Mental Health Intervention

 in Disasters

Dr. Raquel Cohen is an internationally recognized expert in the field of intervention and assistance to survivors of disasters. A graduate of the Harvard School of Public Health and Harvard Medical School, she is a Distinguished Life Fellow of the American Psychiatric Association, former Associate Professor at Harvard Medical School, Department of Psychiatry, and Professor Emeritus at the Miller School of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry at the University of Miami. Dr. Cohen began her  work in the field of disaster intervention after the Managua, Nicaragua earthquake of 1972, and has continued through mudslides in South America and hurricanes in United States (including Hurricane Katrina in 2005). Using the lessons learned from these experiences, Dr. Cohen developed new protocols and procedures for not only working with disaster survivors and helpers, but expanding those techniques to interventions after incidents of terrorism, such as the hostage taking at the Japanese embassy in Lima, Peru in 1997. She has produced a number of training modules and presentations for use by first responders and other assistance personnel after a natural or terrorist disaster, many of which are available on this web site.

It is Dr. Cohen's desire that all these materials be widely and freely available for use by agencies and personnel working in this field. Her only request is that if the materials are used, credit be given to Dr. Cohen and the other individuals who produced the work.

Dr. Cohen would welcome any comments or questions you have regarding her work or this web site, as well as offering her assistance in solving any issues which may arise in the area of disaster planning or intervention. She can be contacted at raquelc412@gmail.com

Among her many honors, Dr. Cohen was recently named by the National Library of Medicine and the National Institutes of Health as one of the women responsible for Changing the Face of Medicine

Español

La Dra. Raquel Eidelman Cohen, peruana-americana  es una reconocida experta internacional, incluyendo Centro y Sur America, en el campo professional de asistencia y ayuda a sobrevivientes de desastres.   Graduada de la Universidad de Harvard de las escuelas de Salud Publica y de la primera promomocion de medicas en la Escuela de Medicina   Ella empezo y fue pionera en informar como se puede ayudar a sobrevivientes despues del terremoto en Managua, Nicaragua en 1972.  Ha continuado en esta trayectoria, ademas de otroas actividades profesionales,  incluyendo consultoria con profesionales ayudando despues del Huracan Katrina, 2005.  Usando lecciones aprendidas en estas experiencias, la Dra. Cohen actualmente continua desarrollando protocolos y procedimientos para ayudar a sobrevivientes y trabajadores en eventos catastroficos y  de terrorismo.

Ha publicado y desarrollado un numero de documentos, material de capacitacion y consultoria para los trabajadores en este campo que los comparte en esta pajina Webb.

 Es el deseo de la Dra. Cohen que todo este material sean distribuidos libremente por agencies y personal para ayudar a individuos traumatizados por desastres.  Su unico pedido es que si usa este material, que la distribucion sea sin costo y que se de credito debido a las personas que han contribuido a su produccion.

La Dra Cohen apreciaria comentarios, sujerencias o preguntas con respeto al material.  Tambien ofrece su ayuda en resolver problemas orijinados en solucionar situaciones de planificar o capacitacion al personal de asistencia en desastres.  La pueden contactar en la direccion de e-mail---raquelc412@gmail.com

Dr. Cohen in Managua, Nicaragua 1972