Disaster Outreach Task Force Rallies After 9/11

Robert Klein, PhD, CGP, FAGPA, and Nina Thomas, PhD, CGP, FAGPA

A little more than one year ago, with the country still reeling from the shock of 9/11 and its aftermath, AGPA was awarded a $2 million grant by the New York Times Company Foundation's 9/11 Neediest Cases Fund. This grant enabled AGPA to begin to provide group services for those most immediately affected, many of whom might be deterred from seeking help because of financial limitations, lack of awareness of potential benefits, or fear of stigma.

Under the tireless leadership of our Chief Executive Officer Marsha Block, CAE, CFRE, and subsequently the hiring of Diane Feirman, CAE, asDirector of Public Affairs, AGPA's staff and membership rallied to meet the challenge. A Disaster Outreach Task Force was quickly formed to implement a comprehensive three-tiered group intervention approach designed to: (1) address the immediate mental health needs of individual victims, survivors, witnesses, first-responders and their families; (2) reach out to assist businesses, school systems, religious organizations, and various institutions in the communities affected; and (3) identify and work with those who might suffer the longer-term effects of trauma. With the help of the Eastern Group Psychotherapy Society (EGPS) and other Affiliates, an extensive list was compiled of CGP providers who were eager to find a way to be involved and to be helpful in the tri-state and Washington, DC, areas. The efforts of individual members, along with their energy, commitment, passion, knowledge and personal contacts in their respective communities, became part of a massive coordinated service delivery program.

AGPA has conducted more than 300 group interventions to date. These services have taken various forms, ranging from single session psychoeducational groups, to time-limited support groups, to ongoing extended service groups. They have involved working with individuals immediately affected by 9/11, as well as with children and families, school systems, first-responder and community groups, and the staffs of many other helping organizations in both the public and private sectors.

Those with whom AGPA has worked have expressed their appreciation. Numerous thank you letters have been received from individuals and organizations, as well as from the group leaders who have provided the services. Just to give you the flavor of these comments, consider the following excerpts from letters we have received. "Thank you so much for the services you and your wonderful staff provided…your group has both the skill and sensitivity to address such…tragic issues." "The extreme professionalism exhibited by your counselors and the assistance provided by the counseling staff who attended allowed for an open reflective dialogue as well as an opportunity to share fears and concerns in a safe environment." "The sessions provided the support that staff has desperately needed to work more productively and efficiently." "Events like this will prove invaluable toward helping the healing process for those families affected by September 11^th." "All of us were greatly enriched by better understanding about the common reactions to traumas and the subsequent recovery process." "In these very challenging times, it's great to know that your association is advancing mental health for the public." "My heartfelt appreciation to you and your association…." "Thank you so much for taking the time to share your wealth of insight and experience; your model of open communication with an emphasis on working with groups revealed new avenues for relating to children both in general and in light of September 11^th." Group leaders, too, expressed similar sentiments: "I would like to express my deepest thanks for the privilege of serving on behalf of The American Group Psychotherapy Association and the 9/11 Project."

Hand in hand with providing services, AGPA has been actively involved in training professionals to deal effectively with the impact of trauma. Each group leader has been assigned a senior AGPA consultant, experienced in working with trauma, to talk with on a regular basis. In addition, AGPA established a collaborative relationship with EGPS, with whom AGPA co-sponsored a training conference in May 2002 devoted to evidenced-based models for group intervention. The more than 300 clinicians who attended were able to do so at no charge. These training activities have been augmented by five on-line trauma symposia AGPA sponsored during the past year, complimentary to AGPA members. These have proven to be enormously popular and well received. The one held in September 2002 on anniversary reactions attracted well over 2,500 participants from around the world. Participants' comments were again extremely positive. The seminar was described as "an excellent learning opportunity," "so helpful," "thoughtful and touching," "very memorable and important," "very enriching and supportive," "so rich, moving and helpful," "incredibly nourishing," an event where one could "find a place at the table."

The international composition of the participants proved to be especially valued. "I am particularly touched by the honesty and openness as people share their personal experiences which gives this group a depth of emotional substance to better understand the theoretical and practical applications…I find a reassurance that members of this symposium come from other countries so that we can gain from an international exchange of ideas and experiences to somehow regain some perspective on how to respond and carry on from these life changing events." "As a tough Israeli therapist living in a high risk place and dealing with the after effects of terrorist acts, I want to thank you for the softening and humanizing experience of this beautiful, honest, and enlightening symposium."

Consistent with our mission as an organization, AGPA remains intent upon promoting ongoing professional growth and training in this area. With the support of a grant from the September 11 Fund, AGPA is currently developing 10 modular seminars with curricula for training professionals how to work more effectively with trauma in groups. Those training modules will be offered in 2003 in New York at two per month. The Association will, however, own these modules and will, therefore, be in a position to share them nationally and internationally in the form of training curricula. The Association is also attempting to acquire the funding necessary to sponsor and coordinate a protocol conference that will bring together all those who have been developing models for intervention for the purposes of sharing what we have learned. Not only do AGPA members wish to acquire additional knowledge and skills in the treatment of trauma; it is clear from the enthusiastic responses both to AGPA's online symposia and to ongoing work with the staff of various organizations, that many other helping professionals are also hungry for this training. An important goal for much of the work in this area is to assemble a set of training modules that incorporate effective evidenced-based models for intervention. Such an educational package can then be broadly applied to prepare people to be better able to respond to trauma of any form, whether it be as a result of terrorist attacks, or as a consequence of some other kind of disaster.

All of these efforts, of course, have not occurred in a vacuum. The most recent Rosalynn Carter Symposium on Mental Health, in which AGPA participated, was devoted entirely to integrating what was learned from 9/11 so that we all can better prepare and plan for dealing with further terrorist attacks. Apart from responses on a state and national level, in metropolitan New York alone there are many individuals and helping organizations that have mobilized to address the broad public health needs stimulated by the events of 9/11. AGPA has entered into productive dialogue with many of them in an attempt to integrate and coordinate our efforts, knowledge and expertise. It has become clear that AGPA is being recognized as an important contributor, not only as a direct service provider, but as an organization that can deliver much needed help and training for the helpers and can assume a leadership role for greater collaboration between the various groups and organizations that provide assistance.

We hope that all our members take pride in these significant accomplishments! 

This article was published in the February/March 2003 issue of The Group Circle.