Welcome to the FAERF Institute
We are committed to raising compassion consciousness within business organizations — by emboldening employees when it matters most.
About FAERF
We envision a world where business organizations train their employees to care for survivors (fellow employees, customers, families) impacted by traumatic loss in the workplace in the same way in which they would want their own families supported.
The FAERF Institute’s mission is to raise awareness of business organizations’ need to provide compassionate care and practical support to survivors of traumatic loss. We also help businesses plan, prepare, and train their own employees to deliver as many of these services as their job descriptions will allow when disaster strikes their workplace.
Our Goals
No problem can be solved from the same level of consciousness that created it.
– Albert Einstein
Educate Organizations
To educate and inform organizations on the principles of Humanitarian Assistance Response and appropriate measures for responding to traumatic events in the workplace;
Evidence-based Education
To make scientific, evidence-based education accessible to employees in business organizations;
Learn Humanitarian Assistance
To provide an avenue for next-generation responders to learn and gain valuable experience in humanitarian assistance;
Support Survivors
To support survivors in sharing their lived experiences turning them into valuable lessons for future responses;
Continued Growth
To fund research efforts for the continued growth and support of our vision and mission
Our Philosophy
Our training and philosophy is based on teachings of the late Gerald Caplan, M.D., regarded by many as the father of crisis theory, who taught that the biggest challenge in preventive psychiatry is helping “care taking” people who are on the spot at the moment of crisis “tip the balance over to the side of emotional health.” Employees for a company experiencing a crisis who are trained on how to help survivors, indeed tip the scales toward emotional health.
For the better part of thirty years, I’ve personally witnessed the opportunity for the bonding that occurs between survivors and employees of a company where traumatic loss has occurred. When employees are trained and empowered to do all possible to support victims and families of those hardest hit by a tragedy, the company is perceived as an advocate—but when employees appear defensive and adversarial, the company is seen as a perpetrator of harm.
Courses
Our work at the Institute is guided by survivors of workplace tragedies as well as thought leaders in business and industry who practice the principles of Humanitarian Assistance Response when supporting anyone at work who has been struck by trauma.
Survivor Advisory Board
Marie and Rich Anderson
American Eagle 3379 December 13, 1994
Rich and Marie’s daughter, Lauren survived the crash of American Eagle #3379, Dec. 13, 1994. Five passengers survived, while fifteen others onboard perished. Rich and Marie have worked with the Foundation since its beginning to help bridge the gap between survivors and the company–all are joined in the kinship of sorrow when a crash occurs, yet too often are seen as enemies. Rich and Marie can attest to the healing that occurs when company employees are allowed to meet, assist, and support those left in the wake of the trauma.
Jeff Arnold
American Airlines 1420 June 1, 1999
“I was impressed by the company’s team assigned to me. They saw to my immediate needs and answered my questions. A few weeks after the crash, I asked about settlement options. Their response endeared me to the company’s sincere dedication to their assistance mission: ‘We are here to assist with your needs and not representing the company’s settlement efforts, but here’s the number of someone you can talk to about that.'”
Jeff Arnold, then an (Army National Guard) lieutenant colonel, survived the crash of American Airlines Flight 1420, where 11 died and 134 survived. Jeff saw first-hand the critical role that well-trained company employees can play in assisting survivors and their families. Since that time, Jeff has joined the Family Assistance Foundation’s Care Team and worked alongside company employees and other responders in offering compassionate care to those who may otherwise be left helpless in the aftermath of trauma in the workplace.
Carolyn V. Coarsey, Ph.D.
Delta 191
August 2, 1985
“Over the 30 plus years since I published my doctoral study The Psychological Aftermath of Air Disaster: What can be learned for training?, we have made great progress in connecting employees who work for a company experiencing a disaster and the survivors who are dependent on them for practical support during the acute phase of trauma. It is our intention to partner with academic researchers and other subject matter experts to strengthen our educational and training programs.”
Dr. Carolyn V. Coarsey is the President and Co-Founder of the Foundation. She is the President of Higher Resources, Inc., and serves as Executive Vice President of Corporate Philosophy and Family Assistance Programs for Aviem International, Inc. She has an innovative approach to designing effective family assistance training: she interviews survivors, family members, and responders to discover post-accident practices that are helpful and those that are not. These results form the basis for her curricula and approach to working with individuals and families in crisis.
Carolyn created Higher Resources in 1989 and since that time has produced videos and training programs for organizations that are designed to improve post-disaster response. Her training programs Human Services Response™, which highlight the unique role of employee responders of industrial tragedies, are used by aviation and rail companies, cruise lines, oil and gas and multiple agencies and organizations throughout the world.
She is a family survivor herself of a mass transportation tragedy, having lost her fiancé, on Delta Air Lines Flight 191 in August 1985. She is an airline industry veteran, having worked for Eastern Airlines during three fatal crashes and Braniff International Airlines, where she was Director of Human Resources during the shutdown of the airline in May, 1982.
Glenn and Carole Johnson
Pan Am Flight 103
December 21, 1988
“At an airport when you hear the announcement about ‘not leaving your personal items unattended’ think of us and the families of the Victims of Pan Am Flight 103 (VPAF103). Before 9/11, we were hard at work bringing safety and security of the traveling public to the forefront.”
Carole and Glenn Johnson’s only daughter, 21-year-old Beth Ann died on December 21, 1988, when a terrorist bomb blew the Boeing 747 out of the sky killing all on board and 11 on the ground in the tiny village of Lockerbie, Scotland. Glenn and Carole worked tirelessly on improving safety and security for the traveling public as well as assisting survivors of aviation disasters in their formation of support groups, including families of US Air Flight 427. Their survivor work led to the founding of the National Air Disaster Alliance (NADA) in 1995.
Up until April of 2021, Glenn held a seat on the Board of the VPA103, and among his enormous contributions to safety, Glenn sat on the Board of the FAA Security Advisory Committee (ASAC) from its onset.
Kathy Johnston
Colgan Continental 3407 February 12, 2009
“Losing my husband in the crash was devastating and tragic. In addition to that, my three daughters and I were violated by the court system during my efforts to get a fair settlement. I became involved with the Family Assistance Foundation to help improve how survivors are treated in the aftermath of crashes and other disasters in the workplace”
Cyrano Latiff
Singapore Airlines 006 October 31, 2000
“I am working with the Family Assistance Foundation to give back what was once given – never forgotten the role that others especially his family, his friends and other colleagues/ pilots have played in helping with feelings of self-worth, value, and respect as a human being during the most trying times in the aftermath of the disaster… ‘
Captain Latiff survived the crash of Singapore Airlines Flight 6, October 31, 2000 in Taiwan where 83 died and 96 survived. Held on `house arrest’ for almost 2 years, the flight crew were eventually cleared of deliberate wrong-doing. Their emotional survival was directly dependent on the support they received from their families, other pilots and colleagues who understood their need for understanding and connection during the investigation and aftermath of a crisis. Cyrano champions the Critical Incident Support program for AirAsia and concurrently pushes to evolve the peer support program for all and where the need is – regardless of the origin of the crisis.
Sandra Novak
Delta 191
August 2, 1985
“I received emotional support from my peers. Delta tried to help us, but all of us were over our heads in shock and grief. Delta Flight 191 crashed before there were care teams. Today I am a trauma therapist. There is no greater joy than to be able to help another through their tragic pain. And from a spiritual perspective, there is nothing more humbling.”
Sandra works as a trauma therapist in private practice in Broward County Florida, along with her service to the Foundation. Previously, Sandra worked as a Delta Air Lines Flight Attendant on the flight schedule that included Flight 191. When it crashed on August 2, 1995, she was working the flight sequence on different days of the week. More than suffering from what might have been (her flight on a different day of the week), Sandra mourned the loss of the 8 crew members who died in the crash. The pilots and flight attendants who shared that schedule were her brothers and sisters–they were her family.
Scott and Terry Maurer
Colgan Continental 3407 February 12, 2009
“Scott and Terry Maurer’s daughter, 30-year-old Lorin died in the crash of Colgan/Continental Flight 3407, February 12, 2009, along with 49 others. Determined to make air travel safer for others, Scott and Terry became part of the leadership team for the Families of 3407. This grassroots family group was instrumental in the passage of PL 111-216, The Airline Safety and Federal Aviation Administration Act of 2010–the most comprehensive aviation safety regulations of all time. Scott and Terry’s advice to the hundreds of employee responders they have helped the Foundation is, “Treat families the way you would want your own family treated–the Golden Rule definitely applies here.”
Tina Siniscalco
Colgan Continental 3407 February 12, 2009
“First, I lost my sister in the crash, and after that, my family was torn apart in the legal process that followed.”
Tina’s 40-year-old sister, Mary Abraham, a first sergeant in the Army Reserve, died in the crash of Colganair/Continental Flight 3407, February 12, 2009, along with 49 others. The trauma of losing Mary was intensified as the excruciating lawsuit literally split her family apart. Tina volunteers with the Foundation as a Care Team member and helps educate organizations on how they can improve response to families in the aftermath of tragedies like Colganair 3407.
Read more of Tina’s Story Here
Elizabeth Turner
Attacks on World Trade Center September 11, 2001
“I realized that my journey after 9/11 was to support others in traumatic circumstances. My life’s journey eventually took me to qualify as a psychotherapist, Reiki Master and life coach.”
Elizabeth’s husband Simon died while hosting a conference in the Windows of the World Restaurant during the attack on the World Trade Center. Elizabeth received family assistance (Care) support from the Metropolitan Police Family Liaison Officer (FLO) and the British Red Cross. Elizabeth is a popular speaker for the Foundation throughout UK and Europe on the power that well-trained employees have in helping survivors when trauma occurs in the workplace.
Working together is the answer...
Business and Industry
Advisory Board
Jeff Morgan
President & CEO Aviem International
“A professor I once knew said that “We have to go from knowing what to do to doing what we know”. For me, this translates into learning HOW to do something after learning WHAT to do. We find all too often that an organization has the best of intentions and they may have good soft skills training but they lack the knowledge of how to build or execute a plan. It’s our goal to provide the necessary education on what a good plan consists of and a thorough understanding of what is needed to carry out that plan.”
Jeff Morgan is President & CEO of Aviem International, Inc., and Chairman and Co-Founder of the Family Assistance Education & Research Foundation. Aviem International is dedicated solely to the task of helping mass transportation companies, corporations and other organizations prepare for disaster with planning, consulting, training, exercises, along with disaster management services.
Jeff Morgan created Aviem International, Inc. after a 20-year career with Delta Air Lines, Inc. During his last six years at Delta he was instrumental in creating Delta’s first dedicated emergency management department, responsible not only for aircraft emergency response procedures, but general emergency preparedness, disaster recovery and business continuity planning.
Carolyn V. Coarsey, Ph.D.
President
Higher Resources, Inc.
“Over the 30 plus years since I published my doctoral study The Psychological Aftermath of Air Disaster: What can be learned for training?, we have made great progress in connecting employees who work for a company experiencing a disaster and the survivors who are dependent on them for practical support during the acute phase of trauma. It is our intention to partner with academic researchers and other subject matter experts to strengthen our educational and training programs.”
Dr. Carolyn V. Coarsey is the President and Co-Founder of the Foundation. She is the President of Higher Resources, Inc., and serves as Executive Vice President of Corporate Philosophy and Family Assistance Programs for Aviem International, Inc. She has an innovative approach to designing effective family assistance training: she interviews survivors, family members, and responders to discover post-accident practices that are helpful and those that are not. These results form the basis for her curricula and approach to working with individuals and families in crisis.
Carolyn created Higher Resources in 1989 and since that time has produced videos and training programs for organizations that are designed to improve post-disaster response. Her training programs Human Services Response™, which highlight the unique role of employee responders of industrial tragedies, are used by aviation and rail companies, cruise lines, oil and gas and multiple agencies and organizations throughout the world.
She is a family survivor herself of a mass transportation tragedy, having lost her fiancé, on Delta Air Lines Flight 191 in August 1985. She is an airline industry veteran, having worked for Eastern Airlines during three fatal crashes and Braniff International Airlines, where she was Director of Human Resources during the shutdown of the airline in May, 1982.
Susan Ryan Bisig
UPS A300
Captain, Retired
“When we lost our first two crew members to an accident, I felt drawn to be part of a team that would be there for the family in the event this ever happened again. Between my company training and the training I received from The Family Assistance Foundation, I felt ready and prayed it would never happen again. Unfortunately, it did and I was part of the Care team for the First Officer’s family. I was impressed with both the company and the union’s compassion and I saw firsthand how important it was that their response was from the heart and not from the head. I am thrilled to be part of the Foundation’s team as we embark on this new adventure together.”
Susan joined the United States Air Force in 1982 as a Medical Service Corps Officer after graduating from Ithaca College with a B.S. in Administration of Health Services. She was stationed at Edwards Air Force Base in California and while serving there, began taking flying lessons. Her immediate love of flying resulted in a complete career path change, when she went from Air Force Hospital Administrator to Air Force Pilot. Susan left the Air Force in 1991, but not before serving as an Aircraft Commander in theater supporting Operation Desert Shield. She was hired by UPS Airlines in 1992 where she spent the next 27 years flying the line and instructing on the B727 and A300. It was after the crash of UPS Flight 6 in 2010, that she became involved in Family Assistance and the CARE team at UPS Airlines, attending a variety of training exercises and seminars to include the NTSB Family Assistance training. In 2013, UPS suffered another fatal crash and Susan was selected to be on the CARE Team to support the family of the First Officer. Susan was also part of the Independent Pilots Association’s Critical Incident Response Program which assisted crew members who were involved in incidents in the air or on the ground. In 2015, Susan was a guest speaker at the Family Assistance Education and Research Foundation and Aviem International’s Member/Partner meeting in Santa Fe where she spoke in length about her experience as a CARE team member. Susan retired from UPS in 2018 and lives in her “croak” house on Crystal Lake in La Grange, KY where she enjoys fishing and kayaking. She also volunteers at a Pregnancy Resource Center as a client advocate. Susan has two sons, Michael, a second-year law student and Luke, a United States Marine.
Sharyn Cannon
Chief Culture Officer, Tauck, Retired
“For many years, I have personally seen the benefit of working in a company that understands the importance of leading with compassion and empathy in the workplace day to day and especially through moments of crisis and loss. Raising that awareness did not come over night and it is an evolution in thinking for many companies and leaders. Partnering and learning with organizations such as Aviem and the Family Assistance Foundation is a tremendous way to learn, share, and implement best practices. It has allowed us to reinforce how critical it is to understand perspective, demonstrate care and implement meaningful and impactful strategies for the benefit of all. The partnership with academic institutions and other subject matter experts through the new FAERF Institute is a perfect way to raise an organization’s consciousness to ‘do the right thing’ and make us all better leaders and human beings.”
Sharyn Cannon serves as Tauck’s Chief Culture Officer and and she is a member of the company’s Executive Team.
Sharyn joined Tauck in 1999 as the Director of the company’s Reservations Sales Center. She has since assumed various responsibilities across the Tauck organization, including the current overall strategic leadership of the following key departments: Human Resources, Tauck Director Management, IMPACT (philanthropic efforts) and she co leads Tauck’s Global Response Team (crisis management). Perhaps most importantly, Sharyn’s key areas of focus is ensuring the high engagement of Tauck’s employees, and that the company’s culture remains strong and reflective of the mission, values and desired behaviors of Tauck and that of the Tauck family.
Sharyn is a graduate of Fairfield University. Prior to joining Tauck she worked in the telecommunications, education, and organizational development fields.
Morgan Delashmutt
Quality Flight Services Director, Jet Aviation Business Jets (Hong Kong) Ltd.
“The skills developed through the HSR™ approach as practiced by the Family Assistance Foundation can provide organizations with benefits that extend well beyond the traditional disaster family assistance model. These models are universal, regardless of the culture, ethnicity, or geographical location of a traumatic loss that occurs in the workplace.”
Morgan is the Director of Safety for Jet Aviation Business Jets’ Hong Kong office. He has a graduate degree in aviation safety management from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. He has extensive experience in the development and implementation of Safety Management Systems (SMS) in commercial flight operations, air ambulance, corporate aviation, law enforcement, and aircraft management. Based on the various organizations and environments in which he has worked, Morgan recognizes a universal need for increased professional development in the areas of family assistance and human services response (HSR). He has attended NTSB disaster family assistance training at the NTSB and has come to believe that the skills developed through the HSR approach can provide organizations with benefits that extend well beyond the traditional disaster family assistance model.
Lisa G. Swartzwelder
Director, Shuttle Operations and Flight Administration, L Brands, Inc.
“I value the families, the survivors who have courageously given back by sharing their experiences, so organizations know what do do and what not to do. I am excited about being a part of changing traditional ways of thinking and bias with “proving” that it is good to be good.”
Lisa earned an Aviation Human Factors undergraduate degree and Private Pilot Certificate from The Ohio State University. Immediately after her undergraduate program, she worked for Executive Jet Aviation, before spending over 25 years supporting L Brands, Inc. Flight Operations as Scheduler, Manager and Director of Shuttle Operations. During these years Lisa earned an MBA from Franklin University. In 2006, she completed her initial Care Team training with WestJet Airlines while partnering with Higher Resources/Aviem/FAF to fortify consciousness, planning and exercises with Human Service Response™, (the evolution of Care Teams at L Brands). Lisa co-leads the L Brands’ Aviation Crisis team and is a member of the global enterprise crisis team. She’s also trained in FAC operations by Fireside Partners and Transportation Disaster Assistance by the NTSB. Lisa carries the torch for the standardization of HSR and QPR into Business Aviation crisis planning and training.
Lisa lives in Columbus, OH with her wife Jaime and daughters, Adelaide and Francesca.
Bruce LaLonde
Facilities Director
Visit Anchorage
“We are fortunate today that more businesses are realizing the need for a humanitarian response to a crisis in the workplace. The Family Assistance Foundation has helped business leaders and employee responders understand the value of compassion toward the public during critical times in their workplace.”
In 1979, Bruce began his career with Alaska Airlines as a Customer Service Agent in Sitka, Alaska. He later spent nine years with Alaska Airlines in the remote Alaskan communities of Nome and Kotzebue. After moving to Anchorage in 1989, he worked a variety of management positions, from managing the Anchorage and Juneau reservations offices to the Director, Station Operations responsible for the fourteen Alaska Airlines stations in the state of Alaska. In the capacity as director, he traveled extensively throughout the state of Alaska.
In 2006, Bruce was offered a position with Alaska Railroad. During his ten years with the railroad, he managed the passenger reservations office, directed the passenger operation and then served as the Director for the Passenger Marketing department.
Bruce holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology from Seattle Pacific University. He has served on numerous professional and community boards and committees in the state of Alaska including more than ten years of service on the Board of Directors of the Medallion Foundation, an aviation safety organization.
Bruce led the development and implementation of Alaska Railroad’s first ever family assistance program. He has responded to provide support in two tragic aviation incidents in Alaska and also provided support to his local employees after a major aviation incident outside the state, one of these employees lost a family member in the incident.
Patrick Collera-Ricca (Laverty)
Sr. Manager, Employee Care & Support | Employee Resilience, Employee Relations, The Walt Disney Company
“For the past decade, I have worked to build an enterprise-wide Family Assistance program for our employees and guests around the globe. The culture of compassion we have created is aimed at providing the best possible environment for survivors to begin their healing process. I look forward to continuing this partnership with the Family Assistance Foundation and teaming up with other like-minded Care Team leaders to help develop the new trauma Institute, so the survivor-driven research can continue to positively impact how care and support are provided following traumatic events.”
Patrick Collera-Ricca is the Senior Manager, Employee Care & Support for The Walt Disney Company. Patrick has been with The Walt Disney Company for 18 years and has previously held the role of Medical Operations Manager for Disney Cruise Line and Senior Manager of Family Assistance & Crisis Training. Combining his background in guest service and emergency response, Patrick became a founding member of Disney’s Family Assistance program and helped pilot Disney Cruise Line’s Care Team and The Walt Disney Company’s enterprise-wide Care Team program which has led to nearly 2,000 Employees across the globe becoming trained in Human Services Response (HSR) ™.
In his current role leading Disney’s Employee Care & Support function, Patrick’s team is responsible for ensuring Employees, Cast Members, and their loved ones receive the necessary compassionate care, logistical support, and individualized resource navigation following crisis events and distressing life moments.
Patrick has a Bachelor of Science in Hospitality Management from the University of Central Florida and a Master of Science in Management, Strategy, & Leadership from Michigan State University. Patrick is a certified HSR ™ master trainer, suicide prevention trainer, and is a certified Associate Emergency Manager (AEM).
Patrick also proudly serves as a founding Business and Industry Advisory Board Member to the Family Assistance Education & Research Foundation (FAERF).
Christopher Rausch
Airport Duty Manager/Emergency Preparedness Liaison, Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport
“It was soon obvious that when we took the time needed to care for our employees, and customers following a traumatic event and practiced the principles of Human Services Response™ our organization would benefit as well.”
Chris has been with the City of Phoenix Aviation Department since 2007 where he’s currently an Airport Duty Manager at PHX Sky Harbor International Airport. In this capacity, he’s responsible for providing advanced planning and leadership to maximize safety, security, and efficient operation of the entire Sky Harbor Airport complex. Prior to his current position, he was the Emergency Preparedness Manager, and the Sky Harbor Command Center Coordinator.
Before his City of Phoenix career, he was with America West Airlines / US Airways /American Airlines where he held various positions including Emergency Planning and Response Manager. In 2006, he was the recipient of a US Airways Chairman’s Award for the successful merger of America West Airlines and US Airways Emergency Planning and Response programs.
Chris has a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Broadcast Communications with a Minor in Journalism from the University of Northern Iowa. He has also earned an Aviation Program Management certificate in Airport Business Operations from Embry Riddle Aeronautical University.
Chris is a member of various professional organizations, including the American Association of Airport Executives (AAAE), Arizona Emergency Services Association, the Arizona Airports Association, State of Arizona Citizens Corp., Airports Council International North America. He is also an aviation specific trainer with the American Red Cross.
Chris is married, has two sons, and enjoys traveling, health and fitness.
Michelle Bauman
Chief Human Resources Officer, Vista America
Michelle Bauman currently serves as Chief Human Resources Officer for Vista America and joined in 2010.
Michelle is responsible for Vista American’s operational and human resources strategies in the U.S. providing guidance and leadership to senior managers. Her broad experience includes benefits, employee relations, talent acquisition, leadership development, compliance, and management. Additionally, she oversees The Voluntary Service Program, Care Team, for US companies.
Michelle has an extensive career in aviation with over 30 years of management experience. Prior to Vista America she began her career at WestAir and later joined Atlantic Coast Airlines/Independence Air as part of the initial start-up team. Over the years, she held the positions of Vice President of Human Resources, Director of Human Resources, Sr. Director of System Control and Director of Customer Service.
Certified by the Human Resources Certification Institute as a Senior Professional in Human Resources, and a Senior Certified Profession through the Society of Human Resources Management, Michelle brings a unique perspective having worked both on the operational side of aviation as well as overseeing Human Resources. Michelle holds a BA in Organizational Leadership and is pursuing a MBA (2024 Graduation) at Florida Atlantic University with a concentration on International Business.
Jennifer Scotten
Senior Advisor, Personnel Emergency Response, Equinor
Jennifer Scotten has been with Equinor (formerly Statoil) since 2005 and is currently the head of personnel emergency response. She is also a member of the company’s global incident management assist team.
Before working within personnel emergency response, Jennifer has held a variety of positions within Equinor, including head of human resources for the North American organization, Azerbaijan, Drilling and Well and Equinor’s onshore plants. Before joining Equinor, Jennifer worked as a management consultant for Accenture, focusing on the government and the oil and gas sector. Jennifer is based in Stavanger Norway.