Reflections on Hurricane Katrina and its impact: One psychologist's experience.

What has it been like to experience Hurricane Katrina as a resident of New Orleans and a pediatric psychologist practicing in the area? This article provides a glimpse of 1 psychologist's experience before, during, and after Hurricane Katrina. The author not only details the impact of this storm on her professional and personal life but also provides practical recommendations for other psychologists who may encounter hurricanes or other natural disasters. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Organizing chaos: Crisis management in the wake of Hurricane Katrina.

Applying the model of crisis management (D. Smith, 1990), this case study of the Louisiana Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals in New Orleans chronicles the organization's response to Hurricane Katrina and illustrates the unique aspects of this crisis, as well as the well-worn patterns this organization faced in the year following the storm. We describe the organizational challenges associated with various stages of crisis and identify the strengths that facilitated this organization's successes. Practical and theoretical suggestions are provided for how organizations and organizational psychologists can learn from the Hurricane Katrina catastrophe. Five lessons are summarized for helping organizations better prepare for future crises. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Lessons from Katrina: Disaster mental health service in the Gulf Coast region.

In this article, 4 mental health professionals provide firsthand accounts of experiences as volunteers in the Gulf Coast region following Hurricanes Katrina and Rita in the fall of 2006. These accounts are provided with the goal of informing psychologists and other mental health providers about the role of volunteers from a frontline perspective. The authors offer these observations as a compliment to formal training in disaster preparedness that psychologists might receive for volunteer service in the wake of a devastating disaster. Specifically, the authors discuss the training they received, the settings in which they worked, and the client needs and mental health skills they used to meet those needs. Last, the lessons the authors learned about providing disaster mental health services are discussed. It is hoped that these observations might inspire others to lend their expertise and compassion in response to future catastrophic events. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

New Orleans and Hurricane Katrina. I: Introduction, Overview, and the East Flank

The failure of the New Orleans regional flood protection systems, and the resultant catastrophic flooding of much of New Orleans during Hurricane Katrina, represents the most costly failure of an engineered system in U.S. history. This paper presents an overview of the principal events that unfolded during this catastrophic hurricane, and then a more detailed look at the early stages of the event as the storm first drove onshore and then began to pass to the east of the main populated areas. The emphasis in this paper is on geotechnical lessons and it also includes broader lessons with regard to the design, implementation, operation, and maintenance of major flood protection systems. This paper focuses principally on the early stages of this disaster, including the initial inundation of Plaquemines Parish along the lower reaches of the Mississippi River as Katrina made landfall, and the subsequent additional early levee breaches and erosion along the eastern flanks of the regional flood protection systems fronting Lake Borgne that resulted in the flooding of the two large protected basins of New Orleans East and St. Bernard Parish. Significant lessons learned include (1) the need for realistic assessment of risk exposure as an element of flood protection policy; (2) the importance of considering erodibility of embankment and foundation soils in levee design and construction; (3) the importance of considering all potential failure modes; and (4) the problems inherent in the construction of major regional systems over extended periods of multiple decades. These are important lessons, as they are applicable to other regional flood protection systems in other areas of the United States, and throughout much of the world.     

Our Katrina experience: Providing mental health services in Concordia Parish, Louisiana.

Responding to the call for psychologists to serve Louisiana and the Gulf Coast after Hurricane Katrina, 2 school psychologists spent almost 2 weeks in central Louisiana in early September 2005. They were located in a rural area and provided mental health services to evacuees from Hurricane Katrina in a number of small shelters, an RV park, and the schools. This article describes their experiences as mental health volunteers and the impact those experiences had on their professional and personal lives. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Hurricane Katrina Storm Surge Reconnaissance

Hurricane Katrina (August 23–30, 2005) was one of the costliest and deadliest hurricanes to ever strike the United States, impacting low-lying coastal plains particularly vulnerable to storm surge flooding. Maximum storm surges, overland flow depths, and inundation distances were measured along the Gulf Coast of Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, and Louisiana. The vehicle-based survey was complemented by inspections with the reconnaissance boat along the Gulf Coast and the Mississippi Barrier Islands. The survey covered both the impact on the built and the natural environments. The storm surge peaked to the east of Katrina’s path exceeding 10?m in several locations along the Mississippi coastline. The storm surge measurements show that the lower floors of specially designed buildings were damaged by the surge of seawater and associated wave action, while the upper floors sustained minimal wind damage. The storm surge measurements along New Orleans Lakeshore allowed the investigators to exclude overtopping as failure mechanism for the 17th Street outfall canal levee. Hurricane Katrina’s storm surge distribution (Category 3 at landfall) is compared against Hurricane Camille’s storm surge distribution (Category 5 at landfall). The land loss on the barrier islands and the increased vulnerability of the US Gulf Coast to future hurricane storm surges is discussed.     

In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina: A personal story of a psychologist from New Orleans.

The author, a psychologist living in New Orleans and specializing in trauma work, describes her personal story in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. The immediate response to the crisis, her personal feelings related to the devastation of her community, and ways to organize a mental health response are elaborated. The author describes the work of the trauma team from the Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center in providing immediate outreach and mental health services on the cruise ships set up to house first responders in New Orleans, in schools, and in the community. The author describes psychological first aid in crisis response and provides vignettes illustrating the experiences of first responders, children, and families. Finally, the lessons learned by the author are elaborated. Along with negatives, positive lessons can be learned with such a life-transforming experience. The importance of recognizing vicarious traumatization is emphasized as well as the crucial need for self-care for victims, survivors, and mental health providers. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Resource loss and relocation: A follow-up study of adolescents two years after Hurricane Katrina.

The long-term psychological impact of Hurricane Katrina was assessed among students (N = 636) at two high schools in southeastern Louisiana. Displaced students from the greater New Orleans area were compared with nondisplaced students on several factors. Displaced students reported higher levels of general psychological distress (GPD) and posttraumatic stress (PTS). Age, resource loss, relocation time, relocation distance, self-esteem, optimism, storm exposure, and gender were then assessed in separate regression models predicting GPD and PTS. Both hierarchical regression models were significantly predictive. Self-esteem, relocation distance, optimism, resource loss, and storm exposure were significant predictors of GPD. Resource loss, relocation time, storm exposure, and self-esteem were significant predictors of PTS. As expected, gender did not make significant contributions to either model. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Public mental health: The role of population-based and macrosystems interventions in the wake of Hurricane Katrina.

Policy makers and decision makers are struggling to recognize the needs of shattered communities in the wake of unimaginable devastation. Professional psychology is providing some of the answers as it examines the consequences of disaster. The authors, 6 U.S. Public Health Service commissioned officers, describe their experiences in this new arena. Working at the federal, state, and local levels of government during the national response to the Hurricane Katrina disaster, the authors strive to identify high-value practice areas and define new roles for professional psychologists. The authors suggest that traditional crisis and trauma interventions are expanding to include nontraditional population-based and macrosystems-level interventions. Such roles are explored in narrative form, providing professional and personal insight into the impact that psychologists can have on decision makers who recognize their value and position them effectively. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

New Orleans Levee System Performance during Hurricane Katrina: London Avenue and Orleans Canal South

Hurricane Katrina was one of the worst natural disasters in U.S. history. The effects of the hurricane were particularly devastating in the city of New Orleans. Most of the damage was due to the failure of the levee system that surrounds the city to protect it from flooding. This paper presents the results of centrifuge models conducted at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers simulating the behavior of the levees at London Avenue North and South that failed during Hurricane Katrina. Those levees failed without being overtopped by the storm surge. Also included are the results of a centrifuge model of one levee section at Orleans Canal South, which did not fail during the hurricane. The key factor of the failure mechanism of the London Avenue levees was the formation of a gap between the flooded side of the levee and the sheetpile. This gap triggered a reduction of the strength at the foundation of the protected side of the levee. The results are fully consistent with field observations.     

Hurricane Katrina: Experiences of psychologists and implications for future disaster response.

The landfall of Hurricane Katrina marked not only one of the most significant and destructive natural disasters for the United States in recent history, but also a new benchmark in challenges faced by psychologists providing services. The authors explain their roles following the hurricane, describing not only local activities for recovery but efforts conducted in the Gulf Coast as well. Experiences and perceptions of the first author, who was deployed to the Gulf Coast on numerous occasions, are highlighted. In addition, psychological assessments were carried out with a small number of displaced Katrina survivors who were relocated to the authors' local community. The authors document many of the challenges faced by psychologists and other mental health workers during relief efforts in the Gulf Coast, concluding with a set of recommendations for future disaster-relief initiatives regarding such issues as ways in which psychologists can participate in disaster-relief efforts, challenges faced when implementing interventions, cultural competency, community preparedness, and scientific research. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

After the storm: Recognition, recovery, and reconstruction.

On August 29, 2005, when Hurricane Katrina made landfall near the Louisiana-Mississippi border, it exposed a large number of people to extraordinary loss and suffering. The enormous swath of physical devastation wreaked across the marshes of Louisiana's Plaquemines Parish to the urban communities of New Orleans and the coastal landscape of Mississippi and Alabama caused a notable change to the demographics of the Gulf Region, making it the most expensive natural disaster in U.S. history. This article describes a disaster responder's experiences of working with displaced survivors of Hurricane Katrina, providing crisis and mental health support in the acute phase of the disaster. This is followed by a discussion of the importance of a multicultural approach to helping survivors of a natural disaster; several guidelines to improve multicultural competence are proposed. In particular, the importance of attending to survivors' racial, socioeconomic, language, and religious differences is discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Multicultural experiences of U.S. military psychologists: Current trends and training target areas.

This study provides the first quantification of the multicultural experiences of U.S. military psychologists. The importance of multicultural competence cannot be overemphasized given that military psychologists now practice all over the world and are expected to treat active-duty personnel, their family members, and individuals encountered from many different countries. Additionally, a small, but significant portion of enlisted military members are not U.S. citizens. Provision of services to this diverse group can be improved through efforts to enhance the multicultural competence of military providers. To better understand the multicultural experience base of military psychologists, the authors sent a survey to all contactable active-duty U.S. military psychologists (i.e., 367). Eighty-six individuals responded to a survey regarding their experiences with active-duty personnel, U.S. civilians, and civilians from other countries. Also, respondents provided quantitative information regarding working with detainees, using interpreters, and interacting with patients from diverse religious backgrounds. Results indicated rich and varied multicultural experiences with definite trends, which can assist individual psychologists and military training program development. Recommended training target areas for military psychologists at all levels are provided. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Becoming a consultant: The real stories.

This article uses interview responses given by leaders and early career consulting psychologists to understand the similarities and contrasts between beginning a consulting career a generation ago and today. It also explores the progression of leaders' careers in order to understand the events and experiences that launched their careers. Broad themes in the interview data are identified to answer the following questions: (a) Why do psychologists become interested in consultation ? (b) What developmental process prepared them to become consultants? (c) What critical incidents shaped their careers? (d) What were their most valuable preparation experiences? (e) What skill or experience do they wish they had had or will they need? and (f) Why should psychologists consider consulting psychology as a career? Suggestions for changes in the way consulting psychologists are trained are offered. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

New Orleans and Hurricane Katrina. II: The Central Region and the Lower Ninth Ward

The failure of the New Orleans regional flood protection systems, and the resultant catastrophic flooding of much of New Orleans during Hurricane Katrina, represents the most costly failure of an engineered system in U.S. history. This paper presents an overview of the principal events that unfolded in the central portion of the New Orleans metropolitan region during this hurricane, and addresses the levee failures and breaches that occurred along the east–west trending section of the shared Gulf Intracoastal Waterway/Mississippi River Gulf Outlet channel, and along the Inner Harbor Navigation Channel, that affected the New Orleans East, the St. Bernard Parish, and the Lower Ninth Ward protected basins. The emphasis in this paper is on geotechnical lessons, and also broader lessons with regard to the design, implementation, operation, and maintenance of major flood protection systems. Significant lessons learned here in the central region include: (1) the need for regional-scale flood protection systems to perform as systems, with the various components meshing well together in a mutually complementary manner; (2) the importance of considering all potential failure modes in the engineering design and evaluation of these complex systems; and (3) the problems inherent in the construction of major regional systems over extended periods of multiple decades. These are important lessons, as they are applicable to other regional flood protection systems in other areas of the United States, and throughout much of the world.     

Psychologists' knowledge of their states' laws pertaining to Tarasoff-type situations.

This study examined psychologists' knowledge of their legal and ethical responsibilities with imminently dangerous clients. We randomly surveyed 1,000 psychologists from four states and received 300 useable responses (30%). Most psychologists (76.4%) were misinformed about their state laws, believing that they had a legal duty to warn when they did not, or assuming that warning was their only legal option when other protective actions less harmful to client privacy were allowed. Moreover, in spite of the inaccuracy of their knowledge, many respondents were confident that they understood the duty to protect in their own state. Contrary to expectation, we found no significant association between legal knowledge and continuing education in legal and ethical issues, graduate training in ethics, or clinical experience with dangerous clients. These findings suggest that educational experiences during and after graduate school may not be meeting the needs of professionals to understand the complicated array of state laws and ethical duties regarding dangerous clients. We recommend several changes in the provisions of these experiences to better protect psychologists and clients from unintentional risks. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Organizational structures and service delivery in Nova Scotia.

Surveyed 16 clinical settings in Nova Scotia to determine the nature of the psychological services offered and examined their organizational context. 13 surveys were returned. The majority of the settings provide traditional mental health services. The majority of clinical psychologists are found in general regional hospitals rather than in mental health settings. Psychologists offer a wide array of services, such as those to medical patients. Psychologists practice independently; they are able to assess and treat patients in the absence of either assessment or referral by other professionals. The interests of psychologists tend to be represented at the highest level of their institutions by professionals other than psychologists. There were no organized psychology departments in more than half the settings. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Training interns to respond to sexual dilemmas.

Previous research has documented that psychologists receive little training in responding to sexual dilemmas in psychotherapy. The authors describe 2 training experiences focusing on the personal, professional, ethical, and legal issues involved in sexual attraction between psychologists and clients. Small group discussions were particularly useful as trainees were able not only to receive educational material but also to examine their feelings and behaviors when they experienced sexual attraction. A conference format providing didactic information was especially helpful to new psychology trainees. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Professional involvement in the employment process.

The American Medical Association has recently decided to give a nod to collective bargaining to increase physicians' clout in dealing with managed care. The specter of pro-union organized medicine presents important questions and challenges for all health professionals. It is important to ask whether unionization holds promise for psychologists to assert professionalism and to protect patients in today's health care environment. The authors review the labor experience with unionization and collective bargaining in the nursing profession, to highlight possible lessons of their experience for psychology. Psychologists' experiences with unionizing at the state level are also discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Do we practice what we preach? An exploratory survey of multicultural psychotherapy competencies.

Practitioners are repeatedly encouraged to become multiculturally competent clinicians. But how frequently do professional psychologists intervene in multiculturally responsive ways, and how important do they think it is to do so? From the existing literature, the authors identified 52 recommended multicultural psychotherapy competencies and surveyed 149 professional psychologists regarding these practices and beliefs. Universal, infrequent, and not applicable practices were identified. Overall and for 86% of the individual items, participants did not practice what they preached. In addition, respondents reported that personal and professional experiences were most influential, and guidelines and codes least influential, in their development of multicultural competence. Five practice implications are offered, and suggestions for educators are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)