0. Lamorinda Community Emergency Response Team
01/01/2017
Lamorinda Community Emergency Response Team
Unit 7: Disaster Psychology
Released: 21 February 2017
Lamorinda CERT

1. Community Emergency Response Team
01/01/2017
Community Emergency Response Team
Personal safety is ALWAYS the number one priority
Work as a team
Wear personal protective equipment… gloves, helmet, goggles, N95 mask, and boots
The CERT goal is to do the
Greatest Good for the Greatest Number
Hope for the best but plan for the worst
Personal health includes your emotional health as well
Visual 7.1
Lamorinda CERT

2. 01/01/2017
Disaster Psychology
Many responders find their experiences exhilarating, meaningful and life- enhancing
But for some, and for many victims, their experiences are stressful, traumatic or difficult, and may have long-term adverse consequences
We will cover these with a discussion of disaster trauma and effects,
Elements of team and personal well-being,
And a few ideas for supporting those that are having difficulties
Visual 7.2
Lamorinda CERT

3. 01/01/2017
Unit Objectives
Describe the disaster and post-disaster emotional environment for victims and emergency response volunteers
Describe the steps that responders can take to relieve their own stress and that of disaster survivors
We will cover these with a discussion of disaster trauma and effects,
Elements of team and personal well-being,
And a few ideas for supporting those that are having difficulties
Visual 7.3
Lamorinda CERT

4. A Disaster Can Be Overwhelming
01/01/2017
A Disaster Can Be Overwhelming
Not necessarily trauma from awful situations
Most CERTs will never experience these
But the stress from being a responder can be significant
Queso grande…
Visual 7.4
Lamorinda CERT

5. Rescuer Psychological Trauma
01/01/2017
Rescuer Psychological Trauma
You can experience trauma through
Your own personal losses
Working in your neighborhood
Assisting neighbors, friends, or co-workers who have been hurt
Not feeling safe and secure
Take it personally…for your own sake, and for the sake of your CERT buddies and those you want to help
Visual 7.5
Lamorinda CERT

6. What is a Traumatic Event?
01/01/2017
What is a Traumatic Event?
An event in which people experience or witness
Actual or potential death
Serious injury
Actual or threatened violence
Destruction of homes, neighborhood, or valued possessions
Loss of contact with family or close relationships
Trauma is different from stress
Trauma involves shock from unexpected and unusual events and scenes
Visual 7.6
Lamorinda CERT

7. Effects of Traumatic Stress
01/01/2017
Effects of Traumatic Stress
Traumatic stress may affect:
Cognitive functioning – thinking, behaving
Physical health
Interpersonal relationships
These effects may be immediate, gradual, or even much later.
Visual 7.7
Lamorinda CERT

8. Possible Psychological Symptoms
Irritability, anger
Self-blame, blaming others
Isolation, withdrawal
Fear of recurrence
Feeling stunned, numb, or overwhelmed
Feeling helpless
Mood swings
Sadness, depression, grief
Denial
Visual 7.8
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9. Possible Physiological Symptoms
Fatigue, low energy
Loss of appetite
Headaches, chest pains, weirdness
Diarrhea, stomach pain, nausea
Hyperactivity
Increase in alcohol or drug consumption
Chronic insomnia: inability to sleep, or broken sleep
Visual 7.9
Lamorinda CERT

10. Risk / Resiliency Markers
Younger people are at greater risk than older people
Women have greater risk than men
Volunteers have higher risk
Veterans of recent wars are more susceptible than Vietnam and Korea era vets
Those with previous psychological difficulties are more at risk
Lower social support increases risk
Visual 7.10
Lamorinda CERT

11. Post-traumatic Stress
Visual 7.11
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12. Phases of a Crisis Impact phase Inventory phase Rescue phase Recovery
01/01/2017
Phases of a Crisis
Impact phase
Survivors may not panic or show emotion
Inventory phase
Survivors assess damage
They locate other survivors
Rescue phase
Survivors tend to cooperate with rescuers
Recovery
Survivors may show hostility toward rescuers
In crisis or fear, survival behaviors dominate. May be inappropriate or odd, or may be very deliberate and useful
As crisis or fear subsides, often get anger, hostility, resentment
Visual 7.12
Lamorinda CERT

13. Prior experience with a similar event Intensity of disruption
01/01/2017
Mediating Factors
Prior experience with a similar event
Intensity of disruption
Individual feelings about event
Emotional strength of individual
Length of time since event
Pre-event training
Each of these can make things better
Or can make things worse
Visual 7.13
Lamorinda CERT

14. 01/01/2017
The Road to Recovery
Those survivors who could find something good that came out of the experience soon after it happened –
"I realized how much I loved my family“, for example, or
"I decided that life was too short not to follow my dreams"
– had made a better recovery at the time of the follow-up interview
Is the glass half-empty or half-full?
Visual 7.14
Lamorinda CERT

15. Taking Care of a Victim Lamorinda CERT Visual 7.15 01/01/2017
You would not be expected to provide detailed care- most of you are not medical or psychology professionals
Treat others the way you might want to be treated
Visual 7.15
Lamorinda CERT

16. Stabilizing a Victim Assess survivors for injury and shock
01/01/2017
Stabilizing a Victim
Assess survivors for injury and shock
Get uninjured people involved in helping
Provide support by:
Listening
Empathizing
Help survivors connect with their natural support systems
For many people, giving them something useful to do helps their own anxieties
Visual 7.16
Lamorinda CERT

17. How to Be an Empathetic Listener
Recognize “mental noise”
People who are upset have difficulty hearing and processing information
Mental noise can reduce ability to process information by as much as 80%
Avoid the negative
People who are upset tend to think negatively
Repetition of a negative reinforces this
Avoid using negatives, such as NO, NOT, CAN’T, DON’T, NEVER, NOTHING, NONE
Visual 7.17
Lamorinda CERT

18. How to Be an Empathetic Listener
Put yourself in the speaker’s shoes
Listen for meaning, not just words
Pay attention to nonverbal communication
Paraphrase the speaker in their own words to show that you heard him / her
Practice compassion
Visual 7.18
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19. Avoid Saying … “I understand” “Don’t feel bad.”
“You’re strong, you’ll get through this”
“Don’t cry”
“It’s God’s will”
“It could be worse” or “At least you still have...”
“What you really must do...”
These phrases discount the person’s feelings
Visual 7.19
Lamorinda CERT

20. Can Say … “These are normal reactions to a disaster.”
“It’s understandable you could feel this way.”
“As you connect with others who have been through this, you’ll find that they may have experienced the same things you are feeling.”
“You can’t change what happened, but you can change what you do with this experience.”
“Things may never be the same, but you may find some things from this experience that can help you help others.”
Visual 7.20
Lamorinda CERT

21. Managing a Death Scene Move the body to temporary morgue
01/01/2017
Managing a Death Scene
Move the body to temporary morgue
Cover the body; treat it with respect
Have one family member look at the body and decide if the rest of the family should see it
Allow family members to hold or spend time with the deceased
Let the family grieve
It is unlikely that you as a CERT volunteer would have to take charge of a death scene and address moving the body and informing the relatives
Normally, a dead body should be covered and left for law enforcement and the coroner.
However, a victim in your triage or medical area may die, or was brought in dead.
Visual 7.21
Lamorinda CERT

22. Informing Family of a Death
Separate the family members from others into a quiet, private place
Have them sit down, if possible
Make eye contact and use a calm, kind voice
Use the following words to tell the family members about the death: “I’m sorry, but your family member has died. I am so sorry.”
Visual 7.22
Lamorinda CERT

23. Taking Care of Your Team
01/01/2017
Taking Care of Your Team
CERT volunteers will experience a variety of feelings and emotions during their service
These may be good- you are making a positive difference
They may be bad- it’s not as pleasant as the drills
They could be horrible- there could be some shocking, upsetting or otherwise depressing events and situations to face
Preparation and self-care are important
Visual 7.23
Lamorinda CERT

24. Emergency Response Realities
You are not likely to be posted to tasks that would offer traumatic situations. More likely, you would be at an EOC or doing support field tasks. Never-the-less...
Duty shifts are typically 12 on/ 12 off. That is usually 13 on/ 11 off when shift changes are counted. 14 on/ 10 off by the time you get to bed...
Night shifts can be hard
Visual 7.24
Lamorinda CERT

25. Emergency Response Realities
Usually, little slack time during duty. Go, go, go...
Food may be sketchy
Sleeping facilities may be unusual
Field work may be hot, cold, rainy, or just miserable
Hot showers? Peace and quiet? Dream on...
Visual 7.25
Lamorinda CERT

26. Leadership Support for Volunteer Well-Being
01/01/2017
Leadership Support for Volunteer Well-Being
CERT leaders or response staff should:
Brief personnel before assignment
Personal preparations and supplies
Expected situation
Emphasize teamwork
Provide for breaks, proper nutrition and rest
Rotate team members and duties
Have an “escape plan” for demobilizing stressed-out volunteers
Conduct post-shift debriefings
CERT leaders and incident managers have responsibilities to ensure volunteer well-being
CERT is a team- folks need to look after each other, and leaders especially so. Share the loads.
Get rest, food and water- preferably away from the action.
Provide opportunities for volunteers to express their emotions and needs.
Hold “hot wash” debriefings to discuss any issues that have occurred
Visual 7.26
Lamorinda CERT

27. Take Care of Yourself
Take care of yourself while you are helping others
Prepare for extended time away and under uncomfortable conditions
Try to address home/ work issues first
Bring personal supplies
For sleeping
For comfort
Clothes
Food
Phone/ charger
Visual 7.27
Lamorinda CERT

28. Take Care of Yourself
Be aware that trauma / stress can result from disaster work
Explain to family member and friends how they can support you
Listen to you when you need to talk
Understand that you may not want to talk
Allow yourself to receive, as well as give
Connect with others
Use spiritual resources
Visual 7.28
Lamorinda CERT

29. Returning to Normal
For most responders, it all goes away post- deployment
A normal routine helps
Can make for good stories, team building and camaraderie later on
For some, the experience may leave bad memories
If these are problems, consider professional help
Visual 7.29
Lamorinda CERT

30. Unit Summary Disaster situations can be traumatic and stressful
Help survivors
Remember what you can and cannot say
Manage a death scene with care and compassion
Take care of your team
Take care of yourself
Visual 7.30
Lamorinda CERT