Sam D. Bernard, Ph.D. is President of Bernard & Associates, P.C., his private practice focusing on trauma-based clients both civilian and military. He is Ex. Dir. and Lead Clinician of the PAR Foundation a Chattanooga based firm specializing in Disaster Psychology and Crisis Response. He holds a Ph.D. in counseling psychology with a focus on disaster psychology and crisis intervention. He completed a one year internship with Crisis Management International in Atlanta, GA and a one year residency in Disaster Psychology at Erlanger Healthcare’s Level One Trauma Center in Chattanooga, TN.

He is a licensed Senior Psychological Examiner – Health Service Provider in Tennessee, National Certified Counselor, National Certified Psychologist & Traumatologist. Sam has joined a team of instructors with FEMA’s Center for Domestic Preparedness and Nobel Training Center / SAIC in Anniston, AL where he teaches Advanced Public Information Officer. Sam is an instructor with the National Center for Crisis Management, International Critical Incident Stress Foundation, Green Cross Projects, and the New York Academy of Medicine.

He is certified in Homeland Security Level III and in Crisis Intervention through the American College of Forensic Examiners International where he serves on the Board of Critical Incident Professionals. He was a responder to New York’s lower Manhattan during 9-11 for 3 weeks; consultant to Georgia Emergency Management during the Tri-State Crematory event for two months, Deputy Incident Commander for the Florida State University based Green Cross Projects response to the 2005 Tsunami and US Hurricanes Katrina & Rita; service provider in Miami to returning responders to the Haitian earthquake. He is the clinical director of the Tri-State CISM Team; the Suicide Postvention Response Team, and the School Crisis Support Cooperative team– based in Chattanooga. Sam is a founding member of the Tennessee Suicide Prevention Network and was voted the 2007 and 2008 Chair of the Governor’s appointed Advisory Board - TSPN.

In 2009 he was the first to receive the “Emeritus” status with TSPN. He is a consultant to the TN Department of Agriculture and has served as an evaluator for the TN Dept of Agriculture & UT College of Veterinary Medicine’s Food Terrorism Table-Top exercises beginning in 2005 and Agri-Terrorism Table-Tops with the TN Dept of Homeland Security, TN Dept of Agriculture and TEMA. He has been a consultant trainer for the Tennessee Department of Corrections Academy since 2003. He has served as President of the Chattanooga Area Psychological Association and President of the Tennessee Association of Psychological Examiners.

Sam is a member of Civil Air Patrol, Auxiliary of the US Air Force (1990) where he holds the earned rank of Lieutenant Colonel. He has served as Public Affairs Officer at the Squadron and Wing levels and holds the “master rating”. He was CISM Officer & Clinical Director for the SE Region. He now serves as National CISM Team Leader. Sam is a licensed private pilot. He has responded to aviation incidents nationally, on various “go” teams and is survivor of an aviation incident in Karachi, Pakistan while serving as a People-To-People High School Ambassador in 1981.