You are the victim relief coordinator for a major volunteer organization
located on the west coast of the United States. A catastrophic 8.7-magnitude
earthquake has just struck the state of California, with the epicenter located
somewhere near San Jose. The damage is severe, the number of casualties is
unknown, and local emergency operations have already commenced. The
volunteers associated with your organization have all undergone the typical
training sessions required for volunteer work, but you want to give them a
review of what they are about to encounter and how to effectively handle the
situation both mentally and emotionally.
Assignment Guidelines
·
In 5-7 paragraphs, address the following:
o
In your own words, explain the concept of behavior
potentials to the volunteers.
§ Psychologically speaking, what are behavior potentials?
§ What types of personalities do you think have the greatest potential
to become overwhelmed by trauma and stress? Provide 2–3 examples and briefly
describe them.
o
How will you explain to the volunteers the most
effective methods for reconciling traumatized survivors? Explain.
§ What do you think are the best methods to treat victims of shock or extreme
trauma? Explain in detail.
o
What must be taken into consideration regarding
potential psychological trauma experienced by the volunteer response and
recovery units? Explain.
o
What significant challenges do you feel will be
associated with the psychological treatment of both surviving victims of the
earthquake and volunteers who experience emotional trauma? Explain.
