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Red Cross Gets Creative to Support 9/11 Families
Written by
Lesly Hallman
, Staff Writer, RedCross.org
Thursday, April 15, 2004 — NEW YORK—Since the start of the recovery efforts following the 2001 terrorist attacks, the word that staff and volunteers with the September 11 Recovery Program (SRP) have tried to live by is “flexible.” Those who lost loved ones in the tragedy come to the Red Cross with an almost unfathomable range of needs, and the SRP staff continues to bend and adapt daily to ensure their needs are met.
It’s a lofty goal, and it has been achieved only through using a different mindset than most Red Cross disaster operations.
“What was true in the beginning is true now—there was no blueprint for this,” said SRP Executive Director Alan Goodman. “We had to figure it out by trial and error, and we are still doing that now.”
A Red Cross volunteer talks with a bereaved man following the attacks on Sept. 11, 2001. |
The result of that trial and error is a series of innovative programs and partnerships to meet the needs of SRP clients, particularly in the area of mental health.
“In September of 2001, it became clear based on our experience in Oklahoma City that mental health would be the longest ongoing component of services provided,” for attack victims and their families, according to Erica Lowry, director of Mental Health and Health Services for the September 11 Recovery Program.
To begin the process of serving the public, the Red Cross and The September 11th Fund came together to develop a one-stop shop for clients to learn about and apply for a range of services. Both groups pooled their resources to create the 9/11 Mental Health and Substance Abuse Program, which is administered by the Mental Health Association of New York.
The program has been incredibly effective, and after more than two years, people are still coming forward for assistance. “Early on the biggest portion of our services went to displaced residents who lost homes or jobs in the area, and now the greatest portion of cases represent families who lost loved ones and rescue workers, primarily from Ground Zero,” said Lowry.
“In these kinds of cases, people tend to try and hold it together by themselves for as long as they can. If people haven’t been in the mental health system already, they are often slow to come to it. Mental health concerns created by trauma are not that different from physical health needs. Like with a broken leg, some things won’t heal unless you get help,” said Lowry.
Family Nights Created to Meet Needs
SRP’s Family Nights program began in August 2002 and is an example of the invaluable outreach services created to support clients’ mental health needs. The idea of an SRP staff member, the nights are held primarily in the New York area and bring families together in a safe atmosphere to discuss topics based on their interests, from financial planning to physical wellness. Professionals from the American Group Psychotherapy Association also attend to facilitate group discussions if desired.
From the beginning, SRP staff worked to keep Family Nights as a resource for information rather than a support group, although support is a huge part of every meeting.
“Not defining Family Nights has been a great benefit because it allows people to get what they want out of the event without feeling pressured,” said Michael Zeiss, SRP assistant director for policy and planning. “The clients find a sense of commonality by coming together with others who’ve gone through what they’ve been through.”
To address the uniqueness of participants, Family Nights include such events as “Alegria de Vivir” for Spanish speakers, as well as nights for the physically injured and nights for parents with young children. Family Nights were also held in Delaware, Maryland and Nebraska, which had a large concentration of affected families.
“The locations were selected by looking at where the clients were, with great success” said Patricia Caines, SRP Community Services Liaison.
Since the Red Cross is not a social services agency, in all of its programs it has worked hard to integrate existing expertise from outside of the organization.
“We could have said we would train our people to do it, but that doesn’t meet the client’s needs,” said Goodman. “Other community-based organizations already have the connections and expertise, so we work with them for the answers.”
The Red Cross has worked closely with other organizations to create and administer these programs. Since the program plans to close its doors in 2007, the groundwork is being laid now to transition the work currently being done by SRP staff to community-based organizations. In Nebraska, for example, the Family Nights program was taken over by a local organization to continue serving those that need assistance.
Working with other organizations has been a cornerstone of this program from the beginning, and the work SRP has started will continue as long as needed through those other groups.
“No one group could process all the information that was coming in, from public interests, families, and other organizations,” said Lowry. “Because of the phenomenal amount of money donated as a result of this event, the level of collaboration between organizations alleviated public concerns,” she said. “It would have been terrible to create services that were in competition with each other.”
This article is second in a series about the September 11 Recovery Program of the Red Cross.
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