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an affiliate organization of the UUA
This ministry is supported by a grant from
the All Souls New York City Emergency Relief Fund
Toll Free: 1-866-730-8181
www.traumaministry.org
The Unitarian Universalist Trauma Response Ministry (UUTRM) was formed
in 2002 to provide timely, multi-level, multi-faith, and culturally sensitive
spiritual care to survivors of mass disasters and other significant trauma.
Our ministries include, but are not limited to:
- educating individuals, congregations, and other groups on
culturally and spiritually sensitive responses to trauma and mass disaster;
- providing resources (including the deployment of trauma response teams)
to assist congregations and communities in the wake of mass disaster and
other significant trauma;
- affiliating with local, national, and international organizations that
integrate spiritual care as a component of their disaster response efforts;
- deploying trauma response teams in coordination with local disaster
response efforts.
We take up this work in the spirit of our Unitarian Universalist faith,
which calls us to respond in the spirit of respect and compassion for
all people, regardless of race, color, creed, gender, religion, national
origin, or sexual orientation.
Approved: September 26, 2003
What Is Trauma Response?
When people or forces of nature bring violence into our lives, as happened
on September 11, 2001, or at the 1999 shootings at the Columbine High
School or during Hurricane Isabel, individuals and communities may feel
isolated and fearful. There are well-established methods of responding
to trauma that provide good coping skills and prevent later emotional
difficulties. One such method is found in the availability of compassionate
individuals to accompany the traumatized as they deal with threats to
their sense of hope and meaning.
Who We Are
UU Trauma Response Ministry is composed of Unitarian Universalist ministers,
lay members of UU congregations, and others who respect the vision and
beliefs of Unitarian Universalism. Trained in trauma response, these
people desire to assist those involved in traumatic situations. This
assistance may take the form of:
- direct, on-site ministry at the trauma scene, whether national,
or local;
- crisis counseling for those who have experienced various levels
of trauma;
- hospitality and respite care for victims;
- debriefing and other stress management skills;
- administrative assistance, telephone answering, on-site greeters,
office support;
- pulpit supply for ministers engaged in trauma response.
Education and Training
Those involved in direct trauma response will be trained in models
of crisis counseling, UU theological understandings of hope, companioning
and suffering, and critical incident reporting.
Fund-Raising
Ours is a beginning yet important organization. While we have obtained
some grants for organizing purposes, we are in need of help with our
emerging institution.
Volunteers Needed
We would welcome volunteers to help in our efforts at fund-raising,
grant application writing, development of educational materials, and
website manager.
If you are interested in volunteering for any of the above work of
this ministry, please contact:
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Emergencies happen. We’ve known them in our congregations
and in our communities. Sometimes they take the form of traumatic
or critical incidents; sometimes they are full-blown disasters.
How prepared is your congregation? You can help us do our work
and yours by taking ten minutes to complete the following survey.
1. Do you have a Safety Committee? ___Yes ____No
2. Do you have an evacuation plan? ___Yes ____No
3. Who is aware of the plan? (Check all that apply.)
____ Staff
____ Entire congregation
____ Public Safety Departments in your town or city
4. Do you conduct public safety evacuations or fire drills? ___
Yes ___ No
If yes, do you conduct them
____ During services
____ Annually
____ Other ______________________________________________________
5. Do you have designated staff or members who are trained
in first aid and CPR? ___ Yes ___ No
If yes, does the congregation pay for this? ___ Yes ___ No
6. Do you have on-site:
___ First Aid kit or more, located ___________________________________
___ Fire extinguishers, checked how frequently? _______________________
___ Fire alarm boxes that ring at the fire house
___ Non-portable emergency phones in case of power outages
___ Panic or alarm buttons easily accessible
___ Battery-operated smoke/heat detectors
7. Does your front desk have emergency phone numbers? ___ Yes ___
No
Do they include:
____ Police Department
____ Fire Department
____ Ambulance
Other ___________________________________________________________
8. What basic supplies does your congregation have on hand if you
needed to become a safe site during a local
emergency?
9. My congregation has held training meetings with our local police,
fire department, Red Cross, or emergency
management training centers. ___ Yes ___ No
10. My congregation is interested in receiving training in emergency
preparedness. ___ Yes ___ No
Thank you for completing this survey.
Please return it to the UUTRM Box at the conference
OR mail it to:
Rev. Jan Carlsson-Bull
UU Trauma Responses Ministry
% Unitarian Church of All Souls
1157 Lexington Avenue
New York, NY 10021
We will use the results to guide us in being proactive
and responsive
to the emergency needs of our congregations and communities.
The Unitarian Universalist Trauma Response Ministry
an affiliate organization of the UUA
www.traumaministry.org
Toll Free: 1-866-730-8181 |
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