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Mental health aid for New Orleans

To address the enormous mental health needs of New Orleans, UCLA is leading a national effort Aug. 8-9 to provide mental health training to the city’s residents, religious leaders and others.

“Many people in New Orleans have as a result of Katrina, Wilma and Rita developed serious mental disorders, and others have elevated levels of distress,” said Vickie Mays, professor of psychology and director of the UCLA Center for Research, Education, Training and Strategic Communications on Minority Health Disparities. “If we don’t intervene with the mental health needs of children, we could see a generation in New Orleans that will experience depression, substance abuse, teen pregnancy and other chronic problems.”

The New Orleans project, funded by the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, will provide, among other things, free workshops to parents, caregivers and teachers on how to recognize signs and symptoms of mental disorders in children. Participating will be psychologists from all over the country who are arriving early for the annual American Psychological Association convention in New Orleans to volunteer.

Volunteers are needed in New Orleans and in Los Angeles in preparation for the project. Mays is seeking Vietnamese and Spanish speakers, people with computer skills, including Web site development, and “people with heart and passion and a real commitment to help,” she said. Volunteers don’t need a background in psychology. For details, call (310) 206-5265 or e-mail cmhd@ucla.edu.

“I have to believe our efforts can make a difference,” Mays said.