Facing the aftermath of a disaster

For everyone who has been caught up in a disaster or a major incident, the future will be different; people may find they need help in facing it.

We are responsible for the care of individuals and the community, both during the emergency and during the return to normality. We set up temporary shelters and centres for people who have been evacuated or who’s homes are not accessible.

Some of these people will need trauma support in the immediate aftermath of such an incident but in a short time they will have recovered sufficiently to readjust to some sort of normality. Some, however, will need a higher level of trauma support for some time after the incident and a few will continue to need this support over many years.

We provide a range of social and psychological support services in the aftermath of a major incident affecting residents or visitors.

Through our Volunteer Accreditation Scheme we work closely with voluntary and local authorities, so that the services they provide in an emergency are complementary to those already available.

Other forms of support include:

• telephone support and incident helpline
• emergency mortuary duty
• media interest support

STEPS

The Steps Towards Empowerment and Positive Survival (STEPS) advocacy group was formed in 2006 by a group of victims, survivors and veterans affected by the Northern Ireland ‘Troubles’ as part of the Tim Parry Johnathan Ball Foundation for Peace’s Legacy Project. The group has now expanded and includes people affected by other conflicts and terrorist incidents. They found that some support services and networks were not always easy to find. They often felt isolated and alone. They found that statutory services sometimes have little understanding of how people are affected at these times, making it difficult to seek out the support, help and understanding they should be entitled to. Things have improved but they wanted to make sure people know what to expect, how to look after themselves, where to get help and to pass on the things they wish they’d known. Their booklet 'Life after Trauma' is available to download from this website.

Be aware:
Any disaster will leave you stressed and mentally affected. Don't feel that you have to cope without help. Take special care of your children. They can be more affected than they show and reactions can be delayed.

You need to be aware of signs that someone, including yourself, needs help:

• Difficulty communicating thoughts
• Difficulty sleeping
• Difficulty maintaining balance
• Easily frustrated
• Easily flaring up
• Increased use of alcohol/drugs
• Limited attention span
• Poor work performance
• Headaches/stomach problems
• Tunnel vision/muffled hearing
• Colds or flu-like symptoms
• Disorientation or confusion
• Difficulty concentrating
• Reluctance to leave home
• Depression, sadness
• Feeling of hopelessness
• Mood-swings and crying easily
• Overwhelming guilt and self-doubt
• Fear of crowds, strangers and being alone

Disasters can leave people, especially children, feeling frightened, confused and insecure. It is important for parents and teachers to be informed and ready to help if reactions to stress begin to occur. Please remember that children can also be affected by seeing drama unfurl on television.

• Children may have reactions very soon after the event, or be fine for weeks before they show worrisome behaviour.
• Reassurance is the key to helping children with trauma. Very young children will need a lot of physical contact and cuddling. They also need verbal support.
• Answer questions honestly, but do not dwell on frightening details or allow the subject to dominate family life indefinitely.
• Encourage all children to express emotions through conversation, drawing or find a way to help others affected by the same disaster.
• Contact your Community Care department of the local authority or your Children's teachers for advice.
  Keep a normal household routine.
• Encourage children to participate in recreational activities.
• Reduce your expectations temporarily about performance in school or at home.