Helping
Haitian Students Cope with the Earthquake
By:
Colorín Colorado (2010)
Many
children of Haitian origin affected by the recent earthquake and
their families are facing tremendous distress and uncertainty. As an
educator, there are a number of ways to support these students and
families.
This article
includes the following sections and resources:
Support
for students affected by the earthquake
These
tips for educators have been adapted from resources published by
National Association of School Psychologists (NASP), The National
Child Traumatic Stress Network (NCTSN), the American Psychological
Association (APA), and the Federal Emergency Management Agency
(FEMA). Full citations are included below.
Identify
children and youth who are affected by the earthquake. Interventions
may include classroom discussions, individual counseling, small group
counseling, or family therapy. From classroom discussions, and by
maintaining close contact with teachers and parents, the school
crisis response team can help determine which students need
counseling services (NASP).
Ensure
that a schoolwide referral service is in place. Make
sure that both students and parents who wish to make counseling
referrals for themselves or for others are able to do so easily
(NASP).
Provide
time for students to discuss the disaster. Depending
on the situation, teachers may be able to guide this discussion in
class, or students can meet with the school psychologist or other
mental health professional for a group crisis intervention. Classroom
discussions help children to make some sense of the disaster. They
also encourage students to develop effective means of coping,
discover that their classmates share similar questions, and develop
peer support networks. If children are severely impacted, however,
discussions should be overseen by mental health professionals rather
than teachers (NASP).
Offer
counseling support to school personnel affected by the
earthquake. Teachers
and staff should not be expected to conduct group discussions if they
themselves are distressed and severely impacted by the earthquake
(NASP).
Allow
time for school personnel to discuss their feelings and share their
experiences. Members
of your crisis team should also have the opportunity to receive
support from a trained mental health professional. Providing crisis
intervention is emotionally draining and caregivers will need an
opportunity to process their crisis response (NASP).
Secure
additional mental health support. Although
many caregivers are often willing to provide support during the
immediate aftermath of a natural disaster, long-term services may be
lacking. School mental health professionals can help provide and
coordinate mental health services, but it is important to connect
with community resources as well in order to provide such long-term
assistance (NASP).
Provide
time for families to meet together. Parents
are almost always the best source of support for children in
difficult times, but they need to feel supported in order to help
their children. Consider having translators or representatives from
the local Haitian community present at parent discussions. Ask
parents for their ideas on how the school can further help students
and families affected by the earthquake.
Encourage
parents to build and using social support systems. These
may include family, friends, community organizations and agencies,
faith-based institutions, or other resources that work for that
family (FEMA).
Encourage
students to take a news break.
Watching endless replays of footage from the disaster can make stress
even greater. Although students will want to keep informed —
especially if they have loved ones in Haiti — taking a break from
watching the news can lessen their distress and anxiety. (APA)
Encourage
students to continue routines when possible. It
is helpful for students to maintain daily routines and schedules to
give themselves a break from constantly thinking about the earthquake
(APA).
Look
for signs of student grief and post-traumatic stress. These
may include confusion, problems concentrating, anxiety, and
depression. When a loved one has died in a way that has been
traumatic, a child or teen is at risk for developing childhood
traumatic grief. Learn to recognize the signs
of this kind of grief,
as well the ways it mayaffect
learning and behavior (NCTSN).
Be
sensitive to the unique challenges posed by this disaster. Keep
in mind that when there is no physical confirmation of the death, as
may happen in an earthquake, the above reactions can be much more
intense and long-lasting, and students may need counseling for
extended periods of time (NCTSN).
More
resources for school personnel can be found
at www.colorincolorado.org
______________________________________________________________________________
Statement
by Randi Weingarten
President, American Federation of Teachers
On
the Devastating Earthquake in Haiti
WASHINGTON—On
behalf of the 1.4 million members of the American Federation of
Teachers, I want to express our heartfelt sympathy for the victims of
Haiti’s Jan. 12 earthquake, and their families. We are devastated
about the tragic aftermath, and pledge to work with our labor and
education partners to assist Haiti on its road to recovery, which we
know will be long and difficult.
Although
the magnitude of the destruction is still unfolding, we know that
tens of thousands have lost their lives, and many more have been
injured, orphaned or separated from their families. Haiti now faces
the enormous task of reconstructing communities that have been left
without food, shelter, clean water, schools, healthcare, power and
transportation.
The
education sector will be particularly hard hit in this catastrophe,
measured not only by the loss of lives among teachers and students,
but also by the destruction of entire school buildings and
classrooms. Our colleagues in Haiti who are healthcare professionals
and public sector workers also will face monumental challenges in
saving lives and rebuilding infrastructure.
We
commend President Obama for his administration’s swift response and
its pledge of the United States’ full support during this crisis.
We also want to express our gratitude and respect to all those
working to provide much-needed humanitarian assistance. We thank our
members here in the United States who have already begun to make
donations and volunteer their time through local charities,
businesses, community organizations and religious groups, to help and
comfort those in need.
The
AFT, which is on the board of trustees of the United Way, is
encouraging its members to donate through the United
Way Worldwide Disaster Fund and
the American
Red Cross.
For information on volunteering, please visit the U.S. Agency for
International Development (USAID).
This
tragedy has reminded us once again that natural disasters, wherever
they occur, have the power to touch us all. The AFT’s leadership,
local affiliates and members will work with our partners at Education
International, Public Services International and the AFL-CIO’s
Solidarity Center to help Haitian communities rebuild for the future.
http://www.aft.org/newspubs/press/2010/011410.cfm