Healing Arts for Tsunami Survivors - Overview

Healing and recovery program

The 1.5 million children affected by the tsunami* need psychological help beyond humanitarian relief. (* estimate provided by UNICEF) American and international experts working with ICAF have developed the Healing Arts for Tsunami Survivors program to transfer the knowledge and experience gained from the treatment of the child survivors of the 9/11 tragedy and other recent disasters to help the tsunami child survivors. Learn more...

You can become involved by contributing art materials or by making a donation for site visits by volunteer art therapists, child psychologists and psychiatrists for training and assessment purposes. Learn more...

Three-phase program

Art therapy for children

Psychological intervention for the traumatized

Evaluation of response

How you can get involved

Donate

Promote on your site - banner download

Volunteer

The experts

Program partners in Asia

Additional Resources

Supporting organizations

Donors

Schedule

Artworks

Three-phase program

1) Art therapy for children

The arts have an amazing power to heal. Children can express through art feelings and emotions they are unable to describe with words. The program will introduce art therapy to benefit the surviving children in a short span of time. The following actions are currently addressed:

(a) Training manual: ICAF is distributing its Art Therapy Training Workshop Guidelines via its partner network to workshops leaders and teachers throughout the affected areas. The goal is to quickly train as many leaders as possible in order to start running workshops in the region. Training materials describe best practices and provide practical suggestions on what children should be encouraged to paint or draw, and helpful coping strategies to avoid traumatizing children by other children's stories or art. The manual also includes information to assist workshop leaders and other adults recover from trauma and stress, since the effects are felt by everyone. Download training guidelines in PDF or Word format.

(b) Expert assistance and training: In-person assistance and training of workshop leaders by art therapists and experts, to provide additional support.

(c) Distribution of supplies: An appeal for in-kind donations of art supplies, books, toys, small musical instruments and school bags was launched by ICAF on January 5, 2005, with the following results:

• Several art suppliers have agreed to ship materials and supplies to ICAF for onward shipment to the areas affected by the tsunami, especially in Sri Lanka and India.
• ICAF's office in Munich, Germany is collecting supplies and materials from German and European companies for the same purpose.
• ICAF's UK Representative has launched an appeal to British schools for donation of supplies and textbooks.
• American schoolchildren are collecting donations and making paintings and drawings to provide hope to the survivors. ICAF is collecting the funds and artwork to ship onward and is making arrangements for an art exchange with participating schools.

2) Psychological intervention for the traumatized

The art therapy workshop leaders will digitize the artwork and send it electronically to ICAF's office, along with additional information on the children. Experts will, in consultation with workshops leaders, identify the most severe cases. A clinical team from ICAF will visit the region for psychological treatment of these cases. Learn more...

3) Evaluation of response

An ICAF team will visit the region to evaluate the benefits of the program and assess the need for program extension and modification.

This evaluation will be used to inform ICAF's approach to this particular disaster, so as to refine our approach and improve it for future applications post-disaster.

How you can get involved

1) ICAF is appealing for cash and in-kind donations for the healing arts program.

To make a monetary donation, you can:
a) Click here to donate by credit card through our secure online connection.
b) Send a check payable to "International Child Art Foundation" to our address below. Please write "Healing Arts for Tsunami Survivors" on the check.
ICAF is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization and all contributions are tax-deductible to the fullest extent allowed by U.S. law.

To make an in-kind donation, send art supplies, books, toys, small music instruments and school bags to the following address:

Healing Arts for Tsunami Survivors
International Child Art Foundation
1350 Connecticut Avenue NW, Suite 1225
Washington, DC 20036

If you live in the UK and would like to make an in-kind donation, please contact ICAF Representative Ms. Elaine Thomas at angel_oak@hotmail.com

If you live in Germany or elsewhere in continental Europe, please contact Ms. Elena Janker, Director of ICAF e.V. at germany@icaf.org

2) Promote the Healing Arts for Tsunami Survivors on your website

Link to our page via a banner on your website. We will include you as a supporting organization. Static and animated banners are available for download, in various sizes.

3) Volunteer

If you would like to volunteer, please email your resume to volunteer@icaf.org.

Experts

The experts for the Healing Arts for Tsunami Survivors program include:

Katchatur Gasparyan, Child Psychologist, Columbia University/NYS Psychiatric Institute. Dr. Gasparyan is an expert in post-disaster treatment of children, having served as director of Children's Mental Health Services during and following the war in Nagoro Karabagh, Armenia, as well as having led the child intervention efforts following the Armenian earthquake in 1989. He has extensive experience in incorporating children's art into group therapeutic interventions.

Robin F. Goodman, Ph.D., A.T.R.-BC. Psychologist and Art Therapist, former co-director of the Silver Shield 9/11 bereavement program providing clinical services and conducting research on childhood traumatic grief and director of public education, New York University Child Study Center. Dr. Goodman is consultant to the National Child Traumatic Stress Network developing training materials on childhood traumatic grief, and to the Department of Defense, Educational Opportunities Directorate. She is past president of the American Art Therapy Association and book credits include The Day Our World Changed: Children's Art of 9/11.

Elaine D. Hanson, PSY.D., J.D. Dr. Hanson is the Academic Director of the International Disaster Psychology Program at the University of Denver. She is a licensed clinical psychologist and attorney at law, and has led trauma training in the Balkans.

Christina W. Hoven, DrPH, MPH, Child Psychiatric Epidemiologist at Columbia University/NYS Psychiatric Institute. Children's mental health expert, Dr. Hoven was Principal Investigator of the NYC Board of Education Schools Study conducted on a representative sample (N = 8,236) of the more than 1.1 million NYC public school students following the September 11th attach on the World Trade Center. This study revealed that some 300,000 NYC students had probable psychiatric disorders. These results have prompted increased awareness and concern for responding to and protecting the mental health of vulnerable children. Both Dr. Mandell and Dr. Hoven are presently involved in testing an Awareness Manual in nine countries, as part of the WPA-WHO-IACAPAP initiative using all forms of media to expand worldwide awareness of mental health problems in children.

Ashfaq Ishaq, Ph.D., Executive Director, ICAF. Dr. Ishaq is coordinating the Healing Arts for Tsunami Survivors program. He also coordinates ICAF's Peace Through Art program, which helps children from conflict zones cope with the trans-generational transmission of trauma.

Judy Kuriansky, Dr.Kuriansky is a world renowned radio advice host, clinical psychologist and certified sex therapist, popular lecturer, newspaper columnist, TV reporter and commentator and author of many books on relationships. She is a pioneer of radio call-in advice, and more recently of Internet advice. An adjunct professor at the Clinical Psychology Program at Columbia University Teachers College and at the Department of Psychiatry at Columbia Medical Center, she is also visiting professor of Peking University Health Science Center in Beijing. She is a frequent commentator on TV on various news issues, particularly on CNN, and columnist for the New York Daily News, Singapore Straits Times and South China Morning Post. Dr. Judy does innumerable seminars and trainings on psychological and relationships issues and peace-building as well as AIDS prevention. She is on the Advisory Board of several magazines and public service organizations, and a United Nations NGO rep for the International Association of Applied Psychology and the World Council of Psychotherapy. Winner of the International Outreach Award from the American Women in Radio and TV, her work in China has been featured on CNN International, CCTV in China and CBS-TV in America. An expert on emergency mental health services, she has worked at Ground Zero and many other disasters worldwide, has done workshops from Serbia to Jerusalem, presented plenaries from Tehran to Sagar, India and lectures about coping after 9/11 and world conflicts, including in the Middle East.

Cathy A. Malchiodi, ATR, LPCC, CPAT, is in charge of Professional Relations for the American Art Therapy Association (AATA) and is on the faculty of the National Institute for Trauma and Loss in Children (TLC). She is a clinical mental health counselor and art therapist with over 20 years experience in providing intervention to children and families who have survived violence, natural and man-made disasters, and other traumatic events. Cathy is the author of numerous books, including Understanding Children's Drawings, Handbook of Art Therapy, and The Art Therapy Sourcebook.

Donald J. Mandell, Ph.D., MPH, Social Ecologist and Research Scientist, Columbia University/NYS Psychiatric Institute. Dr. Mandell was a member of the team that evaluated the impact of the 9/11 terrorist attacks on the children in the New York City area as well as on other evaluations of Community Mental Health Centers, and SAMHSA programs.

Mojgan Momeni, Program Director, Science and Arts Foundation. Ms. Momeni is coordinator of the Bam Paint Shop for the children who survived the earthquake in Bam, Iran in 2003, which killed 46,000 and injured 20,000 people.

Nancy Slater, Ph.D., A.T.R. Graduate Art Therapy Program, Department of Psychology and Special Education, Emporia State University, Kansas. Dr. Slater is coordinator of the International Networking Group of Art Therapists (ING/AT).

Professor Sam Tyano is a psychiatrist specializing in young children, a Vice President of the International Association of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Allied Professions (IACAPAP) and Chair of the Task Force for Awareness of the World Psychiatric Association (WPA).

Brenda K. Wiederhold, PhD, MBA, BCIA. CEO, Interactive Media Institute, San Diego, California. Dr. Wiederhold is a pioneer in the field of Cyber Therapy. She works on posttraumatic stress disorder in such diverse populations as motor vehicle accident (MVA) survivors, Vietnam Veterans and earthquake survivors. She is involved in using virtual reality for children to "inoculate" them against stress due to earthquakes.

Program partners in Asia

Since 1997, ICAF has developed a network of partner organizations in Asia. These program partners organize ICAF's Arts Olympiad in their respective countries. ICAF's national partners include arts and children's organizations, ministries of education and culture, and the National Commissions for UNESCO.

The Healing Arts for Tsunami Survivors has started in India, Malaysia and Sri Lanka. Depending on funding, the program will expand to include Indonesia, Maldives and Myanmar.

In India, ICAF's national partner is the Chandana Art Foundation International (CAFI). A leading children art organization, CAFI works throughout the affected southeastern coastal areas of Andaman and Nichobar Islands, Andrapradesh, Kerala, Tamilnadu and Pondichery.

In Malaysia, ICAF's national partner is the Yellow House/Malaysian Friends of the UNICEF. Based in Kuala Lumpur, the Yellow House works with children's organizations across Malaysia.

In Sri Lanka, ICAF's national partner is the Colombo Children's Book Society. The Society has 300,000 members and has approximately 800 children's reading centers and libraries across the country.

Additional Resources

National Child Traumatic Stress Network - materials on childhood traumatic grief. Education sheets, CD Rom with 2 videos, and a print training guide (in PDF format).

Supporting Organizations

American Art Therapy Association, Inc. (AATA)

Chandana Art Foundation International (CAFI); Bangalore, India

Colombo Children's Book Society; Colombo, Sri Lanka

Creative Spotlight

Interactive Media Institute

International Association of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Allied Professions

International Disaster Psychology Program

International Networking Group for Art Therapists

The National Institute for Trauma and Loss in Children (TLC)

Voices of September 11th

Yellow House; Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Donors

Supporters

Annie Dillard; Hillsborough, NC

Patricia A. Kirkpatrick; Berkeley, CA

Derick and Kim Smith; Monticello, IA

In Kind

Tzivia Frim; Boca Raton, Florida

David Landon Frim; President, Religions for Ethics and CHange (REACH); Florida Atlantic University

Lisa de Niese; Secretary, Religions for Ethics and CHange (REACH); Florida Atlantic University

Schedule

The program schedule for 2005 is provided below: