Crisis Stabilization and Safety - SE-Informed Peer Support and Crisis Intervention

Courtney Van Marter has over 17 years of experience in the fire service and currently holds the rank of Lieutenant with the Westminster (CO) Fire Department. With her passion for providing behavioral health resources to first responders, her focus is on creating Mental Health awareness and acceptance. In 2015 Courtney began assisting with the development of Peer Support Teams and Wellness programs for over 20 Colorado fire departments and EMS organizations. Additionally, she has recently engaged in the growth of Resiliency programs to complement these programs. Her effort further examines mental/physical issues by providing methodical holistic and resiliency therapies to individuals within the emergency service community by supporting physical, spiritual, emotional, environmental, occupational, intellectual, and social influences through health coaching. Her goal is to empower her colleagues to resolve complex and underlying health issues by promoting optimal wellness through behavioral, diet, and lifestyle changes to improve health and well-being while focusing on nervous system regulation. Courtney is adept at utilizing lifestyle management tools to substantially reduce stress and motivate individuals to integrate sustainable changes for improved health. Her certifications include Paramedic, Functional Medicine Health Coach, National Board of Health and Wellness Coach, Yoga Instructor, and working towards completion as an Somatic Experiencing Practitioner, which all complement her ability to apply multiple modalities to enhance self-care.
Colette Rausch has spent over 20 years working in war-affected countries around the globe to support justice and peace and witnessed firsthand the role of chronic stress and trauma in violent conflict and its effect on people and communities. These experiences inspired her to work at the intersection of trauma and peacebuilding. Colette’s work includes supporting individuals, organizations and communities on trauma awareness and resolution. She holds the position of Research Professor with the Mary Hoch Center for Reconciliation at George Mason University’s Carter Center for Peace and Conflict Resolution, and is the Director of Neuroscience, Trauma and Peacebuilding at the Think Peace Learning and Support Hub.
Amie’s work deals with public health and advocacy with a strong emphasis on delivering resources for dealing with community wide crisis such as disaster and social unrest. She works regularly with responder communities, including law enforcement, Fire/EMS, Emergency Management, and Medical, with a passion and dedication to wellness and optimizing performance (neurobiologically) for these critically challenging and essential professions.
Carol Hodson has dedicated her life to promoting and facilitating the Healing Power of the Arts. Carol is professional artist www.carolhodsonart.com , a regarded professor of art and Director of the Expressive Arts Therapy Certificate at Webster University EXA Certificate at Webster.edu, and an Expressive Arts Therapist /Somatic Experiencing Practitioner with a growing private practice [e-mail].
Beth Cole served in leadership positions in and out of government working on conflict and disaster prevention and response for many decades. She is currently a trauma specialist and organizational consultant specializing in the effects of stress and trauma on the civilian (governmental and non-governmental) and military workforce responding to complex emergencies. After leaving government, Beth became a Somatic Experiencing Practitioner and Somatic Coach, joined the SETI Public Health Working Group originally working on Covid response now producing the CSS curriculum), assisted in trauma response efforts for disaster and conflict affected responders (e.g. Ukraine), and has advised and trained U.S. non-governmental and governmental institutions around trauma informed mental health care for their personnel and beneficiaries. Beth has also helped to spotlight the lack of mental health care for personnel working in or on high threat environments, contributing to legislative language requiring the U.S. State Department and the U.S. Agency for International Development to develop plans to care for their personnel.
She was appointed by President Obama as a senior official at the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and served on the Ebola, Syria, and Sahel Task Forces. She has also led non-governmental organizations and worked in the U.S. Congress, U.S. State Department and the U.S. Institute of Peace, where she focused exclusively on complex emergencies. For many years, Ms. Cole was an adjunct professor at George Washington University, authored numerous books, articles and reports, and spoke widely.