2011 Trauma Resources International (“TRI”) Annual Report

January 1, 2012

Trauma Resources International (“TRI”) Annual Report

TRI was established in 2010 based on requests from local non-governmental organizations in Haiti, The Middle East and elsewhere who did not have a budget to pay for the specialized training and consulting services TRI’s Director had provided to partner agencies in those regions. Immediately following the 2010 earthquake in Haiti, TRI mobilized to assist in disaster response efforts.

Early in 2011, TRI moved from assisting with direct disaster response efforts in Haiti, to focusing on two smaller, community-based, mental health programs. TRI’s involvement in these programs comes at the direct invitation of a local Haitain NGO, with whom TRI’s Director has a longstanding professional relationship. The Sant Siko Twama (“Psycho Trauma Center”) was established jointly by URAMEL and IDEO, a few months after the 2010 earthquake, to provide much needed health and mental health services in Port au Prince. At the request of the Haitian government, URAMEL played a lead role in the health care needs of Haitians affected by the earthquake. Based on this request, and on both IDEO and URAMELS excellent local reputations, the program was expanded to provide coverage throughout Haiti.
The Psycho Trauma Program consists of three tiers of service:

  1. Professionally trained psychological services at the center’s central location Port au Prince (“Level A”);
  2. Adjunct health/mental health services for people in Port au Prince and throughout Haiti, provided by social workers, nurses, first responders and others who are trained in non-clinical counseling, support and triage (“Level B”);
  3. A community-based intervention, which will train community and spiritual leaders throughout Haiti in basic disaster prevention, post-disaster counseling and other service as identified by them (“Level C”).

TRI was asked to assist these efforts in two primary ways:

  1. Provide training in the somatic and creative arts therapies framework developed by TRI’s Director to all level A and B professionals at the central office in Port au Prince. This train-the trainers program is preparing these professionals to expand their clinical approach in ways that are meaningful to the majority of the Haitian people seeking services; and to train the level C leaders in similar methods;
  2. To take the technical and organizational lead on the Community-based (Level C) program.

In 2011, we focused our fundraising efforts on these two programs, and raised $8982.17 for the training program, which, in addition to funds ($7000.00) previously awarded in December, 2009 which could not be spent as planned due to earthquake destruction, allowed TRI to provide three of the 8 trainings planned for this program. Photos of these activities are available in the photo gallery on this page.

We submitted several grant proposals to fund the community level program, and while all were finalists, we did not receive an award. The focus of 2012 will be continued fundraising for these two important projects: $30,000 is needed for the training series and $75,000.00 for the community level program.

Thank you for your support,
Amber E. Gray,
Director, Trauma Resources International

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