Psychology Reaches Out to Communities Coping with Terrorism

The requests for help from psychology started pouring in to APA and state psychological associations nearly as soon as the terrorist attacks took place the morning of September 11. So did the calls and emails from psychologists worldwide offering to volunteer at disaster sites or otherwise to help a nation beginning to experience the psychological impact of terrorist acts.

	Rosemary Schwartzbard, Ph.D. (center), DRN Coordinator for Virginia, and DRN Director Marguerite Schroeder (right) of the Practice Directorate were among those honored in October with special citations from APA President Norine Johnson, Ph.D. (left).

Since that fateful morning, the APA Practice Directorate has worked with psychologists and psychological organizations throughout the country to provide much-needed assistance to the public. The help has taken a variety of forms—including information and services to aid consumers in coping with the trauma, and support for relief workers and individuals directly affected by the attacks.

The APA Disaster Response Network (DRN), coordinated by the Practice Directorate in collaboration with the American Red Cross, mobilized in many parts of the country to help families of victims, police and fire departments, and other emergency response personnel. The DRN is a network of psychologists with training in disaster mental health who provide assistance at disaster sites. Practice Directorate staff have worked closely with DRN state coordinators and state psychological association executive directors in the states most directly affected by the terrorist incidents.

In states where the attacks occurred, DRN members and local psychologists staffed Red Cross disaster operations centers aiding loved ones of victims and supporting relief workers, fielding requests for assistance from companies that lost employees, and providing time-limited pro bono crisis counseling sessions to help those in crisis. In locations where flights that crashed had originated or were scheduled to land, DRN members staffed Red Cross family assistance centers set up at the airports to aid families and airline workers. APA President Norine Johnson, Ph.D., acknowledged DRN coordinators and executive directors from six states and the District of Columbia, as well as DRN Director Marguerite Schroeder, with presidential citations for their tremen-dous efforts.

Psychology’s support has extended beyond the disaster sites. Through the combined efforts of the DRN and APA Public Education Campaign coordinators, the Practice Directorate quickly developed resource materials for psychologists to use in responding to psychological needs within their own communities. The materials were posted on the Practice section of the APA web site, and on practitioner listservs within 36 hours of the attacks. In addition, directorate staff added a new section, “The Trauma of Terrorism,” to the APA Help Center for consumers at www.helping.apa.org.

According to Practice Directorate Executive Director Russ Newman, Ph.D., J.D., the most common request for information after the attacks involved how to talk to children about the tragic events. So the directorate disseminated materials geared largely towards helping children cope with the terrorism and related trauma. The information was intended for use in schools and other community-based venues. “We couldn’t have activated a nationwide response in such short order without having both our DRN and PEC networks firmly in place and ready to help,” said Dr. Newman. The DRN has been active for more than 10 years, while the PEC coordinator network has evolved over the past five years since APA’s public education campaign began. “The ‘marriage’ of these two networks helped enable widespread community outreach to people coping with the tragic events,” said Dr. Newman.

Consumers are not the sole focus for outreach and support activities. Psychologists and the organizations that represent them have been busy helping their professional colleagues. For example, Nina Thomas, Ph.D., led a workshop for fellow New Jersey psychologists about coping with catastrophe, while the New Jersey Psychological Association held a town meeting run as a large group process where participating psychologists were given the opportunity to share their experiences since September 11. Further, the Practice Directorate has made available information to help practitioners in this difficult time.

APA officials observe that psychology has been very active and involved in bringing psychological services and other forms of support to their communities after the terrorist attacks. “Through pro bono disaster relief work, work with patients and clients, outreach to schools and parents, and other local involvement, psychologists are demonstrating their ability to lead and comfort in a time of fear and uncertainty,” said Dr. Newman.