The Staff - Faithful Response

If you or someone you know would
benefit from the services offered by
Faithful Response, please feel free
to confidentially contact us at:
Faithful Response
1294 Bellmore Avenue
North Bellmore, New York 11710
Phone: 516-679-0080
Fax: 516-409-5184
Email: faithfulresponse@ldrny.org
www.LDRNY.org
This Program is supported by a
September 11 recovery grant from the
American Red Cross Liberty
Disaster Relief Fund.
LDRNY
Lutheran Disaster Response
of New York
Lutheran Disaster Response of New York is
a joint ministry of the Atlantic District of the
Lutheran Church, Missouri Synod, and the
Metropolitan New York Synod of the Evangelical
Lutheran Church in America to assist those
affected by 9/11. It continues to respond to
human need caused by any disaster.
Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Rockville
Centre is a ministry of the Catholic Church
that strives to meet the basic needs of the
poor, isolated, vulnerable and disadvantaged
on Long Island.
The Staff
Michael J. Arcari
Program Director
Michael Arcari is a former lieutenant and
commanding officer of the New York
City Police Department’s Early Intervention Unit, where he introduced Clinical
Incident Stress Management and created
its Critical Incident Response Team. With more than
14 years of experience in trauma services, he also has a
wide background in disaster response services, including
Coordinator of Disaster Response and Administrator
of Catholic Charities USA World Trade Center Disaster
Relief Fund. He has also worked with Project Liberty and
Project Home Ground, and served as Catholic Charities
of the Diocese of Rockville Centre’s liaison for disaster
response to the federal, state and local governments.
The Rev. Thomas Taylor
Assistant Director
Pr. Taylor has been pastor of Grace
Lutheran Church, North Bellmore since
1992. He is Deputy Coordinator for
Long Island for Lutheran Disaster
Response of New York and heads the
Spiritual Care Group of the Voluntary Organizations
Active in Disaster. He volunteered as a Red Cross
chaplain at the Temporary Morgue at Ground Zero and
as a chaplain at St. Paul’s Chapel Respite Care Center.
A 1981 graduate of The Lutheran Theological Seminary
at Philadelphia, Pr. Taylor has had a rich ministry with
the fire department, which includes being a chaplain and
Deputy Chief for the North Bellmore Fire Department,
and a coordinator and team leader for the Nassau
County Fire Commission Critical Incident Stress Management Team, where he helps firefighters and EMTs deal
with the effects of trauma. Taylor is author of “After 9/11:
A Chaplain’s Journey with EMDR” recently published in
Trauma Response Journal of the American Academy of
Experts in Traumatic Stress. He is a Diplomat and Board
Certified Expert in Traumatic Stress and Board Certified
in Emergency Crisis Response also by the Academy. He
is a candidate in the Master of Social Work program at
Yeshiva University, Wurzweiler School of Social Work.
David Grand, Ph.D.
Clinical Director
Dr. Grand, an internationally known
expert in the practice of EMDR, is the
author or Emotional Healing at Warp
Speed: The Power of EMDR. He maintains a private practice in Manhattan and
Long Island, and has appeared on CNN, NBC Nightly
News, Nightline and the Discovery Channel, and has been
featured in The New York Times, The Washington Post,
USA Today, Newsday and Golf Digest. He is an EMDR
Institute facilitator and the creator of BioLateral Sound
Healing Products. He is an EMDRIA-Approved Consultant and presenter at EMDR International Conferences
and the EMDR Europe Conference. He has participated
in a medical research team studying the effects of EMDR
on brain functioning. Since 9/11, he has worked with
dozens of first-responders most affected by trauma.
Joann Heaney-Hunter, Ph.D.
Outreach Coordinator
Dr. Heaney-Hunter holds a Master of
Science in Mental Health Counseling
from Long Island University and a Ph.D
in theology from Fordham University.
She is an Associate Professor of Theology and Director of Core Curriculum at St. John’s
University in New York. She specializes in the theology
of Christian marriage and family life and has served as an
advisor to national and local bishops’ committees. She
currently serves as an advocate for the Tribunal of the
Roman Catholic Diocese of Rockville Centre and a
member of the Diocesan Clergy Sex Abuse Review
Board for the Roman Catholic Diocese of Brooklyn,
N.Y. She has published books and articles, and lectured
widely on marriage, family and faith.
Dr. John J. Scibilia Jr.
Executive Director of Lutheran
Disaster Response of New York
A partnership of
Lutheran Disaster Response of New York and
Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Rockville Centre
providing compassionate care to those most
affected by 9/11 and related events.
1294 Bellmore Avenue
North Bellmore, New York 11710
Phone: 516-679-0080
Fax: 516-409-5184
Email: faithfulresponse@ldrny.org
Compassionate care
to those affected by 9/11
The events of 9/11 have affected us all in
different ways. Faithful Response keeps
with the Christian traditions of reaching
out in the community to those in need,
just as Jesus would. In many cases, faithbased programs are the only services still
responding to 9/11.
Free mental health counseling services
Faithful Response provides free, compassionate mental health care and counseling
to Long Island residents still struggling with
the effects of 9/11 and related events,
including the war on terror in Afghanistan
and Iraq. A collaboration of Lutheran
Disaster Response of New York and
Catholic Charities of the Diocese of
Rockville Centre, Faithful Response is
an innovative, faith-based mental health
program designed to assist Long Island
residents who continue to struggle with
mental health, emotional or family issues
related to 9/11. This program provides
free, confidential counseling and support.
Since 9/11, Lutheran Disaster Response
New York and Catholic Charities have
helped thousands of people, connecting
them with specialized counseling services.
This program is for you if you still
experience these stress symptoms.
They may signal a condition called
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder.
Cognitive/Emotional Signs
Agitation
Anxiety
Confusion
Denial
Exaggerated startle responses
Fear
Fear of reoccurrence
Flash backs
Guilt
Hyper-vigilance
Intense anger
Irritability
Insomnia
Intrusive images
Nightmares
Panic
Poor problem-solving
Suspicions
Uncertainty
Behavioral Signs
Antisocial acts
Avoidance
Change in social behavior
Change in speech activity patterns
Erratic movements
Hyper-alertness to environment
Inability to rest
Increased consumption of alcohol
Loss or increase in appetite
Substance abuse
Withdrawal
Physical Signs
Body pain
Chills
Dizziness
Fatigue
Twitches
Weakness
Breathing Impairment
Spiritual Signs
Anger at God
Feeling distant from God
Withdrawal from church
Uncharacteristic church/synagogue
involvement
Sudden turn toward God
Familiar faith practices seem empty
(prayers,scriptures, hymns)
Rituals seem empty
(worship, communion)
Belief that God is powerless
Loss of meaning and purpose
Sense of isolation (from God,
congregation/parish members)
Questioning of one’s basic beliefs
Anger at clergy
Believing God is not in control
Believing God doesn’t care
Belief that we have failed God
These reactions are a normal response to
an abnormal situation and may persist for
months or years. If these reactions persist
for an extended period of time, you may
experience Post Traumatic Stress Disorder
(PTSD). PTSD is treatable. If you find yourself in this situation, you do not have to
accept living with this condition. Faithful
Response can help.
The Counselors
The clinicians working with
Faithful Response are state-licensed
mental health professionals with
successful track records in treating
and supporting trauma victims. They
are compassionate, highly trained and
skilled in working with 9/11 issues.
Services Provided
• Individual, group and family counseling
• Child and adolescent counseling
• Support groups
Success through varied types of therapy
The key component of Faithful Response
is an integration of state-of-the-art trauma
treatments, including cognitive behavioral,
hypnosis, somatic experience therapies
and Eye-Movement Desensitization
Reprocessing (EMDR). All these
approaches have been researched
and recognized in their capacity to heal
trauma quickly and comprehensively.