2008 Woodie Awards
Counselors prepare for flood-affected students
Clara Hogan - The Daily Iowan
Issue date: 8/25/08 Section: Metro
With UI students returning to campus and a sense of reality settling among Iowa City residents dealing with flood damage, UI and local community mental-health centers are prepared for a rising number of patients.
"Iowa came together during and right after the flood, but the sense of a community working together is fading, and people could be starting to feel alone," said Beau Pinkham, a member of Project Recovery Iowa. "People are now realizing all that was lost and all that is to be done - that's what we're here for."
Project Recovery Iowa - a program administered by the Iowa Department of Human Services - is designed to empower those affected by the flood through education about disaster reactions, teaching coping skills, assessing individual needs, and suggesting community resources.
Since the program started two months ago, Pinkham has not spoken with any UI students, but he expects some will be referred to him during the upcoming semester.
Pinkham was one of three people in Johnson County trained for the project. There were 40 people stationed in Linn County - the hardest hit area in the state.
Project Recovery Iowa members have reached out to the community by attending flood-relief events such as a toy distribution at the Coralville Marriot Conference Center in June.
"We talked to some of the families that came, and they told us their personal horror stories," he said. "Sometimes people just need an unbiased, interested person to listen."
The project has also reached out to UI resident assistants to ensure they know where to refer students if they seem troubled by problems stemming from the flood.
The UI Counseling Service has also prioritized flood-affected students by setting aside time and resources for them over the summer and throughout this next year, said Sam Cochran, the department's director.
Counselors are preparing for certain scenarios, he said, such as entering freshmen, returning students whose routines are disrupted by damaged UI buildings, and students whose family homes or businesses were ruined over the summer.
"It will be hard for those whose home community was affected by flooding to come here and see their university disrupted as well," he said.
The flood will serve as a disruption to many for some time, he said. Classrooms, student activities in the IMU, studio space on the Arts Campus, and music-rehearsal areas are all subject to be moved.
"Everyone has done a tremendous job preparing to make this semester as normal as possible," Cochran said. "Students have to cope with that hassle factor for a while, but the flood showed the strength of Iowans, and now everyone has to find the best way to move on."
E-mail DI reporter Clara Hogan at:
clara-hogan@uiowa.edu
"Iowa came together during and right after the flood, but the sense of a community working together is fading, and people could be starting to feel alone," said Beau Pinkham, a member of Project Recovery Iowa. "People are now realizing all that was lost and all that is to be done - that's what we're here for."
Project Recovery Iowa - a program administered by the Iowa Department of Human Services - is designed to empower those affected by the flood through education about disaster reactions, teaching coping skills, assessing individual needs, and suggesting community resources.
Since the program started two months ago, Pinkham has not spoken with any UI students, but he expects some will be referred to him during the upcoming semester.
Pinkham was one of three people in Johnson County trained for the project. There were 40 people stationed in Linn County - the hardest hit area in the state.
Project Recovery Iowa members have reached out to the community by attending flood-relief events such as a toy distribution at the Coralville Marriot Conference Center in June.
"We talked to some of the families that came, and they told us their personal horror stories," he said. "Sometimes people just need an unbiased, interested person to listen."
The project has also reached out to UI resident assistants to ensure they know where to refer students if they seem troubled by problems stemming from the flood.
The UI Counseling Service has also prioritized flood-affected students by setting aside time and resources for them over the summer and throughout this next year, said Sam Cochran, the department's director.
Counselors are preparing for certain scenarios, he said, such as entering freshmen, returning students whose routines are disrupted by damaged UI buildings, and students whose family homes or businesses were ruined over the summer.
"It will be hard for those whose home community was affected by flooding to come here and see their university disrupted as well," he said.
The flood will serve as a disruption to many for some time, he said. Classrooms, student activities in the IMU, studio space on the Arts Campus, and music-rehearsal areas are all subject to be moved.
"Everyone has done a tremendous job preparing to make this semester as normal as possible," Cochran said. "Students have to cope with that hassle factor for a while, but the flood showed the strength of Iowans, and now everyone has to find the best way to move on."
E-mail DI reporter Clara Hogan at:
clara-hogan@uiowa.edu
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