week 25, post 1 "institutionalization"

This past weekend I traveled to NOLA to a 4-day "Katrina Summit" of former Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA)deployees. There appeared to be nearly 1000 former deployees and government officials in attendance. I am grateful for the initial sponsorship of SAMHSA which allowed me to be of service, and for the invitation to attend this summit.

I worked very hard at the summit, attending all meetings possible but one. It appears that the SAMHSA deployment of mental health professionals all over the gulf coast and wherever evacuees were sent in significant numbers was generally a real success. Sometimes the government works right; credit should be given where credit is due. Westover Consultants, in suburban DC, was the recruiter of the professionals and worked closely with SAMHSA to formulate goals and strategies for the deployment. Westover and SAMHSA essentially put together the federal MENTAL HEALTH response to the disaster in about 48 hours.

Now we are in the process of evaluating our work and planning response strategies for future disasters. It is not difficult at all to see that there are pressures being exerted regarding inclusion and exclusion of future responders. Some of the criteria may possibly include specialized training in disaster response theory and practice. Professionals may be included or excluded on the basis of "strategies of therapy" employed, based on "evidence-based" studies of therapeutic efficacy (Dont'expect any Jungians to be included; we're not even important enough to merit a study). "Cultural sensitivity" training may also be required (yes, there was black racism clearly in evidence at the meeting). Eventually we are likely to witness an "American Association of Disaster Response Mental Health Service Providers and Supervisors (AADRMHSPS), or some such acronym, with a national board, professional staff, dues paying membership, credentialing process, etc. Everybody's going to fight over the disaster pie money. Surprised?

Can anyone say, "FEMA"? "Red Cross?"

It's nice when professionals know what they're doing. Not all Katrina response teams were as good as the one I was on. Not all individuals were as effective as my teammates.

But a study of the Hebrew Scriptures, among other sources, contains the clear wisdom that we naturally want to organize stuff. They also understand that when you institutionalize, you do violence to the Spirit and you pay a high price. Count on it.

God help us...

Peace, Warren.