Responding to Hurricane Katrina: Using Critical Consciousness for Cultural Competence

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Responding to Hurricane Katrina Using Critical
Consciousness for Cultural Competence

• Dr. Cirecie West-Olatunji
• Rachael Goodman
• University of Florida

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When and Where we Entered

• Red Cross Disaster Mental Health response
• SAMHSA deployment
• Florida Alternative Breaks (FAB)
• Organized service
• Teaching for critical consciousness
• Outreach, Advocacy, Cultural Competence

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Problem Statement

• Disasters are increasing worldwide (Walker,
  Wisner, Learning Minear, 2005).
• Post-Katrina, it is projected that counseling
  services will be needed over the next 5-10 years
  (Waugh, 2006 Yule, Bolton, Udwin, Boyle, O'Ryan
  Nurrish, 2000). There is a dearth of mental
  professionals in the Gulf Coast area (Berggren
  Curiel, 2006).
• Disaster mental health providers are not
  adequately prepared (Kennedy, 2006). Adequate
  preparation must include cultural competence
  (Halpern Tramontin, 2007).

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Critical Consciousness

• is the ability to perceive oppression and to act
  against the oppressive elements in society
  (Freire, 2000)
• Seven steps for assessing and developing critical
  consciousness in disaster response

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Literature Review

• There is a dearth of counseling scholarship on
  disasters and disaster response.
• It is critical that mental health disaster
  response workers have cultural competence
  (Halpern Tramontin, 2007).

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Culture-Centered Disaster Response

• Culture-centered disaster response is critical
  for
• Understanding unique experiences, including
  historical trauma, oppression, and race-related
  stressors (Cross, 1998 Harrell, 2000 Roysircar,
  2004 Ruef, Litz Schlenger, 2000)

• Developing effective interventions (Pedersen
  Ivey, 1993)

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Research Design

• Culture-centered research methodology
  transformation, liberation, and praxis (King
  Mitchell, 1995 Tillman, 2002)
• Participants seven female masters-level
  students
• Data sources (1) application information, (2)
  inventories, (3) daily journals
• Data analysis thematic analysis, NVIV0 2.0

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Results
Critical Consciousness
Meta- Knowledge
Cultural Competence
Group Cohesion
Mentoring
Transformation Self-Care
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Meta-Knowledge Group Cohesion

• It is important for group cohesion, for at
  least one member to push the group by trusting. I
  found that it was because I was willing to trust
  my peers at dinner by opening up to what was
  currently taking place in my life that triggered
  the other members to engage in opening up.
• It really put the exclamation point on unity
  that transcended this group bonding at a profound
  level.
• There have been many times that we have leaned
  on each other, and other times where we wanted
  and needed to stand alone. We have been there for
  each, a week before, close to perfect strangers,
  now having shared intimate thoughts and feelings
  with each other.

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Meta-Knowledge Mentoring

• It was really helpful to hear how Dr. XXXX had
  modeled for different group members and how she
  would handle different discussions. It felt like
  we were getting to learn from her example in real
  life in the setting not just in stories.
• If each is trained in different areas than
  individuals within the group can use each other
  as resources.
• What an amazing experience to be able to
  practice this work with others wanting to counsel
  in the same way AND to have a professor working
  with us as a mentor in learning how it is done IN
  the actual community setting. How powerful!

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Meta-Knowledge Transformation

• I truly feel like a different person.
• This was an incredibly moving experience that I
  am sure will be in my mind for a long time
  coming. I personally have grown as a counselor,
  student, and person. I have been impacted in a
  way that is hard to talk about without tears
  coming to eyes. I feel like I have had a sip of
  water after a long day and only want more.
• It is funny to look back at the anxiety and
  uncertainty I had at the beginning of the trip
  and how much better I feel now.
• I see now that this is not merely imagination.
  It is my vision. It is my intuition. It is a deep
  one. Another echoed the theme of self-confidence
  and fortitude for herself as a professional,
  stating, it gave me hope for myself. Ill take
  it on as a challenge to be the best practicing
  psychologist/counselor that I can be.

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Meta-Knowledge Self-Care

• When throwing ourselves in such situations like
  today, it is absolutely necessary to have
  boundaries and keep your own self- cares methods
  in tact and on the forefront, as they are easily
  put behind us often. Sometimes when in a large
  group, people including myself feel guilty for
  wanting to take time alone and by themselves. I
  think this idea of separateness and togetherness
  is essential to understand before embarking on a
  trip like the one we are on. By having clear
  boundaries and permission to be alone we allow
  ourselves to fully process and come full circle
  with our thoughts and ideas.

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Meta-Knowledge Self-Care

• I realized that it was a smart and awesome
  decision for her to do what she really needed.
  She was putting herself first at a time that it
  was very difficult to do so.
• How powerful that was for me to learn through
  trusting my feelings and taking care of myself
  (self care) that it ultimately translates and
  benefits any counseling experience.
• We have to take care of ourselves first, and
  that's what I really needed to shut down and get
  back down to rock bottom, so I can climb back up
  again.
• We had discussed the importance of promoting
  self care for counseling professionals. The focus
  was on meeting the needs of the counselor first,
  in order for them to achieve the level of
  presence needed to engage in crisis/trauma
  counseling.

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Critical Consciousness

• As I looked at the fully-attentive, packed room
  I saw resiliency.
• The room was electrifying and you could feel
  that this community would be alright and was well
  on its way to its rebirth. Once again, we did not
  take over the spotlight, but just joined in by
  handing out flyers with useful resources for
  parents during the meeting.
• So if we were using a metaphor of a light bulb
  turning on above your head when something clicks,
  then today can only be described as the most
  beautiful explosion of fireworks on the fourth of
  July.

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Critical Consciousness cont.

• One side of the argument would point out that it
  is unfair to generalize all individuals and pair
  them together solely based on previous shared
  experiences. On the other hand, this teacher
  may have really been the best option for teaching
  these children who had been relocated. There are
  many more points that can be made, I am sure.
• It just made me realize that, when talking to
  people, in therapy or in general, there is so
  much more behind what people say on a surface
  level, and a great deal of introspection is
  required in order to even understand the basics.
  
• One week in New Orleans has changed my outlook
  as a person and as a professional. I came on this
  trip as a student, counselor, and woman, but
  those words have been redefined. I like the idea
  that we change out pieces of ourselves through
  our experiences in life, and I know I have taken
  something new with me and left a part of me
  behind.

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Cultural Competence

• It is important to recognize that there is an
  external locus of control in this disaster and
  that context of the culture. Their strong belief
  system was beneficial. Individuals might be
  reluctant to ask for help for fear of burdening
  others that are grieving.
• I also liked that it was something that was
  Afrocentrically driven and allowed all of us to
  share in a new cultural experience to end what
  has been truly a culturally driven week.
• When we arrived at the school, we were laid back
  and tried to fit in within their own system,
  instead of forcing them to adjust to our own.
• It gives new meaning to being appreciative and
  thankful to know one is mindful of the context of
  the culture one is entering. Culture
  centered-community based counseling is not only
  one of the most well received approaches, I was
  surprised how brief it can be, and how beneficial
  it can be to counselors.

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Significance
Critical Consciousness
Culturally Competent Disaster Response
Meta-Knowledge constructed through dialectical
engagement
Mentoring
Group Cohesion
Transformation Self-Care
Reflection Self-Awareness
Pre-critical Consciousness
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Further Investigation Is Needed To

1. ascertain how outreach can be done across
   disciplines and with multidisciplinary teams,
2. determine how to account for differences in
   disasters (national/international,
   natural/human-made)
3. determine how outcomes can be duplicated or
   enhanced,
4. develop more ways to assess for and increase
   cultural competence, and
5. establish culturally competent disaster response
   protocols.

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Post-script

• Group continues to meet and support one another
• Individuals are engaging in leadership roles
• An outreach to South Africa and Botswana was
  developed
• Individuals are engaging in research

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Selected References

• Cross, W. E. (1998). Black psychological
  functioning and the legacy of slavery. In Y.
  Danieli (Ed.), International handbook of
  multigenerational legacies of trauma (pp.
  387-400). New York Plenum Press.
• Halpern, J., Tramontin, M. (2007). Disaster
  mental health Theory and practice. Belmont CA.
  Thompson Brooks/Cole.
• Harrell, S. P. (2000). A multidimensional
  conceptualization of racism-related stress
  Implications for the well-being of people of
  color. American Journal of Orthopsychiatry, 70,
  42-57.
• Kennedy, A. (2006, July). When disaster strikes.
  Counseling Today, , .
• King, J. E. Mitchell, C. A. (1995). Black
  mothers to sons Juxtaposing African American
  literature with social practice. New York Peter
  Lang Publishing.
• Pedersen, P. B., Ivey, A. (1993).
  Culture-centered counseling and interviewing
  skills A practical guide. Westport, CT Praeger.

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Selected References cont.

• Roysircar, G. (2004). Child survivor of war A
  case study. Journal of Multicultural Counseling
  and Development, 32, 168-180.
• Ruef, A. M., Litz, B. T., Schlenger, W. E.
  (2000). Hispanic ethnicity and risk for
  combat-related posttraumatic stress disorder.
  Cultural Diversity and Ethnic Minority
  Psychology, 6, 235-251.
• Tillman, L. C. (2002). Culturally sensitive
  research approaches An African-American
  perspective. Educational Researcher, 319, 3-12
• Walker, P., Wisner, B., Learning, J, Minear, L.
  (2005). Smoke and mirrors Deficiencies in
  disaster funding. British Medical Journal, 330,
  247-250.
• Waugh, W. L. (2006). The political costs of
  failure in the Katrina and Rita disasters. The
  Annals of the American Academy of Political and
  Social Science, 604, 10-25.
• Yule, W., Bolton, D., Udwin, O., Boyle, S.,
  ORyan, D., Nurrish, J. (2000). The long-term
  psychological effects of a disaster experienced
  in adolescence I The incidence and course of
  PTSD. The Journal of Child Psychology and
  Psychiatry and Allied Disciplines, 41, 503-511.

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Q A
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Contact Information

• Cirecie A. West-Olatunji, Ph.D.
• Assistant Professor
• Department of Counselor Education
• College of Education
• University of Florida
• 1204 Norman Hall
• POBox 117046
• Gainesville, FL  32611
• [phone] x-235
• [phone] (fax)
• cwestolatunji_at_coe.ufl.edu

Rachael D. Goodman, Ed.S. Doctoral
Student Department of Counselor Education College
of Education University of Florida 1204 Norman
Hall, POBox 117046 Gainesville, FL  32611 (214)
282-4507 [phone] (fax) rachaeldg_at_gmail.com

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