Thursday 23 February

07:16:56
Counseling PDF Print E-mail

Counseling

DEFINITION: We encourage your church to have a working relationship with a professional Christian counselor who has some disaster training and experience with disaster trauma. Perhaps you have a counselor in your church or you can team up with someone in the community.

 

VOLUNTEER NEEDS: When helping with spiritual and emotional comfort, volunteers need to know when a survivor is in need of help beyond what they are able to give. They should know the warning signals and the symptoms of someone who is in more severe trauma and needs professional help.

TRAINING:

  • The team leader and other chaplains need to learn what sound Christian services are available outside their church.
  • Church lay people who have received basic training through their church to pray and give sound spiritual counsel should also receive training on the needs of people in crisis specifically related to large disasters such as hurricanes. This should include how to identify those who need more in-depth help.
  • Some volunteers should receive training on the specific needs of children in crisis and should know the signs that communicate a child’s need for some professional help.

VENUES:

If a survivor seems to need more help than what a volunteer is trained for, the volunteer can suggest that the survivor might want to talk to someone who could give them greater help. The volunteer should help facilitate that meeting and make sure the survivor has transportation to the counselor’s office (transportation team) and perhaps go with that person to the office for the first visit.

Perhaps a counselor would be willing to come to your church one day a week to see survivors in your area.

Network of Hope

941-727-3279

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