I was widowed at the age of 30, after which I returned to graduate school where I completed a doctorate and dissertation on adjustment to bereavement. I have taught educators and counselors at the university level for 14 years, including classes in death education, emotional mental health, stress management, and comprehensive school emergency management. I co-authored a textbook on Death and Dying for the university level as well as all the resources included in my program materials. My 17-year-old son died from injuries received in a car accident in 1987. Both my parents and a younger brother are deceased. Besides my own personal losses which served as a motivator for this purposeful work, I have worked with schools after hurricanes in Honduras, and after Hurricanes Katrina and Rita; after tornadoes where students were killed; after several school shootings where students and staff were killed and numerous student or staff suicidal deaths; after 9/11; and after bus accidents where students were killed and injured… over the past 32 years in 42 states.
The RENEW: Center for Personal Recovery, Inc. was established in 1990. In addition to training in Comprehensive Crisis Management, Grief and Trauma Recovery, I assisted 65 school districts in writing, training, and/or evaluating School Readiness and Emergency Management Grants so my background includes working with police, fire, EMS, Homeland Security, Mental and Public Health professionals. Letters of recommendation are available on this website dating back all my years of service. My work remains current, proactive, comprehensive, and is based on best practices. In addition, your school or district will receive reproducible resources that allow you to provide a comprehensive approach to providing district-wide and all-staff building level training on Crisis Response (grief and trauma recovery) for the 6-8 years necessary to support students developmentally, and meaningful grief and trauma support services through your counselors, social workers, psychologists, or teachers.
