Greetings! I am Sam Bernard, an Emergency Management Psychologist who is gay. I have been partnered with Joe since 2001, and we were legally married in 2012 in Washington, D.C. Over the years, we have been pet parents to three dogs. Teddy is our current furry 4-legged child (Australian Shepherd and Great Pyrenees mix) who is 7 years old.
I was licensed to practice psychology in 1988. I have served on staff with two major psychiatric hospitals, had provileges are various general medical hospitals, and completed a post-doctoral residency with Erlanger Medical Center’s Level One trauma Services. My training and certifications include:
– Licensed Tennessee Health Services Provider: Psychology – Clinical, independent practice
– Certified Traumatologist (psychology, not trauma surgeon) from Florida State University’s Traumatology program directed by Charles Figley, PhD.
– National Certified Counselor
– National Certified Gerontological Counselor
– National Certified Psychologist
– Board Certified in Comprehensive, School, and University Acute Traumatic Stress Management
– Certified Traumatic Stress Consultant with The Institute for Traumatic Stress
– Psychological Autopsy Investigator and Researcher with the American Association of Suicidology
– Fellow and Diplomate with the American Academy of Experts in Traumatic Stress
– Certified in Critical Incident Stress Management via the University of Maryland – Baltimore County
– Certified in Pastoral Crisis Intervention via Charleston Southern University Center for Chaplaincy
– Certified, Homeland Security – Level III
– Employee Assistance Specialist – Clinical with the Employee Assistance Professionals Association
– Certified Grief Counseling Specialist
– COVID-19 Contact Tracing via Johns Hopkins University

I am an instructor with:
– International Critical Incident Stress Fdn (ICISF): Instructor of 21 courses; National Road Show faculty; International faculty
– Center for Domestic Preparedness- Nobel Training Center, Anniston, AL: Advanced Public Information Officer course (and “Road-Show” faculty) since 2008 (FEMA/EAI/Leidos/SAIC)
– American Red Cross: Basic & Adv. CPR; Stress Mgmt.; Disaster Mental Health Services (Retired:30+ years)
– The Institute for Traumatic Stress: Acute Traumatic Stress Management (ATSM); ATSM for Schools; University & College ATSM
– Resiliency Sciences Institutes: Instructor, Crisis Leadership; University of Maryland-Baltimore County
– American Academy of Experts in Traumatic Stress (AAETS): Comprehensive Acute Traumatic Stress Management (CATSM); School ATSM; University ATSM; Excellence in Teaching Award
– New York Academy of Medicine: Psychosocial Aspects of Terrorism
– Green Cross Projects: Traumatology and Compassion Fatigue Instructor; Training Site Coordinator
– FEMA’s Emergency Management Institute, Emmitsburg, MD: Advanced Public Information Officer and Master Public Info Officer Facilitator: Virtual Table-Top Exercises (VTTX) since 2011
– Suicide Prevention Resource Center: Assessment & Management of Suicidal Risk (AMSR): Inpatient, Outpatient, Substance Use Disorder
– QPR Institute: QPR (Question, Persuade, Refer) Suicide Intervention Model
– National Association of School Psychologists: PREPaRE Courses:
= Crisis Prevention & Preparedness; Comprehensive Safety Planning
= Crisis Intervention & Recovery: Roles of School-Based Mental Health Professionals
– Robert Douglas & Associates: Advanced Multi-Systemic Resiliency Approach EAP Critical Incident Response
– ALiCE: Active shooter response training
-Tennessee Commission on Children & Youth: Building Strong Brains Tennessee (ACEs Educational Program)

Board Memberships:
– American Academy of Experts in Traumatic Stress: Board of Scientific & Professional Advisors; Recipient: Excellence in Teaching
– PAR Foundation, Founding member, President Board of Directors
– Tennessee Suicide Prevention Network, Founding member, Chair & Emeritus Chair of Governor’s Advisory Council
– Chattanooga Area Clinical Pastoral Education, Board member 2017-2021
– Family Advocacy Outreach Network, National Center for Missing and Exploited Children; Clinician & consultant since 2015
– National Trauma Survivors Network (TSN) Advisory Board hosted by the American Trauma Society

Volunteer Service:
– American Red Cross: Retired after 30+ years beginning in 1975 (15 years old), Instructor in various courses including: =First Aid, Advanced First Aid and Emergency Care =Stress Management =CPR and Professional Rescuer CPR =HIV-AIDS Education =Disaster Mental Health (National Instructor
– CISM Team: Northeast TN CISM; Tri-State CISM Team; Suicide Postvention Response Team; School Crisis Support Cooperative
– Civil Air Patrol, Auxiliary US Air Force: Joined 1990; retired after 24 years holding the rank of Lieutenant Colonel; served as:
= Squadron Pilot and Assistant Medical Officer
= Southeast Regional Critical Incident Stress Management Officer
= Squadron and Wing Public Affairs Officer and attained “master rating” in PAO
= National CISM Team Leader and lead trainer (6 years)
– TN Suicide Prevention Network: Founding member; elected 2007 and 2008 Chair, Governor’s Advisory Board; Emeritus Chair
– TN Department of Agriculture & TN Department of Homeland Security: Consultant: Agri-terrorism and Psychological Impacts
– Hamilton County Health Department: Medical Reserve Corp
– Clinical Pastoral Education, Erlanger Medical Center, Chattanooga, TN; Clinical Consultant/Lecturer
– National Center for Missing and Exploited; Clinical Consultant Team (National) & Family Advocacy Outreach Network (FAON)
– Second Life Tennessee /Street Grace: Clinical Volunteer (Awareness education concerning human trafficking)
– PAR Foundation: COVID Support Group Facilitator: COVID Workers, Chaplains, Public Information Officers, Gay Men, Gun Violence Think-Tank, Is This Coping Podcast (in development as of 2026)

Incident Response:
– Woodmore Elementary School Bus Crash, Chattanooga, TN, Clinical consultant to guidance counselor staff
– Nutro /MARS, Nashville, TN; Lead Clinical EAP Consultant: Employee killed in terrorist bombing at Brussels Airport, March 2016
– Chattanooga Terrorist Shooting, Mayor’s Office / Chief of Police / Family Justice Center: Clinical consultant, July 2015
– Green Cross Projects: Deputy IC with FSU; Tsunami & Katrina & Rita & Miami post Haitian earthquake
– GA EMA: Tri-State Crematory Event response: 2 months on-site working with GBI agents, local responders, and families
– NYC 9-11-01: 3 weeks; consulting with FORTUNE 5 Companies in lower Manhattan
– Local Responses: robberies, workplace violence, suicide, homicide, drowning, lost person, fires, tornadoes, aviation incidents, etc.

Special Projects:
– Sextortion & Sadistic Online Exploitation: National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) Clinical Consultant
– Ukraine Psychological Support Project: Built a national multidisciplinary team to consult with Ukrainian organizations since 2022 ongoing monthly meeting
– Memorial Hospitals: Contractor; COVID Supplemental Staff Support Project providing crisis and counseling to staff and physicians
– COVID-19:
= Psychological Resources
= Facebook LIVE broadcasts
= Discussion/Support Groups(various)
=EndCoronaVirus.org mental health consultant website
=Infodemic Challenge: Behavioral Health Consultant
– Captive Audience: Director, Mental Health Services; Abduction prevention, Captivity survival training, Recovery services
– International Trainer: NAV Portugal: air traffic controllers (ATC), pilots, cabin crew & Portuguese Air Force ATC; SkyGuide: Swiss Air Traffic Controllers and airport employees
– FEMA, Public Information Officer curriculum development focus groups for Advanced and Master PIO courses: since 2007
– Chattanooga State Community College: Military Veteran Student Enhancement Project: 2016
– Response Works Aviation Disaster Coordinator: Nashville, TN International Airport; Co-coordinator Atlanta, GA Airport
– Magic Relief: Training magicians in psychological crisis intervention to provide service in disaster shelters
– John D Martin, EdD, Institute for Clinical Crisis Chaplain Education: educating spiritual leaders in trauma-informed shepherding
– LGBTQO Peer Crisis Support Project: developing peer crisis support teams internationally
– Zero COVID: Chattanooga: Founder/Consultant
– World Health Network: Psychological Crisis Lecturer & Member of Ethics Panel
– Family Advocacy Outreach Network Clinician: National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC)
– ASPR TRACIE (Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response: Technical Resources Assistance Center Information Exchange): Subject Matter Expert (SME) Cadre

Personal:
– Only child
– Native of Kingsport, TN
– Pianist
– Thespian, high school, current “background” in Woke (2 episodes); Holland, Michigan (movie) with Nichole Kidman as the “Grumpy Yellow Suspender Man at the Eye Doctor’s Office”;
– Married to Joseph Walker in 2012
– Home in Chattanooga, TN
– Licensed private pilot
– People-To-People High School Student Ambassador 1980 – visited Austria, Germany, Italy, Greece, Yugoslavia with home-stays in Austria, Germany, and Greece, then in 1981, France, Egypt, Israel, China and Japan with home-stays in France and Japan; Survivor of an aviation incident in Karachi, Pakistan while serving as a People-To-People High School Ambassador in 1981
– Pet therapy with “Buddy” (petit sheltie) until his death in 2010
– Learning magic since 1976 and is a member of the International Brotherhood of Magicians, founded “Magic Relief”,
– Volunteer research subject for Moderna’s phase 3 COVID-19 vaccine.