Nancy Carbone is the Founder and Executive Director of Friends of Firefighters, the first independent, civilian-founded nonprofit dedicated to providing free, confidential, and culturally competent mental health and wellness services to active and retired FDNY firefighters and their families.

As a resident of Carroll Gardens, Brooklyn, Nancy founded the organization in the immediate aftermath of September 11, 2001, stepping up to address the profound, unspoken emotional burden carried by New York City's firefighters. What began as a grassroots effort quickly grew into a vital sanctuary for the fire service community.

Under Nancy’s leadership, Friends of Firefighters expanded from localized crisis assistance to a comprehensive support center.

In 2009, she spearheaded the lease and restoration of a historic 1870s firehouse in Red Hook, Brooklyn, leading approximately 400 off-duty firefighters who volunteered their time and expertise to transform the building into a trusted home for counseling, peer support, acupuncture, and family wellness programs.

By 2024, the organization was delivering over 4,200 counseling sessions annually, serving active members, retirees, spouses, and children while preserving complete confidentiality and independence from department oversight.

Nancy’s work has earned her widespread recognition across the first responder community.

She is an Honorary Battalion Chief of the New York City Fire Department and an Honorary Member of the FDNY Honor Legion.

Her honors include Humanitarian of the Year awards from the FDNY Holy Name Society, FDNY Emerald Society, the FDNY Honor Legion, FDNY Columbus Association, Medaille Für Internationale Zusammenarbeit in Silber (DFV) and the New Orleans Fire Department, as well as the Dedicated Service Award from the Uniformed Firefighters Association (UFA).

Nancy is also a graduate of the Institute for Not-for-Profit Management Executive Level Program at Columbia University Business School.

As Friends of Firefighters enters its next chapter, Nancy remains focused on securing the organization’s long-term sustainability through the Friends of Firefighters Legacy Endowment Fund and ensuring that high-quality, barrier-free mental health care remains permanently available for generations of firefighters to come.

You can reach Nancy at nancy@friendsoffirefighters.org.

Chrissy Neafsey serves as Associate Director at Friends of Firefighters, leading operational strategy, organizational development, and long-term sustainability efforts.

First introduced to the organization during Superstorm Sandy relief efforts in Rockaway Beach, Chrissy spent over a decade as an active volunteer before stepping into executive leadership.

She brings 20 years of corporate experience as a global HR Business Partner and organizational psychology practitioner, specializing in high-performing team design, culture, and scalable systems.

An entrepreneur focused on veteran and first responder mental health and financial wellness initiatives, Chrissy co-founded Invest in First Responders to bridge the gap between corporate social responsibility capital and first responder led organizations. Her career combines high-level business strategy with a deeply personal commitment to the frontline community. Coming from a multi-generational service family, she is married to Kevin Neafsey, a retired 20-year first responder for the City of New York serving with both the NYPD (Midtown South & 10th Precinct) and FDNY (E251 & E45).

In her role as Associate Director, Chrissy is rebuilding the organization’s operational infrastructure to support its next era of growth:

• Expanding the Aaron Clark Peer Support Team

• Growing annual operational capacity and securing long-term facility stability,

• And fully funding the Friends of Firefighters Legacy Endowment Fund to guarantee permanent, free mental health care for firefighters and their families.

You can reach Chrissy at Chrissy.Neafsey@friendsoffirefighters.org

Julie Smith brings a unique combination of non-profit leadership and hospitality experience to Friends of Firefighters.

Prior to joining the team, she spent nearly ten years in non-profit operations and historic preservation with the Classical American Homes Preservation Trust and The Richard Hampton Jenrette Foundation. Her background in preservation gives her a natural connection to the history and character of our Red Hook firehouse headquarters.

In addition to her administrative expertise, Julie holds an artistic background focused in large-format painting, making her pivotal in building our firefighter art therapy vertical and developing our frontline artist community.

Julie holds a deep respect for the FDNY, grounded in personal connections with family members and close friends who have dedicated their lives to the fire service. Understanding the unique demands, traditions, and sacrifices of first responders, she is committed to supporting the mental health, operational wellness, and family support systems that sustain our community.

Before joining the team full-time, Julie volunteered with FoF for over two months prior to joining the team on a full time basis in Dec 2025.  

As Community & Donor Engagement Manager, she oversees firehouse events, volunteer coordination, and outreach programs—including our monthly “On The Arm” events and creative wellness workshops—to strengthen support across active members, retirees, and their families.

You can reach Julie at Julie.Smith@friendsoffirefighters.org

Dr. Richelle Nelson is an accomplished Licensed Mental Health Counselor Doctorate (LMHC-D), Approved Clinical Supervisor (ACS), and Senior Clinician at Friends of Firefighters, bringing extensive clinical leadership and specialized expertise in trauma-informed first responder mental health.

Since joining Friends of Firefighters in November 2021, Dr. Nelson has served as a vital anchor of our clinical operations, overseeing clinical supervision, crisis intervention protocols, routine chart audits, and direct trauma-informed therapy for active and retired FDNY firefighters and their families. In her direct practice, she utilizes evidence-based Person-Centered Therapy and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) specifically tailored for cumulative operational stress, 9/11-related trauma, substance use assessments, and family wellness.

Beyond client care, Dr. Nelson strengthens our internal framework by mentoring licensed and provisionally licensed therapists, guiding weekly group supervision on complex cases, managing crisis risk assessments, and analyzing operational metrics to optimize clinical placements.

Dr. Nelson’s impact also extends nationally through her service as Senior Clinician for Friends of Firefighters’ FEMA-backed expansion program in Biloxi, Mississippi, where she delivered trauma therapy, psychoeducational workshops, and peer support implementation training across the Gulf Coast. Academically, she earned her PhD in Counselor Education and Supervision from Capella University, focusing her dissertation research on the professional identity development of counselors-in-training, following a Master’s degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling and a Bachelor’s degree from Molloy College. A published scholar and frequent speaker, she authored the chapter “Cultural competency training” in Systemic Perspectives in First Responder Mental Health (Routledge) and presents across union and academic settings on critical topics such as “Suicide in the Fire Services” and “The Bravest Children”.

Dr. Nelson is a National Certified Counselor (NCC), Board Certified Tele-Mental Health Provider (BC-TMH), and holds specialized certifications in Disaster Response and Psychological First Aid.

Grounded in a deep personal connection to the emergency services community, she has served as an active member of the North Bellmore Fire Department Ladies Auxiliary Company No. 1 since 1992 and as President of Davine Possibilities, Inc., fully embodying the lifelong dedication to community and service that defines the Friends of Firefighters mission.

Richelle can be reached at Richelle.Nelson@friendsoffirefighters.org.

Jesse Murphy, MSW, serves as Counselor and Liaison at Friends of Firefighters, bringing a unique blend of decorated first responder service, clinical expertise, and private enterprise experience to our mental health and wellness team.

A decorated former FDNY Firefighter awarded both the 9/11 First Responder Medal and a Class B Medal for Bravery, as well as a former NYPD Police Officer serving across Patrol, Anti-Crime, and the Organized Crime Control Bureau, Jesse possesses rare, firsthand cultural competency across both law enforcement and the fire service.

This lived experience enables him to establish immediate trust, dismantle mental health stigma, and deliver deeply empathetic, trauma-informed care to active and retired members and their families.

Jesse earned his Master of Social Work from Touro College Graduate School of Social Work—where he completed a Touro Military Fellowship—alongside a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology with a minor in substance abuse from Argosy University, and holds Primary and Advanced Practicum Certificates in Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT).

His clinical background includes serving as a Substance Use Specialist II with the Institute for Community Living's East Brooklyn ACT Team and completing specialized training at the Samaritan Daytop Village Veterans Program, focusing on Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Motivational Interviewing (MI), and addiction recovery.

Complementing his clinical credentials, Jesse has operated as Owner and President of New York City Coin Corporation since 2005, bringing valuable business administration, financial oversight, and organizational management to his work.

In his dual role at Friends of Firefighters, Jesse provides direct individual and group therapy while leading external liaison efforts with veteran and first responder partner organizations, helping expand our peer support framework and ensuring our wellness programs remain grounded in cultural authenticity and long-term resilience.

You can reach Jesse at Jesse.Murphy@friendsoffirefighters.org

Kristina Stines, MSEd, BCC, serves as a Counselor at Friends of Firefighters, bringing a rich synthesis of school counseling experience, executive coaching credentials, and deep personal roots as the daughter of a former FDNY Firefighter.

Her firsthand understanding of firehouse culture anchors her commitment to helping first responders and their families heal trauma, cultivate emotional resilience, and navigate complex life transitions.

Kristina holds a Master of Science in Education in School Counseling from Hunter College (CUNY), is completing her Certificate of Advanced Study (CAS) in Mental Health Counseling at Alfred University, and earned her Bachelor of Science from the Fashion Institute of Technology (SUNY).

A Board Certified Coach (BCC) and Certified Life Coach (CLC), she specializes in Executive & Business Coaching, Career Development, and Relationship Coaching.

In her work with couples and families, Kristina incorporates evidence-based relational frameworks—including Imago Dialogue, Gottman’s Sound Relationship House, Love Maps, and Chapman’s 5 Love Languages—to foster communication, repair conflict, and restore connection.

Her extensive clinical background includes years as a New York City School Counselor across elementary and high school environments—including LaGuardia Arts High School—delivering individual, group, and crisis intervention counseling covering bereavement, trauma, stress management, substance use, and family dynamics.

At Friends of Firefighters, Kristina integrates her expertise in life coaching, career development, and trauma-informed counseling to provide holistic, culturally competent care that empowers New York City's Bravest and their families to thrive.

Donna Leiblein, LCSW, CASAC-MC, serves as a Counselor at Friends of Firefighters, bringing a highly specialized clinical skillset and extensive experience in acute behavioral health and substance use intervention to our mental health and wellness team.

Holding a Master of Social Work (MSW), Donna is both a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and a Master Level Credentialed Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Counselor, equipping her with advanced expertise to support active and retired FDNY members and their families facing cumulative operational trauma and addiction-related challenges.

Her robust clinical background includes extensive experience as an Emergency Room Behavioral Health Social Worker and Acute Adult Inpatient Psychiatry Specialist—environments where rapid assessment, crisis stabilization, and acute stress regulation are paramount.

At Friends of Firefighters, Donna integrates evidence-based modalities tailored specifically to the unique culture of the fire service, utilizing Screening, Brief Intervention, and Referral for Treatment (SBIRT) for rapid, non-stigmatizing substance use identification, as well as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) to restructure maladaptive cognitive patterns stemming from chronic line-of-duty stress.

Additionally, she deploys Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) skills for acute stress tolerance and emotion regulation, alongside Motivational Interviewing to resolve ambivalence and foster intrinsic engagement in long-term recovery and wellness programming.

Through her trauma-informed approach, acute psychiatric background, and commitment to total confidentiality, Donna strengthens our clinical capacity, ensuring New York City's Bravest and their loved ones receive responsive, dignified, and culturally competent care.