CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD

DEPUTY CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD

Richard L. Levenson, Jr., Psy.D., C.T.S., F.A.A.E.T.S., is a New York State Licensed Psychologist and has been in private clinical practice since 1990.  His clinical psychology practice is a general one, and he specializes in anxiety and depressive disorders, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, and the effects of medical/physical conditions on psychological health and well-being. 

       

BOARD MEMBER, WALT NARR, and LEONA NARR:  Pollock Pines, CA.   Walt is a retired Captain from the Davis Police Department in California.  Prior to Davis, he was an NYPD officer and a deputy for the Yolo County Sheriff's Department.  He and Leona have been married 44 years.  Walt describes their work today as an effort on behalf of "every officer that has died, been injured, or even had bad dreams because of this thankless job."  Walt volunteers  with the El Dorado County Sheriff's Department's "Sheriff's Team of Active Retirees" (STAR) and is a leader in the Neighborhood Watch programs. His public speaking skills on behalf of Badge of Life are of tremendous value.  Leona has been a mental health counselor in Davis at the Yolo Community Care Continuum, as well as a volunteer for Suicide Prevention in Davis working the crisis line. Her father committed suicide when she was 10. After having breast cancer at age 40, Leona became a long-time volunteer for The American Cancer Society. She helped found a Reach for Life Program in Davis, working as a volunteer many years. The Narr’s son, Paul Narr, a Davis Police Officer, committed suicide on Aug 10, 2008 at the age of 42, leaving a wife, 2 yr. old son, 5 yr. old daughter, sister and an identical twin brother. 

BOARD MEMBER: Richard (Dick) Augusta.   Dick's career with the California Highway Patrol was cut short in his twelfth year when, on a night traffic stop, a felon got the drop on him and gunned him down.  Dick recovered from his serious wounds but when he tried to return to the road, he was haunted by the post traumatic stress that made him hypersensitive on traffic stops and fearful he would harm an innocent person.  To this day, Dick has trouble sleeping because of the incident.  His story can be found in Randy Sutton's, “True Blue, Police Stories by Those Who Have Lived Them.”  His story was also a feature in the October, 2008 issue of PORAC Magazine.  Dick has also attended two FBI seminars on Critical Incident Peer Support Team formation.  

SURVIVOR ADVOCATE:  Janice McCarthy is our leading spokesperson for the rights and needs of survivors of law enforcement suicide.  She is an active speaker and lecturer, speaking nationally for the Badge of Life on police suicide issues.

Janice knows the pain of police suicide, having lost her husband, Paul, a Massachussetts State Trooper, to PTSD and suicide that were the direct result of law enforcement trauma.  She is a voice of courage that speaks out against the stigma, shunning and disgrace faced by police suicide survivors.  Janice carries her message to all that will listen.  With us, she is determined to see justice and honor done for those officers whose deaths from suicide were the result of the stress and trauma in police work. Janice carries a message of hope to officers and their families--that there are "better ways" through the message of Badge of Life and its free training programs. 

Jerry Fleming of Stony Point, New York, is a USMC veteran of Vietnam who served 20 years with the Clarkstown, NY, Police Department.  Following that, he worked another ten years with the Sheriffs prisoner transport unit.  In addition to grisly murder scenes, Jerry's exposures to suicides were particularly truamatic: out of four suicides, two were officers he knew.  Three children of officers also committed suicide.  Jerry intervened and hospitalized one suicidal individual in an AA meeting.

  

     

 

 

Medical Advisor: Janak K. Mehtani, M.D., helped found Badge of Life and is a a psychiatrist who has worked extensively with police officers for many years, dealing with some of the most severe cases imaginable.  His compassion and insight have changed the lives of many deeply traumatized emergency workers.  His inspired leadership and forward thinking have been an inspiration and made him an invaluable asset in planning improvements to long-outdated programs.   

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

We are proud to have PETER PLATT, of Ottawa, Canada, as a part of our team and an advisor to Badge of Life.  Peter sponsors the weblog,  Badge of Life Canada. 

Peter is a 25 year veteran of the Ottawa Police Service who was disabled by severe PTSD in 1992.  In 2005, he joined a registered charitable service dog training organization in Ottawa and, from 2006 through to December 2009, he was a board member and Director of Client Services, Disabilities Advisor and an advocate for persons with disabilities. In 2008/2009, he gave presentations to a trauma councillor's class at local college about PTSD.

In March 2009 he started working with Veterans Affairs Canada, Operational Stress Injury Social Support as a trained volunteer peer helper & group facilitator for veterans with PTSD.  In December 2010 he also became a volunteer for the Military Family Resource Center in Ottawa.  Peter is a proud member of the Ontario Police Association, Ottawa Police Association and the International Association of Assistance Dog Partners. Peter believes all police agencies in the country should have the resources readily available to help officers who have become disabled with PTSD. As well, to assist officers who develop PTSD subsequent to their retirement. 

Janet Mentink, RN, Family Nurse Practitioner (F.N.P), PhD. has had several careers with a long history of interest and involvement in stress, prevention causes and management.  In addition, she has used the Myers Briggs personality inventory with numerous groups and focused on stress and management based on personality.  She spent 12 years in nursing at Woodland Memorial Hospital, predominantly ICU, CCU and Emergency Room--during which time she dealt with her own post truamatic stress disorder (PTSD).