PHILADELPHIA, Sept. 19 /PRNewswire/ -- In the wake of Hurricane Katrina, the Mental Health Association of Southeastern Pennsylvania (MHASP) is sending a team to Texas to meet with people in areas around the state with a high concentration of those who fled before the storm or survived its devastation. The goal is to help these evacuees, and to provide training in how to mobilize Texas volunteers - especially people who can provide peer support to those who, like themselves, have mental illnesses - to offer hope and aid to the evacuees.
The training will be provided by the National Mental Health Consumers' Self-Help Clearinghouse, an MHASP project that is a national technical assistance center funded by the federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The training will be based on lessons learned after 9/11, when MHASP, with the University of Pennsylvania, helped develop a manual about facilitating recovery among individuals affected by traumatic events that have a community impact.
"There are just not enough trained professionals to pitch in," said Joseph Rogers, MHASP president and CEO, who is heading the team going to Texas. "In addition, the philosophy behind peer support is that some of the best helpers are those who have experienced similar problems."
Texas Mental Health Consumers (TMHC), a statewide organization of self- help/mutual support peer activists, is organizing the meetings with the Office of Consumer Affairs of the Texas Department of Mental Health and Mental Retardation.
"One of our goals is to provide a place where survivors can talk about the impact of Katrina on their lives. The Clearinghouse will also offer training in peer support and how it can make a difference in helping people deal with catastrophe," said Mike Halligan, who heads TMHC.
"Many of the individuals who have been displaced by Katrina need mental health supports and assistance. Our mental health advocates and peer volunteers are playing a crucial role in this effort; they are experts at providing flexible, practical support," said Cindy Hopkins, director of the Office of Consumer Affairs. "We appreciate their efforts and are pleased to receive assistance from our partners from Philadelphia."
Contact: Stephanie Langheim, 215-751-1800, ext. 291
Mental Health Association of Southeastern PennsylvaniaCONTACT: Joseph Rogers, +1-267-304-6826 (cell), Susan Rogers,+1-215-284-0766 (cell), or Stephanie Langheim, +1-215-751-1800, ext. 291,all of Mental Health Association of Southeastern Pennsylvania
Web site: http://www.mhasp.org/
