Providing emotional support for volunteers in disaster situations
Abstract
Volunteers and members who are deployed to help during disasters may need additional support, due to the psychological impact of serving during these scenarios. This effective practice discusses how to help mitigate negative stress reactions, what to look for and how to intervene, and was submitted by Deborah Burr, AmeriCorps Program Director, Florida State Parks, Department of Environmental Protection, in January 2005. Excerpted from the document, Operation Blue Roof and Beyond: Protocol on the Deployment of AmeriCorps Teams for Disaster Recovery. Although it was written specifically for those dealing with hurricane disaster assistance, the information is relevant for those deploying and supervising volunteers and members in other disaster situations as well.Issue
Relief volunteers may witness human tragedy and serious physical injuries, depending on the nature of the disaster and their role. In disasters in which there is a high level of exposure to human suffering, injuries and fatalities, providing psychological support and interventions for volunteers is oftentimes necessary.Action
According to the document, Operation Blue Roof and Beyond: Protocol on the Deployment of AmeriCorps Teams for Disaster Recovery, effective practices include:
Discuss the signs and symptoms of volunteer stress, as early recognition and intervention are optimal. Educating supervisors and staff about signs of stress enables them to be on the lookout and to take appropriate steps. When programs emphasize stress recognition and reduction, norms are established that validate early intervention rather than reinforcing more common "distress is a sign of weakness" perspective.
In addition to physical health, take some time to consider mental health as well. The days and weeks after a hurricane are going to be rough. Remember that some sleeplessness, anxiety, anger, hyperactivity, mild depression, or lethargy are normal, and may go away with time. If you feel any of these symptoms acutely, counseling should be sought.
Your state and local health departments will help you find the local resources, including hospitals or health care providers that you may need. Information and additional resources can be found at http://www.mentalhealth.org.
Regular debriefing and reflection is recommended, either among the AmeriCorps teams or, if available, with a mental health professional that is trained to help relief volunteers cope with the stress of recovery missions. The Red Cross and the Salvation Army have trained professionals to assist relief volunteers with the emotional stress of the recovery mission.
Supervisors should be aware of the following common disaster worker stress reactions, (from Common Disaster Worker Stress Reactions, The Center for Mental Health Services, 1994)
- Psychological and Emotional: Feeling heroic, invulnerable and euphoric, denial, anxiety and fear, worry about safety of self and others, anger, irritability, restlessness, sadness, grief, depression, moodiness, distressing dreams, guilt or "survivor guilt," feeling overwhelmed, hopeless, feeling isolated, lost or abandoned, apathy and identification with survivors.
- Cognitive: Memory problems, disorientation, confusion, slowness of thinking and comprehension, difficulty calculating, setting priorities, making decisions, poor concentration, limited attention span, loss of objectivity, unable to stop thinking about the disaster and blaming.
- Behavioral: Change in activity, decreased efficiency and effectiveness, difficulty communicating, increased sense of humor, outbursts of anger, frequent arguments, inability to rest or "letdown," change in eating habits, change in sleeping patterns, change in patterns of intimacy and sexuality, change in job performance, periods of crying, increased use of alcohol, tobacco or drugs, social withdrawal, silence, vigilance about safety or environment, avoidance of activities or places that trigger memories and proneness to accidents.
- Physical: Increased heartbeat and respiration, increased blood pressure, upset stomach, nausea and diarrhea, change in appetite, weight loss or gain, sweating or chills, tremors (hands, lips), muscle twitching, "muffled" hearing, tunnel vision, feeling uncoordinated, headaches, soreness in muscles, lower back pain, feeling a "lump in the throat," exaggerated startle reaction, fatigue, menstrual cycle changes, change in sexual desire, decreased resistance to infection, flare-up of allergies and arthritis and hair loss.
Context
For the residents of Florida, hurricanes are a way of life. The Atlantic hurricane season runs from June 1 through November 30, and hurricane hazards come in the way of storm surges, high winds, tornadoes and flooding. In the summer of 2004 Hurricane Charley took approximately nine hours to traverse the Florida peninsula. It was the strongest hurricane to make landfall in the state since Hurricane Andrew in 1992. Just under 36 hours prior to Charley's landfall, Tropical Storm Bonnie struck the Florida Panhandle near Apalachicola. Not since 1906 have two storms struck the state of Florida so close together.
During these emergencies AmeriCorps*NCCC staff members from the Northeast and Central Regions worked with FEMA to prepare the federal response to Tropical Storm Bonnie and Hurricane Charley. They assisted with the initial planning and coordination of volunteer and AmeriCorps disaster response activities in addition to addressing the needs and coordinating the deployment of AmeriCorps*NCCC members once the need for assistance was determined.
AmeriCorps*NCCC members from the Northeast Region assisted the American Red Cross in staffing the national call center. Members assisted people who were affected by Tropical Storm Bonnie and Hurricane Charley by manning the phone banks and providing mass care and family services to those seeking to receive federal disaster assistance.
Since 2000, the Florida Community/Higher Education/School Partnership (CHESP) has supported local multi-sector partnerships among institutions of higher education, K-12 schools, and community based organizations that promote social capital, increase meaningful service and civic participation, and strengthen the ability of those communities to meet local needs.
The Florida Service, Preparedness, and Response Coalition (SPaRC), a partner in the Florida Alliance for Student Service, is a statewide service-learning grant program funded by the Corporation for National and Community Service through the Learn and Serve America Homeland Security Initiative. Florida SPaRC is administered through a collaboration between the Florida Department of Education and Florida State University's Center for Civic Education and Service. SPaRC represents a statewide coalition of school and community partnerships that are working to expand K-12 service learning that addresses hometown safety and homeland security.
Outcome
As with disaster survivors, assessment of relief workers hinges on the question of "How much 'normal stress reaction' is too much?" Many of the above listed reactions are commonly experienced by disaster volunteers with limited job effects. However, when a number are experienced simultaneously and intensely, functioning is likely to be impaired. Under these circumstances, the volunteer should take a break from the disaster assignment for a few hours at first, and then longer if necessary. If normal functioning does not return, then the person needs to discontinue the assignment.Posted On
March 22, 2005For More Information
Resources
BooksThe Humanitarian Companion: A Guide for International Aid, Development and Human Rights Workers, John H. Ehrenreich, (Stylus Publishing).
Secondary Traumatic Stress: Self-Care Issues for Clinicians, Researchers, and Educators, by B. Hudnall Stamm, ed. (Sidran Press).
Sress and Trauma Handbook: Strategies for Flourishing in Demanding Environments, by John Fawcett, ed. (World Vision).
Transforming the Pain: A Workbook on Vicarious Traumatization, by Karen W. Saakvitne and Laurie Anne Pearlman (Norton Professional Books).
Treating Compassion Fatigue, by Charles R. Figley (Brunner/Mazel Psychosocial Stress Series).
Organizations
The Antares Foundation, in Amsterdam, offers workshops and other support to humanitarian workers.
http://www.antaresfoundation.org
The Center for Mind-Body Medicine, in Washington, offers workshops to health care and other professionals.
http://www.cmbm.org
The Children's Health Fund, in New York, provides training in self-care for staff members at social service and other types of nonprofit groups.
http://www.childrenshealthfund.org
The Headington Institute, Pasadena, CA., offers workshops for humanitarian workers.
http://www.headington-institute.org
The Trauma Research, Education, and Training Institute, in New Britain, CT., provides training to mental health and other social service organizations that work with survivors of trauma.
http://www,tsicaap.com/treati.htm
Videos
"Vicarious Traumatization" series (Calvalcade Productions)
Source Documents
Related Practices
Related sites
Florida Division of Emergency Management