Susan Sabor, founder and principal of SES Management Consulting, has a record of success in emergency preparedness and crisis management. She is a recognized expert in crisis response and recovery, risk management (from a personnel and productivity perspective), and has a proven ability to facilitate organizational change in response to rapidly changing worksite needs. Her experience includes senior management positions and independent consulting for public, not-for-profit, human services, health care organizations, airlines and foundations.
As the Director of Mental Health and Health Services Long Term Recovery Project for the American Red Cross in Greater New York, Susan created and implemented a unique $100+ million, five year plan for the provision of mental health and health services to deal with the aftermath of the 9/11 disaster. She was responsible for hiring professional and support staff to transition the services from disaster relief to long term care; defining start- up policies and procedures; and coordinating unprecedented efforts to ensure the seamless provision of services to the victims of 9/11, their families, emergency responders, displaced residents and those economically impacted.
Susan served as Director of the Employee Assistance/Trauma Intervention Programs for Health and Hospitals Corporation (HHC) in New York City. During her tenure, she initiated, designed, implemented and managed all aspects of the services including consultation, training, counseling, crisis management and psychological trauma services for HHCÕs Central Office and New York CityÕs Emergency Medical Service (EMS) employees and their families. This was the first comprehensive state-of-the-art trauma program for emergency personnel in NYC, which became a model in the greater NYC metropolitan area. Susan participated in two specific studies analyzing the EMS work environments and developed responsive services that were proven to reduce racial tensions, workplace violence, and suicide proneness. She further served as the primary internal consultant for HHCÕs successful organizational change efforts, particularly a major downsizing and no-fault termination, and the merger of EMS and the Fire Department of New York.
Susan developed and maintained a long term consulting association with Virgin Atlantic Airways, where she planned and implemented comprehensive workplace crisis management programs nationwide and at the London headquarters, including those for reducing occupational stress, trauma debriefing and the establishment of co-worker/peer support programs. She was instrumental in developing all of the related policies and procedures, and provided intensive consultation and direct clinical intervention to individual employees and departments as warranted by the event severity. Days off were reduced, productivity remained undamaged or quickly resumed its normal level, the sense of emotional safety and well-being at the worksite grew. Susan also served as mediator in situations of employee/supervisory conflict, and provided individual employee and organization career transition services for the re-locating administrative/operations office.
A NYS licensed social worker, Susan received an MS in Social Work from Columbia University School of Social Work, an MA in Psychology from the New School for Social Research, and did her undergraduate training in Psychology at the University of Chicago. Susan is a certified trainer for the International Critical Incident Stress Foundation and a member of the Academy of Certified Social Workers.
