IN THIS ISSUE
IN THIS ISSUE:
Team Member Tool Box
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Hurricane Katrina Missions |
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Many people fled hurricane Katrina ravaged areas of the US Gulf Coast and arrived in Kentucky to seek shelter and services. Kentucky operated under Kentucky Emergency Management unified incident command system coordinating Public Health, Mental Health, VOAD, and other essential services needed to support the influx of Katrina evacuees. Evacuees were directed to local Red Cross Family Assistance Centers, screened by public health, and tele-registered with FEMA. Family Assistance Centers were established as “one stop shopping” for evacuees in Louisville, Elizabethtown, Owensboro, Lexington, and other major cities. These centers were organized by the American Red Cross and included medical screenings, social-service agencies, mental health, housing, and other necessary disaster related services.
Kentucky began August 29, 2005 and continued to fill EMAC requests for specialized teams (swift water rescue, law enforcement, Fish and Wildlife, US Forestry Service, medical, coroners, environmental, hospital, firefighters, Public Health, and Emergency Management resource personnel). As these teams returned to Kentucky, re-entry and stress management services continued to be provided by the KCCRB. Twenty years of disaster mental health experience consistently has taught us that re-entry and ongoing stress management support services to first responders are essential. This disaster continued to expand the list of first responders, who have no large-scale disaster experience and little orientation/preparation for what they experienced in the Gulf Coast Recovery environment. The living conditions experienced by fire, EMS and Law Enforcement in the first two-three weeks of the response and the catastrophic nature of environmental stress factors including heat, humidity, smells, sights, and sounds underscore the extreme hardship placed on these responders and the magnitude of the compelling need to focus intervention efforts on this population.
In the first weeks, it was estimated that well over 700 of the 4,000 relocated survivors from the Gulf Coast who have found their way to Kentucky, received outreach support services from behavioral health center staff located in Family Assistance Centers in operation across the state of Kentucky. These individuals and families lost most of their naturally occurring support systems, which included schools, churches, neighbors, friends, jobs, cultural/environmental roots, and homes. Disaster Mental Health experience underscored their need for ongoing support, linkage to resources; as reality filtered in and they planned for their new lives far from home and with uncertainty.
KCCRB and a network of nine regional mental health centers served 3,679 survivors and community representatives through individual crisis counseling, in-person brief contacts, telephone contacts, and presentations to schools, health care clinics, agency networks, and other local and regional social service agencies. Crowding was an issue for individuals housed in hotel rooms with 5-10 family members. These individuals were in shock, most wanted to talk about what horrible things they saw, and most experienced survivor guilt, frustration, anger, and confusion. Some children were happy and glad to be with their families and others sat alone, barely able to interact at all. Survivors collectively expressed significant loss and uncertainty about the future. Common reactions included: increased worry, headaches, trouble sleeping, crying spells, and interpersonal conflicts with family/friends, feelings of sadness and powerlessness, trouble concentrating, and poor short term memory.
Throughout the first 30-day period, it was necessary to determine the availability of the Team Members, should a deployment be necessary. Team Members were deployed out of state with first responder teams. Team Members were deployed in state for responses with returning first responder teams. Still other Team Members met the needs of regular response requests in Kentucky.
KCCRB is grateful for the efforts of the Regional Team Coordinators and Team Members during the first 30 days after Katrina. Regional Team Coordinators worked diligently to notify Team Members and put them on stand-by status. Team members were responsive about informing KCCRB and the Coordinators of their availability. Thanks to all of you!
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From the Director |
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Responses
Since July 1, 2005 KCCRT has provided services following 83 responses serving a total of 840 individuals across the Commonwealth. These figures reflect a 173% increase in the number of persons served by this time in FY2005. This includes 33 Katrina Responses serving 376 individuals.
LMPD Pre-Incident Education
KCCRB staff is conducting pre-incident education for the Louisville Metro Police Department three times a week through November 2005. 555 officers have received this training through November 2, 2005.
Gratitude for Board of Directors
Recently, the appointments were received from the Governor’s Office for new Board Members. We want to take this opportunity to express our deepest gratitude for all the work completed by those Board Members who have served the agency so well in the past years. Thank you for making a difference in the life of KCCRB.
Gratitude for Team Members Katrina and its aftermath presented opportunities for the KCCRT Members to utilize their skills to assist in a variety of ways. Due to the extensive nature of the Gulf Coast disaster, KCCRB called on Team Members to be on standby for an extended period of time, or to be ready to deploy at a moments notice. This is highly unusual and the Team stood up to the challenge. We are grateful for your willingness to serve and for your patience in the process. We know that if faced with a large-scale event in Kentucky, the KCCRT will be ready.
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KCCRT All Hazards Field Manual |
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The KCCRT ALL Hazards Field Manual has been developed for use by KCCRT/Disaster Outreach Personnel for early phase response to a terrorist or mass-trauma event - helping individuals and communities heal by fostering resiliency. The Manual includes the following topics:
Introduction
The Role of KCCRT/Disaster Outreach Personnel
Personal Preparedness
Family Emergency Preparedness Plan
Family Preparedness Kit
Kentucky Disaster Response & Terrorism Preparedness History
Disaster & Terrorism Preparedness Training
Working in a Disaster Environment
Conducting an Onsite Assessment
Incident Command In A Disaster Environment
National Incident Management System (NIMS) Concepts & Principles
KCCRB Incident Command
Agencies Active in Mass-Trauma Disaster and Terrorist Events
Personnel Qualification & Certification
Range of Reactions and Appropriate Interventions and Services
Common Reactions to Trauma
Interventions & Services
Serving Different Populations
Providing Services to Children and Older Adults
Approaches for Stress Prevention and Management for First Responders
Emergency Risk Communication
Self-Care for the Behavioral Health Worker
Emotional Care
Self-Monitoring Checklist
Some Things One Can Do to Reduce Stress and Renew Energy
Personal Safety
Duties of the KCCRT/Disaster Outreach Personnel
Job Duties
What Can KCCRT/Disaster Outreach Personnel NOT Do?
Services and Interventions
KCCRT Response: Utilizing Multi-Component Intervention Models
See the Team Page for the schedule for upcoming Regional Team Meetings.
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Team Page |
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All Regional Team Coordinators have worked with KCCRB to schedule a Regional Team Meeting in the near future. These quarterly meetings are important for team networking, education, and the distribution of any updated materials.
In the upcoming Regional Team Meetings, we will introduce the new KCCRT ALL HAZARDS FIELD MANUAL. Team Members will need to attend the meeting to receive the manual.
Just a reminder that team meetings are to be held quarterly, and time spent at team meetings counts toward ongoing education hours.
REGION DATE TIME ADDRESS LOCATION NOTE
1 Thurs. Feb. 9 6:30pm Calvert City Training Ctr. 1315 5th Ave., Calvert City
2 Wed. Feb. 8 6:30pm Madisonville PD 99 East Center St., Madisonville
3 Tues. Feb. 7 6:00pm River Valley BH 1100 E. Walnut Meal provided
4 Thurs. Feb. 16 6:00pm FOP Lodge Meal provided
5 Thurs. Feb. 2 6:00pm Hardin Memorial Hospital, 5-B 913 N. Dixie Ave., Elizabethtown Meal provided
6 Wed. Dec. 14 6:30pm Okolona FD #1 8501 Preston Hwy., Louisville
7 Thurs. Mar. 30 TBA TBA
8 Thurs. Mar. 2 6:30pm Cannonsburg FD 2000 Cannonsburg Rd., Cannonsburg
9 Thurs. Mar. 2 6:30pm Cannonsburg FD 2000 Cannonsburg Rd., Cannonsburg
10 Thurs. Mar. 16 6:30pm Corbin TBA
11 Thurs. Mar. 16 6:30pm Corbin TBA
12 Thurs. Mar. 16 6:30pm Corbin TBA
13 ** Mon. Jan. 23 6:30pm Lexington TBA
14 Wed. Jan. 18 6:00pm KCCRB Offices 1121 Louisville Rd., Frankfort
KCCRT Regions are the same as KyEM Areas. Look at the map to verify what area you are in:
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Training Page |
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2005
q Dec. 9-10 Individual Crisis Intervention & Peer Support Location: 1121 Louisville Rd., Frankfort
Deadline: Nov. 20 Cost: $150
2006
q Feb. 21-22 Pastoral Crisis Intervention Location: 1121 Louisville Rd., Frankfort
Deadline: Feb. 3 Cost: $150
q Feb. 23-24 Group Crisis Intervention Location: 1121 Louisville Rd., Frankfort
Deadline: Feb. 5 Cost: $150
q Mar. 21-22 Group Crisis Intervention Location: Calvert City – Fire Training Ctr. Deadline: Mar. 3 Cost: $150
q Mar. 23-24 Individual Crisis Intervention & Peer Support Location: Calvert City – Fire Training Ctr. Deadline: Mar. 5 Cost: $150
q Apr. 27-28 Individual Crisis Intervention & Peer Support Location: Bowling Green
Deadline: Apr. 7 Cost: $150
q Apr. 29-30 Individual Crisis Intervention & Peer Support Location: London
Deadline: Apr. 11 Cost: $150
q May 23-24 Group Crisis Intervention Location: Louisville – Middletown FD
Deadline: May 5 Cost: $150
q May 25-26 Pastoral Crisis Intervention Location: Louisville – Middletown FD
Deadline: May 7 Cost: $150
q Jun. 13-14 Advanced Group Crisis Intervention Location: Frankfort – KCCRB Offices
Deadline: May 23 Cost: $150
q Jun. 15-16 Individual Crisis Intervention & Peer Support Location: Frankfort – KCCRB Offices
Deadline: May 27 Cost: $150
The Bioterrorism Program offers the - Psychology of Disaster and Terrorism - A Trained Community Crisis Responder Course (TCCR).
This two-day training on the "Psychology of Disaster & Terrorism" is offered at no cost and will include information on the following topics: types of trauma caused by disaster, phases of disaster, and risk factors that make disasters and terrorist events psychologically toxic for survivors and responders. Participants will learn the factors and situations that influence psychological response; assessment of community needs; effects of terrorism before, during and after impact; types of terrorist agents (CBRNE) and the psychological reactions likely with each. Participants will learn the types of crisis intervention and behavioral health services applicable in the aftermath of disaster and terrorism, and will practice numerous interventions. Recent innovations in service delivery as a result of mass terrorism and disaster will be presented. The Oklahoma City bombing and the September 11, 2001 attacks will be used as case studies, and students will participate in a variety of small group learning exercises and scenarios.
Who Should Attend? First Responders, Emergency Management, School Personnel, Nurses, Physicians, Behavioral Health Professionals, Public Health Dept. Representatives, Local Community Agency Representatives, Community Leaders.
Registration: To register for the Psychology of Disaster and Terrorism course please visit: http://www.train.org/
Continuing Education Units (CEU) – Certificates: 14 hours of continuing educational units are provided as follows:
· Public Health Certificate: Nursing and Social Work.
· KCCRB Certificate: CADC, Educational Leadership (EILA), Marriage & Family Therapists, Psychologists, Professional Counselors and Professional Art Therapists (KPA).
Go to http://kccrb.ky.gov/ to see the current listing of courses scheduled.
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Team Member Tool Box |
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It is always a good idea to review materials that would assist in providing psychological first aid. Several documents have been added to the website. Go to kccrb.ky.gov to review the following:
· Psychological First Aid Overview
· Alcohol Medication and Drug Use After Disaster
· Connecting with others: Giving Social Support
· Connecting with others: Seeking Support
· Provider Self-Care
· Tips for helping Preschool-Aged Children After Disasters
· Tips for Helping School-age Children After Disasters
· Tips for Helping Adolescents
· Tips for Relaxation
· When Terrible Things Happen
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