Students in the spring 2020 graduate-level course “Disaster Counseling and Crisis Intervention” capped their semester by creating a series of brief instructional videos about disaster mental health, as an adaptation and response to the new realities created by the COVID-19 pandemic.
The videos use a mixture of live recording and animation, and are designed to be accessible to general audiences, with some specifically created with young viewers in mind. Many address topics that relate directly to coronavirus, social distancing and related stresses.
The disaster counseling course is required for all students in the Counselor Education graduate program. It’s also embedded in the curriculum of the College’s Advanced Certificate in Trauma and Disaster Mental Health, a 15-credit program run in affiliation with the Institute for Disaster Mental Health (IDMH) that aims to prepare a new generation of educators, counselors, social workers and care providers with culturally sensitive and evidence-supported disaster response skills and knowledge. The video assignment was created by the course’s professor, IDMH Director Amy Nitza.
The video above, “How Caregivers Can Help Children Cope in a Disaster or Traumatic Event,” is by Jenna Perez ’20g (School Counseling). More of our favorite student-created videos on topics in disaster mental health can be viewed below.
“Using Creativity to Care for your Mental Well-Being,” by Alexander Mahon ’20g (Clinical Mental Health Counseling)
“Self-Care and Coping for Kids,” by Jude Papapietro ’20g (Clinical Mental Health Counseling)
“Psychoeducation for Parents and Caregivers,” by Alexa Sauro ’20g (Clinical Mental Health Counseling)
