Sandra Novak is a social worker who divides her time between a clinical practice in Hollywood, Florida and as Director, Care Team Operations for Aviem International and the Family Assistance Foundation. Sandra is also a trainer/facilitator of family assistance and employee support programs for Aviem International and the Family Assistance Foundation.
After 30 years with Delta Air Lines, Sandra’s second career in mental health began after many of her flying partners died in an air disaster in 1985. Determined to understand how survivors (victims, families, and employees) could be better supported by the mental health field as well as the organization they worked for, Sandra began the work she does today as a therapist specializing in crisis and trauma response.
Sandra has trained airline, cruise line, industrial and healthcare employees on how to assist victims and families as well as other responders following traumatic loss in the workplace. She has personally assisted families and employees at major air disasters such as Swissair 111, in Halifax, Nova Scotia, September 1998; Comair 5191 in Lexington, Kentucky, August 2006; and Santa Barbara Airlines 518, February 2008. Following the attacks of September 11, 2001, Sandra was instrumental in assisting numerous flight crews in their ability to regain their trust in flying and return to the cabin and cockpit.
In addition to Sandra’s clinical experience and training expertise in trauma response and support, she has also performed work with victims of domestic violence in the court system, group and individual cases with families and children in cases involving emotional, physical, and sexual abuse, inpatient and outpatient treatment with dually diagnosed patients, and chemically dependent adults and children.