NCTSN Debuts 'Psychological First Aid' Protocol; New Tool Will HelpChildren Displaced By Hurricane Katrina, Other Disasters
Posted on: Thursday, 8 September 2005, 15:00 CDT
LOS ANGELES, Sept. 8 /U.S. Newswire/ -- The National Child Traumatic Stress Network (NCTSN) today released a new treatment protocol for providing "Psychological First Aid" to children and families after disasters like Hurricane Katrina.
The protocol, years in the making, is based on sound research as well as practice in the field. It can be used to help children and families after traumatic events, including natural disasters, catastrophic school violence and terrorism. It is being rushed to the field so that mental health professionals responding to Hurricane Katrina can use it to conduct triage as they assess and provide assistance to the hundreds and thousands of displaced children, stabilize traumatized children and begin to patch psychological wounds.
"Psychological First Aid is based on the same principles as physical first aid," said Alan Steinberg, PhD, NCTSN associate director, who had the lead on development of the protocols. "In the immediate aftermath of traumatic events, Psychological First Aid can reduce initial distress and foster healthy adaptive functioning."
While Psychological First Aid has immediate application with children and families displaced by Hurricane Katrina, "this methodology will be important to the nationbs ability to respond to future events," said Steinberg.
"What we learned in responding to the terrorists' attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, and a range of natural disasters nationally and internationally, absolutely influenced the development of this protocol," he said.
The materials are being shared with the American Red Cross, FEMA and many professional mental health organizations, and will be applied by the numerous NCTSN sites working with children and families displaced by Hurricane Katrina. For example:
-- NCTSN member organizations in Jackson, Miss., and Houston, Texas, will implement the Psychological First Aid protocol immediately with many of the thousands of relocated families
-- Other NCTSN member sites where displaced families are being settled or are expected, including Washington, DC, Salt Lake City, Boston and Denver, will use the protocol
-- Field trainings in Psychological First Aid are planned for mental health disaster response teams in Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas
-- The materials will be available at http://www.NCTSN.org
NCTSN experts are available for interview to talk about Psychological First Aid, children's reactions to the hurricane, services being provided to displaced children and families around the country, the September 11 anniversary and childhood traumatic grief (when the traumatic nature of a death interferes with bereavement).
The National Child Traumatic Stress Network works to improve the quality, effectiveness, and availability of services for traumatized youth. The Network includes over 50 sites and the National Center for Child Traumatic Stress, based out of UCLA Neuropsychiatric Institute and the Duke University Medical Center. The NCTSN is funded through the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.
http://www.usnewswire.com
Source: U.S. Newswire
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