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Catastrophic Trauma Recovery (CTR) Project
Intensive
training in catastrophic trauma recovery skills
intended for local professionals and relief workers
assisting refugees and victims of violence in regions of conflict
Sponsored by
Common Bond Institute
(CBI)
in cooperation with
International Humanistic Psychology Association (IHPA)
and a consortium of professional organizations internationally
*
Tax Deductible Donations through
International
Humanistic Psychology Association (IHPA)
(see details under
How To Help below)
Need
Profound psychological and emotional injuries may be the most enduring
effects of war, yet historically, they are the least addressed in terms
of rebuilding a society and preventing future violence. Large-scale
recovery efforts commonly focus on more visible needs such as food,
shelter, clothing, physical health, and economic aid. However, the effects
of deep psychological trauma on individuals, their families, and ultimately
their communities is typically overlooked or minimized, and seldom truly
resolved. This invariably leads to it becoming imbedded as part of the
psyche of a society that extends the wounds into future generations
where it is too often played out in further violence. In this way the
cycle of violence and the cycle of trauma directly contribute to each
other. The pervasive presence of such a large segment of traumatized
members in all areas of these societies poses perhaps the most formidable
barrier to peace. Without these urgently needed services it is expected
the trauma of violent physical, sexual, and emotional abuse, loss of
loved ones and neighbors, loss of homes, and dramatic decline in basic
daily life, will continue. It is imperative to not only the present
but to the future that victims on all sides are assisted in healing
and recovering from their tragic experiences. True recovery can then
better lead to lasting peace.
Whether in the Middle East, the Caucuses, the Balkans, or elsewhere,
in modern times or the past, regardless of the original motivation of
conflict, unresolved communal psychological wounds are one of the most
powerful fuels of war and violent conflicts. Efforts at maintaining
peace and avoiding war are seriously handicapped if they do not address
such current and historical wounds, as well as create the means to prevent
future traumas.
Treating large civilian populations, experiencing catastrophic psychological
trauma pervasive at all levels of a society due to war and violence,
poses unique challenges not typically focused on in the therapeutic
literature or conventional clinical practice, where the historical application
is with individuals or small groups. When the society is one where human
services are seriously underdeveloped or absent, and where the integrity
of the existing social support system itself is critically compromised
by a catastrophic situation, this challenge can be overwhelming. Although
numerous needs assessments conducted in these regions over the years
by the United Nations and international aid organizations have consistently
identified this critical, pervasive, and relatively unmet need, and
although the NGO coordinating agencies, health and relief organizations,
and local governmental authorities throughout these regions confirm
this as a present and growing condition, there has been far too little
provided in the way of adequate direct services or local training in
trauma treatment.
It can be reasoned that at least part of this lack of action has been
due to an absence of workable models in the field for undertaking such
an immense, long-term task. What is required are new models oriented
toward treating large populations in societies where trauma has become
systemic. These approaches must incorporate an integrated flow of services
and supports designed to respond to both immediate and long-term effects
of trauma. A key feature is that the capacity to provide and quickly
expand these services on an ongoing basis should be instilled within
the local community itself. It is imperative that any model also be
sensitive to the cultural context of both the trauma experience and
treatment. Thus, in addition to adaptations of highly effective mental
health treatment methods, it is important to enlist traditional aspects
of the society, such as its cultural and spiritual resources.
Current State Of Existing Indigenous Services
In general, there is a serious lack of adequate mental health service
expertise or resources in these regions. The field of clinical psychology
and psychotherapy is nearly absent. At many regional universities there
are either no Departments of Psychology or the programs are seriously
lacking in basic practical treatment courses.
Project Description and Purpose
In response to requests for such new models, Common
Bond Institute developed the Catastrophic Trauma Recovery
(CTR) model. (The CTR model is further described in Dr. Stanley
Krippner's book on "The Psychological Impact of War Trauma on
Civilians"). The objective was to design a comprehensive, integrated
treatment and training program, culturally sensitive and particularly
suited to regions experiencing violent turmoil where services are underdeveloped
and the society's infrastructure has broken down. The CTR Model offers
brief, intensive practical training in crisis intervention and outreach,
immediate symptom relief, trauma resolution, and support skills to large
groups of local professionals, paraprofessionals, and relief workers
currently working directly with victims of violence and natural disaster.
Continued training and consultation occur with support from CBI, IHPA,
and other participating professional training organizations.
The purpose is to increase the capacity of local services and
relief workers in providing direct intervention and treatment to victims
of trauma where huge portions of the population have been impacted by
widespread violence or natural disaster. The project is designed to
address both immediate and long term treatment needs and establish close,
ongoing relationships with and between local aid organizations. An added
benefit is the invaluable investment in the future health services of
the region.
Specific Goals
of this "Training of Trainers" Are:
- To create an extensive, permanent, and expanding pool of local
health professionals and paraprofessionals equipped with practical
skills to meet the immediate needs of the large portion of the population
throughout these regions suffering from severe psychological trauma
- To utilize the concepts of "training trainers"
in creating a core group of advanced local professionals who form
a highly skilled mentor pool for eventually conducting further on-going
trainings themselves, and in this way multiply the pace and breadth
of available service to the most people.
- To provide public education in self-help skills and resources
to victim populations and their community; and to build capacity for
community support of victims.
- To conduct short and long-term local service needs assessments,
and contribute to investing in the availability and quality of future
health services of the region.
- To contribute to the stability of local communities with
large populations of victims, and so to regional stability as a whole.
CTR Integrated Model
- Brief Therapeutic Intervention process:
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) for immediate
symptom relief - a method highly effective in quickly alleviating psychological
trauma symptoms with even one session, able to be learned in a very
short time by both professionals and paraprofessionals, and easily culturally
adaptive.
- Crisis Phone Lines and Drop-in Centers: for
crisis intervention, support, assessment, and referral for on-going
treatment where available, and to augment existing services.
- Triage and Assessment:
for immediate and long term treatment needs. To include assessment
of current human service resources, recommendations for establishing
essential components, and cooperating with local stakeholders and outside
resources to assist in their development.
- Survivor Support Groups:
ongoing peer groups offering support, safety, and acceptance
to further augment and maintain trauma resolution. A key here is empowering
victims with skills to support each other, particularly given the sheer
size of the victim pool and inadequate level of local human services.
- Stress Management for Workers:
for managing the anticipated stress of this work and high potential
for burn-out.
- Counselor/Trainer Support Groups:
for ongoing worker support and the development of a cohesive pool of
local mentors to provide future trainings and supervision for larger
numbers of trainees. The expectation is these groups will naturally
lead to the creation of professional associations and institutes, with
the assistance of CBI's consortium.
- Community Intervention and Victim Advocacy:
to nurture community acceptance and build capacity for support of victims,
particularly victims of rape and sexual abuse who often face a second
trauma of blame and rejection. Representatives of like cultural and
religious traditions from other regions are enlisted as liaisons to
interface with local counterparts to assist in encouraging and modeling
support within the community. Sensitivity training programs are introduced
into the community, and an orientation to the culture and local religions
is provided to project trainers to ensure sensitivity in applying training
within this context.
- Mediation/Dispute Resolution: to
provide guidelines and skills for coping and assisting with conflicts
arising within the community being served. As there is typically some
degree of increased domestic and community conflict within victimized
populations, it is important for workers to be adequately equipped to
both deal with them when they invariably arise and to teach basic skills
to members of the community.
- Training Resource Library:
a collection of professional materials (video & audio programs,
taped training sessions, written manuals & program materials, assessment
tools, journals, etc.) available on-site and through our website for
continuing education, review, and utilization by treatment workers and
local trainers.
- Ongoing Consultation and Training Team Support:
provided to local trainers and treatment workers via e-mail, web site,
and telephone to augment training and case studies. Additional more
advanced on-site trainings are provided to selected candidates to prepare
them as trainers.
Targeted participants
Local psychologists, counselors, social workers, medical professionals,
and relief workers in regions of conflict working directly with
refugees and victims of violence and natural catastrophe. Priority is
given to workers in positions to model and teach skills to others. This
training of trainers involves key individuals identified and
screened by local NGO organizations in cooperation with the project
team. A unique feature of the project is that it often includes trainees
from both sides of existing or recent conflicts, and provides a profoundly
powerful opportunity for healers coming together to help each other
heal their respective communities. The hope is this can help lay the
groundwork for future bi-communal cooperation.
Trainers
Expert teams of specially trained mental health professionals in the
field of trauma treatment, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), crisis
intervention, triage, stress management, victim support groups, victim
advocacy, and conflict resolution. Team members are gathered from the
extensive networks of CBI, IHPA, and the Annual
International Conference on Conflict Resolution. An orientation
to the cultural and ethnic context of trainees and victims is provided.
Trainers agree to be available on an ongoing basis after and between
trainings for consultation and support. This soulful work is highly
challenging, requires a great deal of commitment, flexibility, energy,
and inner strength, and is immensely rewarding.
Local Support
A number of local NGO and government authorities support and
cooperate with this project. Our organizations assist these organizations
in bringing workers to special trainings held in conjunction with the
Annual ICR Conference.
In addition, local NGO's cooperate as site hosts to provide and coordinate
site logistics, and identifying trainees.
How to Help
YOUR Financial Support is CRITICAL
In the midst of tragic events witnessed in many troubled regions, there
are important and immediate opportunities developing to help ease pain
and suffering. If you, your colleagues, family, or friends are drawn
to offering help through concrete action with a clear, immediate impact
on the present and future of these conflicts we invite you to consider
supporting this humanitarian effort with your donations.
*
Tax Deductible Donations can be made through our partner
organization, the International
Humanistic Psychology Association (IHPA),
at the address below. IHPA is a US
Federal 501(c)3 Nonprofit organization
and contributions are tax deductible.
Donations of any size are appreciated*
Contributions
can be made payable to: "International
Humanistic Psychology Association" indicating:
CTR Trainings, and can be made by through PayPal
by credit card or bank withdrawl. Clicking on the IHPA link will
take you to the PayPal link on it's website.
Checks, money orders, or cashiers checks made out to IHPA can also be
mailed directly to the address below.
For wiring instructions please contact us directly at the phone number
below.
Please
Send Contributions to:
International
Humanistic Psychology Association
12170
South Pine Ayr Drive, Climax, Michigan 49034 USA
Phone/Fax: (269) 665-9393
Email: SOlweean@aol.com
Additional assistance can be offered by actively publicizing and
promoting this need.
* Please address all Program Questions and Inquiries
to
Common Bond Institute
(Contact information provided at the bottom of this page)
Cooperation with Other Organizations and Efforts
Common Bond Institute
and the International Humanistic Psychology Association (IHPA),
in cooperation with the EMDR Humanitarian Assistance Program (HAP),
are committed to a philosophy of cooperating and collaborating with
organizations and efforts attempting to assist the crises in these regions.
We wish to particularly acknowledge the cooperation and involvement
of the EMDR Humanitarian Assistance Project (EMDR-HAP) in contributing
trainers to our project teams and assisting in integrating EMDR into
the CTR Training model.
Given the overwhelming need and time-critical nature of the situation,
working together at every opportunity to assist in the success of all
efforts is imperative.
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