Our Story
Our Mission
ERAP is dedicated to providing emotional support to emergency responders who experienced psychological trauma following critical incidents.
Our Vision
ERAP recognizes that critical incidents may lead to significant stress which potentially manifest itself in deteriorating job performance, family breakdowns, chemical dependency, and suicides. ERAP is committed to serving emergency responders who are in crisis as a result of experiencing a critical incident. ERAP underwrites training, education, and psychological assistance in a structured, intensive, three-day seminar environment (Emergency Responders Critical Incident Seminar, ERCIS). ERAP’s holistic approach acknowledges the importance of family in the post-critical incident healing process. Peer support is a vital component of the seminar.

Our Story
How We Got Started
Muhammad Ali said it best: “service to others is the rent you pay for your room here on earth.”
Simple words but deep in meaning to Shari and I. To us, service embodies one’s passion through action to create a positive impact on someone else’s life. We have been blessed to have the opportunity to touch the lives of many over the years. Our involvement in moving the Payson Rodeo Grounds, building the first artificial turf multipurpose field in Arizona, and initiating the “Concert Under the Stars” series led us to receive the “Outstanding Citizen’s Award” and “Citizen of the Year” from the town of Payson, Arizona. We were also named “Volunteer of the Year” for the State of Arizona.
Our combined seventy-five years in banking, experiencing robbery after robbery, anthrax scares, being shot at, increased our awareness of the vital role of emergency responders in protecting us. We witnessed first-hand the work of dedicated police officers, FBI agents, fire personnel, and hazmat teams going into harm’s way. In 2013, I made a promise to FBI agent Douglas Samuels: “I do not know how I will repay all of you for what you do for us, but I will figure it out!” I became painfully aware of the pain and anguish that were tearing some of them apart from the inside after being involved in terrible critical incidents.
In 2013, I began to realize my promise. Shari and I learned about a program called post-critical incident seminars (PCIS) in South Carolina. We traveled there and also to North Carolina to attend these seminars. There we heard about Dr. Kathy Thomas, a psychiatrist from Oklahoma with unique expertise in mental trauma to emergency responders. After meeting Dr. Thomas, we established our first nonprofit organization, Oklahoma Law Enforcement Assistance Program (OKLEAP). In 2014, we expanded the scope of psychological assistance to traumatized emergency responders by creating an Emergency Responders Assistance Program (ERAP). We conducted our first PCIS in 2015, and since then conducted 13 seminars, serving 306 emergency responders and significant others from all over the nation. In 2018, we expanded ERAP from Oklahoma to Arizona, changing the organization’s name to National ERAP. We updated the format of our seminars and renamed them Emergency Responders Critical Incident Seminars (ERCIS).
I was once told that “The healing cannot begin until all that are involved in a critical incident had a chance to heal together.” Our dream to assist those who protect us came true by creating a nonprofit in which citizens and emergency responders work together to provide mental support by peers and mental health workers to traumatized emergency responders.
OUR TEAM

Eli Reshef MD
National Emergency Responders Assistance Program Board Chairman


Marcia Johnson
Assistant Executive Director

Dr. Robbie Adler-Tapia
National Clinical Director

Jim Warriner
Director of Peer Mentor Development

Moose
Therapy Dog
National
Francis Tesmer
National Board Chairman
Wes Dison
National Secretary – Interim Director Of Emergency Mgmt. Coconino Co. Az.
Dr. Eli Reshef
President
Jason Larter
National Treasure – Deputy Chief, Oro Valley PD
Geoff Leggett
Retired Assistant Chief, Surprise Az. PD
Board Members
Dr. Evan Reshef
Fellow, Reproductive Medicine, Columbia University
Consultants
LEGAL
Kyle Sweet
President
Founder of Sweet Law Firm, Co-Founder of CCW Safe
Jeri Holmes
Founder
Legal Counsel – Nonprofit Solutions
CPA & ACCOUNTANTS
CPA FIRM
Wedel Rahill & Associates, CPA’s PLC
Shaniee Green
Accountant
Mental Health Clinicians

Dr. Robbie Adler-Tapia
Clinical Director, National ERAP

Lindsay McCall Long
Peer Mentor

Dawn Roy
Licensed counselor for emergency responders.

Carla Urbanas, M.S., LPCC-S, LICDC-CS, CTTS, EMT-P
Mental Health Professional

Vicky Hampton
LADC, LPC

Deborah Silveria Ph.D, LMFT, PSY
Mental Health Professional
Dr. Denise Preuss
Clinical Team
DIRECTOR & COUNCIL
Douglas White
Founder & Executive Director
Shari White
Founder
COMMITTEES
TECHNOLOGY
Kelly Bigelow
Software Developer
Justin Everett
Tech Consultant
PROGRAM
Shari White
Dr. Robbie Adler-Tapia
Dr. Denise Preuss
Geoff Leggett
John France
Doug White
Heather Beckwith
MARKETING
Dr. Eli Reshef
Francis Tesmer
Kelly Bigelow
Shari White
Doug White
GOVERNANCE
Pending
FUNDRAISING: CORPORATIONS AND HIGH VALUE
Dr. Eli Reshef
Francis Tesmer
Doug White
Grant Writers
Board members of National and Oklahoma ERAP
COMMUNITY OUTREACH
Geoff Leggett
Dr. Eli Reshef
Francis Tesmer
Jason Lartner
Wes Dison
Dr. Evan Reshef
Save One Life, One Family, One Career - And We Will Be Successful.
Served
Seminars
Funds raised
We have served over 300 Emergency Responders, spouses, and significant others from across the United States and 88 different agencies.
Fire, Law Enforcement, 911, EMT, and Medical Examiners. Beginning October 2020, we will begin providing our services to our Emergency Medical Heroes who have been battling the COVID pandemic.
Since 2015, ERAP has raised over $409,000 and funded 13 Emergency Responder Critical Incident Seminars in Oklahoma and Arizona. Although held in Oklahoma and Edmond, we have served Emergency Responders from Oklahoma, Arizona, Washington St. Idaho, California, New Mexico, Texas, Kansas, Iowa, Colorado, Arkansas, Connecticut, and Alaska.
