By Jesse Oakley III
American Red Cross Utah/Nevada Region Volunteer

When disaster strikes locally, nationally, or globally, the American Red Cross is likely to be there, providing emergency food and shelter, and helping people get back to their lives following tragedy. One critical element of Red Cross disaster response is Mental Health Services, provided by licensed professionals -- all of whom are volunteers.

Volunteer clinicians donate their time & talent to help disaster victims
They make sure every Red Cross “client” has access to a qualified professional who can guide them through surviving a tragedy.

Red Cross Disaster Mental Health Services began in 1992; today, more than 500 licensed therapists and counselors deploy to disasters to support not only victims, but also their fellow volunteers. Mental health volunteers also connect with victims locally after house fires or floods.

Meet three of the mental health professionals serving our communities

Danel Lipparelli, Regional Disaster Mental Health Lead, is one of the most seasoned volunteers in the Utah/Nevada Region. Starting with the Red Cross 17 years ago, her first deployment was to New Orleans in 2005 to help people affected by Hurricane Katrina. She now lives and serves near Reno, Nevada.

“I will never forget how it felt to feed those who otherwise would go hungry,” Danel says. “The Red Cross is there to help people meet basic needs, and there is something so satisfying about doing that.” She has since deployed dozens of times, all over the country, and says being able to serve in this way has been an honor and an adventure of a lifetime.

·Mike Johnson is a high school counselor in Utah who volunteers his valuable skills by calling clients following a tragedy to see how they’re doing and help them connect to local resources if needed. “We provide a kind of mental health triage,” Mike says, “and the work can be difficult.”

But he emphasizes that people are more resilient than they think they are. “I believe most of us have the resources we need to get through a devastating loss or tragedy, but we just don’t know it until the time comes,” he says. “Walking people through those first few steps of discovery and healing can be very rewarding.”

Terry Tirrel also makes follow-up mental health calls from her Utah home
“What I’ve found is that in just a few conversations with someone who has experienced a trauma, I can see a positive difference,” she says, “and they can see the value in talking about their experience.”

Terry has been volunteering for the Utah/Nevada region for three years, following a 30-year career as a psychotherapist. “Years ago, I was on an airplane and saw a woman get on in full Red Cross gear, probably being deployed,” she recalls. “I said to myself, ‘Wow! I want to do that some day!’” Now that she has a few years and a few deployments under her Red Cross belt, Terry says volunteering in this way is intensely rewarding and a meaningful thing to do with the skills she earned over a long career in mental health.

“There’s no escaping emotional reactions after a tragedy,” Terry explains, “but how a person deals with those emotions can absolutely impact the intensity of their reactions for the better – and that’s what I try to help with.” Some of those emotional reactions might include:

• Feeling physically and mentally drained
• Having difficulty making decisions or staying focused on topics
• Becoming easily frustrated on a more frequent basis
• Arguing more with family and friends
  
• Feeling tired, sad, numb, lonely, or worried
• Experiencing changes in appetite or sleep patterns

All three clinicians recommend
If you notice any of these signs in yourself or a loved one following a stressful event, connect with a trusted person and talking about the event. Talking through your experience and your feelings may not solve an immediate problem, but it will help you to process the event and help calm your body and your mind. That person might be a friend, a family member, someone who went through a similar even, or a mental health professional.

Danel also recommends a calming technique called “5-4-3-2-1 Meditation” 
For people dealing with emotional reactions, she says a daily meditation such as this can dramatically improve how our minds and bodies recover from a traumatic event. “The goal is to check in with your body and refocus your mind using the five senses,” she explains.

1. Name five things you can See
2. Name four things you can Hear
3. Name three things you can Touch
4. Name two things you can Smell
5. Name one thing you can Taste

The American Red Cross has resources available
We can help you and your loved ones through the mental challenges of a tragic event. Get free 24/7 counseling or support by calling or texting the Disaster Distress Helpline at 1-800-985-5990.

If you are a licensed mental health professional, we need your help
If you would like to volunteer, we welcome your skills. Learn more about volunteer opportunities and submit your information to our Volunteer Services team.

Learn more ways to help your community and beyond
Volunteer for the Disaster Action Team or discover other volunteer opportunities by visiting redcross.org/volunteer.

About the American Red Cross
The American Red Cross shelters, feeds and provides comfort to victims of disasters; supplies about 40% of the nation's blood; teaches skills that save lives; distributes international humanitarian aid; and supports veterans, military members, and their families. The Red Cross is a nonprofit organization that depends on volunteers and the generosity of the American public to deliver its mission. For more information, please visit redcross.org or CruzRojaAmericana.org, or visit us on Twitter at @RedCross.