Mental Health Aid

* The article, “Post-Disaster Mental Health Efforts Debated” (March 21), is misleading and unnecessarily negative--in general and in its selective reporting.

The Times rhetorically asks: “Have those multimillion-dollar mental health programs really done any good?” We can answer a resounding “Yes!” from the thanks that crisis counselors have received from the thousands of people helped through three disasters in less than two years. It is a resounding “Yes!” when you consider the costs--in personal suffering--from long-term emotional distress.

The article demonstrates a lack of understanding about disasters and their effect on human emotions. Although people’s reactions are individual and vary in any disaster, there are four recognized stages:

“Heroic” phase--impact to approximately one week after the disaster; “honeymoon” phase--one week to two or three months after the disaster; “disillusionment” phase--two months following and as long as two years thereafter; “reconstruction” phase--for those severely impacted, can last several years.

Project Rebound was created and funded to provide crisis counseling with these four recognized stages in mind.

The kinds of interventions used in the recovery process are dictated by the disaster itself. For example, after the fires and civil unrest--a man-made disaster--Project Rebound instituted programs to assist people in dealing with prejudice reduction, intergroup anger, teaching mediation and methods of resolving conflicts in nonviolent ways. That these programs took place long after the “disaster” did not negate their value to the individuals and the community. The interventions and programs provided by Project Rebound for firestorm and earthquake survivors are designed to be similarly congruent with people’s needs.

The Red Cross does an admirable job in establishing shelters after disasters. In setting up the false comparison between the Red Cross and LACDMH counseling services, you neglected to mention that over 100 LACDMH/Project Rebound counselors provided emotional support and crisis counseling at designated Red Cross shelters.

ARETA CROWELL, Director

Los Angeles County Department

of Mental Health