Creating Conditions for Survivors’ Recovery From Natural and Man-Made Disasters

Introduction

Man-made disasters have been the constant companion of African ancestry people for the past almost 500 years (Alexander, 2012; Thomas, 1997).

Hurricane Katrina, New Orleans, 2005; Haiti Earthquake, 2010—on the surface, two natural disasters, but were they partially man-made? There was prior knowledge that the levees in New Orleans were inadequate to withstand a major and likely hurricane, and those conditions continue today (“Crumbling Levees Threaten,” 2013); and the severe long-term deforestation of Haitian land made it vulnerable for dire life-threatening consequences, including higher level of destruction from earthquakes (“Deforestation Exacerbates Haiti Floods,” 2004). The traumatizing experiences from these disasters continue to affect large numbers of people of African ancestry. The October 25, 2012, Superstorm Sandy and other global disasters hopefully serve to diminish the denial in the global north that the climate is changing and that multidimensional preparations are needed to meet the pre- and postdisaster challenges worldwide. The global south has long recognized the need.

The Association of Black Psychologists (ABPsi), with 40 years of study, research, and experience in culturally congruent psychological interventions and training for disaster survivors, is prepared for international leadership in this endeavor, based on (1) direct experience with untreated current and generational traumas, (2) knowing the resilience histories of the people affected, (3) ability to recognize and acknowledge man-made responsibility in creating and supporting conditions that increase suffering and devastation, and (4) recognizing the multiple roles of history, poverty, and cultural alienation in the trauma process.

The ABPsi recognizes that ancestral resilience from the horrors of captivity and forced migration through the middle passage, chattel slavery, humiliation, torture, terror, forced separation, death, and discrimination is responsible for the emergence of a culture of resistance, forgiveness, and enormous creativity that influences today’s modern world despite generational trauma as in posttraumatic slavery disorder (Newton, 2007) being alive at this time.

The ABPsi Disaster Response Ideogram was developed illustrating the structural logic that informs the immediate and long-term psychological impact of disasters. The ideogram began with Dr. Lewis King (2005), who recognized the need and offered the initial conceptual framework that allows for the interaction of psychosocial conditions and spiritness shifting over time.

The symposium involves providing guideposts to generate more effective culturally congruent providers for trauma survivors. In my view, it is impossible to find a disaster that is completely natural. Envision the world today and think deeply about developing, ongoing, recognized, unrecognized, or ignored disasters and about unexpected unpredictable disasters that might strike at any time or place. Identify the natural and man-made components and propose actions.

Consequences of Disasters

The quality of treatment for disaster survivors is critical because the consequences are often severe and long-term. The wounds can inflict generational physical, mental, emotional, and spiritness disabilities for individuals, families, groups, and nations (Newton, 2007). Recurring and ongoing traumas create stressors that can cause mental illness, lifelong physical disabilities, and a shortened life span. The effects can lower human intellectual and behavioral capacities, increasing vulnerability to serious diseases and often permanently impairing brain functions (Ganzel, Morris, & Wethington, 2010).

There are convincing indications that both natural and man-made disasters on our beloved planet are increasing. Severe weather, fires, wars, human beings imprisoned for life, murders, increasingly harsher methods of torture, brutal solitary confinement becoming a prison norm, and the lack of thoughtful efforts to create viable body-mind-emotion-spirit restoration are all prime examples. Because traumatic stress is cumulative, we must prepare our interventions based on carefully developed study and experience.

Preparing Culturally Proficient Trauma Recovery Providers (CPTRPs)

When reflecting on provider qualities necessary for creating conditions to facilitate body-mind-spirit recovery in recipients of trauma services, the strongest set of qualities is formed by four primary characteristics that include compassion-knowledge-skills-resilience bonded together in a mutually supportive form. Each quality is necessary but not sufficient. Compassion—the sincere desire to remove the suffering of others, the ability to envision emotionally the pain that a person in the situation is experiencing and to maintain individuation. Knowledge—familiarity, awareness, and understanding gained through experience, interaction and study. (Accurate knowledge about African ancestry peoples’ historical stories of trauma and glory, their worldwide experiences, and their cultures that have helped shape the modern world is mostly missing from our pool of knowledge; also missing from public discourse are the effects that information suppression has had on African ancestry peoples’ development and institution building.). Skill set—proficiency and expertness from information, training, practice, and putting knowledge into action. Resilience—a human quality inclusive of our physical, mental/emotional, and spirit beingness that helps us survive and thrive under adverse conditions. At its core, it must include morality and ethics or lead us on to a destructive path.

A team approach is required to work effectively with culturally diverse survivors of disaster traumas. Table 1 includes four additional necessary but not sufficient qualities for each CPTRP team member who receives training and qualifies to deliver trauma intervention services.

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Table 1.

Additional Necessary but NS Qualities or Characteristics for CPTRPs.

Self-knowledge (about one’s self, strengths/weaknesses)	Necessary but NS
Beliefs (inferiority/superiority/intelligence of African people)	Very necessary but NS
Good intentions	Very necessary but NS
Open to new information	Very necessary but NS

Note: CPTRP = culturally proficient trauma recovery provider; NS = not sufficient.

The CPTRP is proposed as an initial guide for selecting cross-cultural disaster trauma recovery providers.

Conclusion

Creating conditions for recovery from deep generational wounds, often buried and unconscious, requires courage from all sides due to the pain and shame that this missing information can evoke when uncovered. Trauma survivors’ history and cultural congruent interventions matter. Healing will not be a short-term easy task or “a cakewalk.” However, the work offers opportunities to become a much-needed, highly competent, culturally proficient trauma recovery provider.