TPC-Journal-V5-Issue4

The Professional Counselor /Volume 5, Issue 4 437 Several mental health professionals reported that because of Hurricane Katrina, agency personnel had learned a great deal and certainly would be able to handle any similar type of natural disaster in a better fashion if one should occur in the future. Today’s counseling graduate students are being taught disaster, crisis and emergency response counseling procedures, as required by the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (2009) in their counselor preparation curriculum. However, most counselors completed their graduate training prior to the time that these standards were implemented, requiring in-service training in post-disaster operations. Most agency personnel reported that their agencies had benefitted from having experienced Hurricane Katrina. One mental health professional indicated that if not for the hurricane, the agency would not have a close relationship with area schools, would lack evidence-based practices devoted to psychological trauma, and would be wanting in innovation and creativity. Another said that the agency would not have grown as much. Two mental health professionals suggested that Hurricane Katrina had provided their agencies with national attention that allowed the agencies to become leaders in their areas of specialization, which included juvenile justice and trauma. One mental health professional said that without the hurricane, the agency would not have been tested or trained in the following areas: crisis management, grief and loss due to a natural disaster, management of post- traumatic stress disorder, and how to counsel when the counselor is experiencing similar stressors. Lastly, another counseling professional indicated that staff would not have received trauma recovery training if Hurricane Katrina had not occurred. Recommendations for Mental Health Agencies Mental health professionals who provided information for my personal analysis offered recommendations for counselors who must contend with a disaster. They also gave recommendations to agency personnel for preparing for a disaster. Recommendations on Contending With a Disaster Three mental health professionals suggested that perhaps preparing for specific disasters is impossible, while there was agreement that agencies should be prepared to deal with emotional trauma in the event of a natural disaster. Two mental health professionals suggested that planning for the possibility of a disaster would most likely not be productive. One mental health professional said that “preparing for the next disaster based on experiences from Hurricane Katrina would be like preparing for the next war based on experiences from the last one.” This mental health professional added that all disasters are unique and that it would do no good to base disaster recovery plans on what New Orleans experienced as a result of Hurricane Katrina. Another mental health professional emphasized that being flexible is essential, so that programs can be developed to meet the needs of the community. Although no amount of disaster preparation can help counseling agencies prepare for all possible challenges, perhaps the best response to disasters is to be flexible, creative and practical, taking on each problem as it is encountered. One mental health professional cautioned that agencies should be prepared not only to treat clients with post-traumatic stress disorder resulting from the disaster, but also to treat trauma symptoms that stem from unresolved trauma from childhood or past life experiences that surface after the newer trauma caused by a recent disaster. The concept that mental health agencies should always be prepared to deal with the trauma that follows a natural disaster was universally voiced by mental health professionals. In addition, self-care for counselors has become