Applying critical consciousness: culturally competent disaster response outcomes

The authors explored the use of critical consciousness as a training tool to provide effective, culturally competent disaster response counseling services to disaster-affected communities. The results are presented of a qualitative study evaluating the outcomes for participants in a disaster response outreach project serving residents of post-Katrina New Orleans. Participants demonstrated increased personal and cultural awareness and also constructed new knowledge related to counseling outreach competencies.
Because of the devastating effects of natural and human-made disasters, there is an increasing global need for mental health professionals to provide disaster relief outreach services (Guha-Sapir, Hargitt, & Hoyois, [...]