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Easing Their Minds

Local psychologist goes to Florida
to work with evacuees.

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New Orleans by boat, she reassured
them and explained they were having
Story Development Editor
flashbacks. She also bought them
nightlights.
outhfield psychologist Susan
"When evacuees got to Pensacola,
Silk grew up in Southern
they
had passed the shock phase and
California and understands
were
in the honeymoon phase," Silk
what it means to be in the throes of
says. "They were grateful, coopera-
a natural disaster, such as an earth-
tive, pleasant, optimistic. If I
quake. That's her motiva-
went back in a month or
tion for offering psycholog-
two, it would be very differ-
ical first aid to those in the
ent. People will begin to real-
midst of our nation's cur-
ly recognize the impact of
rent crisis.
the financial blow and the
Silk was in Pensacola,
dislocation."
Fla., Sept. 2-15, working
Silk uses her extensive
with the Red Cross at one
experience in crisis response
of its four major disaster
to help people understand
relief areas for those devas-
there's a predictable road to
Susan Silk
tated by Hurricane Katrina.
recovery.
She coordinated a team of six
She's seen a lot of human
mental health professionals
tragedy
and
resilience since first
specifically trained in crisis response.
Though Pensacola isn't in the news responding in 1989, when an earth-
much, Silk says it's a high-traffic area quake hit near Santa Cruz, Calif.
"I was in Michigan and so far
for evacuees because of its location.
away,
but I know what that was like
She and her team saw between 100-
and
I
thought
I could help prevent
200 people each day — and those
long-term
difficulties,"
she says.
days often stretched more than 12
"Around
then,
other
psychologists
hours.
began thinking the same thing."
"I was tremendously struck by the
In the early 1990s, she was among
spirit of cooperation of the commu-
a charter group of American
nity — the schools, churches and
municipal agencies all pulled togeth- Psychological Association profession-
als trained to partner with the Red
er to provide a support system and
Cross during disasters. In that capac-
resources to take care of the evac-
ity, she has helped during Hurricane
uees," she says.
Andrew, during 9-11 and in
Though Silk and her team were
Oklahoma City. She and other
there to help with psychological
trained mental health professionals
issues, often all the evacuees wanted
now are reaching out to evacuees in
was some normal chitchat and some
Detroit.
basic needs met.
"I've always felt that what you did, is
"I learned to focus on the here and
just
as important as what you believe
now and never, ever asked, 'How are
in," says Silk, chair of the Disaster
you feeling?' Silk says. "That would
Response Network of the Michigan
just open wounds and make them
feel vulnerable when we are trying to Psychological Association. "I grew up
in the `60s and the reason I became a
increase their resilience."
psychologist was inspired by views of
Still, the professionals always
watched for those experiencing more racism and poverty and making a dif-
ference.
acute symptoms or who needed
"As I became more established, I
more privacy than a common shelter
felt something was missing. I wanted
could provide.
to be more of an activist. That's
In one instance, Silk helped the
women in a three-generational family always part and parcel of my reli-
gious education - to contribute what
deal with fears of insanity because
you
could through deeds and not
they kept having nightmares about
just
an
abstract belief system."
being surrounded by water. After
learning they were evacuated from

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