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Learning From The Past and Planning For The Future
MENTAL HEALTH MOMENT August 16, 2002 "Nothing in life just happens. You have to have the stamina to meet the obstacles and overcome them." - Golda Meir
Short Subjects
LINKS Mental Health Moment Online CONFERENCES AND WORKSHOPS:
Seventh World Congress
on Stress, Trauma & Coping,
"Crisis Intervention in Baltimore, MD
a Changing World"
February 12-16, 2003
Call For Papers:
http://www.icisf.org/cfp.pdf Deadline: September 3, 2002
Proposal Form:
http://www.icisf.org/ presentation%20proposal%20form.docFifth Annual Innovations in Disaster Psychology Conference
"Psychosocial Reactions to Terrorist Attacks"
Sept. 29-Oct 1
Location: Radisson Hotel
Rapid City, South Dakota
4th World Congress on Stress
September 12-15, 2002
Edinburgh, Scotland
UNITED KINGDOM
Contact: Northern Networking Ltd
1 Tennant Avenue
College Milton South
East Kilbride, Glasgow G74 5NA
Scotland, UK
Tel: 44 (0) 1355 244966
Fax: 44 (0) 1355 249959
E-mail:
stress@
glasconf.demon.co.uk89th International Conference:
Stress and Depression
October 20, 2002
Milan, ITALY
Contact:
Istituto di Psicologia
Clinica Rocca-Stendoro
Corso Concordia 14
Milan 20129, Italy
Tel/Fax: 39-02-782627
E-mail: ist.roccastendoro@libero.itTENTH ANNUAL
SANTA FE SYMPOSIA
nine different weekend symposia
on a variety of mental
health topics.
October 11-27, 2002
Faculty includes:
Institute for Meditation &
Psychotherapy: Bill O'Hanlon,
Donald Meichenbaum,
Peter Tanguay and others.
For more information
and a brochure, contact:
New England
Educational Institute
92 Elm Street APA502
Pittsfield, MA 01202
Tel: (413) 499-1489
Fax (413) 499-6584
E-mail: educate@neei.org; Web: www.neei.org27th Congress of the World Federation
for Mental Health
Melbourne, AUSTRALIA
February 21-26, 2003
Contact:
ICMS Pty Ltd (Congress Secretariat)
84 Queensbridge Street
Southbank VIC 3006, Australia
Tel: 61 3 9682 0244
Fax: 61 3 9682 0288
E-mail: wfmh2003@icms.com.au
KEEP FOOD SAFETY IN MIND WHEN POWER GOES OUT
When bad weather or other emergencies knock out a home's power supply for hours or days, a Penn State Cooperative Extension nutrition and food-safety specialist says homeowners shouldn't be in the dark about food safety. "When the power goes off for an hour or two, you don't have to worry about food safety," says Cathy Guffey, extension agent in Bradford County. "As long as you don't leave the freezer or refrigerator door open or open the door often, your food supply should be safe." For longer outages, Guffey suggests some tips for the well-prepared homeowner--buy thermometers to track temperatures in both the refrigerator and freezer; and add dry ice to a freezer or block ice to a refrigerator to temporarily stabilize temperatures. For the full story by Gary Abdullah, visit http://aginfo.psu.edu/News/july02/power.html
JET CONTRAILS ALTER AVERAGE DAILY TEMPERATURE RANGE
When the Federal Aviation Administration grounded commercial aircraft in the U.S. for three days after Sept. 11, scientists at Penn State and the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater got a rare glimpse of the climate effects of jet contrails. An examination of the high and low temperatures recorded throughout the country and of satellite photos taken during that time revealed an anomalous increase in the average difference between the nighttime low temperature and the daytime high temperature. Because persisting contrails can reduce the transfer of both incoming solar and outgoing infrared radiation, and so reduce the daily temperature range, the experts attribute at least a portion of this anomaly to the absence of contrails. The researchers published their findings in the Aug. 8 issue of the journal Nature. For the full story by A'ndrea Elyse Messer, visit http://www.psu.edu/ur/2002/jetcontrails.html
Anniversary Of World Trade Center Attacks Brings New Emphasis On Crisis Counseling For New Yorkers
As New Yorkers prepare to observe the one-year anniversary of the World Trade Center attacks, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is helping address the community's emotional needs through its funding of New York State's Project Liberty program.
Federal Disaster Funds Authorized For Northern Mariana Islands Typhoon Recovery
The head of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) announced August 14th that federal disaster funds have been made available for the Northern Mariana Islands to help local governments on the island of Rota recover from the effects of Typhoon Chata'an.
USFA Addresses Frequently Asked Questions
Fire departments often contact the U.S. Fire Administration (USFA) with similar questions about their application and the process of issuing decisions for their grant requests. In an effort to be responsive to fire departments, and at the same time reduce the resulting staff time needed to respond to inquiries, the USFA is releasing this list of the frequently asked questions. Since USFA staff cannot provide specific information on each of these application decisions, these questions and answers are presented as generic information.
Deadly South America Cold Prompts Emergency Response
Low-income, rural populations in Peru and Bolivia are struggling to survive a cold front that has put parts of South America under a deadly freeze, killing at least 59 people.
Tropical storm and hurricane prediction will probably never be an exact science, but the reasons for storm formation are well understood by the scientific community. There are several "ingredients" that, when mixed together for the right amount of time - and under the right conditions - lead to a hurricane, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association (NOAA).
MEDLINE ABSTRACTS: BEHAVIORAL AND PSYCHOLOGICAL SYMPTOMS OF DEMENTIA
What's new concerning costs and management of behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia? Medscape Neurology & Neurosurgery 4(2) 2002
NEW RECOMMENDATIONS FOR DEPRESSION SCREENING
Evidence suggests that screening for depression in primary care practices can improve clinical outcomes in patients. Journal Watch 1(3) 2002
With the recent completion of the Human Genome Project, it seems probable that new findings in genetics will shape medicine in the 21st century in ways that we can only imagine.
Inflammatory Processes in Mental Health
Major depression has been associated with many abnormalities in cytokines, including elevated prostaglandin E2 (PGE2), IL-1, soluble IL-1 receptor antagonist, IL-2, IL-6, and IFN-gamma. The Th1-Th2 paradigm may also have relevance to the pathophysiology of schizophrenia. Alzheimers Disease (AD) has probably the best known literature on inflammatory processes related to pathophysiology. Early studies showed that levels of IL-1, IL-6, and TNF are elevated in both the serum and brain extracts of patients with AD.
AN EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS MODEL
In order to meet the needs of people affected by a disaster, it is necessary to have an emergency plan that is well structured and ready to be implemented at any time. Disasters and tragedies cannot be foreseen. However, they happen and it is important to react effectively. Any emergency plan must be operational.
An emergency plan consists of a master plan which determines the steps to be taken to optimize the mental health response in the event of a disaster. It explores the different possibilities for intervention with the community.
This master plan should provide first of all, for the designation of a mental health services coordinator in the context of emergency services.
It is suggested in the specialized literature that this person not participate directly at the time of the intervention (Titchner, 1982), in order that he/she maintain a certain objectivity and control over the activities.
The many urgent tasks that must be carried out simultaneously at the time of a disaster and afterwards require a basic team to be involved right from the planning stage.
There are many advantages in doing this planning as a group, including that of beginning to develop a team spirit that will last over the course of the intervention. Following are some elements that should be included in an emergency mental health intervention plan:
* an on-call system that will permit any responder to reach the mental health team at any time;* an internal organizational chart showing the responsibilities of each person in the event of a disaster;
* a call list system (telephone tree);
* internal directives on the use of communications equipment;
* an inventory of public and private resources that can be used by the mental health team and memorandums of understanding established among them;
* a formal structure for the reception and coordination of offers of mental health assistance by organizations that wish to provide assistance;
* a method of very quickly identifying clients who are likely, because of their physical or psychological state, to be more vulnerable in the event of a disaster;
* the organization of a telephone listening service to provide information and psychological support for the disaster victims;
* instructions for establishing contact with the disaster victims;
* a standard outline for an information session provided by the mental health team for the community;
* program elements for a verbalization session on the event for the disaster victims and responders;
* the elements of a specific short-term follow-up program for individuals or groups;
* an activity for the re-evaluation of the needs of the disaster victims in order to establish if there is a need to offer a program for returning to normal life;
* directives with regard to relations with the media.
The emergency plan will be a useful instrument in the event of a disaster, and may, of course, be adapted to the specific circumstances of the event.
ORGANIZATION OF EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS
In the area of emergency preparedness, local authorities, concerned for the security of their citizens and in keeping with their responsibilities, should, by a local resolution, create an emergency preparedness committee. This committee could be made up of mental health professionals, representatives of citizens and businesses, as well as persons from outside, especially from the fields of health and social services. The primary mandate of such a committee should be to prepare and recommend to the authorities an emergency preparedness plan. This plan should include all the measures and activities of the municipality or governmental entity whose purpose is to avoid the occurrence of a disaster or a dangerous situation. Its aim should be to ensure the protection of individuals, the preservation of property and the return to normal life. Moreover, in order to ensure the execution of the plan, these same authorities should provide for an appropriate organizational structure.
Each department and/or organization participating in the organization of emergency preparedness measures should develop and set up an emergency structure and allocate to it the human and material resources required. Such an emergency measures plan which identifies hazards should be flexible and permit the rapid mobilization of personnel, both locally and at state and national levels.
Once developed, the department's emergency measures plans should form a larger plan in which resources, roles and interventions are clearly articulated. The suggested model favors interdepartmental action which precisely takes into account the importance of coordination.
The following is proposed as a model. The goal of coordination will be to establish the contribution of each partner in accordance with the needs created by the event and to integrate all of these activities into a coherent whole. The structure of the organization of local emergency preparedness suggested includes four roles: decision making, coordination, direction and execution.
Goals
The goals of the emergency plan should be:
* to provide for the coordination and dispensing of physical health services, mental health services, social services, and services related to public health before, during and after a disaster.
* to ensure that all communities are covered by an emergency measures plan for health, mental health and social services. The aim of these measures is:
~ to preserve, as far as possible, the life and health of the population endangered by the actual or apprehended action of destructive elements;
~ to provide the care required to persons;
~ to minimize the psychological and social impacts through appropriate services.
Responsibilities
The following tasks can be the responsibility of the committee:
* to develop and keep up-to-date a local emergency health, mental health and social services plan;
* to provide support in the development and updating of regional plans, and to ensure that they are carried out;
* to apply the government policy on communications in emergency situations;
* to coordinate the physical health, public health, mental health and communications response when a disaster affects more than one region;
* to ensure that the communication role is filled at the appropriate level; to support or replace according to the needs identified;
* to coordinate participation in local, state and national activities;
* to ensure the updating of knowledge and expertise by maintaining relations with the main bodies concerned on both the international and national levels;
* to develop local support and expert resources in order to permit communities, in particular:
~ to identify health problems and mental health problems and hazards to the health of the community;
~ to provide the authorities with appropriate recommendations in the areas of public health and mental health;
* to determine the training needs and develop programs, tools, and teaching materials;
* to ensure the training of local and state instructors;
* to develop a 24-hour-a-day response system for the areas covered;
* to participate in the local community emergency planning committee and its task forces;
* to determine, in cooperation with appropriate emergency planning groups, the financial framework for the planning of emergency measures;
* to evaluate the effectiveness of operations.
Responsibilities of Emergency preparedness Committee
* to develop and update the plans for emergency health, mental health and social services, determining which institutions, organizations and resources should be involved;
* to maintain links among the different institutions and organizations involved in emergency health, mental health and social services working in their respective areas;
* to assist the institutions, organizations and other resources in the planning of their emergency measures in the event of a disaster;
* to coordinate the physical health, public health, mental health, social services, and communication services response when a disaster occurs;
* to take responsibility for the communications role assigned in line with the policies on communications in emergency situations;
* to develop and coordinate regional and state resources;
* to coordinate participation in local and state activities;
* to participate in the emergency services committees and their task forces;
* to determine training needs in cooperation with its partners of the network;
* to develop a statewide instructors' network;
* to coordinate and organize statewide training;
* to develop a statewide warning sysatem;
* to evaluate the effectiveness of emergency plans.
Each state emergency committee should, in cooperation with the institutions of the network, determine, for each of the communities in the state, which is the best resource to provide emergency services in physical health, public health, mental health, and social services.
Decision Making
This involves the ultimate decision-making power on any important question concerning the governmental entity in the area of disasters and emergency measures. The Emergency Operations Center should be in direct contact with each organization/department and should keep them informed during the application of emergency preparedness measures. The specified mental health coordinator should also participate in the decision making by advising on the cooperation required in the circumstances.
It is also at this stage that relations with the media and with governmental authorities are established. This role is the responsibility of the elected municipal officials, that is, the mayor and members of the local city council or other local governmental body.
Coordination
Coordination should be the responsibility of various department coordinators. Its make-up may vary according to the emergency situation. The mental health coordinator should advise and inform the emergency coordinator or governmental entity about the measures to be taken and the resources to be mobilized in the event of an emergency.
Coordination is very important since it involves seeing to the application of the emergency measures plan, evaluating the overall disaster situation, obtaining the additional resources required for the emergency measures, and communicating decisions to the political authorities.
Direction
Each department or organization must carry out the functions stipulated in their plan and that are agreed upon by the emergency planning committee.
The overall management of the activities of the various services is part of this role. There should be a direct and constant link between the persons responsible for coordination and execution, in order to ensure the effectiveness of the intervention. For activities being carried out on the disaster site, these roles should be the responsibility of the operations director. For all activities outside the disaster site, they should be the responsibility of the service managers.
Execution
Any action decided upon and ratified by the emergency planning committee should be carried out on the site of the emergency by the mental health teams assigned.
The mental health team coordinator should inform the emergency services coordinator of the progress of events, the problems encountered and the resources required to manage the intervention.
On the disaster site or outside it, each responder should be responsible for the execution of the operations in his/her specific area. Emergency services are provided for disaster victims and assistance given to the other emergency responders as part of this role. It is the coordinator of mental health services who should report on the situation to the director of operations. There should also be cooperation between the local manager and the coordinator at a disaster site with respect to any question involving expertise in their specific sector.
Summary
In summary, the organization of emergency preparedness measures should be the instrument provided by the emergency services committee to ensure that there is coherent and effective intervention in the event of an emergency.
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REFERENCES Titchner, James (22-24 Oct 1982). Psychological response to disaster and trauma. Expose presente au 3e colloque national sur les facteurs psychosociaux en medecine d'urgence.
Mangelsdorf, A.D. (1985). Lessons learned and forgotten: The need for prevention and mental health interventions in disaster preparedness. Journal of Community Psychology, 13: 239-257.
To search for books on disasters and disaster mental
health topics, emergency preparedness, disaster response
organizations, crisis intervention, response to crises,
and related topics and purchase them online, go to the following url:
https://www.angelfire.com/biz/odochartaigh/searchbooks.html
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Contact your local Mental Health Center or
check the yellow pages for counselors, psychologists,
therapists, and other Mental health Professionals in
your area for further information.
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George W. Doherty
O'Dochartaigh Associates
Box 786
Laramie, WY 82073-0786
MENTAL HEALTH MOMENT Online: https://www.angelfire.com/biz3/news
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