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Dr. Stefan Schulenberg lectures during his Disasters and Mental Health course.
Quaker Hefner
Disasters in society are a constant
in the media, yet people continue to live with the mindset that they are immune
to this type of tragedy and destruction.
Dr. Stefan Schulenberg works to change this, “disasters are going to
happen, the only thing we can do is be prepared.”
Along with serving as the Director
of the University of Mississippi Clinical Disaster Research Center, Schulenberg
offers a course through the psychology department that covers disasters and
mental health. This is the first
year the course is being taught but Schulenberg is hopeful that it will continue. Through his work, Schulenberg hopes to
increase students and faculty’s knowledge about disasters and how to prepare
for or respond to them.
“Preparedness is one of the
University’s main focus right now.
We are taking the lead on disaster preparedness in the state and are working
to prepare ourselves for the worst,” said Schulenberg.
Warning systems in effect for
students and faculty on campus are abundant. The problem with all them, Schulenberg says, is “getting
people to care enough to take notice.”
Schulenberg and his team at the
Disaster Research Center are working to improve the systems by which students
and teachers get their information.
“Reb Alert texts are the preferred method people like to be contacted by
but is unfortunately not completely reliable. “It would take around 20 minutes to reach everyone on campus
through text messages and that’s time we don’t have when dealing with an
imminent disaster,” says Schulenberg.
Other methods of communication
include Twitter and Facebook notifications, email alerts, updates on the UM
emergency page and tornado sirens if the school is in danger of an imminent
tornado. Schulenberg is working to
make sure the school’s warning systems are functional and reliable, but he
worries that most people won’t know how to react to a disaster, “Reacting
properly could be what saves someone’s life.”
Unfortunately, disaster
preparedness isn’t something people think about until it’s too late. Senior and disaster mental health
student Alexandra Russell said, “Before taking this class I never even thought
of what I would do if a disaster struck.
You have to think about every possibility, what if I’m in my car or
walking to class? I don’t think a
lot of people would know what to do.”
Schulenberg and his team are working on how to measure just this, “Currently we are in the process of developing a university wide survey to test student’s response abilities in the course of a disaster. We are hopeful that teachers will participate in the survey as well.”
Teachers and faculty are just as
much a target for disaster education as students are. “These are the people that students will turn to if and when
a disaster strikes,” says Schulenberg, “Teachers need to know what to do in the
face of disaster and should feel able and comfortable to tell others what to
do.”
The University of Mississippi
resides in an area that it at high risk for tornadoes. According to www.disastercenter.com, there were 48
tornadoes in Mississippi last year.
The average number of tornadoes per year in Mississippi is 29, but can
increase or decrease depending on the severity of the tornado season. The state’s longest streak without
enduring a tornado has been one year and 17 days.
Schulenberg’s main goal is to
educate people on how to respond properly to a disaster. Through his disasters and mental health
course he focuses on psychological first aid, response techniques and
resilience in disaster events. The
course also provides students an opportunity to participate in an American Red
Cross class offering certification in disaster response. Schulenberg is hoping to offer more,
lower level classes on disaster response that will be available to more
students. He is hopeful for
someday, “being able to offer a minor in disaster mental health.”
Schulenberg is greatly admired by
his students and peers. Psychology
department head secretary Linda Colley says, “Dr. Schulenberg is a very kind
and enthusiastic person. Everyone
loves taking his classes. If
anyone could teach a class on disasters with a positive attitude, it’s him.”
Schulenberg admits that dealing
with disasters and mental health is “heavy stuff.” The course deals with preparation for disasters of three
types: natural disasters, violence and terrorism disasters, and pandemic. Students learn response techniques for
each and focus on the mental health aspects of surviving a disaster. Students also learn training procedures
and how to become involved in response teams and help efforts like the American
Red Cross, FEMA and many others.
Schulenberg continues his efforts
on increasing disaster awareness throughout the university. “The topic of disasters is not an
enjoyable one. But together,
Oxford can come together to prepare and educate itself.”
For more information contact the UM
Clinical Disaster Research Center at cdrc@olemiss.edu
or the university emergency page www.umc.edu/disasterplan/
Contacts
Dr. Stefan Schulenberg: sschulen@olemiss.edu
Ms. Linda Colley: 662-915-7385
Alexandra Russell: 901-489-8364
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