Cherie Castellano, MA, CSW, LPC, BCETS
is the Program Director for Cop2 Cop, the first
legislated law enforcement crisis hotline in
the United States. She is a faculty member of
the New Jersey Medical School Department of
Psychiatry –UMDNJ where she has honed
her clinical skills as an expert in law enforcement
psychological services as a member of the American
Academy of Experts in Traumatic Stress.
Ms. Castellano has been recognized internationally
as an expert in the field of behavioral healthcare
and crisis intervention for Law Enforcement
Professionals. Her experience as a lecturer
has included international forums such as Australia
and Europe as well as prestigious national forums
such as the FBI National Academy conference.
Her programs and crisis intervention services
have been featured in the New York Times as
a “model for the nation.” Additional
awards include various Governors Proclamations,
NJ Governors Excellence Award, N.J. Attorney
General Recognition Award, as well as the International
Critical Incident Stress Foundation World Congress
Award for Outstanding Response in a Mass Disaster.
Cherie recently received the International Critical
Incident Stress Foundation Award for Program
Innovations in a Mass Disaster. Cherie co-authored
a book entitled "Psychological Counterterrorism
and World War IV" receiving national attention
and impressive book reviews. She has recently
authored several articles in the fields of law
enforcement, crisis intervention and disaster
psychology with a column in The International
Association of Counterterrorism & Security
Professionals magazine. Cherie's newest book
is co-authored with Dr. James T. Reese entitled
The Ultimate Back-Up; Law Enforcement Families.
Following September 11, she was assigned to
co-ordinate a critical incident response to
over 1,900 first responders in New York and
New Jersey. Ms. Castellano led service responses
to Urban Search and Rescue Team – NJTF1,
Port Authority Police Department, NYPD and the
top ten New Jersey Police Departments. Cherie
pioneered a “9/11 Rescuer Reentry Program”
for the Port Authority Police Department and
was subsequently given an award for this work
by that department.
Ms. Castellano was selected as a member of
the 9/11 New York Emergency Services Delegation
and traveled to Ireland and England to share
“9/11 Lessons Learned”. Cherie was
invited to present keynote addresses at the
FBI National Academy and the Critical Incident
Stress Management Foundation in Australia.
