• Kenya - DPO volunteer services requested by Maersk Line, Limited - http://www.maersklinelimited.com/ -  after the hijacking of Maersk Alabama off the Somali Coast.  2 DPO psychiatrist responded in support of Maersk Field Team and spent 5 days on location in Mombasa, Kenya returning to Andrews Air Force Base with the crew on April 16th, 2009.
• China 2008 - DPO is providing long distance Disaster Mental Health training in cooperation with the Chinese Academy of Science for staffers of local Mental Health Facilities responding as a part of China's large scale disaster relief effort for victims of May 12th earthquake.
• WTC Mental Health Screening, Monitoring and Intervention Project2002-2007 Disaster Psychiatry Outreach continues its collaboration with the Mount Sinai Medical School’s Department of Psychiatry and the Mount Sinai-Irving J. Selikoff Center for Occupational and Environmental Medicine (COEM) to conduct free mental health screenings and treatment to workers and volunteers who participated in the rescue and recovery effort at the World Trade Center site. This project is funded through grants from the Robin Hood Foundation and the American Red Cross. As of December 31, 2006:
  • 13,500 individuals have been screened
  • 5,700 individuals have returned for a follow up exam
  • 500 individuals are in ongoing treatment each year  
• Tabletop Exercise 2006-2007 - DPO gathered its board of directors, a number of its core volunteers and 3 outside observers including a member of FEMA for a weekend of reviewing DPO’s disaster response protocols and procedures. Two disaster scenarios were presented and the group worked through DPO’s plans and protocols and identified gaps and areas that need to be updated. A committee is now addressing the gaps and revising the relevant documents.
• 9/11 Anniversaries2002-2006 - Working in conjunction with Project Liberty and the American Red Cross, DPO has participated in the 9/11 memorial each year following the disaster. Volunteers at Ground Zero are stationed on the ramp as well as in the color guard to support the families of victims in attendance.
  • 57 volunteers have worked at the 9/11 anniversaries. 
• Hurricane Katrina, Baton Rouge, LA2005 - Working in collaboration with the Capital Area Human Services District in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, Disaster Psychiatry Outreach sent 4 teams of volunteer psychiatrists to conduct assessments and outreach to people in shelters, camps, trailer parks, hospitals, and schools. During the 3 months the visits took place:
  • 10 volunteer psychiatrists worked a total of over 650 hours. 
• Hurricane Katrina, New York City, NY2005 - DPO worked in collaboration with the NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene at the Disaster Assistance Services Center in New York City. DPO volunteers provided psychiatric services and counseling to Katrina evacuees. Over the two months the DASC was open:

·        30 volunteer psychiatrists worked 51 shifts ranging from 5-10 hours, treating 64 people. 

PODEX                                                                                                                   2005

Joe Bruno, Commissioner of the NYC Office of Emergency Management (NYC OEM), invited DPO to attend a Points of Dispensing Exercise (PODEX), designed to evaluate OEM and the NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene’s (NYC DOHMH) organizational performance and capabilities for dispensing of Strategic National Stockpile assets in the event of a biological terrorist incident in NYC.

Disaster Psychiatry Outreach sent 5 volunteers to the PODEX two-day field exercise, staged at locations throughout the city. It was sponsored by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's Office of Domestic Preparedness and hosted by the Office of Emergency Management (OEM) and the NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH).

·        5 volunteer psychiatrists worked a total of 40 hours. 

South Asian Tsunami                                                                                                 2005

Disaster Psychiatry Outreach sent 3 volunteer teams to Sri Lanka to do outreach and training with local communities and established mental health centers. The DPO teams trained members of the local Rotary, medical students, public health workers and teachers in psychological first aid and supervised their field work in two tsunami ravaged fishing villages in Southern Sri Lanka as well as in Colombo. In the North, a team of psychiatrists conducted an extensive training in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Child Play for the counselors of Annai Ilam, a local counseling unit. After the training, the DPO team assisted and supervised a number of local field trainings and provided direct outreach.

·        8 volunteer psychiatrists in 3 teams were sent to Sri Lanka, each for a 2 week period.

·        Over 150 people were trained. Hundreds of victims were counseled under supervision of DPO or by DPO directly.

El Salvador                                                                                                             2004

In collaboration with Americares, DPO sent a volunteer psychiatrist to El Salvador to follow up on the mission of 2001. The goal was to determine if DPO could collaborate with the local Americares clinics to bolster the local mental health care.

NYC Summer Blackout 2003

The day after the New York City Blackout in August 2003, the American Red Cross of Greater New York contacted DPO to request that psychiatrists be sent to Red Cross comfort stations. DPO dispatched an assessment team of two to one of the comfort stations deemed in greatest need (lower Manhattan) and to Penn Station, where many passengers had been stranded the previous night, but also found little need for service. No further deployment was deemed necessary.

·        10 volunteer hours were recorded. 

9/11/2001 Attacks on WTC, New York City 2001-2002

At the request of the New York City Department of Mental Health (DMH) and in coordination with the American Red Cross (ARC), DPO organized the volunteer psychiatric response.

Ground Zero

By the second week after the disaster, DPO psychiatrists received security clearance and began working at the World Trade Center site. Outfitted with hard hats and respirator masks, pairs of volunteer psychiatrists walked amid the “pit” of mangled buildings, pungent odors, bright lights, and frantic activity. This phase focused on being accessible, available, and friendly to workers, allowing them time to become familiar with the psychiatrists and the idea of someone being there to talk and assist them. This “roaming” clinical work consisted of informal, anonymous encounters with rescue and relief workers, the NYPD, and firefighters. Much of the talk centered on themes such as the brutal conditions under which the work was being done; the horrific sights and smells; longings for missing co-workers; and anger at the perpetrators of the atrocity.

·        Approximately 3,156 contacts were made

·        45 volunteers psychiatrists worked a total of 1,010 hours at Ground Zero

Family Assistance Center

DPO psychiatrists were available to anyone at the FAC in need of help and our contacts included both brief and full encounters. A full encounter was geared toward a person who was clearly symptom-laden or having severe problems functioning or getting by. A full case history would be taken, including an inventory of symptoms and past psychiatric history, and treatment options offered where appropriate. Brief encounters were less detailed and often anonymous.  These encounters could last a few minutes or as much as an hour, but focused on the “here and now,” such as listening and providing support. Interventions included emotional support, brief psychotherapy, medication management of symptoms and referrals for ongoing care.

DPO child and adolescent psychiatrists organized a “Kid’s Corner” and worked with the NYC Department of Mental Health and para-professionals to serve dozens of children and parents each day. This oasis was filled with plush sofas, soft carpets, and walls bedecked with the poignant drawings of children who had come before. Mental health professionals worked with children to think about and process what they had gone through since 9/11 by using story telling, game-playing, and picture drawing to facilitate their understanding and communication. It was equally important to advise parents about how to talk and respond to their children.

Working with ARC, teams of DPO psychiatrists also accompanied family members who were taken to visit Ground Zero in boats from the FAC. DPO psychiatrists were available during the memorial service held at Ground Zero that included the distribution of urns to family members.

DPO conducted telephone follow-ups with the approximately 600 people for whom we were able to collect contact information. In addition to ascertaining how they have been faring, these follow-ups are focused on ensuring that the patients connected with the long-term psychiatric services arranged by our psychiatrists at citywide clinics and hospitals.

Other 9/11 Activities

In addition to the above, DPO provided psychiatric assistance to several schools and corporations, including the Harris Beech Law Firm, New York School of Law, Carr Futures, New York Public Library, Home Health Management, Interdenominational Church, NJ Medical Center, and the New York Police Department. Most of these projects spanned several visits with the people in need, in some cases over several months’ time. In others, a one time de-briefing of many staff was provided.

·        145 volunteer hours were recorded for these activities.

NBC and ABC Anthrax Threats                                                                                                                 2001

DPO also responded to NBC and ABC during the anthrax threats.

·       48 volunteer hours were recorded.

Crash of American Airlines Flight 587                                                                           2001

DPO responded to the crash of AA Flight 587 in the Rockaway’s of Queens NY, where many World Trade Center rescue and relief workers lived.

·         286 volunteer hours were recorded.  

El Salvador, Earthquake                                                                                             2001

In February 2001, DPO collaborated with the American Jewish World Service in conducting a 2-week psychiatric mission to assist the people of earthquake-stricken El Salvador.

·        4 volunteers volunteered for 2 weeks.

India, Earthquake                                                                                                    2001

Also in February 2001, DPO provided long distance telephone consultations to psychiatrists in India trying to deal with the impact of the massive earthquake which had also struck that country. 

Special Outreach Projects                                                                                          1999

In anticipation of Y2K concerns, DPO’s psychiatrists took part in staffing the NYC Mayor’s EmergencyOperationsCenter during New Year’s 2000.

Crash of EgyptAir Flight 990                                                                                       1999

Following the crash of EgyptAir Flight 990 on October 31, 1999, DPO’s psychiatrists provided around the clock care to family members of the victims at JohnF.KennedyAirport in New York City.

September 2, 1998 – Crash of Swissair Flight 111                                                         1998

DPO was founded in 1998 by four senior psychiatric residents after they took part in the mental health response to the crash of Swissair Flight 111. Struck by the challenges of their work with family members of the crash victims, they founded DPO as a unique organization devoted to providing psychiatric care is the wake of disasters and to promoting education, outreach, and research in support of that clinical mission.