The stories of human suffering in the Gulf Coast area have hit close to home for many in the Midlands who have family, memories and ties to the area.
Counselors with the UNMC Faculty/Employee Assistance Program are available to employees who are having difficulty dealing with the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.
“The magnitude of the destruction is unfathomable,” said Susan Smith, FEAP manager and counselor. “We’ll do whatever we can to listen and support and, when necessary, access resources to assist faculty, employees and their families.”
The assessment and short-term counseling service is free and confidential, Smith said.
“The impact here is primarily emotional. Personal involvement in community relief efforts might help mitigate some of our own helplessness,” said Smith, who has worked with people experiencing trauma. “There will be a long-term, psychological impact because information about loved ones is coming out so slowly and the devastation is so profound. Being in the medical community, there is a deep sense of wanting to help, but it’s important to work through a coordinated, centralized effort.”
Smith said the disaster also reinforces the need for families to have an evacuation and communication plan in place in the event of a natural or biological disaster. “We need to think about how we would evacuate or take care of our own family,” she said.
All 50 states, as well as FEMA, have Web sites to assist individuals in preparing for catastrophic events, Smith said.
The disaster also highlights the importance of being able to reestablish one’s identity when important documents have been lost. To make it easier to recover from a tragedy, individuals should keep important papers, such as wills and photo ID, in their possession, as well as give copies to a trusted person at a different location.
In evacuating or preparing for a disaster, individuals also should take personal identification (Social Security, marriage license, birth certificate, passports); medical information (copies of prescriptions and medical history reports); insurance documents; pictures or video of homes and possessions; and financial files.
Adults should talk to children in age-appropriate language about the disaster and emphasize that they are safe and surrounded by loved ones. Adults, meanwhile, should keep tabs on their own emotions, particularly if they:
- Have difficulty sleeping;
- Are more irritable with colleagues and family;
- See changes in their mood; and
- Are preoccupied with the event.
For more information, or for free confidential counseling, contact Smith at 559-5323 or counselor Marlene Schneider at 559-5175. If urgent, pager numbers are available on the voice message.