Workgroup and an author of PREPaRE Workshop 1: Crisis Prevention and Preparedness. Dr. Jimerson completed his doctoral studies at the University of Minnesota. Currently, he is a Professor at the University of California, Santa Barbara, President of Division 16 (school psychology) of the American Psychological Association, and Editor of the School Psychology Quarterly journal. Dr. Jimerson is the author of numerous books and journal articles, including co-author of School Crisis Prevention and Intervention: The PREPaRE Model, co-author of Identifying, Assessing, and Treating PTSD at School, co-author of Identifying, Assessing, and Treating Conduct Disorder at School, co-author of The Mourning Child Grief Support Group Curriculum Series, co-author of Identifying, Assessing, and Treating PTSD at School, co-editor of Best Practices in School Crisis Prevention and Intervention (2nd ed.), lead editor of The Handbook of School Violence and School Safety: International Research and Practice (2nd ed.), and lead-editor of The Handbook of Bullying in Schools: An International Perspective. Dr. Jimerson is a recipient of; the NASP Presidential Award, the NASP Crisis Management Interest Group Award for Excellence, the Best Research Article of the Year Award from the Society for the Study of School Psychology, the Outstanding Article of the Year Award from the National Association of School Psychologists, the Early Career Award in Human Development from AERA, the Lightner Witmer Early Career Contributions Award from Division 16 (School Psychology) of the American Psychological Association, is an elected member of the Society for the Study of School Psychology, and is a fellow of the American Psychological Association, Division 16.

Curriculum Vitae (PDF)

Brian R. Lazzaro, MEd, is currently on leave from the PREPaRE Workgroup (as he finishes his doctoral studies) and an author of PREPaRE Workshop 1: Crisis Prevention and Preparedness. Mr. Lazzaro plans to complete his doctoral studies at Loyola University Chicago in December of 2012, and is currently researching the effectiveness of the PREPaRE Crisis Intervention and Recovery workshop. This past year, Mr. Lazzaro has been the Coordinator for the NASP Crisis Management in the Schools Interest Group. Currently, he is a school psychologist serving at-risk youth in Township High School District 211 (Palatine, IL). Mr. Lazzaro has taught school crisis prevention and intervention strategies as an adjunct professor at Loyola University, Chicago, for several years. He is a member of the Arlington Heights School Safety Advisory Taskforce and the School & Community Assistance Team in Illinois. Brian has had numerous experiences responding to and providing support to those affected by school crises.

Melinda K. Susan, MA, NCSP, is currently on leave from the PREPaRE Workgroup and an author of PREPaRE Workshop 1: Crisis Prevention and Preparedness. Ms. Susan completed her graduate studies at Humboldt State University. Currently, she is a special education principal in the Sonoma County Office of Education (Sonoma, CA). She is a former school psychologist and is a lecturer at Sonoma State University. She served as a region representative and CPD chair for the California Association of School Psychologists. She co-authored Sonoma County’s crisis manual and is on its crisis steering committee, and has published in the areas of school crisis prevention /intervention, self-injury, supporting students with disabilities, and LGBTQ youth. She conducts trainings in the areas of school crisis, resilience, mood disorders, behavior support, autism, and emotional disturbance. The California School Psychology Association named her an Outstanding School Psychologist.

Curriculum Vitae (PDF)

Rosario C. Pesce, PhD, NCSP is a member of the PREPaRE Workgroup and an author of PREPaRE Workshop 1: Crisis Prevention and Preparedness. Dr. Pesce received his doctorate from Loyola University Chicago where he researched adolescent egocentrism. Currently, he works as a school psychologist, licensed clinical psychologist, and adjunct professor at Loyola University Chicago. He is retired from the J. Sterling Morton High Schools where he served as Student Assistance Program Coordinator and later Content Area Coordinator. Dr. Pesce was appointed to the Illinois Children’s Mental Health Partnership and serves on the School Age Committee. He was on the writing team for the Illinois State Board of Education’s social emotional learning standards. He is involved in community initiatives focused on safety and violence prevention. He has published on school gang prevention and school/community mental health services and has co-authored book chapters on school crisis prevention and intervention. Dr. Pesce was President of the Illinois School Psychologists Association and two-time recipient of the President’s Award. Dr. Pesce was named Illinois Peace Leader by the Illinois Center for Violence Prevention and NASP School Psychologist of the Year.

Curriculum Vitae (PDF)

Ted Feinberg, EdD, NCSP, is an emeritus founding member of the PREPaRE Workgroup, contributor to the PREPaRE curriculum, and an emeritus founding member and former Chair of the National Emergency Assistance Team. Dr. Feinberg received his doctorate and his post doctorate training at the University of New York at Albany. He is the former NASP Assistant Executive Director and has an extensive background in crisis prevention and intervention, as well as direct service and consultation. His administrative responsibilities at NASP included program development, supervision, and advocacy for many of the NASP initiated or shared efforts on behalf of crisis response. He developed and taught crisis prevention and intervention graduate courses for the University of New York at Albany and the University of Maryland. He has responded to natural and man-made disasters in the United States and was the primary force to link NASP and the American Red Cross for crisis response. He is an author of School Crisis Prevention and Intervention: The PREPaRE Model. Dr. Feinberg is a recipient of the NASP Presidential Award and the NASP Crisis Management Interest Group Award for Excellence.

Curriculum Vitae (PDF)

Richard Lieberman, LEP, NCSP is an emeritus founding member and former Chair of the PREPaRE Workgroup, contributor to the PREPaRE curriculum, and a founding member and former Chair of the National Emergency Assistance Team. Mr. Lieberman completed his graduate studies at California State University, Northridge. Currently, he coordinates the Youth Suicide Prevention Program for the Los Angeles Unified School District (a position he has held for the past 25 years) and is a lecturer at Loyola Marymount University (Los Angeles, CA). Mr. Lieberman is a co-author of numerous book chapters and articles on youth suicide prevention, crisis intervention, and responding to self-injurious students in the schools. He has co-written and appeared in many violence and suicide prevention videos including an HBO documentary and serves on the Steering Committee for the national Suicide Prevention Resource Center. He is an author of School Crisis Prevention and Intervention: The PREPaRE Model. Mr. Lieberman is a two-time recipient of both the NASP Presidential Award and the NASP Crisis Management Interest Group Award for Excellence, and was named an Outstanding School Psychologist and awarded the Sandra Goff Memorial Award for distinguished service to the profession of school psychology by the California Association of School Psychologists.

Curriculum Vitae (PDF)

Scott Woitaszewski, PhD, is a member of the PREPaRE Workgroup. Dr. Woitaszewski received his doctorate from Ball State University (Muncie, IN) where he researched the construct of emotional intelligence. Currently, he is Associate Professor and Director of the school psychology program at the University of Wisconsin – River Falls. Before joining the school psychology program, he was a practicing school psychologist in Minnesota. Dr. Woitaszewski teaches courses on emotional and behavioral assessment/intervention; and has published and presented in the areas of intervention assistance teams, resiliency, and school crisis prevention and intervention. Dr. Woitaszewski received the UW-River Falls College of Education and Professional Studies Outstanding Faculty award in 2007 and the Outstanding Research Award in 2011 for his work on collaboration between school mental health professionals.

Curriculum Vitae (PDF)

Franci Crepeau-Hobson, PhD, NCSP, is a member of the PREPaRE workgroup. She is an Assistant Professor and Director of the school psychology program at the University of Colorado Denver. Dr. Crepeau-Hobson completed her doctoral studies at the University of Northern Colorado. She is a licensed psychologist, licensed school psychologist, and a member of the Colorado Society of School Psychologists Statewide Crisis Response Team. This team provides comprehensive school-based prevention, intervention, and postvention crisis resources and services to school districts in and around Colorado. Dr. Crepeau-Hobson is also a member of the Colorado Crisis Education and Response Network (COCERN), a coordinated response network of trained resources whose mission is to address the immediate behavioral health needs of communities affected by disasters and other crises. Dr. Crepeau-Hobson has authored and coauthored a number of articles in the areas of crisis response and youth suicide.

Curriculum Vitae (PDF)