© 2002 Oxford University Press
A Social Worker's Account of 31 Days Responding to the Pentagon Disaster: Crisis Intervention Training and Self-Care Practices
From the Pentagon Employee Referrel Service
Contact author: Rachel E. Kaul, Pentagon Employee Referrel Service, DiLorenzo TriCare Health Clinic, 5803 Army Pentagon, Washington, DC 20310-5803. E-mail: rachel.kaul{at}na.amedd.army.mil
This article provides a first-person account of a social worker responding to the terrorist attack on the Pentagon in Washington, DC on September 11, 2001, as a Red Cross Disaster Mental Health volunteer. The article describes three distinct assignments, the populations served, and an overview of the interventions employed. The author advocates for formal crisis intervention training and experience for mental health professionals responding to disasters and events of this nature. The author also emphasizes the importance of mental health responders prioritizing self-care to ensure effective practice during this type of event.
KEY WORDS: Pentagon, disaster, terrorist attack, mental health, crisis intervention, self-care