NBCC and its division, NBCC International (NBCC-I), are committed to supporting the South Asia tsunami victims through several approaches to helping. Immediately after the disaster, the NBCC Web site posted its strategy to assist with relief to the thousands of tsunami victims (http:// www.nbcc.org/SPECIAL/Tsunami- Response.htm).

NBCC and NBCC-I continued their collaborative efforts with the World Health Organization (WHO) by posting a copy of Benedetto Saraceno’s letter on the NBCC Web site. Dr. Saraceno is director of mental health and substance abuse for WHO. In his letter, he reported that NBCC was contacting counselor training programs throughout the world in order to obtain information about counselors within the affected countries who could be called on to provide counseling services.

Additionally, NBCC’s Web site has posted the NBCC & NBCC-I Disaster Relief fund, where all monies are sent to the WHO department designated for mental health relief. No funds will be taken out for overhead. NBCC and NBCC-I will continue to collaborate with WHO and other nongovernmental organizations assisting the tsunami victims.

A list of Red Cross and Red Crescent National Societies has been published by NBCC and NBCC-I with specific contact information for affected countries including Bangladesh, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Sri Lanka, and Thailand. These data will be used to coordinate counseling efforts between affected countries, the Red Cross, and counselors around the world.

Some information we find helpful: Most of us rely on the stability of our environment as well as our ability to count on Mother Nature. When this is not the case, many people will develop feelings of powerlessness and the sense that they are losing the structure of their daily lives.

When people witness an event as alarming as the South Asia tsunami, they can begin to feel that personal, community, and social functioning are being undermined. Natural disasters are extremely costly to victims in terms of loss of life, health, property, and in some cases entire families and communities. This is where counselors are making a difference, and NBCC and NBCC-I will continue supporting these efforts in the affected region.

Many people in the United States may seek counseling as a result of distress about the tsunami disaster. Watching the TV reports can be difficult and can produce an emotional response. This can be particularly difficult for children. Limiting television time and providing an opportunity for children to talk is a good way to evaluate how they are dealing with disaster stress. It also is important for counselors to assess the level of identification with the dead and suffering, particularly for children living on or near our coasts.

The world’s counselors working as relief agents are performing crisis intervention, evaluating people for acute as well as long-term treatment, assessing community and family needs, educating communities, and maintaining support networks for victims. One of the most important tasks of disaster counselors is to help minimize despair and helplessness—certainly a formidable objective. Most victims will resolve their stress and loss in time; however, some will have a more profound course of suffering. As always, counselors will do all that they can to help. The tsunami relief effort will go on for some time and the victims will appreciate the help of counselors.

Mental-Health-Matters.com, a Web site designed to provide information and resources for consumers, professionals, students, and supporters, provides additional information regarding counseling for people exposed to disaster and the trauma-related symptoms they experience. This information is available at http://www.mentalhealth- matters.com/articles/ article.php?artID=291.