| Home | Contact Us | Events | Live Learning Centre | Links | Document Search | Referral Service |
| About Us | Public | Members | Early Career Psychologists | Join the OPA | Forum | |
|
|
|
|
||
|
|
 Disaster Response Network
*New* Disaster Case Management and Individuals with Disabilities – Rehabilitation Psychology, Vol. 55, No. 3: 211-220, Laura M. Stough, et. al.
Resources for Oil Spill Response Workers - Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
What to Expect from the Oil Spill and How to Protect Your Health - Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Shore Up Your Resilience to Manage Distress Caused by the Oil Disaster in the Gulf - American Psychological Association
The Gulf Oil Disaster: Developing a Positive Outlook in the Face of Tragedy - American Psychological Association
Emergency Preparedness and Response: Tornadoes - Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Updated Guidance for Providing Post-Deployment Support to Disaster Workers - American Red Cross
Disaster Services - Coping With Disaster: Preparing for a Disaster Assignment - American Red Cross
Disaster Services - Coping With Disaster: Returning Home From a Disaster Assignment - American Red Cross
Disaster Services - Coping With Disaster: For the Families of Disaster Workers - American Red Cross
Freddie & Friends: Too Prepared to Be Scared - Austin/Travis County Emergency Management Office
Culture and Mental Health in Haiti: A Literature Review - World Health Organization
Background on Haiti & Haitian Health Culture - Cook Ross Inc.
The psychological impact of exposure to floods - Psychology, Health & Medicine, Vol. 15, No.1: 61-73 (2010), Victoria Mason, et. al.
Flooded homes, broken bonds, the meaning of home, psychological processes and their impact on psychological health in a disaster - Health & Place, Vol. 15: 540-547 (2009), Bob Carroll et. al.
A Flood...of Emotions - Kansas State University
Flood of Emotions - When Crisis Becomes Chronic - Kansas State University
Flood of Emotions....Will It Ever End? - Kansas State University
Building National Capacity for Child and Family Disaster Mental Health Research - Professional Psychology: Research and Practice, Vol. 41, No. 1: 26-33 (2010), Betty Pfefferbaum et. al.
Mental Health Symptoms in Youth Affected by Hurricane Katrina - Professional Psychology: Research and Practice, Vol. 41, No. 1: 10-18 (2010), Yvonne Humenay Roberts et. al.
Earthquakes and Children: The Role of Psychologists with Families and Communities - Professional Psychology: Research and Practice, Vol. 41, No. 1: 1-9 (2010), Gayla Margolin et. al.
Acute Stress Disorder Scale: A Self-Report Measure of Acute Stress Disorder - Psychological Assessment, Vol. 12, No.1: 61-68 (2000) Richard A. Bryant et. al.
The Hidden Victims of Disaster: Helper Stress - Stress Medicine, Vol.6: 29-35 (1990), Melanie Shepherd and Peter E. Hodgkinson
APA Response to Earthquake in Haiti - American Psychological Association
Guidance for Relief Workers and Others Travelling to Haiti for Earthquake Response - US Department for Disease Control and Prevention
Haiti Earthquake - Talking Points - US Department of Health and Human Services, January 30, 2010
A Guide to Helping Children with Crisis and Grief - Toronto Emergency Medical Services
Bruce M. Altevogt, et al., Committee on Guidance for Establishing Standards of Care for Use in Disaster Situations, Board on Health Sciences Policy, Institute of Medicine of the National Academies, Guidance for Establishing Crisis Standards of Care for Use in Disaster Situations: A Letter Report, 160 pages, 2009. PDF
Disaster Response Network Symposium: Challenging Times Require a Commitment to Self-Care by Practitioners (Powerpoint Presentation) - August 9, 2009 - American Psychological Association 117th Annual Convention
Managing Your Anxiety About Swine Flu - American Psychological Association
Manage Flood-Related Distress by Building Resilience - American Psychological Association
For login information to access APA DRN Resources, please visit the Forum.
Guide to Cultural Awareness for Public Education Campaign and Disaster Response Network Members
Volunteer Network Activates in Wake of Recent Disasters
Media Call on Psychologists as Financial Crisis Deepens
SPECIAL BULLETIN - Hurricane information
Managing Traumatic Stress - Tips for Managing Stress Related to Hurricanes
Managing Traumatic Stress: Dealing with Hurricanes from Afar
Red Cross Update on Hurricane Gustav - http://www.redcross.org/article/0,1072,0_312_8100,00.html CDC Update on Hurricane Gustav - http://emergency.cdc.gov/disasters/hurricanes/2008/02sep2008.asp CDC’s Coping with a Disaster after a Traumatic Event - http://emergency.cdc.gov/mentalhealth/ - list of resources for consumers, including specific information for adults and parents. Disaster Response Network Volunteer Update Form
In recent times we have seen graphic images of social and emotional trauma that major disasters create. To enable psychologists to play a role in helping disaster victims the Ontario Psychological Association (OPA) has created The Disaster Response Network (DRN). The DRN provides a mechanism through which volunteer association members respond to provincial disasters and related traumatic events. The DRN developed a partnership with the Canadian Red Cross (CRC) in Ontario to consolidate strategic plans and training opportunities for OPA members, who act as mental health volunteers in CRC disaster response teams. The purpose of the OPA DRN is: 1) The coordination and provision of pro bono services to communities impacted by disaster and/or crisis situation(s); 2) The dissemination of information and access to DRN mental health training for OPA members; 3) The support of members in their provision of disaster response services; 4) Upholding professional standards regarding disaster mental health care; and 5) Collaboration with other organizations providing disaster relief services and short-term volunteer interventions.
Since 2002, the OPA has formed a partnership with the Canadian Red Cross (CRC) in Ontario and has consolidated a mechanism through which volunteer OPA members may plan to respond to local and/or provincial disasters and traumatic events. The committee has met regularly to exchange information and co-ordinate efforts. As part of the consultation process, committee members have reviewed: a) OPA background information summarized by an earlier committee in the mid 1990s; b) Nature of training models, strategic partnerships and services offered; c) Canadian Red Cross training and deployment networks; d) APA member guidelines and statements of understanding with the American National Red Cross; and e) Traumatology-related publications. As part of its consultation, the committee communicated with the College of Psychologists of Ontario. Issues concerning on-site volunteer services will be addressed with the College on an as needed basis. The Committee sent out to OPA members an Information Application for Volunteers with the DRN. The Application forms continue to serve as a database for training and future networking in Ontario. The Application form can be found on the OPA website at www.psych.on.ca. Members will be asked to add their information to a DRN database for OPA use only. This material will not be posted to the public or other members. Members are asked to update their information as needed. Two OPA pre-convention all day workshops were held since the formation of the committee. The first, in association with the Canadian Red Cross, focussed on the steps required in order to become a Canadian Red Cross volunteer. A subsequent workshop addressed “Early Intervention Field Trauma Response: Know When – Know How” was presented by the Traumatology Institute (Canada) for the OPA and CRC. Future workshops will be offered in consultation with the Association membership Our first onsite response occurred in January 2004 following an airplane crash near Point Pelee Island. Members of the OPA DRN provided onsite care for the family and friends of the crash victims who lost their lives. Dr. Anna B. Baranowsky represented the OPA DRN in a co-ordinated effort with local Psychologists and the Canadian Red Cross. In the summer of 2004, committee representatives provided consultation to the Community Development Office of Toronto. The focus of conversation centered on the multicultural and linguistic service needs in response to crises. Drs. Berman, Cole, and Saunders participated on behalf of the OPA, and offered to provide future consultations on an as-needed basis. The OPA led a successful and well-received intervention in partnership with the Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care. OPA DRN and other OPA volunteer members provided support in operating a provincial Tsunami Support Line. This service offered information and crisis support related to accessing mental health community resources for affected individuals and families. This effort was the first of its kind in collaboration with the Emergency Measure Unit of the Ministry of Health and OPA. Information about this ongoing initiative will now be maintained under the umbrella of the Disaster Response Services provided by the Ontario Psychological Association. Ontario is one of very few provinces, such as British Columbia, who have formed a DRN relationship with the Canadian Red Cross. In 2004, the OPA received an award from the Canadian Red Cross in recognition of its leadership informing the DRN partnership. As well, the OPA and the Canadian Red Cross developed a DRN Memorandum of Understanding. Copies are available to members at the OPA office upon request.
As part of the training process, OPA members were notified of steps required to become a Canadian Red Cross mental health volunteer: a) Completion of the OPA-DRN information questionnaire; b) Contact with the local branch of the Canadian Red Cross for training sessions; and c) Attendance at a First Aid Course. For information on Canadian Red Cross training, DRN members are advised to contact their local CRC branch. Information pertaining to the Canadian Red Cross local branches can be found at the website http://www.redcross.ca
Helpful References and Web Resources Below is a list of some links that members might find useful: American Academy of Experts in Traumatic Stress: www.aaets.org American Red Cross: www.redcross.org ARC Brochures Online: www.redcross.org/pubs/dspubs/terrormat.html APA Help Centre: http://www.apahelpcenter.org APA Disaster Response Network Pages: www.apa.org/practice/drnindex.html Canadian Centre for Emergency Preparedness: www.ccep.ca Canadian Red Cross: www.redcross.ca Canadian Traumatic-Stress Network: www.ctsn-rcst.ca David Baldwin’s Trauma Pages: www.trauma-pages.com Disaster Mental Health Institute: www.usd.edu/dmhi FEMA's home page: www.fema.gov Green Cross Foundation: www.greencross.org International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies: www.istss.org Mental Health Workers Without Borders: www.mhwwb.org National Center for PTSD: www.ncptsd.va.gov Traumatology Institute (Canada): www.psychink.com/insite.htm Public Health Agency of Canada: www.phac-aspc.gc.ca MoH website disaster planning resources at http://www.health.gov.on.ca/english/providers/program/emu/pan_flu/pan_flu_mn.html NASP Crisis Resources: www.nasponline.org WHO - Mental Health Information: www.who.int/mental_health/en/ BC Emergency Management: http://www.pep.bc.ca/Emerg_Mgmt_BC/Emerg_Mgmt_BC.html Center for Disease Control and Prevention – Emergency Preparedness - Disaster Mental Health: http://www.bt.cdc.gov/mentalhealth/ North Carolina Center for Public Health Preparedness: http://nccphp.sph.unc.edu/NCDRNtraining DEEP PREP Disaster and Extreme Event Preparedness: http://www.deep.med.miami.edu/x337.xml DEEP PREP All-Hazards Disaster Behavioral Health Training: http://mentalhealth.samhsa.gov/publications/allpubs/SMA03-3829/default.asp *New* National Center for PTSD: "Psychosocial Consequences of Major Hurricanes and Floods: Range, Duration, and Magnitude of Effects and Risk Factors for Adverse Outcomes" - Government research summary of disaster response literature on hurricanes, floods, tornadoes, and dam collapses.
*New* American Red Cross: "Picking up Pieces after a Disaster" - General post-disaster information for the public, including a section entitled "Recovering Emotionally".
*New* Iowa Psychological Association: http://www.iowapsychology.org/2008-public-public-education - Features an article from Iowa Public Education Coordinator Don Damsteegt. Posting information on your state psychological association's webpage is an easy way to get your disaster recovery tips out to other psychologists in your area and to the general public.
*New* American Red Cross: Emotional Health After the Disaster
*New* Kansas State University: A Flood... of Emotions
*New* Kansas State University: A Flood of Emotions - When Crisis Becomes Chronic
The OPA DRN is a completely volunteer service that was established by the Ontario Psychological Association and made up of active members with appropriate Canadian Red Cross Volunteer training. In the event of an event that leads to activation of the OPA DRN, members will be notified if there is a need for their volunteer services. In order for this to occur they need to be registered as DRN members with qualifying training. Members will be contacted by e-mail, phone or using other methods, depending on the circumstances. Unless otherwise notified, deployment will be integrated with standard Canadian Red Cross systems. Members completing Canadian Red Cross training will be fully briefed on these methods during programs prior to deployment.
Below you will find a sample of the types of interventions typically used by an OPA DRN member at the scene of an incident. This list is based on a presentation made at an APA – DRN meeting by an American Red Cross representative.
Note. Although there may be special training for which you are qualified and may be requested to perform the list above represents a standard list of interventions.
Short Term vs. Long Term Interventions In general OPA DRN volunteer members are not called upon to provide long-term psychological service provision but short-term on-site response of a supportive nature.
Disaster Response in NOT For….
In the cases above we must refer to community resources! These services are NOT to replace ongoing psychological services or other mental health care.
Watching out for DRN Member Burn-Out
Basic Emotional First-Aid Rules
Questions to Use as a Red Cross Volunteer When Helping the Client Process an Event
|
| Home | Contact Us | Events | Live Learning Centre | Links | Document Search | Disclaimer & Privacy Statement |
| Phone: 416-961-5552 | Email: info@psych.on.ca | Address: 730 Yonge Street, Toronto, On |