Staff TRP Home Collaborating Agencies Staff Scheduled Workshops Related Links Paula A. Madrid, Psy.D., Director, The Resiliency Program Stephanie Schacher, Psy.D., Clinician Marcela Hoffer-Adou, LMSW, Social Worker Laura Dalla Betta, Outreach Worker Brandi Johnson Paula A. Madrid, Psy.D. Paula A. Madrid, Psy.D. is a New York State Licensed Clinical Psychologist and Associate Research Scientist at the Mailman School of Public Health. Dr. Madrid has served as the Director, Psychosocial Preparedness division of the National Center for Disaster Preparedness since 2004. As part of her work, Dr. Madrid directed the Resiliency Program (TRP). The Resiliency Program was founded at the Children's Health Fund in November 2001 and became a National Center program in 2003 with the mission of providing services to underserved populations impacted by the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. The Resiliency Program was funded through an American Red Cross Recovery Grant, the Children’s health fund, and the National Philanthropic Trust. TRP served over eleven thousand people in its six years of existence through direct services and training of professionals dedicated to serving their medical and mental health needs. Dr. Madrid was appointed as director of Operation Assist Mental Health services in 2005. Operation assist is a joint effort of the National Center for Disaster Preparedness and the Children’s Health Fund to provide medical, mental health services to children and families impacted by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. As part of this work, Dr. Madrid conceptualized the “Community Support and Resiliency,” programs which have become permanent mental health and psychosocial support programs in New Orleans, Baton Rouge, Louisiana and Gulfport/Biloxi, Mississippi. She also developed a training series going on its third year of existence in the most affected regions of Louisiana and Mississippi. In her role as director of psychosocial preparedness, Dr. Madrid has taken on an additional responsibility as Senior Director of Mental Heath for the Children’s Health Fund. Madrid’s mission is to ensure that all of the children’s health fund’s 22 projects throughout the nation have a strong mental health component by the year 2010. Madrid has published papers and presents nationally and internationally on the impact of underserved populations in disasters, resilience as an essential aspect of disaster preparedness, community preparedness and culturally appropriate psychosocial programs post-disaster. Stephanie Schacher, Psy.D. Dr. Schacher is a New York State Licensed Clinical Psychologist and Instructor of Clinical Psychology in the Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons Department of Psychiatry. As a Clinician in The Resiliency Program at Columbia University's National Center for Disaster Preparedness, Dr. Schacher is responsible for treatment, evaluation, outreach, and training for children and families affected by 9/11. Dr. Schacher has written and presented on the impact of trauma on communities and mental health professionals. She has a specific interest in how clinicians, after a large-scale trauma, can maintain their capacities to serve a designated community and manage their own self-care when the clinicians themselves are part of the affected community. Further areas of interest deal with the understanding and treatment of individuals with a prior trauma history who have also experienced community or national disaster. Dr. Schacher also holds a New York Presbyterian Hospital appointment, and provides clinical services to Hospital and University employees through Occupational Psychiatry, part of Occupational Health Services at New York Presbyterian Hospital/Columbia University Medical Center. Marcela Hoffer-Adou, LMSW Marcela Hoffer-Adou, LMSW, is the Mental Health Coordinator of the Early Head Start Program of Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health. Marcela has extensive experience providing clinical services to the Latino community in a wide variety of settings. She organized the Outreach and Clinical Assistance Program for Latinos affected by the events of 9/11. As a social worker for the Resiliency Program at the National Center for Disaster Preparedness of Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health, Marcela used her expertise in the design, development and application of training workshops, which became part of the Train the Trainers Program. Her most recent accomplishment was designing and developing the Diversity and Power Differentials Workshop, which she teaches to help raise consciousness among social workers working with clients of different socio-economic or racial backgrounds. Marcela also holds a Masters of Science in Dance-Movement Therapy from the City University of New York at Hunter College and specializes in utilizing a creative therapy approach when working with homeless women and their infants in different shelters in New York state. Laura M. Dalla Betta Laura M. Dalla Betta is a graduate student in the Department of Epidemiology at Columbia’s Mailman School of Public Health and holds a Bachelor’s degree in Public Health from the University of California at Berkeley. Ms. Dalla Betta works as an Outreach Worker for the Resiliency Program. Brandi Johnson Brandi Johnson is an undergraduate student in the Department of Psychology at The College of New Rochelle. Ms. Johnson works as an Administrative Assistant for the Resiliency Program and is the point of contact for inquiries about the program.