Meet the On-Site Academy Staff:
Director
Valerie K. Duggan, LICSW (e-mail)
Valerie K. Duggan is the Executive Director of the On-Site Academy in Gardner and in Westminster, Massachusetts. She has been a practicing social worker for more than twenty years, treating primarily trauma and trauma related dis-orders. Prior to coming to the On-Site Academy, Mrs. Duggan was the Clinical Director for Psychiatric Screening in the Emergency Department at Saints Memorial Hospital in Lowell, Massachusetts, and she developed a comprehensive screen for domestic violence victims and facilitated group services for them. She has been at the On-Site Academy for the past eleven years. She organized the first Mitchell model trained group of LODD widows that can respond nationally to this type of crisis. She is trained in critical incident stress management, anger management, EMDR, TFT, and IFS protocols. She is also the spouse of a Firefighter/EMT-I and has developed a spousal CISM response for the New England area.
Founder and Contract/Funding Coordinator
Hayden A.Duggan, Ed.D. (e-mail)
Dr. Duggan is the president and the founder of the On-Site Academy, a residential trauma treatment and training program for Public Safety Personnel. He is the Team Clinician for Boston Police Stress Support Unit CISM team and is the chief Psychologist for the Boston EMS Peer Support team. He is also the chief clinician for the Fitchburg Police Department Peer Support team. He is the author of two books on crisis intervention and empathy. He is a licensed Clinical Psychologist, (earning his Doctorate in Clinical Psychology and Public Practice from the Harvard Graduate School of Education in 1977) and a designated Forensic Psychologist in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. He is the former statewide coordinator, Mass Fire Academy, Program in Hazardous Materials Awareness/Personal Protective Equipment Training, Counter Terrorism Division. He is an Emergency Medical Technician, Intermediate. He is an instructor for International Critical Incident Stress Foundation, and an Adjunct Professor at Anna Maria College in Paxton, Massachusetts.
Administrator
Kimberly Stvartak (e-mail)
Ms. Stvartak is the Administrator of the On-Site Academy. She is also a member of the Gardner Group, Inc. Board of Directors, where she serves as the Clerk. She has been with the On-Site Academy since 1993. She is a graduate of Mount Wachusett Community College in Gardner, Massachusetts, earning Associates of Science degrees in General Human Services as well as Criminal Justice, along with a Certificate in Corrections. She is an Alumni of Phi Theta Kappa,(International Honor Society of the Two Year College). She is a member of the Criminal Justice Advisory Board at Mount Wachusett Community College. She is a graduate of the Gardner Police Department's 8th Citizens Police Academy. She is trained in Basic Critical Incident Stress Management, Peer Support/Crisis Intervention, Trauma and Addictions, CISM Application with Children, Stress Management for the Trauma Provider, Thought Field Therapy(TFT), National Incident Management System(NIMS): An Introduction(IS-700), and Introduction to Incident Command System(I-100), for Federal Disaster Workers(IS-100.FW).
Associate Director
Joan Setzco (e-mail)
Ms. Setzco is the Associate Director of both the On-Site Academy Gardner campus as well as the center at "Windy Hill Farm". She first came to the On-Site Academy in 1995 as a client, while she was working on the Templeton Rescue Squad as a volunteer EMT. She joined the rescue squad in 1990. In 1992 she began assisting with instructing EMT courses part-time and also became certified to provide CPR courses to the community, as well as medical health providers. In 1996 Ms. Setzco began Critical Incident Stress Management training and has completed nine of the International Critical Incident stress Foundations' courses including, Line of Duty Death, Trauma and Families, Trauma and Children, and Suicide prevention. She is trained in the techniques of Trauma Memory Restructuring, and Thought Field Therapy and is a member of the Association of Traumatic Stress Specialists. Ms. Setzco is also a peer member of the Lowell Critical Incident Stress Team.
Extended Care Program Coordinator
Arianna Setzco (e-mail)
Miss Setzco joined the team in 2009 as ECP Coordinator for the Gardner campus and Windy Hill Farm. Prior to 2009 she worked for 3 years in residential care as a vocational and life skills coach and ran a clinical expressive writting group. Miss Setzco's passion for helping first responders comes from growing up with her mother first as a volunteer EMT and then as staff at On-Site Academy. She participated as a client in her first Five-Day Program in 2000 and has completed ICISF trainings in Critical Incident Stress Management including Individual Crisis Intervention and Peer Support, Group Crisis Intervention, and Suicide Prevention, Intervention and Postvention.
Clinical Staff
Amy Brow, LICSW(e-mail)
Amy is a graduate of Simmons College Graduate School of Social Work and she specializes in working with individuals and families affected by trauma. Amy is trained and experienced in CISM and is a clinician on the Boston Police Stress Support Unit CISM Team. Following September 11th she has developed workshops and stress management programs for first responders and other professionals affected by secondary trauma in their work. Amy is also a Senior Clinical Worker at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center with experience in providing trauma-focused therapy to victims of domestic violence and sexual assault. She is currently providing community based services in a Boston neighborhood experiencing a disproportionate amount of violence and trauma.
Lou DeBenedictus, BS
Lou DeBenedictus is a career firefighter Paramedic on the south shore. He has a BS degree in Counseling and Psychology from Lesley College, with advanced training in PTSD, Trauma and Familial Addictive Process. He has been actively working with people with addictive issues and trauma since 1997. For the past 5 years he has worked exclusively with first responders with the fore-mentioned conditions. He has been a member of the Plymouth County CISM Team for the past three years pursuing certification in several areas of stress management. He presently serves with the On-Site Academy for over a year now, specializing in EMDR and trauma recovery.Tom Greenhalgh (e-mail)
Peer Staff
Smokey Bernard (e-mail)
Captain R. "Smokey" Bernard(ret.) has been with the On-Site Academy since 1991. he is a senior peer for fire service and EMS personnel at the academy. He has a long history of public service starting with American Ambulance company in the greater Lowell area back in 1965, then back to private industry until 1968, after which he joined the Maynard fire department and served there for the next 30 years. Smokey was involved in the early planning of EMS in Maynard, and he served as the EMS Coordinator for the town of Maynard until his retirement. His involvement with CISM started with the Concord-Carlisle CISM team in 1989. Hayden Duggan was the team clinician from the start, and was responsible for bringing Smokey into the On-Site Academy team. Smokey is a certified CPR instructor for the civilian community as well as the medical community.
Tony Scaglione (e-mail)
Tony originally came to the On-Site Academy as a client after an on the job shooting/line of duty death incident that he was involved with in November of 1996. He attended the 5 Day residential program. He says that he is "living proof of the success of this intense program that saved my life and renewed my spirit". He has been a peer since graduation, and he says that "giving back to other critical incident survivors provides meaning to the tragedies that he has endured". Tony is currently a police officer from the City of Ithaca Police Department in Ithaca New York. Tony began his career working as campus security at the Tomkins Cortland Community College in 1989 as the Assistant director of Campus Safety and Security. In 1993 he began working for the Ithaca Police Department. His career in I.P.D. began in the patrol division, Then he was appointed to the community police unit. He also became one of the original founding members of the Ithaca P.D. Swat team, holding the position of sniper. Tony also served in the I.P.D. Critical Incident Negotiating team. He is the senior advisor and founder of the I.P.D. Explorer post, a youth mentoring program that has run successfully since it's inception in the 1980's. Tony has served with the C.O.P.S. oranizations support services and their "Victims of Felonious Assaults" groups since May of 1998. He is also certified in Police Instructor development/ Special Topics. Along with his police work and training Tony has also served on the Ithaca Fire department as a firefighter and an EMT. He is a member of the Ithaca Veteran Volunteer Firefighters Association. Tony holds several certifications, is trained in Thought Field therapy(TFT), Traumatic Memory Reconstruction, Group and Individual Crisis CISM, Advanced Hostage Negotiation, Swat Tactics for High Risk Operations and Warrent Service,along with several other related Police, Fire and EMS certifications
Everett Pierce,CFO (e-mail)
Everett is a 45 year veteran of the fire service. He retired as the Fire Chief/Emergency Management Director for the County/Town of Nantucket, an island of 50 square miles located 30 miles off the southeast coast of Massachusetts. Everett's 45 year career started as a call firefighter/EMT with the Sterling Fire Departmant and he retired as a deputy chief. He spent 5 years at the Massachusetts Firefighting Academy as the programs manager and 1 year as the Interim Director prior to becoming Chief of the Nantucket Fire Department. Everett holds the Chief Fire Officer designation. He has an Associates Degree in Fire Science, a Bachelors Degree in Business Administration and is completing his Masters Degree in Emergency Management. Everett has been an adjunct instructor at the National Fire Academy for over 20 years and has presented training at several national fire service conferences. He is the president of EGPierce & Associates, an emergency service consulting group. Everett has completed training in Critical Incident Stress Management including Individual Crisis Intervention and Peer Support, Suicide Prevention, Intervention and Postvention, Strategic Response to a Crisis, and Trauma and Addictions. Chief Pierce(ret.) is a member of several organizations such as the International Association of Fire Chiefs, Fire Chiefs Association of Massachusetts, National Fire Protection Association, and the International Critical Incident Stress Foundation.
Don Hurme,CFO (e-mail)
Don Hurme has been in the fire services since1968. He retired as a Chief Fire Officer in 2003 from the town of Townsend. He began his career in 1968 as a call firefighter with the Princeton Fire Department in Princeton, Massachusetts and he worked there until 1980. He worked with the Lexington Fire department from 1980 until 1986 when he took the chief position at the Townsend F.D. in 1986 through to his retirement in 2003. Don has been involved with firefighter training and instruction since 1981 working with the Massachusetts Fire Academy in Stowe Massachusetts. His certifications include Firefighter I/II, and Firefighter Instruction and he also graduated from the National Fire Academy as an Executive Fire Officer. Don was awarded the "Medal of Honor" and also the "Firefighter of the Year" in 1996 by Massachusetts. Don holds and Associates Degree in Fire Sciences. Don is trained in Group and Individual Crisis CISM.
Tommy Griffiths (e-mail)
James Maloney (e-mail)
James is a peer staff and is active in the Returning Veterens Program(R.E.S.T.O.R.E.). He became involved in the On-Site Academy when he was looking for a place that could work with a soldier from his unit who was in need of PTSD counseling. He has a B.S. and M.B. A. from Boston College. He works for the Watertown Fire dept. and has been there for 6 years. He serves in the Army Reserve and has been in for about 15 years. He is currently a Captain in the Army, currently serving as Company Commander of A Company(FSC) 368th Engineers. He deployed to operation "Iraqi Freedom" in 2003. He initially observed a 5-Day program at the On-Site and later was a participant of the first military R.E.S.T.O.R.E. program. James is trained in Basic CISM.
Kathy Minehan (e-mail)
Wendy Ryan (formerly Wakefield) (e-mail)