FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE April 26, 2006

Contact: Helga West P: 301-846-9110

Frederick, MD (April 26, 2006) — With so many survivors of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita still struggling with the trauma inflicted by the storm, violent crime, and disconnection and alienation, experts from across the country (including a number from New Orleans in professions related to forensics, jail diversion programs, criminal court and law enforcement, mental health services, and victim assistance) convened for two days in Bethesda, MD to develop national recommendations to improve local, state, and national emergency response performance.

The expert panel meeting marked the beginning of the After the Crisis: Healing from Trauma After Disasters Campaign, a joint technical assistance initiative between the Center on Women, Violence and Trauma and the National GAINS Center for Systemic Change in the Mental Health and Criminal Justice System, funded by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Center for Mental Health Services. Both centers plan to coordinate a national technical assistance response in collaboration with approximately 75 experts who participated in the meeting.

The meeting was marked by intense—and often emotional—working sessions to develop practical recommendations, strategies, and program concepts for technical assistance, the goal being to address what we know about how individuals respond to traumatic experiences and set the stage for planning and organizing a more effective collective response to future disasters (hurricanes, terrorist attacks, etc.). Special emphasis was given to addressing the needs of survivors with prior histories of trauma and abuse, and those with mental illness.

"It's essential that we use what happened in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina to learn how to do it better next time" said Hon. Calvin Johnson, Chief Judge of the Orleans Parish Criminal District Court. "Doing so will not only help build connections with the problem-solvers in every community, but will pave the way for individuals and service providers to heal from the trauma and feel supported through that process."

Some of the overarching themes included the need for: person-to-person relational connection and peer support (for trauma survivors, service providers, and the news media) to help foster the healing process and lessen the impact of trauma; improved communication among local, state, federal, nonprofit service providers, faith communities, first responders, etc.; national public education and awareness of the nature and impact of trauma and related coping strategies (e.g. substance abuse, mental health concerns like depression and PTSD, aggression and violent behavior, etc).

While the response to and needs presented by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita survivors were central to discussion, leaders at the meeting represented perspectives dealing with other natural or man-made (e.g. terrorist attacks) disasters. A primary objective was to address what we know about how individuals respond to traumatic experiences historically, and to present a collaborative response plan for what can be done before the next disaster or emergency. Survivors of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita were present at the meeting and expressed great concern about these issues, especially with the beginning of hurricane season just weeks away.

While the precise plan is still in development, some of the recommended resources and programs include:

• A peer response model that can be implemented at a disaster site in an affected state or city
• An online database for government, nonprofit, community, and faith-based groups to provide information about their organization and the resources it has developed to respond to disaster; the web-based resource will include model program descriptions and other tools that can be shared among providers
• A national trauma education and awareness campaign to help individuals, families, and communities better understand the nature and impact of trauma, coping strategies, and the healing process

"As we move closer to the start of this year's hurricane season, we're hearing more and more about the trauma experienced by first responders, individuals, families, and service providers" said Andrea Blanch, Director of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Center on Women, Violence and Trauma. "The concept brought forth during our expert panel meeting to have a trauma education and awareness campaign is a great step forward to help people avoid unhealthy ways of coping with trauma and to begin the healing process."

"This meeting shed light on important cultural gaps in services such as the large population of Vietnamese immigrants living in fishing communities along the Gulf Coast who have been largely forgotten in the aftermath" commented Dr. Nguyen Dinh Thang, Executive Director of Boat People SOS, Inc. "Language barriers, the lack of a self-support infrastructure, and unfamiliarity with services available have left these survivors particularly vulnerable, unsupported, and traumatized."

"There is so much more that needs to be done to address the numerous issues still being faced by individuals, communities, and states that have been affected by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita" said Chanson Noether, Criminal Justice Division Manager of Policy Research Associates, Inc. "The campaign will foster collaboration so that the longer-term psychological and emotional needs of survivors are supported when traumatic devastation occurs."

"In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina we heard from so many survivors that had been re-victimized and re-traumatized" said Helga West, President and CEO of Witness Justice. "The remaining question has been 'What can we do about it?'— and this group is answering that question with practical and meaningful solutions."

Witness Justice is a national, grassroots, non-denominational nonprofit organization created by survivors for survivors. Our mission is to empower and assist victims of violent crime and their loved ones through both the trauma healing and criminal justice processes. Witness Justice provides direct services for victims across the United States, offering support regardless of where a victim lives, when or where the crime occurred, or whether the crime was ever reported. For more information, visit www.WitnessJustice.org.