Please note - updates appear in reverse chronological order (most recent first). Updates contain requests for information from volunteers, updates on mission planning, useful materials etc. Educational materials may be found in the Downloads and Downloads Archive sections. |
posted Apr 4, 2010 5:48 PM by Sander Koyfman
Follow our First Team updates on DPOTalk blog. There you can also find the previous posts covering Dr. Grant's mission to India. |
posted Mar 28, 2010 10:55 AM by Sander Koyfman
Please follow the updated file stacks in our Downloads Folder. More documents being uploaded regularly. |
posted Mar 7, 2010 9:57 AM by Sander Koyfman
Haiti - First team's planned departure is first week of April. Our doctors to provide assistance and training to the faculty and students at FSIL School of Nursing in Leogane, Haiti. The 120 of the nursing students in Leogane, are virtually the only nursing students left in Haiti now. They also happen to provide services for about 8,000 refugees that have descended to the Nursing School compound. Leogane is mere 30 miles away from Port au Prince and suffered a compatible level of devastation. FSIL School of Nursing survived as the buildings were build to more robust architectural standards. The rest of the city is 90% in ruins. |
posted Mar 4, 2010 8:54 PM by Sander Koyfman
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updated Mar 24, 2010 8:37 PM
]
In light
of the recent earthquakes in Haiti and Chile, Disaster Psychiatry Outreach
(DPO) will again be offering its specialized training course on disaster
psychiatry for psychiatric professionals, trainees and medical students. The
one-day course provides comprehensive training in mission preparation, acute
and long term trauma work, and the systems and ethical/legal issues relevant to
disaster psychiatry.
Founded
in 1998, DPO’s mission is to alleviate suffering in the aftermath of disaster
through the expertise and good will of psychiatrists. To fulfill this mission,
DPO responds to catastrophes and provides education and training in disaster
mental health to a range of professionals in the healthcare, public health and
emergency management sectors. Its work has ranged from 9/11 to post-tsunami Sri
Lanka to Hurricane Katrina. Please visit www.disasterpsych.org for more information.
It is
recommended that all individuals interested in acquiring key competencies
in the field of Disaster Mental Health take advantage of this opportunity.
The
course will take place at the New York Methodist Hospital, Main Visitor Entrance - Executive Dining Hall (506 Sixth Street Brooklyn NY 11215) on Saturday, March 27th Registration - 8:30 am. Program start 9 am. Faculty will include Dr. Craig L. Katz,
President of DPO, Dr. Sander Koyfman, Board Member of
DPO, Dr. Grant Brenner - DPO Volunteer Coordinator, Dr. Jacques Jospitre - DPO Board Member.
Facilities,
breakfast and lunch provided courtesy Department of Neurosciences of New York
Methodist Hospital – member of New York-Presbyterian Healthcare System,
affiliate Weill Cornell Medical College.
DPO is
offering this training for a suggested tax-deductible contribution of $250. Residents and non-MD's may attend at a discounted rate - please contribute what you can - all
proceeds go toward the costs of the upcoming DPO mission to Haiti
scheduled for April 3, 2010. To register: please contact Amy Wolff,
Haiti Mission Coordinator at info@disasterpsych.org We may be able to accommodate registrations at the door as it is likely that we will have to utilize a larger hall due to ongoing interest. Do try to let us know ASAP so we can adequately prepare.
 - simply print a copy of your donation receipt or bring a check with you.
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posted Mar 1, 2010 4:29 AM by Sander Koyfman
Dear Disaster Psychiatry Outreach Supporters and Volunteers,
We're reaching out to you today as it is DPO's turn to take an active role in Haiti Earthquake response. DPO has been asked to send two teams to Haiti as soon as possible to provide services, assistance and training to the faculty and students at FSIL School of Nursing in Leogane, Haiti. The 120 of the nursing students in Leogane, are virtually the only nursing students left in Haiti now. They also happen to provide services for about 8,000 refugees that have descended to the Nursing School compound. Leogane is mere 30 miles away from Port au Prince and suffered a compatible level of devastation. FSIL School of Nursing survived as the buildings were build to more robust architectural standards. The rest of the city is 90% in ruins.
Haiti Nursing Foundation - haitinursing.org/ - is the state-side organization sponsoring FSIL and requesting our assistance.
When the earthquake hit, the State Nursing and Medical Schools collapsed taking the lives of virtually all of the students. It has been devastating - but the ramifications will go well past the immediate grief. As it is, the nursing shortage in Haiti is 70 times(!) that of the United States nursing shortage. Loss of most training facilities, other than FSIL, deals a terrible blow to the national health care of Haiti overall. Assisting and training these 120 students would mean multiplying the effect on the rest of Haiti thousand fold.
We are asking for help in two areas. Firstly, we need Creole and French speaking volunteers to go with us. If you or someone you know is able to go, please respond to this message including details of your linguistic abilities (Creole is extremely important, but French would be immensily helpful as well) psychiatric training, place of practice, and immediate availability.
Secondly, in order to execute these trips well, we need to raise $20,000 for costs, materials and travel. Would you consider contributing and reaching out to your network on our behalf? We hope to have two teams go sequentially to have them covered for a month, with the first team leaving within 2-4 weeks from now.
Thank you, in advance for your consideration and support in this urgent need.
Sincerely,
Amy Carol Wolff at info@disasterpsych.org - Mission Coordinator |
posted Feb 22, 2010 8:30 PM by Disaster Psychitry Outreach DPO
Please note a slight change in location of our " Downloads" section. We are updating this with the most relevant files as we are gearing up for a direct team response in Haiti in the coming month. Please, keep checking in as specifics become clear.
If you speak Creole/French and are available to travel to Haiti in the next 3-4 weeks - please, let us know ASAP at info@disasterpsych.org. We will be providing a free comprehensive pre-mission training for those selected to join the team. |
posted Feb 19, 2010 3:11 PM by Sander Koyfman
[
updated Feb 19, 2010 4:56 PM
]
DPO has received a specific request from a very strong local provider Haiti Nursing Foundation - http://www.haitinursing.org/ - stay tuned for details. We will be asking for the volunteers very soon. Please, make sure to email info@disasterpsych.org stating your interest and language skills! |
posted Feb 4, 2010 4:24 PM by Sander Koyfman
Here are a few more useful documents that could be helpful to the volunteers in the field.
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posted Jan 28, 2010 7:26 AM by Sander Koyfman
[
updated Mar 13, 2010 11:50 AM
]
There is a slow and steady trickle of refugees and responders coming back to the USA - let us know if you are interested in providing a pro-bono service to these clients. Just email to info@disasterpsych.org.
Update: NYC is opening the Haitian Refugee support center - see assistance guide attached. |
posted Jan 26, 2010 2:11 PM by Sander Koyfman
[
updated Jan 26, 2010 2:19 PM
]
As the situation in Haiti is slowly entering a long-term phase of the response it is becoming clear that necessary structures to provide food, shelter, safety and security as still some time off. Here at DPO we are focusing on coordinating our response with local New York based organizations (as it happens, NYC has one of the largest Haitian diasporas) to provide training services here and for those traveling abroad. Stay tuned as specifics become clear.
We would like to also extend great thanks to all our donors. Your support means a great deal and helps us to stay focused on the task at hand. Thank you. Please, don't forget the organizations that are focusing on providing housing and food - these are dire and persistent needs.
Note: Senate Unanimously Approves Bill To Speed Haiti Tax Deductions The law allows U.S. taxpayers to make charitable contributions to Haiti relief programs before March 1, 2010, and claim those contributions on their 2009 income tax return. The legislation also includes a provision allowing those who text-messaged a donation the ability to use a phone bill as proof of their donation. |
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