Chapter Red Cross collaborate on disaster mental health project

By Madelyn Miller, CSW, ACSW, Chair, Disaster Mental Health Planning Committee
(June/July 1997)

On May 30th, over 30 NASW members attended a disaster mental health planning meeting to discuss a new collaborative project between NYC-NASW and American Red Cross, Greater New York.

This cooperative venture offers social workers specific opportunities for training and volunteer participation in disaster response. Through American Red Cross training, certified social workers can become eligible to participate at local and national disaster sites as Red Cross Disaster Mental Health volunteers. Separately, and as a complement to direct disaster work, through NASW training and workshops, social workers can engage in continuing learning about the psychological impact of disaster trauma on the individual.

Three NASW workshops have been planned for the fall, on September 12, 19, and 26, 1997, Friday mornings from 9:30 to 11:30 am at the NASW office. These workshops will include: viewing disasters within the context of trauma, and using a traumatic stress framework to understand characteristic reactions to overwhelming life experience; issues of trauma and loss in relation to disasters; issues of sudden death, grief and bereavement; differentiating and universalizing a range of traumatic life experiences and their effects; looking at specialized populations regarding disaster trauma, including children, those retraumatized, survivors, families, friends, co-workers; and addressing the impact of disaster trauma work on ourselves.

Interested NASW members are invited to attend these workshops, and to call the NASW office, (212) 668-0050, to register. In addition, members are encouraged to complete American Red Cross applications for Red Cross training. To request an application call (212) 875-2322.