The Impact of Stress and Trauma Related to Military Deployment on Personnel and Their Families

Presenters' Biographies:  

David Riggs, Executive Director of the Center for Deployment Psychology
Dr. Riggs earned his B.A. at the University of Kansas and his Ph.D. at the State University of New York at Stony Brook. Prior to joining the Center for Deployment Psychology, Dr. Riggs held clinical research positions at the Center for the Treatment and Study of Anxiety and the National Center for PTSD at the Boston VA Medical Center. As a clinical and research psychologist, much of his work has focused on trauma, violence and PTSD. Dr. Riggs has published over 60 articles and book chapters and presented over 100 papers and workshops at professional conferences. He served as a member of the PTSD Treatment Guidelines Committee and the Dissemination Task Force for the International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies and currently serves on the APA Presidential Task Force on Military Deployment Services for Youth, Families and Service Members. He has trained numerous student and mental health professionals from the United States and other countries in techniques for treating PTSD, OCD and other anxiety disorders. Recently he co-led a series of workshops to train military behavioral health professionals who are preparing to deploy to treat PTSD and other trauma-related distress.

Dr. William Brim
Dr. William "Bill" Brim is a decorated 10-year veteran of the United States Air Force. Dr. Brim received a B.S. in Clinical Psychology from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville and a Doctorate in Clinical Psychology from Nova Southeastern University in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. He completed his residency and a post doctoral fellowship in Clinical Health Psychology at Wilford Hall USAF Medical Center in San Antonio, Texas. Dr. Brim was stationed in South Carolina, Mississippi and in the United Kingdom. He worked with deployed members in support of OIF/OEF and MEDFLAG exercises in Africa. Currently, Dr Brim provides supervision and training for psychology interns and professional staff at the Malcolm Grow USAF Medical Center at Andrews Air Force Base, Maryland. The focus of Dr Brim's clinical work, supervision and training is on deployment and redeployment related mental health issues, specifically assessment and treatment of combat-related PTSD. Additionally, Dr Brim focuses on health psychology clinical practice and supervision, the integration of mental health services in primary care and forensic psychology expert consultation and witness services.

Debra Nofziger, Psy.D.
Dr. Nofziger earned a B.A at Willamette University in Oregon and a Master�s in Psychology and Psy.D. at Forest Institute of Professional Psychology in Springfield, Missouri. She was an Active Duty Army psychologist for almost 5 years, enjoying duty assignments at Brooke Army Medical Center, the US Army School of Aviation Medicine, and was deployed for a year in Iraq with the 4th Infantry Division. While on active duty, Dr. Nofziger completed training in health psychology, psychological assessment, neuropsychology, child and adolescent psychology, and general military outpatient therapy. She was a staff psychologist in medical settings, at a community behavioral health clinic for soldiers in training, and in an Aviation school environment where she was the training director for the Army�s Aeromedical Psychology Training Course. She supported OIF soldiers and commands in Iraq by providing therapy, crisis intervention, debriefings, and psychoeducational support. Dr. Nofziger joined the CDP in June 2006 where she continues to enjoy providing support to military personnel and their families through direct care and training of military and civilian medical and mental health providers.