Physical Health United States Project #12002

Community Cyberspace: PTSD/TBI Care For Veterans

by International Medical Crisis Response Alliance

Project Report | May 31, 2013
Community Cyberspace - May 2013

By Ms. Yuki Ninomiya | IMCRA Onsite Coordinator Japan

Staff at Photo and Possession Recovery Center

IMCRA-DOJ New York staff will be meeting with our Japanese colleagues between the 6th and 19th of June in an effort to incorporate the learnings from our 4th Colloquium/Workshop (Nurses and Mobile HealthCare Workers) into refinements of the Community Cyberspace initiative. The colloquium/workshop extends our mission to capture the voice of local healthcare service providers who want to share what they have learned and experienced in their interactions with survivors. In addition to improving interactions with survivors in the Community Cyberspace program we are striving to make these learnings accessable both as archival information and as vital improvements in current efforts.

Among the challenges we have been facing recently in this initiative is both survivor and provider exhaustion. The proliferation of programs dedicated to long and short term remediation have taken a toll on both parties. When politeness and duty are extended in all directions there comes a time when people prefer to withdraw rather than participate in another activity which may have only peripheral impact on their needs.

Healthcare providers and colleagues alike who have regularly been traveling to and serving the more isolated temporary communities in Tohoku over the last two years confirm many of the same stresses and challenges as the people they serve. Among service receipients, many of those once involved in programs that would enhance their re-integration with the larger community may now prefer to be left alone. Unfortunately, in many cases this loss of interest in communication with loved ones is a danger sign and often a first milestone on the road to hikikomori.

Understanding what brings this about is critically valuable information both for Japan and the rest of the world. The months and years after a disaster can be particularly deadly, and as we've learned, not only for the survivors, but for those who serve them. Thus, we are fortunate to be working with Dr. Jun Shigemura of Saitama in this effort.

In the US we've experienced some particularly bad disasters recently such as hurricane Sandy, the tornado in Oklahoma, the Boston bombing and the Newtown massacre of children. In terms of the psychological and physical impact of life-altering negative experiences the survivors and caregivers in Tohoku share a bond with the American victims. Later this summer, IMCRA will also reach out to the Boston and Newtown families - applying some of what was learned in Japan via the Community Cyberspace program to larger global needs.

Temporary Housing Residents and Questionnaires

Attachments:

Community Cyberspace Questionaire (PDF)

4 Attachments

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Mar 1, 2013
New Developments in Community Cyberspace

By Ms. Yuki Ninomiya | IMCRA-DOJ Executive Assistant

Jan 18, 2013
November Report - Miyako and Kesenuma

By Dr. Thomas G. Hedberg | Project Leader, Community Cyberspace

Recovered Photographs - Kesenuma

COMMUNITY CYBERSPACE

Progress Report: 19 November 2012

The Community Cyberspace (CC) initiative was successfully launched in Iwate prefecture November 12^th through 14^th 2012 with work undertaken in four resettlement areas in the vicinity of the hard-hit coastal city of Miyako. Scenes of devastation seen around the world last year remain stark and unavoidable.

The empty foundations of homes are now weed-choked, and the twisted steel girders of gutted buildings remain as shocking signatures of the toll of destruction and ruin which still marks the area. With the help of the Japanese Red Cross and the Iwate Psychological Association, IMCRA-DOJ technology specialists were able to reach elderly survivors in more remote areas with electronic options for addressing their loss and loneliness. At each location, a meeting was held with mostly elderly survivors who learned that both real-time and recorded private and personal internet connections can be made available before Christmas Connections are now being established with family, with friends and with medical/psychological professionals who are members of the IMCRA-DOJ team.

During this first trial run CC learned that almost none of the people we reached had email or Skype addresses, or for that matter were even certain what email and Skype was. In these cases we are providing temporary addresses for the receipt of mail and skype through IMCRA-DOJ. We are also striving to obtain telephone numbers and Skype addresses for persons who might want to speak privately with remote family members. Where this is not possible, CC is striving to obtain all relevant connection information and record messages from users for later transmission to family.

Where CC users may wish to privately, or even anonymously speak with professionals about their children's educational issues, physiological medical issues or psychological medical issues, IMCRA-DOJ will have professional staff standing by for consultation purposes. Major progress was made in this area with the collection of several dozen completed questionnaires requesting how people would best like to use this system. Where CC users may wish to have a taste of some of the folklore and traditions lost in the aftermath of 3-11 IMCRA has been partnering with Kigyo Mecenat Kiyogikai to provide cultural remediation either onsite or via streaming video.

We anticipate having the first permanant connections established before Christmas or shortly thereafter, depending on ground staff availability.

CC Users Group Miyako

Completing the Questionnaires

Home Remains - Tohoku Coast

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