Culture-centered Disaster Mental Health: Meeting the Needs of Children and Adolescents

1. Culture-centered Disaster Mental Health: Meeting the Needs of Children and Adolescents Dr. Cirecie West-Olatunji Rachael Goodman University of Florida Int'l Counseling Conference 2007 - Shanghai

2. Problem Statement Gulf Coast communities impacted by Hurricane Katrina needed post-disaster mental health services Int'l Counseling Conference 2007 - Shanghai

3. Problem Statement (cont.) Historically marginalized communities require attention to contextual issues, including historical trauma and oppression (Harrell, 2000) Int'l Counseling Conference 2007 - Shanghai

4. Review of the Literature: Multicultural Considerations Culture impacts coping strategies; dominant vs. non-dominant groups use different coping methods (Scott, 2003) Int'l Counseling Conference 2007 - Shanghai

5. Review of the Literature: Multicultural Considerations Culturally marginalized individuals may experience ecological stressors in addition to the disaster (Harrell, 2000) Int'l Counseling Conference 2007 - Shanghai

6. Review of the Literature: Multicultural Considerations Thus it is critical to provide mental health services for children and adolescents that address previously existing mental health needs in addition to current disaster-related concerns Int'l Counseling Conference 2007 - Shanghai

7. Attending to Multicultural Considerations Thus it is critical to provide mental health services for children and adolescents that address previously existing mental health needs in addition to current disaster-related concerns Int'l Counseling Conference 2007 - Shanghai

8. Attending to Multicultural Considerations This includes case conceptualization, which should be done within the framework of the individual’s own culture (Holdstock, 2000; Ibrahim et al., 2001; Kambon, 1996) Int'l Counseling Conference 2007 - Shanghai

9. Culture-centered Interventions Collectively identify the issue and try new perspectives (Nobles, 1984) Int'l Counseling Conference 2007 - Shanghai

10. Culture-centered Interventions Collective, narrative group approach through the Story Circle format (Junebug Productions, 2000; Williams-Clay, West-Olatunji & Cooley, 2001) Int'l Counseling Conference 2007 - Shanghai

11. Culture-centered Interventions Systemic/ecological perspective (Pardeck & Chung, 1997) through the Community-as-client model (West-Olatunji & Watson, 1999) Int'l Counseling Conference 2007 - Shanghai

12. Recommendations Increase scholarship on racism-related PTSD (Olatunji, 1997) in order to develop an understanding of the relationship between racism and trauma Int'l Counseling Conference 2007 - Shanghai

13. Recommendations Augment counselor preparation to enable counselors to respond to culturally diverse individuals Int'l Counseling Conference 2007 - Shanghai

14. Selected References Harrell, S. P. (2000). A multidimensional conceptualization of racism-related stress: Implications for the well-being of people of color. American Journal of Orthopsychiatry, 70, 42-57. Holdstock, T. L. (2000). Re-examining psychology: Critical perspectives and African insights. Philadelphia: Routledge. Ibrahim, F. A., Roysircar-Sodowsky, G., & Ohimshi, H. (2001). Worldview: Recent developments and needed directions. In J. G. Ponterotto, J. M. Casas, L. A. Suzuki, & C. M. Alexander (Eds.). Handbook of multicultural counseling (2nd ed., pp. 425-456). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications. Junebug Productions. (2000). Junebug’s story circle process.http://home.gnom.org/~junebug/story4.html. Kambon, K.K.K. (1996). The Africentric paradigm and African American psychological liberation. In D. A. ya Azibo (Ed.), African Psychology in Historical Perspective & Related Commentary (pp. 57-69). Trenton, NJ: Africa World Press, Inc. Nobles, W. W.(1986). Ancient Egyptian Thought and the Development of African (Black) Psychology. In M. Karenga & J. H. Carruthers (Eds.) Kemet and the African worldview: Research, rescue and restoration (pp. 100-118). Los Angeles: University of Sankore Press. Int'l Counseling Conference 2007 - Shanghai

15. Selected References cont. Olatunji, C. A. (1997). Culture-centeredness training as an intervention for chronic racism-related post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms in African-American adolescents. Unpublished dissertation: University of New Orleans. Pardeck, J. T. & Chung, W. S. (1997). Treating powerless minorities through an ecosystem approach. Adolescence, 32, 625-34. Scott, Jr., L. D. (2003). Cultural orientation and coping with perceived discrimination among African American youth. Journal of Black Psychology, 29, 235 - 256. West-Olatunji, C., Watson, Z. (1999). Community-as-client mental health needs assessment: Use of culture-centered theory & research. The Community Psychologist,31, 36-38. Williams-Clay, L., West-Olatunji, C., & Cooley, C. (2001). Keeping the story alive: Narrative in the African-American church and community, with Educational Resource Information Clearinghouse - Counseling and Related Services (ERIC-CASS) ERIC No: ED462666, pp. 1-9. Int'l Counseling Conference 2007 - Shanghai

16. Q & A Int'l Counseling Conference 2007 - Shanghai

17. Contact Information Rachael D. Goodman, Ed.S. Doctoral Student Department of Counselor Education College of Education University of Florida 1204 Norman Hall, POBox 117046 Gainesville, FL  32611 (214) 282-4507 (352) 846-3011 (fax) rachaeldg@gmail.com Cirecie A. West-Olatunji, Ph.D. Assistant Professor Department of Counselor Education College of Education University of Florida 1204 Norman Hall POBox 117046 Gainesville, FL  32611 (352) 392-0731 x-235 (352) 846-2697 (fax) cwestolatunji@coe.ufl.edu Int'l Counseling Conference 2007 - Shanghai