(A67) Empowerment Model for Community Disaster (EMCD)

Abstract

The earthquake in Haiti and its consequences highlighted the need to enhance knowledge and skills for community intervention in situations of disaster and acute trauma. The large number of homeless people concentrated in enormous refugee camps has made such an investigation possible. In the lecture, we will present a model for empowerment intervention with victims of community disasters. The model is based on analyses of three cases in which psychosocial interventions were conducted by the investigators: the Tsunami in Sri Lanka, work at refugee camps in Georgia, and the earthquake in Haiti. Principles of the Model The more extensive the casualties are, the less relevant individual intervention will be. Entering an unfamiliar culture requires collaborative professional work with local residents. Intervention in a large-scale disaster needs to be based on an interdisciplinary perspective in terms of planning, preparation, and implementation. It is assumed that the intervention will be short-term, and a specific length of time is allocated for therapeutic agents to provide assistance. This approach was adopted in light of the limited resources at our disposal, and in an attempt to minimize dependence in the relationships between the therapeutic agents and the victims. An attempt is made to enhance efficacy for effective coping with changing needs that emerge in the wake of the disaster. An attempt is made to prevent CPTSD, which can inhibit the functioning of the community residents. We will present these principles and describe how they were implemented in community intervention at two refugee camps in Haiti following the earthquake there, and at a refugee camp in Georgia.