Emotional Toll of Katrina Is Still Rising...Govt begins counseling program

[Rose Siding]

NEW ORLEANS — Dispersed across the nation, survivors of Hurricane Katrina are suffering such severe psychological distress that the federal government has launched the broadest — and probably the most costly — counseling program in the nation's history.

An estimated 500,000 people need some form of mental health service, which could include treatment for post-traumatic stress, substance abuse counseling, anti-anxiety medication, even art therapy for children too young to talk out their grief.
....
In New Orleans, even those trained to offer solace break down easily and often: A hospital nurse, a school psychologist, a paramedic, a counselor all lose composure as they talk about Katrina.

"The truth is, we are not OK. We are so definitely not OK," said Burke Beyer, 31, who leads a federally funded team of counselors in New Orleans.
....
Nationally, calls to the National Suicide Prevention Hotline are up 60% since Katrina.
....
Much of the region is thinly populated: barely 40% of New Orleans' population has returned. So in theory the number of hospital beds should be adequate. But mental health crises are so common these days, Eppling has to keep some patients in the emergency room for days before a psychiatric bed opens up.

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-mentalhealth17mar17,1,6576977.story?coll=la-headlines-nation

There's a four to six month wait for appointments. How many times can we abandon these people?

[fooj]

1. Govt. BEGINS counseling program?

OMG! WTF have they been doing for the past six-seven months? Never mind.:banghead:
Peace.

[MadMaddie]

2. Compassionate Conservatism at it's best...

6 months to address that there is a problem...

another 4 to 6 months to get treatment....

[BOSSHOG]

3. I live 50 miles northeast of New Orleans

and although we got some minor damage to our home and lost a lot of trees we were incredibly lucky compared to those in NOLA and on the Mississippi Coast. Last weekend my wife and I drove to the quarter from I-10 east of New Orleans and had to drive through heavily hit New Orleans East. Just the ride through that section of town made me extremely sad. Its six months later and it looked like the hurricane hit the day before.

[MadMaddie]

4. There is no excuse that is acceptable...

The government cleaned up New York in record time with the debri from the towers and dust etc...

And yet the Gulf Coast is still in tatters...and hurricane season is right around the corner...the levies that are being repaired....reports are they are no better than what was there before Katrina...

What the hell....What the hell.....:banghead:

[BOSSHOG]

5. I think the levees will be okay

They are working on them round the clock. The cleanup project here is much more severe than New York and there has been a herculean job done in cleaning up a lot of debris but piles still remain. Katrina has ensured that the evacuation order of any hurricane next season will be heeded and it won't take as much effort to empty the city.

[MadMaddie]

6. They do say that lessons are borne out of tradgedy...

Evacuation will be more effective...definitely!!

What are they doing with the debri? are they buring it?

[Karenina]

8. New York was quickly scoured

to remove forensic evidence.

[uppityperson]

7. "Begins"? And about volunteers too

I am glad that some of this is happening, more needs to be done. This was a huge disaster for many people who have not gotten the help they need. I don't know. I just don't know.



On a lighter note, to people who have gone to help, volunteered their time, money and energies, thank you. If you need a weekend away, to take a break, to be able to keep on working and not just leave due to the overwhelmingness, Bayou Liberty Relief Camp offers a 2 day retreat, sort of a weekend off. bayoulibertyrelief.org for more information. They are hosting the Veterans March to New Orleans right now, but are capable of having up to 25 people there at a time.

[Bridget Burke]

9. Katrina Evacuees to Houston were initially staged at the Astrodome.

It's quite near the Texas Medical Center. Many health care professionals volunteered their time. And the mental health of the evacuees was not ignored. Some had problems before they came & it was understood that the stress would affect many more.

Gosh, someone just figured out this problem?