By Jessica Hillenbrand, American Red Cross of Colorado, Public Affairs
May is Mental Health Awareness month. When people think of the American Red Cross, they often don’t know that we offer mental health services to those affected by disaster and that we have a fantastic workforce serving as Disaster Mental Health volunteers.
As defined by the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), mental health is “the way we think, feel and how we relate to others.” Mental health is also a “spectrum of medical conditions that impact a person’s thinking, feeling or mood and may affect the ability to relate to others and function daily.”
According to NAMI, poor mental health can lead to severe mental conditions, such as suicide or depression, if not taken care of properly. Depression is the number one disability in adults in the United States and suicide is the second leading cause of death for people ages ten to 34.
You can imagine, when a natural or man-made disaster impacts your life, it could be easy to have strong feelings of fear, hopelessness or depression. This is why, the Red Cross provides Disaster Mental Health services as part of our disaster response and why amazing volunteers, like Julie Uhernik, are an integral part of our success. Julie has been a volunteer for the Mile High chapter of the Red Cross since 2005. As a mental health volunteer, she feels strongly that Red Cross volunteers need to take care of their own mental health as well as the people they serve.
Julie began volunteering for the Red Cross of Colorado and Wyoming in an unconventional way. “Immediately after Hurricane Katrina, I was notified by my professional organization, the American Counseling Association, asking if I would be willing to be deployed to the Gulf Coast to work as a disaster mental health responder. Two days later, I was flown to a Red Cross staging area and sent to Mississippi to assist in disaster response. In addition to being a Licensed Professional Counselor, I am also a Registered Nurse. At the staging center, staffing decided they could use me as a volunteer in both a Disaster Mental Health capacity and Health Services. I was just happy to help in any capacity I could during Katrina, as the need for volunteers was so great. Once I had experience in Disaster Response, I continued to work with Red Cross during many of the responses, both local and national,” Julie explains.
Mental health often has a stigma attached to it. “Years ago, there was a (slight) fear that those people served might be hesitant to engage with mental health responders due to a sense of stigma. I quickly learned that was not the case and acceptance is routine and most services are most appreciated. To the Red Cross credit, they have always seemed to recognize the value and importance of Disaster Mental Health team involvement.”
Julie loves volunteering for the Mile High Chapter of the Red Cross. She has a sense of fulfillment by being present and being able to help people during some of their worst moments. “I like seeing the community reach out to help each other and the resilience of both individuals and communities as they begin to heal. I also appreciate Red Cross volunteers and their shared experience and bonding with fellow volunteers from across the country.”
Thanks to our outstanding Mental Health Services volunteers, like Julie, the Red Cross can service all needs in the case of a disaster. If you are interested in becoming a Disaster Mental Health volunteer, click here.