Comforting the anguished

The county will help residents deal with the emotional fallout from the terrorist attacks Sept. 11 through the state Crisis Response Team; It is seeking volunteers to be trained to help.

By: Mae Rhine
   FLEMINGTON — The county is gearing up to help residents deal with the emotional fallout from the terrorist attacks Sept. 11.
   The Office of Victim Witness Advocacy of the Hunterdon County Prosecutor’s Office is mobilizing those willing to be trained to counsel those in need through the use of the New Jersey Crisis Response Team.
   Heading the effort locally will be Janet L. Kerr, Hunterdon County’s victim witness coordinator.
   Ms. Kerr was at work that day in her office in the Child Advocacy Center on Main Street.
   "I got a phone call," she said. "They called and said, ‘Turn the TV on. The World Trade Center just got hit by a plane.’ I saw the second plane hit. I was in shock. I couldn’t function. It was just horrible."
   Ms. Kerr recognizes many people experienced the same feelings of shock and disbelief.
   "Everyone had such a wide realm of reactions," she said. "Shock and disbelief is usually first for everyone. Fear and sadness usually follows, then anger after that."
   But depending on how they were affected — as rescue personnel digging through the rubble, families waiting for word of loved ones, witnesses of the attack — reactions are varied.
   "It depends on the person and their stress equilibrium," Ms. Kerr said. "What’s normal for someone might be traumatic for you."
   She added, "When we see something like that; we’re so desensitized by ‘Die Hard’ and different violent movies, we think this isn’t real. It was surreal. You don’t want to believe something like this happened, and then to actually see it; it’s very surreal."
   She has had a few people call her, asking what they can do to help those having problems dealing with the act of terrorism.
   Those who went to New York to help received a "debriefing," she said.
   "They are actually being debriefed in the city by the Critical Incident Crisis Team before leaving city to go back home."
   But some still aren’t talking about their experience and they, along with others, could benefit from counseling.
   She said the most important thing for people is to "reach out for support."
   She explained, people should "try and talk about what their reactions are and to support those asking for assistance."
   For those who can’t talk about it yet, she said, "journal writing is an excellent way, a therapeutic way" to unleash some of those emotions.
   The county stands willing to help, she said.
   "Our Crisis Response Team has three main objectives," said Statewide Coordinator Thomas Keevey. "First we want to help the community’s leadership plan ways to deal with the emotional aftershocks of the terrorist attack. Second, we hope to bring together the community’s caregivers, from mental health service providers to clergy members, for specialized training. Then, together with the help from the community, we want to start providing educational or debriefing sessions for everyone affected by the tragedy."
   Those private sessions will be free and are designed to give participants an opportunity to describe their reactions and how they have been coping and to learn more effective ways of coping in order to help themselves and their loved ones.
   Community leaders may ask for the help of the state team for "special victim populations" by contacting Ms. Kerr, who is a member of the state team.
   Community leaders include mayors, police chiefs, county prosecutors, sheriff’s departments, county employers, religious leaders, school superintendents and college or university presidents.
   "Special victim populations" include surviving family members of those killed; victims who were injured and their families; witnesses of the attack; family members of witnesses; communities with a view of the New York City skyline; New Jersey based employees of companies housed in the World Trade Center complex; municipalities with multiple losses of life; armed services staff; New Jersey airport staff; the elderly; and stranded travelers.
   What is offered locally will, quite naturally, be based upon the response, Ms. Kerr said.
   "If I get a tremendous influx of people, I’ll start the training as soon as possible," she said, as early as next week.
   These volunteers will be trained to assist the crisis response teams. Ms. Kerr would lead the "debriefings," she explained, and volunteers would be there to help.
   Based on the number of requests, the team may travel to various locations to help.
   And, while this type of counseling is "more effective in a group," she said, "If someone is really in crisis, we’ll go to them."
   Volunteers from the mental health, clergy and law enforcement fields who want to volunteer to help the team may e-mail [email protected]. Those who cannot e-mail may fax information to (609) 588-7890.
   Whether e-mailing or faxing, include name, field of expertise, home phone, office phone, cellphone, place of residence and county. Or fax the Prosecutor’s Office at (908) 788-1404.
   Members of the team will contact volunteers upon receipt of the information.