Our spirit is most vulnerable in times of crisis and often it suffers first, leaving emotional wounds that take a long time to heal. In the chaos of crisis search begins for a moment, for space, for respite. Our Chaplains are there to deliver Spiritual First Aid to those who find themselves dealing with a disaster.
Disaster Chaplaincy Services provides the spiritual and psychological first aid; crisis support to help people draw on spiritual resources in loss; spiritual care that respects the broad nature of each person’s spiritual tradition, responding and attending to the human meaning in times of loss; peer support to clergy and chaplains & first responders to ease compassion fatigue and burnout.
Disaster Chaplaincy Services provides educational assistance for religious/ professional/faith Leaders. We insure that our chaplains deliver skilled and interdisciplinary spiritual care in times of disasters, crises, and emergencies in the NY tri-state area.
This advanced level course will enhance your skills to provide effective emotional and spiritual care to meet the disaster-related needs of disaster responders and disaster affected families and individuals within disaster operations. This course builds on the crisis intervention principles taught in the Critical Incident Stress Management (CISM) core courses to effectively integrate these principles within teams for appropriate care throughout the disaster continuum from the immediate to long-term recovery process.
This course is designed for trained clergy, chaplains, mental health professionals, and CISM trained crisis responders who desire to enhance their skills in providing Emotional and Spiritual Care to survivors of disaster and trauma.
Suggested but not mandatory prerequisites: Individual Crisis Intervention & Peer Support; Group Crisis Intervention; Pastoral Crisis Intervention.
The class will run three evenings Tuesday-Thursday from 5PM-9PM, June 16th, 17th, 18th. There is a registration fee for this course, but the course is discounted if you are a member or friend of DCS. Download the flyer for more details.
Emotional & Spiritual Care in Disaster: June 16, 17, & 18 2009 in NYC [Download PDF]
Hosted by the New York Board of Rabbis
Disaster Chaplaincy Services’ (DCS) on-call chaplain was activated at 3am on February 13th, 2009, and sent immediately to Newark International Airport to support those affected by the crash of Continental Flight 3407. The flight originated in Newark, New Jersey. Additional chaplains were mobilized for possible deployment to Newark and Buffalo. This is the second airline incident DCS chaplains have been deployed to in the last thirty days. DCS also provided on-scene support to the passengers and families of US Airways Flight 1549 after the aircraft was ditched into the Hudson River. Disaster Chaplaincy Services’ chaplains continue to be on alert and on-call to deploy as needs are assessed.
Family members and loved ones of passengers and crew aboard Flight 3407 should contact the airline directly at 1-800-621-3263.
New York City: NYC VOAD Mental Health & Chaplaincy Committee, September 18th, 9am-11am at 330 5th Ave, 9th Floor. The NYC DOHMH’s Office of Mental Health Disaster Preparedness and Response will give a presentation on the DOHMH current response planning, working with mental health providers, and training for mental health providers to respond in times of emergency. There is no charge for this presentation.
Sullivan County: Hudson Valley CISM Team is offering the courses “Grief Following Trauma” and “Basic Group CISM” on September 27-28. These are all-day courses and attendance both days is required. There is a registration fee for these courses. (CLICK HERE for more information and registration brochure)
In response to Hurricane Gustav, the State of Louisiana is working to inform prospective volunteers and donors of how to best to get involved. To support Louisiana’s efforts, please consider reaching out to local relief organizations working in the affected areas.
http://www.volunteerlouisiana.gov
http://www.ohsep.louisiana.gov/
NEW YORK, May 30, 2008 — Disaster Chaplaincy Services (DCS) today deployed 3 chaplains to provide spiritual care to all people affected by a construction crane collapse on New York’s Upper East Side including their relatives and members of the community. According to initial news reports, 2 people were killed and 2 people were hurt by the accident.
DCS counts on an involved network of partners, donors and volunteers to help continue its mission. Please, click here to donate to DCS and support its work.
Disasters can occur at any time and polls show that in times of crisis two-thirds of Americans turn to their religious leader for comfort and guidance. Emergency preparedness is now an integral part of community planning and New York City is planning borough conferences specifically to equip faith-leaders with skills in disaster response and recovery initiatives.
To help strengthen and localize existing preparedness and collaborative efforts, The New York City Citizen Corps Council, chaired by the Office of Emergency Management, in partnership with the American Red Cross of Greater New York, Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, and the City’s Borough Presidents” Offices, is planning an emergency preparedness conference in each Borough devoted specifically towards houses of worship and their congregants.
These conferences will focus on equipping faith-leaders to skillfully lead disaster preparedness, response and recovery initiatives. Participants will engage in scenario exercises, workshops, and panel discussions. Most importantly, by providing progressive steps for leaders to best prepare for all emergencies, the conferences will help empower NYC’s local faith leaders and congregants to better understand their communities’ vulnerabilities and ensure ongoing engagement with disaster preparation.
“It would be wonderful if we weren’t needed, but we know we will be, and we are ready.” Read the full article with Executive Director Julie Taylor HERE.
On Monday, December 31, Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg celebrated the end of 2007 by inviting religious leaders from the City’s five boroughs to the New York Public Library. Rabbis, Imams, Priests, Bishops, Pastors, Ministers and congregants were present in large numbers, with Executive Director Julie Taylor as one of the honored guests. The program featured invocations by six faith leader, music from the Mama Foundation for the Arts Youth Choir and remarks from the Mayor. “As we gather here today from different religions and different parts of the world, we recognize that we share so much in common as people of faith and as New Yorkers. The New Year will bring new challenges and I look forward to tackling them by working together with the guidance and wisdom of our city’s spiritual community.”
Led by crisis intervention educator and trauma counselor Peter Volkman, MSW, CSW, two day training will examine statistics, myths and attitudes about suicide, develop practical skills for response and intervention, and address pastoral self-care in the midst of such strong emotions. Participants will also share in the creation of a suicide education brief. Congregational leaders, emergency response providers, chaplains, educators, students — all are encouraged to attend.
Location: 502 W. 41st Street (Sts. Cyril & Methodius and St. Raphael side parish hall – separate entrance) Cost: $50 materials fee RSVP: Marlene Smith, msmith@dcs-ny.org
Disaster Chaplaincy Services’ (DCS) on-call chaplain was activated at 3am on February 13th, 2009, and sent immediately to Newark International Airport to support those affected by the crash of Continental Flight 3407. The flight originated in Newark, New Jersey. Additional chaplains were mobilized for possible deployment to Newark and Buffalo. This is the second airline incident DCS chaplains have been deployed to in the last thirty days. DCS also provided on-scene support to the passengers and families of US Airways Flight 1549 after the aircraft was ditched into the Hudson River. Disaster Chaplaincy Services’ chaplains continue to be on alert and on-call to deploy as needs are assessed.