Dr. Kathleen Regan Figley (Download Resume .PDF)

Dr. Kathleen (Kathy) Regan Figley has been active in the disaster services profession since 1991, specializing in human services programs and disaster trauma/stress management.  Ms. Figley specializes in disaster trauma affecting the general public and first responders; compassion stress management; and crisis intervention services at the local level through EAP providers.

Dr. Figley is the President and Founder of Figley Institute, which offers traumatologist certification courses and workshops/presentations.  Since the early 90's served for extended periods with the State of Florida Emergency Management (1991-1995; 1999-2001), FEMA (1995-1998) and CEO of Green Cross Academy of Traumatology (2001-2007), a non-profit corporation specializing in trauma-related  humanitarian efforts.  She serves as Adjunct Faculty at St Petersburg College's National Terrorism Preparedness Institute and Florida Regional Community Policing Institute; and Duquesne University School of Leadership and Professional Advancement.  Dr. Figley has served as a volunteer member of the Florida Crisis Consortium since 2006.  She is certified as a Field Traumatologist, Compassion Fatigue Educator, Certified Traumatologist and Compassion Fatigue Therapist.  In 1998 Dr. Figley was recognized as Green Cross Projects’ Traumatologist of the Year. 

Dr. Figley’s catastrophic disaster deployments number more than 30, the first of which was Hurricane Andrew.  Other major disasters include the Hurricane Katrina (Louisiana -2006), December 2004 Asian Tsunami (Sri Lanka), the September 11 World Trade Center attack (2001), Northridge Earthquake (1994), and the Mid-West Floods (Iowa - 1993). For her work she received recognition from the SEIU Local 32BJ President, Governor Bush, and awards from the National Council on Family Relations “Distinguished Services to Families Award” (2001), the American Society for Public Administration North Florida Chapter “Exemplary Service Award” (2002), Spirit of Women “Small Business Winner” (2003), and the Tallahassee Association of Marriage and Family Therapy “Heart for Family” Award (2005). In 2006, Dr. Figley was regognized an an honored member of Cambridge Who's Who.

In 1981 Dr. Figley received her B.S. in Psychology with a minor is Business from the University of Alabama in Birmingham and she received her M.S. in Counseling and Human Services in 1983 at Florida State University. She received her Doctor of Ministry in Pastoral Counseling from Graduate Theological Foundation, South Bend, Indiana in 2008.

Dr. Figley is a member of Florida Emergency Preparedness Association, American Society for Training and Development, Tallahassee Chapter of American Society for Training and Development (Vice President of Finance 2007-), American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy, Tallahassee Association for Marriage and Family Therapy (Board Member 2006-Present), International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies, and Association of Thought Field Therapy.

Dr. Charles R. Figley (download Credentials)

Dr. Charles Figley is a psychologist, family therapist, and Professor in the College of Social Work at the Florida State University since June 1989. He is founder and director of the FSU Traumatology Institute (formerly the Psychosocial Stress Research and Development Program). Among other achievements, the Institute initiated the Green Cross Projects , following the Oklahoma City bombing in 1995 and played an important role in humanitarian efforts in New York City immediately following the 9/11/01 terrorist attacks. He established in Green Cross Foundation and the Academy of Traumatology to support the emerging field of traumatology.

He is formerly Professor of Family Therapy and Psychology at Purdue University (1974-1989). Professor Figley received both graduate degrees from the Pennsylvania State University and his undergraduate degree from the University of Hawaii , all in the area of human development.

Scholarly Activities

Professor Figley has written more than 186 scholarly works including 20 books. Most of his work has focused on stress. His work in the area of family stress includes his books. They are Stress and the Family, Volume I: Coping with Normative Transitions (1983, Brunner/Mazel), Stress and the Family, Volume II: Coping with Catastrophe (Brunner/Mazel, 1983), Helping Traumatized Families (1989, Jossey-Bass), Treating Stress in Families (Brunner/Mazel, 1989), and Burnout in Families (Boca Raton: St. Lucie Press, 1997). His many studies focus on political and other types of celebrity family stress and how families cope with the invasion of privacy and other sources of stress. Among other things, he organized a task force to help the US State Department and the families of those held hostage.

Also, he has focused on individual stress reactions, especially traumatic stress, starting with his research on Vietnam combat veterans and their families and has helped established the field of Traumatology, the study and treatment of human reactions to highly stressful situations. His books have included the following in the area of traumatology: Stress Disorders Among Vietnam Veterans (Brunner/Mazel, 1978), Strangers at Home: Vietnam Veterans Since the War (NY: Praeger, 1980 ; Brunner/Mazel 1990 ); Trauma and Its Wake: The Study and Treatment of Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (Brunner/Mazel, 1985), Trauma and Its Wake, Volume II: Theory, Research, and Intervention (Brunner/Mazel, 1986), Beyond Trauma: Cultural and Societal Dynamics (Plenum , 1995, co-edited with Rolf Kleber and Berthold Gersons), and Brief Treatments for the Traumatized (Greenwood Press, 2002). Two books focusing on the interface between death/loss and trauma, Death and Trauma ( Philadelphia : Brunner/Mazel with Brian Bride and Nicholas Mazza, released in 1997, and his Traumatology of Grieving (Brunner/Mazel , 1999). His latest book, Mapping the Wake of Trauma: Autobiographical Essays by the Pioneers of Trauma Research . (Routledge) is scheduled for publication in 2005.

Another area of research is the secondary traumatic stress effects of living with ( Burnout in Families , see above) or working with the traumatized as a professional in terms of compassion fatigue, burnout, and self care. This includes his Compassion Fatigue: Coping with Secondary Traumatic Stress Disorder in Those Who Treat the Traumatized (Brunner/Mazel , 1995) and the more recent Treating Compassion Fatigue (Brunner-Routledge, 2002). He is working on a book focusing on compassion fatigue among animal care workers with the Humane Society.

Awards and Special Achievements

The International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies named him as its final winner of its coveted Pioneer Award that recognizes traumatologists whose life time achievement substantially advanced the field. The American Psychological Association named Professor Figley Family Psychologist of the Year (1997). A year prior, the School of Social Work 's student body named him Professor of the Year (1996). In 2000 Dr. Figley won four significant awards recognizing his achievements: (1) His Florida State University Traumatology Institute was named Outstanding Program Award for 2000 by the University Continuing Education Association at its 85th Annual Conference, April 18, 2000 in San Diego. (2) Florida State University President's 2000 Continuing Education Award was presented in Tallahassee April 10, 2000. (3) Florida Association for Marriage and Family Therapy's 2000 Community Service Award was presented in Miami Beach , at the FAMFT's 25th Annual Conference, May 26, 2000. (4) National Organization for Victim's Assistance (NOVA's) highest honor to a researcher, the Shaffer Research Award , was presented in Miami Beach at the 26th Annual NOVA Convention and Training Conference, August 3, 2000.

He is Founder of the Academy of Traumatology composed of the elected leading scholars in the field around the world. Professor Figley was elected to the highest level, Fellow, in six professional organizations. They include the American Psychological Association, the American Psychological Society, the American Association for the Advancement of Psychology, the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy, the American Orthopsychiatric Association, and the Society for the Psychological Study of Social Issues. He has presented keynote addresses nationally and internationally.

Dr. Figley was elected President of the prestigious Groves Conference on Marriage and the Family, and formerly Director of the Interdivisional Ph.D. Program in Marriage and Family is Founding President of the International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies that includes the Journal of Traumatic Stress . In He is also Founder and current Editor of the refereed journal, TRAUMATOLOGY . He is founding editor of both the Journal of Family Psychotherapy and the Journal of Traumatic Stress , and Editor of the Brunner/Mazel Publishing Company's Psychosocial Stress Book Series (1978-2001). In 1995 he was named editor of the St. Lucie Press Book Series, Innovations in Psychology. In 1996 he founded the Trauma & Loss Book Series with Taylor & Francis with Therese Rando as co-editor. In 2001 he was named Editor of the American Psychological Association Books' Series in Stress and Trauma.

He is the recipient of numerous lectureships throughout the world including Northern Ireland , South Africa , England, Australia, Canada, and universities through the US . He was awarded a senior Fulbright Research Fellowship to conduct research in Kuwait in 2004 and follow-up on his work that was started in 1992, shortly after the liberation from and end of the occupation by Iraq . Also in 2004 he was named lifetime Alumni Fellow by the Penn State University, the highest honor to its graduates.

Humanitarian Activities

Beyond his research, publishing and other scholarly activity, Dr. Figley and his clinical research team, have joined in several humanitarian efforts. These include:

(1) Founding of the Consortium on Veteran Studies in 1975 to study and help Vietnam veterans returning from war or recently discharged. This effort led to the development of the diagnosis of Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and a national outreach program for Vietnam veterans within the Veterans Administration.

(2) Under his direction, his Purdue University Family Research Institute established the national Task Force on Families of Catastrophe late in 1979.

(3) In 1988 he helped lead an American humanitarian delegation to the Soviet Union to help them develop health and mental health services for their young men and women returning from the war in Afghanistan.

(4) He returned in January, 1989, at the request of the USSR Ministry of Health, to help organize efforts in response to the Armenian Earthquake.

(5) Professor Figley, in response to the lingering problems faced by Vietnam combat veterans and their families, established the Vietnam Veteran Families Project. The project sought the most effective and efficient ways of helping these families cope and live happier lives.

(6) In response to the growing tensions in the Middle East and the deployment of thousands of troops to that region, he organized an emergency meeting of military mental health professionals shortly after the start of the Middle East crisis in 1990. He organized similar workshops and training conferences in 1991.

(7) Based on the recommendations emerging from these meetings, Dr. Figley organized and chaired a national conference focusing on the same topic on October 4, 1990 Washington, D.C.

(8) Late in 1990, his research program team at the Marriage and Family Therapy Center established the "Gulf Crisis Families Project." The Project provided free counseling and consultation to all families affected by the Middle East crisis, thanks in part to a grant from the Vietnam Veteran's Aid Foundation.

(9) In May 1993, he presented a lecture and series of presentations to policy makers and mental health professionals in Kuwait. This was at the invitation of the government, to help reverse the growing mental health problems associated with the Gulf War.

(10) In April 1994 he chaired a committee formed by the Florida Chapter of the National Association of Social Workers. The Association was awarded a grant to establish a center "to promote understanding about international development required by the victimization and violations of human rights standards and how social workers can learn from these experiences."

(11) In April, 1994 his laboratory established the first international network of traumatologists through Internet to collaborate toward solutions to world problems associated with trauma stress.

(12) In June 1994 he participated in the NATO Advanced Research Workshop, held in southern France , to design more effective methods for responding to regional disasters.

(13) In 1995 his Program established the Green Cross Projects, to provide long-term rehabilitative assistance to communities that experienced an overwhelming traumatic event. The first was the Oklahoma Green Cross Project in response to the Oklahoma City bombing , April 19, 1995.

(14) He helped the Green Cross Projects establish the Bosnia Green Cross Project by the end of 1995 the Program. The purpose was to establish and maintain a web site on the Internet for the friends and family of loved ones in Bosnia , including but not limited to those there on humanitarian missions.

(15) In response to requests from the State of Florida following Hurricane Andrew, Figley helped establish the Florida Green Cross Project in 1996.During the first year the Project sponsored a four-city tour where he and two senior officials in the State educated over 400 professionals about the State of Florida plans for disaster rescue and relief and their special role in their community. The Florida GCP has responded to two major disasters under contracts and its members have responded to at least 25 other disasters.

(16) Following the mass shootings in Dunblane, Scotland and Port Arthur, Tasmania, Australia, Professor Figley responded to humanitarian responses for training and with consultation in 1996.

(17) In response to invitations by South Africa and his many colleagues there, Professor Figley visited and lectured throughout South Africa in September, 1996.

(18) Months later he helped establish the South Africa Green Cross Project to help educate and certified traumatologists. The Project will also assist the Truth and Reconciliation Commission staff and Commissioners in dealing with stress and avoiding compassion fatigue.

(19) In 1997 Professor Figley conducted a lecture tour in Finland in response to concerns about its increasing suicide rate and the need to establish a national training program in traumatology.

(20) In that same year Professor Figley led a team of the Green Cross Project to provide consultation and training in Arkadelphia , Arkansas following a deadly tornado. Similar requests were answered in response to various community disasters since 1997.

(21) In response to the Columbine High School shooting, Professor Figley provide extensive consultation to State of Colorado including a series of articles in helping mental health providers cope.

(22) At the invitation of WAVE of Northern Ireland, a community-based organization serving the victims of "the Troubles," Professor Figley has continued to provide consultation, training, and general assistance in establishing improved policies and procedures to help the nation cope following the Good Friday peace accords. This includes trips in 1999 and 2001 and an international conference he is chairing for 2002.

(23) In response to the 11 September 2001 attack on New York City 's World Trade Center Towers , Professor Figley was part of the advanced party of the Green Cross Projects (GCP) that arrived there 16 September and served as official spokesperson and organizer of the local New York GCP Chapter. The GCP responded to an official invitation from the 32B-J (Local chapter of the Service Employee's International Union) and provided disaster mental health services to its members and employees and consultation to its leaders for a 30-day period (pro bono).

(24) He assisted in the Green Cross response in 2004 to State of Florida 's four hurricanes when his wife, Kathy, served as Incident Commander. He worked on evaluation research, Internet communication, and fund raising.

(25) He assumed these roles as Green Cross responded to a requests from Sri Lanka following the December 26, 2004 tsunami. It was the first international mobilization by the Green Cross and resulted in training 128 Sri Lankan's in basic trauma responding who, in turn, provided services or training to more than 3000 affected by the tsunami.

Dr. Michael G. Rank (download credentials)

Michael G. Rank, Ph.D. is a tenured Associate Professor at the University of South Florida (USF), School of Social Work. He received his doctorate in Social Work Education from the University of South Carolina, his master’s degree in Social Work from Bryn Mawr College, and his BA in Sociology from Bloomsburg University. He is a Vietnam veteran, having served as an infantryman in the U.S. Army between 1969-1970.

He spent ten years as a state parole agent in Pennsylvania; directed Family Advocacy and Children Have a Potential (CHAP) programs for the United States Air Force; was a Team Leader for a Veterans Administration Vet Center program; and was a Director of Employee Assistance Programs for Family Service America. He has designed and implemented domestic violence
programs for perpetrators and victims, and has conducted many critical incident stress debriefings following bank robberies, most notably for Bank of America (formerly Nations Bank) and the United States Postal Service.

His research interests include bioterrorism, compassion fatigue, posttraumatic stress disorder, traumatic stress, academic leadership and reaccreditation, and incarcerated fathers. He has completed an investigation of the experiences of survivors of traumatic stress in three countries: Nicaragua; the Dominican Republic, and selected counties in South Florida which was funded by the Office of Naval Research through the USF Center for Disaster Management and Humanitarian Assistance. He has recently received grants from the Department of the Army to create a bioterrorism training protocol for mental health preparedness; the Scott Charitable Trust to study compassion fatigue in Veterinarians; and the Florida Department of Community Affairs to provide traumatic stress training to mental health professionals.

He has presented numerous workshops, trainings, and seminars about the psychological effects of biological and chemical disasters, critical incident stress debriefing, traumatic stress, posttraumatic stress disorder, compassion fatigue, fatherhood, and academic leadership. His publications include articles about bioterrorism, traumatic stress, critical incident stress
debriefing, academic leadership & accreditation, fatherhood, and resistance to change.