Governor Edwards, Start Program for Kids Traumatized by Katrina
- by: Susan V
- recipient: Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards
When Katrina hit New Orleans a decade ago, kids being held in jail for pretrial detention were moved to Orleans Parish Prison before the flooding began. But then they were forgotten and trapped when the water rose, climbing as high as they could on bunks, until finally an adult inmate noticed and alerted authorities.
Ultimately the kids had to climb out of the building, while shackled, up tall ladders that led from the prison to a bridge, reports Think Progress. As anyone could imagine, it was a very traumatic experience.
Not only this group of kids, but those in and out of the system today are suffering lingering effects of Katrina, licensed social worker for the Louisiana Center for Children’s Rights Heather Kindschy told TP.
And it’s not just those who were directly affected by the “chaos and devastation caused by Katrtrina,” says TP, but some kids suffer indirectly because of how it affected their parents.
Even more tragic is that kids coming into the juvenile system now are there for predominantly (81%) nonviolent crimes that may be directly related to Katrina. Many are there for marijuana use that some veterans find helpful for PTSD, and others are locked up for stealing, which can be related to poverty. TP says the poverty rate of New Orleans children is 17% above the national average.
These children don’t need more trauma via punishment. Sign this petition to ask Louisiana’s new governor to create a statewide program to address lingering post-Katrina trauma, with emphasis on the children in New Orleans,
Dear Governor Edwards;
The children who experienced the worst effects of Katrina and/or their parents need help coping with the lingering effects of this trauma. They don’t need to be locked up for nonviolent crimes, especially those are likely trauma-related.
LCCR’s Kindschy told TP that when social workers asked kids if they’d ever felt their life was in danger, the “overwhelming response” was Katrina. “When prompted they say, ‘well we did have to wait on the roof of our house, or I did think we were gonna die, or we were in the Super Dome, or I did see a bunch of dead people, or we did go to the Convention Center and we thought we were gonna die of thirst.'”
Studies show that stress actually changes the brain and adversely affects development.
Furthermore, says Mt. Sinai’s Dr. Wayne Gordon, damage to the brain is one of the leading causes of substance abuse and crimes.
Therefore it is very important that children who are exposed to abnormal stressors receive proper treatment, and until they do, the state should be looking at how it addresses drug use and particularly non-violent crimes committed by these traumatized Katrina kids.
We are learning from veterans returning home with PTSD new ways to address stress; some are more simple and inexpensive than one might expect.
Dr. Bessel van der Kolk heads one of the world’s leading trauma centers in Boston, and therapies offered there can easily be taught to practitioners nationwide including trauma-sensitive yoga and EMDR. Another therapy gaining popularity for its effectiveness is neurofeedback. Although van der Kolk’s center is mostly for Boston residents, its yoga therapies are already being taught to instructors in other parts of the country, and very likely this doctor would be willing to offer training to practitioners in LA.
Therefore, I, the undersigned believe you can find the resources available to address this urgent need among children who were traumatized by the effects of Katrina and ask that you develop a statewide program, with emphasis on the children of New Orleans.
Thanks for your time.
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