In Brief
"Aftermath: The Road to Resilience," a documentary APA is developing with Discovery Health as part of its ongoing "Talk to Someone Who Can Help" public education campaign, is set to air on the Discovery Health Channel on Aug. 29 at 9 p.m. (Eastern and Pacific time) and again on Sept. 11 at 8 p.m. (Eastern and Pacific time). The one-hour film will convey three overarching messages:
Resilience can be learned.
Resilience is a journey, not an event or single turning point.
There is no prescribed timeline for the road to resilience--everyone's process is different.
"The Road to Resilience" will portray real people who have been through experiences in which they've learned to become resilient. Five people have been chosen to share their stories: two who directly felt the impact of the attack on the World Trade Center and three others who experienced trauma unrelated to the terrorist attacks.
"Focus groups conducted by the APA last October and November showed that a separate track of the public education campaign focusing specifically on Sept. 11 and the fallout was not warranted," says Jan Peterson, assistant executive director of public relations in APA's Practice Directorate. "However, it became clear that these events helped to open a window to self discovery for many. People were interested in learning more about themselves--and in particular, how to become more resilient."
APA is preparing companion brochures on resilience, which will be in Discovery stores in late August and September. Members can facilitate resiliency education in their communities through APA's Public Education Campaign. Kits, including discussion guides and ideas for working with local cable channels and partnering with local organizations, will be available at the Practice booth at APA's Annual Convention in Chicago, Aug. 22-25, on the soon-to-be-launched APA Practice Portal (see article) or by calling APA's Campaign Services Bureau at (877) 274-8787, ext. 135.
--J. DAW
