FACULTY MEMBERS
Our Distinguished Faculty
Learn from some of the most inspiring and dedicated change agents in the global public safety community.
Eric Pearlman, M.D., NRP
Medcal Director – Advisory Board
Eric Pearlman is a licensed paramedic and a working emergency room physician. He currently serves as the medical director for Collin County EMS and oversees the medical direction of 14 fire departments in Collin, Rockwall, Grayson, Fannin, and Dallas counties. He is the Medical Director for the crisis response teams at FRBHI and The Counseling Center of Texas.
Joseph Brigandi, NREMT, MS, M.Ed, NCC, LPC-S
Clinical Program Director – Founder
Joseph Brigandi is the founder of The Counseling Center of Texas and The First Responder Behavioral Health Institute. Joseph is a retired paramedic and a career first responder. He’s a multistate board certified psychotherapist specializing in complex trauma and traumatic related dissociation. Joseph currently serves as the Clinical Director of the crisis response teams for the Counseling Center of Texas and The First Responder Behavioral Health Institute.
FRBHI came into existence due to the many training programs Joseph created and developed as fire captain, training officer and clinical director of the crisis response teams for a municipal police and fire department in Texas.
Zachary Tillett, M.D., NRP
Faculty
Zachary Tillett is a former paramedic and current Emergency medicine and EMS Physician. Prior to becoming a physician Dr. Tillett worked as a paramedic in the prehospital environment and as a pediatric and neonatal critical care paramedic. After medical school Dr. Tillett Completed his emergency medicine residency at Maine Medical Center and EMS Fellowship at Johns Hopkins. He currently works as an ER physician in Maryland and stays active with the local EMS community.
Roger Solomon, Ph.D
Advisory Board – Faculty
Roger is a first responder clinical psychologist and the author of EMDR Therapy Treatment for Grief and Mourning. He is a world-renowned lecturer who has dedicated his life to teaching clinicians how to alleviate the pain and suffering of complex trauma in themselves and their patients. Roger has provided clinical services and training to the FBI, Secret Service, U.S. Department of Justice, the Polizia di Stato in Italy, and various outreach organizations in the Ukraine.
Dr Solomon has planned critical incident programs, provided training for peer support teams and has provided direct services following such tragedies as Hurricane Katrina, September 11 terrorist attacks, the loss of the Shuttle Columbia, and the Oklahoma City Bombing.
Dr. Solomon has expertise in complex trauma, and collaborates with Onno van der Hart, Ph.D., and others on utilization of EMDR as informed by The Structural Dissociation of the Personality (TDSP). He has authored 42 articles and book chapters pertaining to grief, trauma, complex trauma and dissociation, and law enforcement.
Donna Sheperis, Ph.D
Advisory Board – Faculty
Dr. Donna Sheperis is a Professor in the Department of Counseling. She earned her PhD in Counselor Education from the University of Mississippi. Dr Sheperis has taught for land-based and online programs since 2000. Dr. Sheperis is a Licensed Professional Counselor, National Certified Counselor, Board Certified Telemental Health Provider, and Approved Clinical Supervisor with over 30 years of experience in clinical mental health settings.
Dr. Sheperis is the past president of the Association for Assessment and Research in Counseling. She has served as Co-Chair of the ACA Ethics Committee. She currently serves on the ACA Ethics Appeals Committee. She has authored over 25 articles in peer-reviewed journals, multiple book chapters, and textbooks. She published and is revising Clinical Mental Health Counseling: Fundamentals of Applied Practice for Pearson Publishing and Ethical Decision Making for 21st Century Counselors for Sage Publishing. Dr. Sheperis presents regularly on a variety of topics and has received numerous awards for her teaching, scholarship, and research.
Joe Tafur, M.D.
Colombian-American Integrative Physician – Faculty
Joe Tafur, M.D., is a Colombian-American integrative physician and author of the books The Fellowship of the River: A Medical Doctor’s Exploration into Traditional Amazonian Plant Medicine and Medicine Song: Spiritual Healing and the Psychedelic Renaissance. After completing his family medicine training at UCLA, Dr. Tafur spent two years in academic research at the UCSD Department of Psychiatry. After his research fellowship, over a period of six years, he lived and worked in the Peruvian Amazon at the traditional healing center Nihue Rao Centro Espiritual, training there as an ayahuasquero.
He eventually returned to Arizona where he completed fellowship at the Andrew Weil Center for Integrative Medicine. With his multicultural spiritual community in Phoenix, Dr. Tafur co-founded the Church of the Eagle and the Condor (CEC). Dr. Tafur is also a co-founder of the nonprofit Modern Spirit where he assists in their educational programs and guided retreats exploring the role of sacred ceremony in psychedelic therapy.
Bram Duffee, Ph.D, EMT-P
Chair of Graduate Studies Research – Faculty
Dr. Bram Duffee is a recognized expert in health communication, known for his extensive work on stress communication and the powerful impact of language in critical settings. He is a full-time paramedic from Houston who has two degrees in communication and a doctorate in Human Development. His most recent publication, Hypnotic Communication in Emergency Medical Settings: For Life-Saving and Therapeutic Outcomes, reflects his dedication to improving outcomes in high-stakes situations through innovative communication strategies. He also serves as an Assistant Professor of Communication at Kennesaw State University, where he teaches courses in Research, Health Communication, and Leadership. You can find him as host of the podcast EMS Research with Professor Bram, where he shares research and experience to inspire and inform others.
Dwight Polk, MSW, LCSW-C
Advisory Board – Faculty
As a former paramedic and retired trauma therapist Dwight has a unique understanding of issues surrounding the lives of first responders. As a former faculty member at UMBC University of Maryland, Baltimore County department of Emergency Management and Disaster Health Systems, Senior Lecturer Emeritus he brings the wealth of a lifetime of experience as a therapist, educator, mentor and first responder to our advisory board.
He is trained in Critical Incident Stress Management and is a nationally certified Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) therapist. Dwight is a nationally recognized speaker and has published three textbooks and numerous articles in the field of mental health issues and emergency services.
Tami Kayea, MS, Executive Fire Officer
Advisory Board – Facutly
Tami Kayea has been a firefighter and paramedic l who served with Dallas Fire-Rescue for 27 years. She has risen through the ranks and is currently serving as a fire chief for a department in Dallas County. Kayea holds a master’s degree in management and leadership and is a graduate of the Executive Fire Officer Program through the National Fire Academy.
Ian Mosier, Ph.D
Faculty
Research is key to making informed decisions, and Dr. Mosier is an expert on research and applies his skills to mobile crisis response teams. Measuring public safety outcomes and performance is his passion. His mission at FRBHI is to collect precise, useful, and meaningful research data.
Mark Bouchard
Faculty
Mark is the author of Setting My Sights On Stigma: Thoughts From An Injured Mind. He is currently serving as an active-duty police officer. He has over 15 years of experience in law enforcement, including 10 years of ERT / SWAT work. He holds a master’s degree in leadership, and the focus of his research is on police culture and police officers’ mental health. His passion is to provide educational content for law enforcement that prepares them for the psychological challenges of a career in policing.
Nick Arnett
Faculty
Nick Arnett is the author of Stress into Strength, Resilience and Psychological First Aid and Stress Management and Crisis Response.
He’s a respected instructor and firefighter with over twenty years of experience in crisis response. He supervises medical and rescue resources on a federal Complex Incident Management Team and has extensive experience in both domestic and international emergency crisis response. His work spans fire, rescue, medical services, communications, and public information. Arnett teaches emergency medicine, crisis intervention, resilience, and community emergency preparedness.
Kwame Scruggs, Ph.D
Advisory Board – Faculty
Kwame Scruggs was formally initiated into the Akan System of Life Cycle Development (African-based rites of passage) in 1993. This process led him to change his worldview and introduced him to the works of Carl Jung, Joseph Campbell and the Power of Myth to transform lives. Kwame has over 25 years of experience using mythology to assist in human development. He holds a PhD and MA in Mythological Studies with an emphasis in Depth Psychology from Pacifica Graduate Institute in Santa Barbara, California.
Kwame is the founder and director of Alchemy, Inc., a non-profit located in Akron, Ohio. In 2012, Alchemy was one of 12 programs to receive the National Arts and Humanities Youth Program Award by the President’s Committee on the Arts and the Humanities—the nation’s highest honor for after-school and out-of-school programs. Kwame accepted this award from First Lady, Michelle Obama, at the White House. In 2020, he received another national honor from the Association of Teaching Artists (with Lincoln Center Education) when presented with their Innovation in Teaching Artistry award.
Kwame is also a board member of the Joseph Campbell Foundation and a graduate of the National Guild Community Art Education’s CAELI (Community Arts Education Leadership Institute) Class of 2015.
Kwame spends his time working primarily with youth and adults in Akron and New York City.
Jordan MacWilliams
Jordan MacWilliams is a 17-year police officer with 13 years on Emergency Response Teams (SWAT). He has taken part in more than 1,000 operations as an assaulter, sniper, and team leader, and has been involved in multiple lethal force encounters.
He teaches nationally and internationally on hostage rescue, tactical operations, and sniper deployment. He is an instructor at the National Sniper School, a certified use of force and firearms instructor, and holds additional certifications in less lethal tools and defensive tactics. For the past three years, he has served as a lead for the RCMP ERT National Selection.
Jordan is committed to officer wellness. He works with the Peer Support Unit and the National Reintegration Program, and has appeared on podcasts speaking about overcoming adversity and critical incidents. He has instructed for CATO, NTOA, and several police academies, and serves full time with the RCMP Emergency Response Team.
Sherry McKisson
Sherry McKisson, LCMHC, LCAS, is a Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor, Licensed Clinical Addiction Specialist, and board-certified counselor in private practice in Hendersonville, NC, where she specializes in complex trauma treatment for adults. Other specializations include the treatment of anxiety disorders, relationship issues, and dissociation disorders.
Her background includes nearly 15 years of law enforcement experience; 10 years as a police officer and 5 years as a Telecommunicator/Telecommunications Supervisor.
During her law enforcement career, Sherry worked in patrol and was a Field Training Officer; a Hostage Negotiator; and worked undercover narcotics. Additionally, she was a detective in the Criminal Investigations Division and a member of the Honor Guard.
As a Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor, Sherry trained in EMDR in 2012 and has been an EMDRIA Approved Consultant since 2016. Sherry is an EMDRIA Approved Basic EMDR Trainer and Advanced EMDR Trainer, and she enjoys helping clinicians of all levels develop their practice of EMDR through individual and group consultation.
Roxanne Stern
I found my passion for yoga in 2006 after trying my very first class in a tiny little yoga studio. I can remember the feeling that left me wanting to know more and feel more of what yoga had to offer. I began to get physically stronger, my body as it was aging didn’t seem to feel as sore and then I noticed that I was changing. I felt happier, more content and forgiving of myself and others. My practices flourished and I started practicing many different forms of yoga and reading why yoga was so beneficial to ones well being.
In 2013, I finally decided to take my practice further and get my 200 hours teacher training. Leaving on a journey of self discovery, I found the perfect teachers and ashram to learn what I needed in Chiang Mai, Thailand. My journey to learn and improve and accept my life is ever changing and ever growing. These past few years, I took more training and began exploring yoga for stress, trauma and PTSD. I am now teaching around the globe and sharing my passion at EMS conferences as well as privately. I plan to always continue learning and growing, being a student and a teacher, taking life one step at a time. I am passionate about acceptance, feeling cared for and safe, nurtured and most of all welcomed into this wonderful life. Namaste, Roxanne
Marion Appiah Stevenson, M.Ed., LPC-S
Marion Appiah Stevenson is a dedicated Licensed Professional Counselor-Supervisor. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Liberal Arts with concentrations in Psychology and Art from Central Christian College (2010) and a Master’s degree in Counseling from the University of North Texas at Dallas (2014). Her professional experience includes working with adolescents, families, groups, couples, and individuals, specializing in cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), depression, anxiety, behavioral issues, parenting, relationship dynamics, and trauma.
Marion is also passionate about being a force multiplier by supporting organizations through training to help promote mental health and transform workplace culture. She has dedicated the past 9 years to serving two major first responder agencies in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, demonstrating her commitment to supporting first responders and their families.
Daniel Sundahl, RPC-C. ACP
Faculty
Artist, Counselling Therapist, Paramedic/Firefighter (ret.), Keynote Speaker & Mental Health Advocate
Casey Ellsworth LAP/C
Faculty
