ROCKY MOUNTAIN REGION DISASTER MENTAL HEALTH NEWSLETTER
Learning From The Past and Planning For The Future
MENTAL HEALTH MOMENT
August 3, 2001
"Experience is the worst teacher; it gives the test before presenting the lesson"
- Vernon Law
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September 25: 36th Annual Conference of the Australian Psychological Society (APS),
Adelaide, Australia
The theme is "Adelaide 2001: A psychological odyssey". APS seeks to explore the diversity
of psychology and its latest developments and benefits to the community at large.
Contact: Conference Team, Australian Psychological Society, 1 Grattan St.,
Carlton VIC 3053, Australia; 61 3 8662 3300; fax: 61 3 9663 6177
EMAIL: confer@psychsociety.com.au
Web Site: http://www.aps.psychsociety.com.au
* * * * * * * * * *
The Red Cross Disaster Mental Health Services-I (DMHS-I) course will
be offered in Casper, WY on Friday-Saturday, September 14-15, 2001.
If you want to take this course as a Disaster Mental Health
Professional, please send an email for further details on how to
register to: larlion@callatherapist.com The enrollment is limited to 20
participants. APA has approved this course for 12 CEUs. Other
mental health professions have also approved it for continuing
education.
* * * * * * * * * *
CRITICAL INCIDENT STRESS WORKSHOP sponsored by The University of Wyoming Counseling Center
and The Rocky Mountain Region Disaster Mental Health Institute will be held in Laramie, WY
on November 16, 17, 2001. There will be two workshops. One will be in Basic Critical Incident
Stress Management (CISM) on 11/16-11/17 and will be a certification course taught by
International Critical Incident Stress Foundation (ICISF) certified trainers. The Advanced
Issues in Critical Incident Stress Debriefing will be taught by U.S. Navy Psychologist
CDR Bryce Lefever, PhD, ABPP. Enrollment in both workshops is limited. There is an early bird
registration period. If you wish to receive a printed brochure, please email:
larlion@callatherapist.com with your name and mailing address.
Online Brochure can be accessed at: https://www.angelfire.com/biz3/news/cismuw.html
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CRITICAL INCIDENT STRESS DEBRIEFING WITH YOUNG PEOPLE
In addition to presenting some guidelines for group leaders, there are three suggested
models that CISD sessions can take. They are aimed at young people and can work well for
class groups:
* a news bulletin
* a group newspaper
* a "speaking out" exercise
NEWS BULLETIN
* Activity for children 10-12 years of age
GOAL
To encourage young people to express themselves regarding the event.
NUMBER OF PARTICIPANTS
Class size.
DURATION OF ACTIVITY
Allow one hour for presentation.
ROLE OF PERSON LEADING ACTIVITY
At this stage, the leader's role is to explain the exercise and ensure that the instructions
are properly understood by the young people.
* Preparation of Work Teams
The young people are invited to form work teams made up of four or five people.
MANDATE OF WORK TEAMS
Each work team prepares a news report and an interview, which will be presented as a
news bulletin, in front of the class.
INSTRUCTIONS GIVEN TO TEAMS
Each group decides who will be the person who reads the news, the reporter, the illustrator,
the researcher, and the person interviewed.
* For the News Bulletin
YOU MUST:
* collect the information on the event;
* cut information out of newspapers;
* share information with friends regarding:
- what you saw of the event;
- what you have heard people say about the event;
- what you saw and heard on television;
- what your parents told you;
* decide together what information is important for the purposes of the news bulletin;
* write a page of news that reflects the main idea in the information you retained.
The news report presents what happened.
* make a drawing or glue newspaper articles to a piece of cardboard (These images will
be used for the news bulletin.);
* present a five-minute report in which time is allowed for te reporter to do his/her
interview.
For the Interview
YOU MUST:
* prepare a series of questions to:
- gather impressions;
- determine how the event was experienced;
- determine what was done;
- ascertain whether important things were lost;
- find out what people think now.
* glue newspaper articles to a piece of cardboard, or draw a picture on it (can be used
when you present the interview);
* do a three-minute interview.
PREPARATION TIME
Two hours of work, spread over two days, so the children may check with those around them
regarding the information they plan to present.
SUGGESTED MATERIALS
You can make a television screen out of a big cardboard box, or you can use a closed circuit
video system.
STRUCTURE OF ACTIVITY
The leader introduces the work teams in turn and asks them to present their news bulletin.
The leader can play the role of program director. The class is the audience.
The leader may be assisted by observers during this activity. It is important that special
attention be paid to the messages conveyed by te young people, to the emotions they have
experienced and are expressing.
At the end of the activity, the leader summarizes the messages and the perceptions regarding
the event and provides information regarding normalization of reactions.
The whole activity concludes with the decision to organize an activity that demonstrates
solidarity.
FOLLOW-UP TO ACTIVITY.
The leader may make referrals to professionals or follow-up on young people who express a
need for assistance or show signs of distress.
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GROUP NEWSPAPER
* Activity for adolescents 13-14 years of age
GOAL
To encourage adolescents to express themselves about the event, while developing peer
assistance.
NUMBER OF PARTICIPANTS
Class size (first year of secondary school).
PREPARATION OF WORK TEAMS
Formation of 4 work teams.
The adolescents are asked to form work teams on the basis of their skills (writing, meeting
with other people, drawing).
MANDATE OF WORK TEAMS
The adolescents are to prepare a group newspaper.
Each work team prepares one part of the newspaper:
* report on event...team of reporters;
* interviews regarding event...team of journalists;
* photos relating to event...teams of photographers;
* editing of newspaper...editing team.
LEADER'S ROLE
The leader's role is to enable the adolescents to produce their group newspaper.
During the preparation for this activity, the leader must ensure that the instructions are
properly understood. The leader must go around to the different teams to check the work of
each.
In this situation, the leader plays the role of editor-in-chief of the newspaper and gives
the class the impression of being in a press room.
The leader may help the adolescents find contacts for their interviews or, if necessary, allow
him/herself to be interviewed.
PREPARATION TIME
Two hours, spread over two days, for preparation of the pages. One hour working together for
the final putting together of the newspaper.
SUGGESTED MATERIALS
Newspapers, boxes, drawing paper, big sheets of paper, felt pens, glue. Typewriter, computer,
camera and photocopier may be useful, if available.
* Instructions to Work Teams
TEAM OF REPORTERS
You are to prepare the news page on the event. The following are some suggestions that may
help you. The news page tells what happened. For this purpose:
* gather together information on the event;
~ cut information out of newspapers;
~ share information with your friends on:
- what you saw and heard during the event, what you have heard people around you say,
and what has been said in the media;
* decide together what information is important;
* write a page of news that reflects the main ideas and the information that you and
your friends have put together;
* as a team, decide on the title for the report.
TEAM OF JOURNALISTS
You are to prepare the page containing the interviews. Here is some advice to help you prepare:
* as a team, specify how many interviews will be done;
* identify the people who will be interviewed;
* check with these people to make sure that they are willing to answer your questions;
* determine who will ask the questions and who will take notes.
Prepare a series of questions for the persons to be interviewed, in order to:
* gather their impressions;
* find out how they experienced the event;
* find out what they did during and immediately following the event;
* find out what losses they suffered;
* determine what they think about the event now.
Write up the inteviews from the notes and from memory.
Find a title and present each interview if necessary.
TEAM OF PHOTOGRAPHERS AND ILLUSTRATORS
You are to prepare the visual elements used in your newspaper: cover photo, drawings,
caricatures, charts, etc.
Here is some advice to help you prepare:
* gather as many photos of the event as possible (from newspapers, magazines, etc.);
* select the photos needed to illustrate the reports and interviews;
* if necessary, accompany the journalists and reporters to take your own photos (note
down what you have photographed);
* write a short text to be inserted below the photo (caption).
TEAM OF EDITORS
You are to prepare a series of statements, comments and opinions that will appear on the
editorial page. Here is some advice to help you prepare:
* as a team, list the subjects to be written about in connection with the event;
* divide among yourselves the subjects you have chosen;
* write your texts;
* as a team, chose the titles for your articles.
PUTTING TOGETHER THE GROUP NEWSPAPER
STRUCTURE
1. Results of Research.
First of all, the person leading the activity asks each of the teams to present the
results of their work.
2. Final Step: Layout
The newspaper is given a name and the articles for the front page are chosen
The class puts together each page of the newspaper, using the texts and the visual
material. Use one size of paper.
If you use 11" x 17" paper, you can create a newspaper with an 8.5" x 11" format.
However, you have to be careful to arrange the pages properly on these sheets
(assembling 8 and 1, 2 and 7, 6 and 3, and 4 and 5 together will provide eight
continuous pages of continuous reading).
3. Distribution to Readers
If the team so wishes, a photocopier can be used to make each participant a copy of the
newspaper.
If the group so wishes, steps can be taken to make this group newspaper known to others.
______________________________________________________________________________
SPEAKING OUT
GOAL
To enable adolescent (13 to 17 years of age) to express the emotional reactions they
experienced individually and as a group following the event.
NUMBER OF PARTICIPANTS
To facilitate interaction and enable each participant to speak out, there must be twenty
to thirty adolescents in the group.
DURATION OF ACTIVITY
It will take an hour and a half to cover all the subjects for discussion.
ORGANIZATION
It is important that the habits and schedules of the adolescents be taken into account
when setting a time and place for the activity. The participants commit themselves to
staying for the entire session, in order to avoid having people coming and going from
the room.
ATTITUDES TO BE ADOPTED BY LEADER
An open mind is essential to encourage people to express the emotions they experienced.
All experiences are important.
STRUCTURE
* What is said must remain confidential.
* Present the objectives of the activity.
* Explain how the "Speaking Out" session will be conducted.
* Present the subject for discussion before asking your questions.
* Choose the questions that seem most relevant to the group with which you are meeting.
* Summarize what has been said (feelings, ideas, comments) before going on to the next
subject.
SUBJECTS FOR DISCUSSION
* What did the participants experience when the event took place?
* Friends, family and other who experienced the event.
* Talking about losses suffered.
* Emotions and reactions in the days that followed.
* Ways to deal with the experience.
* Changes since the event.
KEY QUESTIONS TO BE ASKED BY LEADER
What participants experienced when the event took place:
* How were you affected by the event?
* What did you see?
* How did you react?
* What does a person think about at a time like that?
Losses suffered as a result of the event:
* Was anyone close to you particularly affected by this event?
* In what way?
* Has this affected you?
Emotions and reaction in the days that followed:
* How did you feel after the event?
* Did you develop new behaviors, have unusual reactions (e.g. difficulty sleeping)?
* How do you feel when you realize what has changed in your life?
Changes
* After an event such as this, are there any images or noises that remain with you?
* Are people still afraid that this event might happen again?
* Is your life getting back to normal?
* Do you feel that this event and the experiences connected with it have changed you?
Personal steps...in case
* Have you developed ways to protect yourself in case such an event happens again?
Ways to deal with the experience:
* What can one do to get over this?
* What has helped you the most?
* Who was most important to you during this time, to listen, give advice or simply
understand you?
* After this experience, what is most important to you in your life now?
Activity demonstrating solidarity
* Is it important that you do something with your friends?
* Whom do you want to tell about this activity showing solidarity?
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To search for books on disasters and disaster mental health 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
