The Trauma of Disaster Response:  How to Treat Trauma and Enhance Resilience Among Emergency Medical Services, Humanitarian Aid Workers, and War Journalists

Summary: 

This presentation will focus on what Emergency Service Workers, Humanitarian Aid Workers and War Journalists have in common: They are regularly exposed to human suffering in the routine execution of their jobs; they do not typically receive hostile environment or stress inoculation training; they are vulnerable to Moral Injury. While Emergency Services has been a target group for TRNs for a long time, the latter two groups – Humanitarian Aid Workers and War Journalists are less known to our community. They are in need of our services. Understanding the cultures of each group, which are distinct, is necessary in order to engage them in psychological first aid and disaster mental health.

All of these professionals are vulnerable to Moral Injury – the wounding to the heart and soul when we as humans are exposed to human suffering and tragedy that we cannot prevent. The distinction between Moral Injury and PTSD is critical in formulating an appropriate therapeutic response and intervention.

The presentation will include a description of the TRN response to the Covid-19 pandemic in NYC as well as the risks to humanitarian aid workers during missions; and the challenges of witnessing human atrocities as war journalists.

Learning Objectives:

1. Participants will be able to summarize what led to a successful TRN response to the Covid-19 pandemic in New York City.
2. Participants will be able to identify 3 risks to humanitarian aid workers during missions, and 3 challenges of witnessing human atrocities as war journalists.
3. Participants will be able to distinguish Moral Injury from PTSD and illustrate the differences in repair vs. treatment.

About the Presenter:

Eva J. Usadi, MA, BCD, CGP is EMDR trained since 2001, Certified since 2012, and an EMDRIA-Approved Consultant since 2019. Ms. Usadi has been the Clinical Consultant to the NYC TRN throughout the Covid-19 pandemic. In addition to EMDR, she is Certified in Sensorimotor Psychotherapy, Equine Assisted Psychotherapy and Group Psychotherapy. Steeped in critical incident response since 2001, Ms. Usadi is a contract therapist for FDNY, an MFLC for DOD, a preferred provider for Doctors Without Borders and a member of CiC’s critical incident and trauma support team for war journalists.