Eugene F. Augusterfer

Eugene F. Augusterfer is the Deputy Director and Director of Telemedicine at the Harvard Program in Refugee Trauma (HPRT).

His training includes Psychology, B.S., Clinical Social Work, MSW (Social Science National Honor Society), Developmental Psychology, Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy, Group Psychotherapy, and Systems Theory and Practice (MIT). He has been a lecturer at Georgetown University School of Public Health, and co-founder and co-leader of the World Bank Mental Health and Psychosocial Working Group, a senior advisor to the World Economic Forum, Wellness Initiative, and the United Nations Development Programme on disaster response. He is a former U.S. Air Force Mental Health Officer where he designed, developed, implemented programs in mental health, substance abuse, and integrated mental health and primary care programs. He was a team leader in the development of the DOD Family Support Center Program. As an expert in post-disaster mental health care, he has on-site experience in Haiti, Japan, Lebanon (during the Syrian war), Italy (post-earthquakes), and domestically, New Orleans, post Hurricane Katrina, the Pentagon, post September 11, 2001, terror attacks. He is currently providing consultation and support to two active programs in Ukraine with a focus on mental health best practices in an active combat setting. He has not only developed, implemented, and directed programs, he has supervised and mentored mental health and humanitarian workers, and he has performed direct clinical care to those who have suffered significant trauma.

He has presented papers at numerous national and international meetings, has published a number of peer reviewed journal articles, several books, and has served as a peer reviewer for journals. His peer reviewed publications include: Mollica RF, Fernando DB, Augusterfer EF, Beyond Burnout: Responding to the COVID-19 Challenges to Self-care, Current Psychiatry Reports, (2021), Augusterfer EF, O’Neal CR, Martin SW, Sheikh TL, Mollica RF, The Role of Telemental Health, Tele-consultation, and Tele-supervision in Post-disaster in Low-resource Settings, Current Psychiatry Reports, 2020, Augusterfer EF, Mollica RF, Lavelle J, Leveraging Technology in Post-Disaster Settings: The Role of Digital Health/Telemental Health, Current Psychiatry Reports, 2018, Augusterfer EF, Mollica RF, Lavelle J., A review of telemental health in international and post-disaster settings, International Review of Psychiatry, 2015, Brooks E, Turvey C, Augusterfer EF. Provider barriers to telemental health: obstacles overcome, obstacles remaining, Journal of Telemedicine and E Health, 2013, and Osman OT, Augusterfer EF, Telepsychiatry, Academic Psychiatry, 2012. He has been a peer reviewer for the following journals: International Journal of Psychiatry in Clinical Practice, Psychiatric Research in Clinical Practice, International Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction, Journal of Telemedicine and Telecare, Journal of Telemedicine and eHealth, Psychiatric Services, and the Journal of Clinical Psychiatry, Circle of Honor.

He has held teaching positions at Harvard Medical School (HPRT) and Georgetown University (Public Health).