The Center for Research and Treatment

We are actively working on developing additional treatment (which would allow for a CCE case) and therapeutic approaches. Although these are not currently being incorporated, we hope to include these soon:

• Diet and Nutrition
• Driver Education/Reintegration Program
• Group Therapy
• Ketamine Therapy with wrap-around psychoeducational treatment
• Music Therapy
• Narrative Therapy
• Trauma Focused Psychodynamic Psychotherapy
• Forensic Assessment

Students who work within the practicum will get experience with assessment, biofeedback and neurofeedback, research, and therapy.

Race Camp

Completers of Race Camp become part of our community and may serve as mentors to fellow race-camp participants. At Race Camp, veterans, first-responders, and active duty military personnel will learn the four major components of psychological skills training, including goal setting, self-talk, imagery, and arousal regulation, with the assistance of biofeedback. Participants will learn how to apply these skills (e.g., controlling breathing and managing heart rate) in both stress-free environments and performance-based scenarios. Specifically, the simulated-race environment will serve as a stress-inoculation technique (phasing from Easy to Difficult), where the primary aim is to enhance self-awareness and self-regulatory skills, thereby improving performance to be applied in the field or at “home.”

We offer several variants of race camp, each designed for the population it serves.

Variants

Enduro (ES) – ES is a 3-day experience specifically designed for veterans suffering from symptoms of PTSD. It allows them to use the simulated-race environment to strengthen psychological skills and improve specific clinical outcomes, such as quality of life.

Enduro+ (ES+) - ES+ is a full 1-day experience with multiple telehealth meetings and is also designed for veterans suffering from symptoms of PTSD who cannot devote three in-person visits to the lab. ES enables them to use the simulated race environment to strengthen psychological skills and improve specific clinical outcomes, such as quality of life.

Super Series (SS) is a one-day certificate program designed for public safety professionals (law enforcement officers, firefighters, EMTs) to learn and apply advanced psychological skills in a simulated racecar environment. SS is certified through the International Association of Directors of Law Enforcement Standards and Training (IADLEST).

Tactical Series (TS) is a Psychological Readiness Program designed specifically for active-duty military personnel. The psychological readiness program is a form of durability training that integrates performance-based psychological skills training into a simulated racecar environment.

Clinical and Research Personnel

• Tom D. Kennedy, Ph.D., BCB – Director of Clinical Operations. Dr. Kennedy is an Associate Professor and the Director of Academic Affairs for the College of Psychology at Nova Southeastern University (NSU). He serves as a representative for the NSU IRB and is a forensic practicum supervisor. He received his Ph.D. from the University of Miami. He is a licensed psychologist and board-certified fellow in Biofeedback. His research interests include two convergent tracks, one focused on forensic psychology and one on therapeutic interventions with Veterans and active-duty military. He has procured grant funding and served as lead evaluator for multiple organizations, including Catholic Charities, Miami Dade-Schools Police, and national Bullying programs. He has published books, book chapters, and articles on juvenile crime, psychopathy, IPV, psychological assessment, military psychology, psychophysiology, and research design.
• W. Alex Edmonds, Ph.D., BCB – Director of Research. Dr. Edmonds is a full professor of research at the Abraham S. Fischler College of Education and School of Criminal Justice. He is a board certified biofeedback practitioner and recognized as a senior fellow through the Biofeedback Certification International Alliance. He graduated from Florida State University and received his doctoral degree in Educational Psychology with a minor in Statistics and Measurement. He has published extensively in a variety of areas such as psychophysiology, educational psychology and has worked as a practitioner across a variety of domains.

Operations and Community Liaison

• Steven Kantarze—Operations Manager. Steve is a seven-year U.S. Army Veteran. He completed one combat tour in Iraq and one tour in South Korea and finished his service in “The Old Guard.” He currently is the Program Director for The Veterans Trust.

Administrative Personnel

• Dana Mills, Ph.D. – CRT Coordinator. Dr. Mills is an associate dean in the Abraham S. Fischler College of Education and School of Criminal Justice. Dr. Mills provides administrative oversight on behalf of the College of Education and School of Criminal Justice.
• Matthew Chenworth, M.Ed. Matt is the Senior Director of the Military Affairs Resource Center at Nova Southeastern University. He provides resource services, community outreach, and recruitment opportunities.

Student Collaborators

• Leah Lancellotta - Lab Clinician/Tech – Leah is a PhD student in the clinical psychology program and a concentration in forensics. Her interests involve trauma, forensics, military psychology, and child psychology. Her research involves trauma-based interventions for veteran populations as well as forensic assessments within diverse communities.
• Michael Garcia—Lab Clinician/Tech—Michael is a PsyD student studying clinical psychology. He is currently on active duty in the U.S. Coast Guard.
• Komini Pardalos - Komini is a PsyD student in the clinical psychology program. His research and clinical interests include forensics, first responders, and military psychology.
• Brenna Divoky – Brenna is a PsyD student in the clinical psychology program. Her research interests are in military psychology and first responders. She currently works as a first responder with Ft. Lauderdale Ocean Rescue.

• An Experimental examination of a racecar-simulation psychoeducational intervention and the effects on health and performance-based outcomes of veterans diagnosed with PTSD (in progress)
• The effect of stress inoculation and psychological skills training on health and performance-based outcomes in veterans diagnosed with mild to moderate PTSD (in progress)
• An examination of the concurrent validity between resonance frequency HRV-biofeedback training and the results of a wearable EEG device (in development)
• Examining the Effects of a Psychological Skills Training Program with Simulated Racing to Improve Clinical Outcomes in Veterans with PTSD: A Multiple Case-Study Design.
• A case report of HRV-BFB and psychoeducational assistance as an adjunct to SPRAVATO® Esketamine therapy in a veteran with severe PTSD: The Anchor Protocol.
• Integrating Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy alongside a Psychoeducation and Heart-Rate Variability Biofeedback Protocol to SPRAVATO® Esketamine Treatment in a Veteran with PTSD

Community Partners

• The Veterans Trust®(TVT), located in Ft. Lauderdale at 718 NW 8th Ave, is a Tax-Exempt 501(c)(3) Nonprofit organization (46-4677773). TVT is a Florida non-profit corporation that, among other things, raises awareness and creates opportunities for veteran wellness. The TVT works with Full Send Sims, LLC, to provide race-car simulators that include remote services, support, and maintenance.
• Full Send Sims – Owned and operated by Cort Schmidt, a racing simulation company that offers turnkey and custom simulators and track-side rental opportunities. See more HERE.

• Neurohealth Treatment Centers – Neurohealth specializes in cutting-edge, FDA-approved treatments like TMS (transcranial magnetic stimulation) therapy, SPRAVATO® (Esketamine), and expert psychiatric care.
• The Concours Club – The Club sets a new global standard for automotive country clubs. The private resort blends high-performance driving with impeccable service and world-class amenities, offering experiences that transcend the traditional motorsport environment.
• International Association of Directors of Law Enforcement Standards and Training (IADLEST) - IADLEST is a National Certification Program (NCP) to establish law enforcement training standards and "best practices" relating to improved professionalism and skill sets for our nation’s first responders. NCP courses are recognized nationally and designed to count towards officers' mandatory in-service training requirements.

Funding Sources

• Nova Southeastern University Quality of Life grant.
• WAWA
• We are currently seeking other sponsorship opportunities.