Hurricanes

Library Closed on Saturday

The John P. Isché Library will be closed tomorrow (Saturday, August 30th) due to campus storm preparations.

Disasters on MedlinePlus.gov

MedlinePlus has added a disasters category to its Health & Wellness section. Check out Hurricanes.

Hurricane Season: Be Prepared

A selected list of hurricane preparedness websites has been assembled by Mary L. Marix, Reference Librarian. Check it out and be prepared.

Pub Alert: Medical Education in Post-Katrina New Orleans

Check out this week’s JAMA for a commentary from Drs. Kevin Krane, Richard DiCarlo and Marc J. Kahn on medical education in post-Katrina New Orleans. This piece includes a table comparing the numbers of medical students, residents & faculty before and after the storm, which is available to download as a PowerPoint slide.

And for you old school researchers, here’s the citation:

Krane NK, DiCarlo RP, Kahn MJ. Medical Education in Post-Katrina New Orleans: A Story of Survival and Renewal. JAMA. 2007 September 5; 298(9):1052-1055.

TIP: JAMA is available full-text from the library catalog. Use WAM to login off campus.

Recently published?? Send an email to mknapp@lsuhsc.edu to be a featured on Pub Alert

Writing a paper or article on Hurricane Katrina?

The Katrina Resources page from the Natural Hazards Center at the University of Colorado has a great collection of government reports, websites & peer-reviewed journal articles.

Check it out!

Local mental health resources for Louisiana residents

Following up on our previous post, here’s even more local mental health resources, phone numbers and services.

If you know someone having trouble coping with the anniversary of Katrina – or who is just having problems trying to get things moving again in their life, pass this along.

— Louisiana Spirit Hurricane Recovery provides individual and group crisis counseling services. Call (225) 219-5000. The agency also operates a crisis line at (800) 273-TALK.

— Family Service of Greater New Orleans offers counseling to victims of Hurricane Katrina at several locations:
2515 Canal St., New Orleans, (504) 822-0800
201 Evans Road, Harahan, (504) 733-4031
1799 Stumpf Blvd., Gretna, (504) 361-0926
317 N. Jefferson, Covington, (985) 641-1025
3002 Jean Lafitte Parkway, Chalmette, (504) 271-3781
1377 Lindberg St., Slidell, (985) 641-7185.

— The Center for Family and Youth Services offers counseling and educational services on a sliding fee schedule.
(985) 331-1999 | www.centerhope.org | 13101 River Road, Luling

— The Metropolitan Human Services District is providing services for addictive disorders, developmental disabilities and mental health treatment at these clinics:
Central City Behavioral Health Clinic, 2221 Philip St., New Orleans, (504) 568-6686
Chartres Pontchartrain Behavioral Health Clinic, 719 Elysian Fields Ave., New Orleans, (504) 942-8101
Plaquemines Behavioral Health Clinic, 3708 Main St., Belle Chasse, (504) 393-5624
Algiers Fischer Community Clinic, 4422 Gen. Meyer Ave., New Orleans, (504) 210-7611
Tulane Medical Clinic at Covenant House, 611 N. Rampart St., New Orleans, (504) 584-1100
MHSD Division for Citizens with Developmental Disabilities, 1010 Common St., New Orleans, (504) 599-0245. Call (504) 568-6686 or (866) 248-0662. After hours and weekends, call the Cope Line at (800) 749-2673.

— Odyssey House Louisiana offers several programs: Katrina Aid Today provides support services for hurricane victims, connecting victims to resources and assisting in developing personal recovery plans. Substance Abuse Treatment provides outpatient counseling, including services for those living with HIV/AIDS. The Community Prisoner Re-entry program assists nonviolent, non-sex offenders with transition to the community after release from prison. Call (504) 821-9211.

— Volunteers of America offers free adolescent suicide prevention counseling for ages 13 through 24. Contact Elaine Lane at (504) 485-0147.

— The National Suicide Hotline offers mental health support and counseling 24 hours a day. Call (800) 273-8255.

— First Baptist Church of New Orleans offers free crisis counseling for those affected by stress from Hurricane Katrina and its aftermath. Call (504) 482-5775.

— The T.E.C. Counseling and Training Center at Our Lady of Holy Cross College, 4123 Woodland Drive, Algiers, offers counseling services Mondays through Thursdays, 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Call (504) 398-2168.

— The Orleans Parish coroner’s office has a psychiatrist available to process requests for orders of protective custody. These allow emergency psychiatric evaluations for people suffering from mental illness or substance abuse. Concerned family members or caretakers may call Dr. Jeffrey Rouse at (504) 658-9660.

— The Greater New Orleans Mental Health and Resilience task force is a group of public and private behavioral health partners working on post-Katrina mental health. For information on community resources and meetings, e-mail NOMHR-subscribe@yahoogroups.com.

— U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has a confidential help line for hurricane survivors. Call (800) 789-2647.

— National Suicide Prevention crisis counseling hotline: (800) 273-8255.

— American Red Cross’ Access to Care provides long-term recovery support to victims of Hurricanes Katrina, Rita and Wilma. Visit www.a2care.org or call (866) 794-HOPE.

Adapted from a post on the LiveJournal NewOrleans community.

Louisiana Mental Health Resources

“Using a traditional mental-health measuring stick to figure out where we stand two years post-Katrina is like using a 12-inch ruler to measure the Causeway. It’s not really up to the task.”

Sunday’s Times-Picayune article on the current state of mental health in New Orleans says we’re on uncharted ground, but mental health professionals around the state (including our own Dr. Howard Osofsky) want you to know it’s ok to ask for a map. Check out this list of local & national free resources for more.

American Red Cross’ Access to Care program
Provides long-term financial recovery assistance to victims of Hurricanes Katrina, Rita and Wilma.
Toll free number: (866) 794-HOPE.

Louisiana Spirit Hurricane Recovery’s crisis line at (800) 273-TALK.
Free of charge to anyone in Louisiana, as well as community organizations, government employees, rescuers, disaster service workers, business owners, religious groups and other special populations. Services include individual counseling for all ages, group counseling for first responders and specialized counseling and stress management services.
LA Spirit Help Line: 1-800-273-TALK (8255)

LSU Health Sciences Center 24-hour Health Line at (504) 568-8772
Free to the general public.
24 Hour help line: (504) 568-8772

LSU Health Sciences Center Campus Assistance Program
Free service for LSUHSC employees, faculty, staff, residents, and students to assist in resolving personal or work related problems.
24 Hour help line: (504) 568-8888

NOLA Dashboard
Local medical resources & services in the New Orleans area from the Louisiana Public Health Institute. Includes schedules & lists of open hospitals & clinics, mobile clinic schedule, mental health services and support groups, dental services and relief & recovery services.
http://www.noladashboard.org/

National Suicide Prevention 24-hour crisis counseling hotline
Provides immediate assistance to anyone seeking mental health services. Call for yourself, or someone you care about. Your call is free and confidential.
24 Hour toll-free number: (800) 273-8255

New Orleans Post-K Stats

The Greater New Orleans Community Data Center has just updated their website with the latest New Orleans Index. This 2 year anniversary summary is a snapshot on the current state of the city and its surrounding parishes.

Health Care & Katrina…Two Years Later

The Kaiser Family Foundation has dedicated resources in the aftermath of the disaster to track the rebuilding efforts of the New Orleans area with a special focus on the health care needs of residents.

As part of this effort, the Foundation has created a Health Care in the Aftermath of Hurricane Katrina resource page, offering a wealth of resources related to an ongoing effort to monitor and study the health coverage and needs of the victims.

Here you’ll find surveys, survivor experiences, statistics and health coverage reports. Visitors can even listen to interviews, including one from from Cathi Fontenot, M.D., medical director, Medical Center of Louisiana at New Orleans, discussing the current health care situation in New Orleans two years later.