Crisis and Disaster Counseling: Lessons Learned From Hurricane Katrina and Other Disasters increases our understanding of disaster response, influences practice with both traumatized and non-traumatized people in the aftermath of disasters, and extends our understanding of the impact of extreme stress and violence on the human psyche. This book is comprehensive and addresses in detail a wide scope (working with individuals, families, communities and in international settings). It contains a practical, skill-building approach making the book valuable to both, the beginning and experienced helping professional. Each chapter is written in a style that appeals to both professionals with facility in research as well as those without such a background. Each cheaper author emphasizes the application of research findings by offering clear and pragmatic recommendations to help providers, educators, advocates, and policy makers better understand how to meet the needs of children, families, and communities in the aftermath of disasters. The findings and recommendations are informative and guide the reader through strategies for both interventions and preventive approaches. Crisis and Disaster Counseling: Lessons Learned From Hurricane Katrina and Other Disasters fills an important gap in crisis response literature by providing a substantial review of the current theoretical and research literature on disasters and disaster response. There is a dearth of information on multicultural competency in the aftermath of disasters.

By covering a wide variety of topics of diverse populations (ethnic minorities, elderly, children and disabilities). The perspective taken in this book is that psychological and behavioral adaptations to trauma are expressions of pain and efforts to cope with unacceptable environmental demands and stressors. These adaptations may not be pathological, but grounded in cultural systems of meaning making. First responders and the organizations they represent are responsible for locating and utilizing the strength inherent within traumatized individuals, families, and communities. This approach can effectively assist survivors of disasters towards healing, recovery and resilience. Hurricane Katrina was a recent disaster, described as the deadliest and most expensive natural disaster in U.S. history, and was incalculable in terms of loss of life, destruction to property, and economic hardship.

The massive displacement, homelessness, and overall trauma experienced by survivors of Hurricane Katrina will require mental health monitoring for years to come. This book serves as a record of a momentous event in this nation's history. It is helpful for helping professionals currently working with survivors of Hurricane Katrina by shedding light on their experiences in the immediate aftermath of the disaster. Most importantly, it serves as a testimony to those who lost their lives in the tragedy.