TJU The Trait Necessary to Handle Disaster Mental Health Responder Discussion
TJU The Trait Necessary to Handle Disaster Mental Health Responder Discussion
- What kinds of character traits and skills seem necessary?
To be an effective Disaster Mental Health responder, I think you should be a compassionate individual, be trained in how to respond to and work with individuals who are highly emotional, and know how to regulate your emotions. I think that these traits are necessary because when individuals have survived a disaster their emotions are extremely heightened or they are still in a state of shock, you should be trained how to effectively communicate with these individuals to help them work through what they are feeling and experiencing. You should also be a compassionate person, because these individuals will be processing through a great deal of loss and you must be able to be compassionate and convey those comforting feelings towards them when they are experiencing these emotions.
- What kinds of character traits and even skill sets might present barriers to being effective?
Being a person who takes on an individuals pain and suffering as their own would be a barrier to being an effective Disaster Mental Health Responder. I feel it is important to not take on the individuals pain and suffering because that is a sure way to burn yourself out and you may not be able to do your job as effectively if you are too close to the situation. Another character trait that may present a barrier when it comes to being effective is being too blunt. Often times those who do not know how to filter themselves in these types of situations can make someone feel worse due to their lack of perceived compassion. TJU The Trait Necessary to Handle Disaster Mental Health Responder Discussion
- Now, consider if you were in this role. What traits or skills do you think you possess that would be helpful in it? Or, for what role do you see yourself better suited? Do you feel that there would be certain aspects of that role that might be especially challenging for you personally?
Personally I feel I would do well in this role because I, unfortunatley, have had a lot of experience in helping friends and loved ones process and grieve the loss of loved ones and family pets. I also feel that I am able to take myself out of the equation and listen to people speak about what is on their mind and bothering them. I feel that I would be better suited for a different role when it comes to Disaster Recovery and Management, because I am very organized and I have a very management focused mindset. Having this mindset allows me to make checklists and understand what we have, what we need, and where we need to go from there; but this mindset does not make me the best or first choice for being a Mental Health responder. I would look for the most qualified person in Disaster Mental Health, or I would bring in a professional to ensure the victims of the disaster are getting the proper care that they deserve.
What do you think it takes to be a qualitatively effective Disaster Mental Health responder?
- What kinds of character traits and skills seem necessary?
In order to be a sufficient and successful disaster mental health responder, there are certain skills and personal qualities that an individual must have. To begin, one of the most important skills to possess is the ability to sympathize with individuals and create a safe environment for people to feel vulnerable while creating strong relationships along the way. Although, this is often easier said than done. Giving more detail to this idea, James Halpern and Mary Tramontin explain, “To accomplish this, you have to know yourself; Your perspective must be grounded in empathy, genuineness, and respect, essential qualities in counseling that can help you to establish positives relationships quickly in disasters” (Disaster Mental Health, 13). In addition to the insight that Halpern and Tramontin give, another necessary character trait is the ability to stay grounded in your work and take care of your own personal mental health. Constantly hearing the hardships and life-altering experiences that people go through due to disasters, it’s extremely important to not carry the weight of others into your own life. After all, if you are not mentally sound, you cannot take care of others during times of need. TJU The Trait Necessary to Handle Disaster Mental Health Responder Discussion
- What kinds of character traits and even skill sets might present barriers to being effective?
As previously stated, if you cannot balance your personal mental health, you’re your client’s, it will virtually be impossible to be effective. Additionally, a barrier to being an effective disaster mental health responder would be the inability to relate to affected individuals who are seeking help. It’s very important to understand why they are feeling this way and how they will be affected in the long-term. Whether you can relate to these people from personal experience or not, if you cannot take a step back and consider the situation through their perspective, you will never be successful in helping alleviate these mental health hardships.
- Now, consider if you were in this role. What traits or skills do you think you possess that would be helpful in it? Or, for what role do you see yourself better suited? Do you feel that there would be certain aspects of that role that might be especially challenging for you personally?
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Personally speaking, I believe I possess the necessary skills to help others during times of disaster. For instance, I am a member of the Red Cross disaster action team (DAT) and I help people affected and displaced by floods, fires, accidents, etc. To properly do my job, I first need to provide the proper resources to alleviate the initial sting, but I also must stay calm and let them know they will be taken care of no matter what. Possessing a calm demeaner in the aftermath of disaster is crucial for mental health. These affected people need to see a positive and stable outlet that they can confide in, even for the smallest reasons. In the same light, I have always been a secure resource for my family and friends when some level of emergency strikes. Having lost my father to brain cancer a few years back, I have helped many people cope through their own hardships and offering different methods on how to redirect some of the initial suffering. Luckily for me, I tend to never carry the weight of other people’s struggles, knowing that I have my own battles to fight and don’t need the unnecessary burdens. But with that being said, I will always give my hand to help others and create deep, healthy, and sustaining relationships that will mutually aid us both.
Work Cited
Halpern, James, and Mary Tramontin. Disaster Mental Health: Theory and Practice. Thomson Brooke/Cole, 2007.
What do you think it takes to be a qualitatively effective Disaster Mental Health responder?
- What kinds of character traits and skills seem necessary?
In all of my previous emergency and disaster management experience in working with impacted populations, character traits that I have found to be necessary focus on the idea of compassion. While many disaster responders are not officially trained in disaster mental health practices, human compassion and the willingness to assist someone in need oftentimes portray similar nurturing and reassuring practices taught in the DMH field. TJU The Trait Necessary to Handle Disaster Mental Health Responder Discussion
- What kinds of character traits and even skill sets might present barriers to being effective?
Character traits that may present barriers to being effective include traits associated with racism, and treating others differently based on the way they look, their upbringing, language type, and other various personal attributes. Being open-minded to the needs of people for who they are, and the reinforcement of equal treatment for all disaster victims, could assist in mitigating this barrier. Additional barriers include a lack of understanding, an unwillingness to put themselves in someone else’s shoes, and the inability to recognize symptoms of someone struggling with mental health after an event.
- Now, consider if you were in this role. What traits or skills do you think you possess that would be helpful in it? Or, for what role do you see yourself better suited? Do you feel that there would be certain aspects of that role that might be especially challenging for you personally?
If I were in this role, traits and skills that I possess that I believe are helpful include working with a diverse array of people in my professional career. Having traveled internationally extensively over the past decade, I was exposed to a wide array of perspectives and viewpoints, along with the physical differences in the people I interacted with. Also having experience in working with non-profit organizations (NPO’s), specifically in disaster relief situations, I have a better understanding of a wide array of “clients” that seek assistance after a disaster, and the various circumstances that led them to that situation. Being open-minded and compassionate is important in any workplace, and in the field of disaster mental health, it is a priority. Aspects of the role that would be especially challenging not only for me, but for anyone working in the industry, include the exposure to adverse situations and environments, and the potentially damaging situations and scenes that EM personnel may encounter on a disaster scene. TJU The Trait Necessary to Handle Disaster Mental Health Responder Discussion
