June Monthly CEU Meeting: Disaster Preparedness for Counselors: Using Psychological First Aid to Support Individuals Through Disasters and Crises

Note: Schedule change!  We have a new meeting schedule:

6:30 - 6:45 Check-in

6:45 - 7:00 Introductions and opportunities for members to share announcements

7:00 - 8:30 CEU Presentation

Presented by Ashley Hamm, LPC

Program Description:

When Hurricane Harvey struck last year, mental health professionals were called upon to respond to the needs of thousands of affected Texans. The sheer impact of this storm highlighted the need for counselors to be prepared to help impacted individuals following a disaster or traumatic event. Join us for a practical and interactive presentation on specific strategies to use following a disaster or act of mass violence.

Counseling and psychological support immediately following a disaster requires interventions that help an individual find stability and coping strategies and connects them with social supports and community resources. In this presentation you will learn how to respond as a mental health professional should another disaster strike our community using the principles of Psychological First Aid.  Psychological First Aid is an evidence-informed approach used to assist people in the immediate aftermath of disaster and terrorism.  The aim of Psychological First Aid is to reduce initial distress and to foster short- and long-term adaptive functioning of those affected.

Presenter Information:

Ashley Hamm is a Licensed Professional Counselor, Registered Health Coach-Specialist, and a Dr. Sears Certified Health Coach. She holds a Master of Education in Counseling from the University of Houston and a Bachelor of Arts in English from Rice University.

Ashley has a broad range of counseling experience across diverse settings and specializes in wellness, stress management, and crisis counseling. Ashley worked at the Crisis Intervention of Houston, where she used the principles of Psychological First Aid responding to callers to the Disaster Distress Helpline.  Ashley is opening a counseling private practice in the summer of 2018 focusing on helping individuals and groups reduce their stress, find balance, and grow their self confidence.