Roger Brooke, Ph.D, ABPP President

Roger is Director of the Military Psychological Services at Duquesne University, where he is also Professor of Psychology. He is a Board Certified and licensed clinical psychologist in Pennsylvania, and has been a psychotherapist for over thirty years. His formative professional years were in South Africa in the 1980s, where he worked with the victims of violence on both sides of the political conflict at the time and with young national servicemen returning from the war in Angola. In his work with veterans he draws from his knowledge of traditional warrior cultures. Both Roger Brooke and his oldest son are paratroopers. Home page: rogerbrookephd.com

Charlie graduated from the United States Air Force Academy, and served as Chief of the US Nuclear Detonation Detection System (USNDS) Mission Processing for the GPS/NDS program based at Los Angeles AFB. He worked on the front lines of nuclear warfare and was responsible for the operational acceptance and readiness of mobile units that would only be used for Integrated Tactical Warning/Attack Assessment and Nuclear Force Management – end-to-end nuclear war. Currently Charlie has a Life Coaching practice working with Vets and others who suffer from PTSD depression, trauma, or stress.

Charles Pacello, Secretary

Don McCasland, LMSW-CCTP, retired after serving more than 21 years in the US Army, including Desert Shield/Desert Storm as well as 3 Tours in Iraq with the 101st Airborne Division. He is a PTSD survivor & thriver, and brings that experience and insight to his clients and to the community. Don has served as a consultant to numerous organizations seeking to learn and understand the challenges facing veterans and their families at the local and national levels, such as- the Military Officer’s Association of America (MOAA) in Alexandria, VA, The Frist Center for the Visual Arts in Nashville, TN, National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI)-TN, and Austin Peay State University in Clarksville, TN.

Don works exclusively with survivors of trauma (with a focus on combat and military sexual assault-related trauma), and grief. He is experienced with conducting support groups using the Soldier’s Heart Model, and stresses the importance of the mind/body/soul/spirit connection in making the journey down the Warrior’s Path.

A co-founder of SAFE: Soldiers and Families Embraced, he is currently a Readjustment Counselor with the VA Vet Center in Clarksville, TN.

John Ostwald, MA,  is a U.S. Navy veteran who served in the armed forces during the Vietnam era. He was an active participant in veteran outreach programs throughout his 25-year career as a psychology professor at Hudson Valley Community College. John is an Advisory Board member for Heroes at Home and the Rensselaer County Veterans service agency. He has served as a workshop leader, speaking on topics such as post-traumatic stress disorder and traumatic brain injuries in veterans. John is also a newspaper columnist and  the author of “War, Sacrifice and Coming Home.”

Dr. Sebastian Perumbilly (Seb) is a core-faculty in the Marriage and Family Therapy (MFT) program within the Department of Social Work at Southern Connecticut State University (SCSU), New Haven, Connecticut. Prior to his academic career as a university professor, Seb served as a Roman Catholic priest in several dioceses in India and in the United States. His education and training background ranges from philosophy and theology to human development and family studies (HDFS). He received his last masters and doctoral degrees in HDFS from the University of Connecticut (UConn). He is a Clinical Fellow and an Approved Clinical Supervisor of the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy (AAMFT). As a licensed marriage and family therapist (LMFT), he has practiced in the states of Washington and Connecticut. His research interests include (1) treating moral injury among veterans, (2) substance addiction treatment, and (3) parental growth research. He has presented his research findings through peer reviewed journal articles, and professional conferences both nationally and internationally.