Dear Colleagues
A very quick update: Things in Sichuan are still awful. People in Chengdu are sleeping out of doors in parks, university playing fields etc because of the aftershocks Some are returning to their homes, but colleagues who live in hi rises are sleeping at the houses of their colleagues in ground floor apartments. I have been speaking with them daily. They are very appreciative of our support.
Adults
I have had requests from many institutions for Disaster Training including: Chinese Academy Of Science Institute of Psychology, Institute Of Mental Health Peking University, Department Of Psychology Peking University, EAP, Shanghai Linzi Counseling Center, Chengdu CAPA group and many other groups and individuals. At this moment training is being scheduled for about 1200 mental health workers. The training (4-5 hour live sessions) will be provided by American Psychiatric Association International Center for Psychosocial Trauma, Disaster Psychiatry Outreach and several individual Disaster specialists. CAPA plans to provide mentoring and consultation for these disaster workers as they go into the field. They will need help for the next year as they deal with late effects of the disaster Volunteers?
The Shanghai Mental Health Center will pay airfare for two experienced disaster people come to Shanghai and the APA will supply them. The group in Chengdu has asked that someone come and Jeff Taxman, a CAPA person, has volunteered to go. He will go in any case but we are trying to raise funds to defray his costs. Please send contributions to
CAPA C/O Barbara Campbell 2621 Spring Grove Drive Brighton MI 48114
Children
I am working closely with the Mercy Corps, an American Foundation, already in China and with Gil Kliman and the Children’s Psychological Health Center. We have found a publisher for the children’s workbook. About 20 publishers have been vying for the opportunity to help and it will be available at cost—or less. Mercy Corps may order 50,000 copies. The Sichuan Red Cross will order another 50,000 and the Education Department of Chengdu will order “hundreds of thousands” of copies. Gil Kliman has rewritten the workbook. Dong Hong, an English professor at Sichuan University and also by Zhang Jingyan an Art professor are translating it and Zhang Jingyan’s students are making new illustrations. Professors at several Chengdu Universities and others will be trained to train teachers, parents and aid workers in the use of the workbook. A group of child psychiatrists from Beijing who will be working in Sichuan have asked for a mentor and ultimately we will need child people to consult with the teachers and aid workers via Skype or email.
I get about 20-40 emails an hour with various requests. If you have skills that you think would be useful, please email me.
Elise Snyder
THE NEW YORK PSYCHOANALYTIC SOCIETY & INSTITUTE