Joseph

From my youth in dairy country, Wyoming County, NY, I have always been aware of the mission of service to others. "Love thy neighbor" was the guiding factor in my journey to college, graduate school and a long career in Clinical Social Work. The specializations of addiction and trauma have been the focus of my vocation for the past 40 years. As a recovering alcoholic and trauma survivor, I strongly empathize with having a brain that, when triggered, seems to have a mind of its own. I worked in Municipal Substance Abuse Counseling Centers in Rockland County, NY for 25 years : in offices, schools and on the streets of an extremely diverse population. My take-away is that our perceived differences can in no way eclipse our sameness as human beings: we all need COMPASSION. My 20 years as an Adjunct Professor at Fordham University Graduate School of Social Service and my 33 years in private practice (now in Nyack, NY) all echo the same message that resonated in the cornfields of my childhood: We are all one human race - our lives are on loan - our job is to love and care through service - and our Employer creates the results! It is my honor to be a Reps for Responders volunteer, assisting all and any First Responders in need of support.