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

Click here for ways you can support upcoming trainings.

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, Russia, 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, EMDR-HAP, HARMONY Institute, PAHP, 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:

1. 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
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. 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.
5. 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 the Annual International Conference on Conflict Resolution, CBI, HARMONY, HAP, and PAHP. 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.

Anyone wishing to contribute funds can inform us of their pledge and send donations to Common Bond Institute at the address below. Donations of any size are appreciated.

*Contributions are made payable to: "Common Bond Institute" with a note indicating "CTR Trauma Training," and can be made by check, money order, cashiers check, or credit card. For wiring instructions please contact IHPA directly at the phone number below.

Additional assistance can be offered by actively publicizing and promoting this need.

Please Send Contributions to:
Common Bond Institute
12170 South Pine Ayr Drive, Climax, Michigan 49034 USA
Phone/Fax: (269) 665-9393 
Email: SOlweean@aol.com

* Please address all 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, HARMONY Institute for Psychotherapy and Counseling, and the EMDR Humanitarian Assistance Program (HAP), in cooperation with the International Humanistic Psychology Association (IHPA) 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.