ACUPUNCTURE WITHOUT BORDERS - KATRINA RELIEF PROJECT

[Guest guest]

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>Those of you who are interested in Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine

>Community response to Hurricane Katrina may be interested in the following:

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>Acupuncturists Without Borders

>Hurricane Katrina Relief Effort

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>A team of acupuncturists from around the country are setting up a program

>to work with people suffering from the devastating psychological (among

>other) effects of Hurricane Katrina. This group is devoted to using

>acupuncture and the NADA (National Acupuncture Detoxification Association)

>protocol for treating trauma from disasters and conflict.

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>During the month of September we will be raising funds, organizing

>logistics and putting together teams of acupuncturists who can go to

>Houston or other areas. We will implement the program on the ground as

>soon as feasible.

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>We will be recruiting Acupuncturists who are interested in participating

>in this effort, and we will be requesting that Acupuncture College

>Clinics and Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine related organizations set up

>fundraising drives to support this effort.

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>The things we need most are individuals who can commit some time to doing

>Acupuncture Relief, and funds to support the effort.

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>Contributions, which may be collected through several national and state

>Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine organizations, can be made through the

>Acupuncture Alliance by sending checks to Acupuncture and Oriental

>Medicine Alliance Attn: Robin-Hurricane Relief, 6405 43rd Ave. Ct. NW,

>Suite A, Gig Harbor, WA 98335 or you can make a credit card donation by

>phone (ask for Robin) 253-851-6896 rbeckman. If you are

>interested in participating or contributing in another way, you can

>contact me at cneipris, or you can contact the project

>Director.

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>Diana Fried, Director

>acupuncturewithoutborders

>(505) 417-0152

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> * If people are NADA trainers they can automatically join our group.

> If they are NADA certified, or are acupuncturists without NADA training,

> we will have a screening process that will consist of a one-page written

> proposal we will request with specific questions (pending approval by the

> State Licensing Board). Our main objective will be to find people who

> can cope with the difficult situations, and the trauma, we will face.

> * Our program will initially be based in Houston. Our expectation is

> that there will be a call to send teams to other areas where refugees are

> located.

> * We will be setting up a base in Houston. Riverside Hospital is

> considering our proposal to use their facility as a home base. We will

> also be contacting the acupuncture school in Houston as a possible

> location as well. From there we will go to the Astrodome or to other

> locations where we can serve people directly. We will attempt to have

> teams working all day long.

> * We will treat refugees and others working on the relief effort,

> including trauma service workers, doctors, nurses, city officials, aid

> workers, etc.

> * We will have a web page set up to cover our activities.

> * Our goal is that team members will stay for a minimum of one week,

> and preferably two weeks or longer. Ideally we will have five team

> members on the ground at all times.

> * We will have a supervising team member available at all times.

> * We will attempt to raise enough money so that we can cover expenses

> for all team members, minimally, and ideally pay for time as well. We

> will ask for one week of volunteer time in all cases. We will propose

> that those who are in a position to cover their own time and expenses do so.

> * We will use research tools to measure the success of our work. This

> will consist of an initial post-traumatic stress disorder instrument, and

> we will attempt follow up with the same individuals. Nityamo Lian, who

> works in acupuncture research and recently completed a NIH-funded grant

> which studied acupuncture diagnosis and treatment of Post-traumatic

> Stress Disorder will head the research effort and will supervise the

> collection of material.

> * We will be working with State Licensing Boards to get approval for

> acupuncturists from around the country to do this work temporarily.

> * We are working with national acupuncture associations and will be

> contacting all state associations.

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>Survivors of traumatic events report acu detox (NADA protocol) to be

>useful in alleviating symptoms of Acute Stress Disorder and Post Traumatic

>Stress Disorder. Trauma and post-traumatic stress can cause people to

>dissociate and act out in ways they would never otherwise do. The NADA

>treatments are a powerful way to bring people back to themselves at a deep

>level. NADA treatments have the potential to transform situations from a

>level of crisis to a level that is manageable.

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>WHY USE ACU DETOX AFTER TRAUMATIC EVENTS

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>Very EFFECTIVE: The effects are cumulative, meaning the more you receive

>it, the longer treatments last, and the less you need it.

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>Very SIMPLE: No side effects.

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>Very FLEXIBLE: It can be done anywhere with no special

>facilities/equipment. It can be easily integrated into a wide range of

>settings including hospitals, clinical practices, outdoor clinics in

>developing countries or in natural disaster situations, while people are

>waiting for other services.

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>Very ECONOMICAL: Treatments cost .30 cents or less per person.

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>Very ACCESSIBLE: Immediate " treatment on demand " without lengthy intake

>or wait. Neither does client have to wait to feel its impact, as

>relaxation generally occurs within minutes. Placing needles just in the

>ear, recipients can easily receive a treatment fully dressed (for ex: on

>the scene emergency workers who need a break)

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>It can be used on all those who may be involved in a traumatic incident:

>The victims

>The mental health staff

>The police and emergency personnel attending to incident

>Each other (acu detox specialists)

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>It is a nonverbal treatment. Inability to be verbal is not an obstacle to

>getting help. This means that it is especially useful for:

>Those who may not be receptive initially to verbal counseling due to

>wanting to avoid the stigma of mental illness.

>Those not able to communicate verbally due to feeling numb.

>Don't speak the dominant language well, are deaf, mentally retarded,

>unfamiliar with cultural norms.

>Those not able to communicate verbally due to emotional overwhelm.

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>Bessel Van der Kolk showed through MRI's that the frontal lobes of the

>brain can shut down in emotional overload when people get close to their

>trauma- the limbic/emotional areas light up and the Broca's/speech area

>shuts down, blocking verbal access and ability.

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>Those who might not seek out treatment for Acute Stress Disorder, may be

>willing to have acupuncture. Done in groups, it can help break the

>isolation often felt after traumatic events. Creating resiliency may

>depend on a positive group interaction.

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>CORE TEAM BIOS

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>Diana Fried, Diplomate in Acupuncture (NCCAOM), has many years of

>experience and training in emotional/trauma healing work, along with years

>of work in international grassroots community development, including

>travel and work in Central America and Africa. She graduated from the

>Academy for Five Element Acupuncture (1999), and is trained in acupuncture

>detox work by the National Acupuncture Detoxification Association (NADA).

>Writer and media consultant.

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>Laura Cooley is a licensed acupuncturist and Registered National

>Acupuncture Detoxification Association (NADA) Trainer. She is nationally

>certified and holds licenses in Vermont and Texas. Laura served as

>Volunteer Director of acupuncture services for the Austin HIV Wellness

>Center and for 9 years. She has trained over 600 health care

>professionals in the use of acu detox, She supervises programs that use

>this tool in drug treatment programs, jails, hospital settings, homeless

>and HIV outreach programs for the purposes of drug treatment, alleviation

>of trauma symptoms, and stress relief. Currently Laura is making a video

>to document the usefulness of acupuncture in emergency/disaster situations

>and creating a training manual for treating trauma with ear acupuncture.

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>Wendy Henry, a graduate of Pacific College of Oriental Medicine, and a

>licensed acupuncturist in New York, has been instrumental in coordinating

>Acupuncture and Wellness programs for trauma survivors, firefighters,

>search and rescue workers, and individuals affected by 9/11. She works

>for the Fire Department of New York in addition to her private practice.

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>Dard Muhammad is a licensed acupuncturist in Texas. He has been doing

>acupuncture detox work since 1992. He has done treatments at the

>Corrections Center and now works with substance abuse at the Riverside

>Hospital. He is a registered NADA trainer.

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>Cynthia Neipris is licensed as an acupuncturist in New York and

>California, with certification from the National Acupuncture

>Detoxification Association as an Acu-Detox Specialist. She is the

>Outreach and Community Education Coordinator for the New York campus of

>Pacific College of Oriental Medicine, one of the largest and most well

>respected Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine Colleges in the nation. She

>previously served as Assistant Academic Dean at Yo San University of

>Traditional .

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>Nityamo Lian is a Doctor of Oriental Medicine in New Mexico. She is

>nationally certified in Acupuncture and Chinese Herbology. She works in

>acupuncture research and recently completed a NIH-funded grant which

>studied acupuncture diagnosis and treatment of Post-traumatic Stress

>Disorder. Dr Lian is active in promoting acupuncture use in public health

>settings. She started a low-income, public health, pain clinic, and she

>volunteers at Healthcare for the Homeless doing acupuncture detoxification

>for substance users

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>Cynthia Neipris, L.Ac.

>Community Education and Outreach

>Pacific College of Oriental Medicine

>915 Broadway

>New York, NY 10010

>(212) 982-3456 x229

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>We, the Administration of Pacific College of Oriental Medicine, strive to

>provide personalized service and guidance to our students, faculty and

>staff, with respect, integrity and compassion.

 

Marnae C. Ergil, M.A, M.S., L.Ac.

Diplomate in Oriental Medicine

 

Acupuncture Healing Arts, PC

(631) 549-6755