Collegiate Times

Russell Jones, professor of psychology at Virginia Tech, took his 30 years of experience in childhood trauma all the way to the nation's capitol.

Jones' newly developed program, ?Recovery Efforts After Child Trauma,? teaches children how to overcome psychological consequences in the primary, secondary and tertiary levels.

This program, while primarily teaching children to cope with fires, also assists children to deal with the psychological and social consequences of other traumas - for instance, hurricanes.

His experience in the field has also given him an opportunity to assist the White House and First Lady Laura Bush's Office of Special Projects on multiple occasions, most recently conducting briefings regarding childhood and family trauma following Hurricane Katrina. His last trip involved a sequential follow-up of the outcomes on societal and psychological behavior and preparation for the upcoming hurricane season.

?I had the opportunity to brief Mrs. Bush prior to her trip to New Orleans to meet with a group of children and parents. Her White House staff asked me to send information about children and some of the research we had done, and also information regarding children's reactions to traumatic events and the types of messages important to children to keep functioning in appropriate ways,? said Jones.

As a consultant to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, Jones has made multiple trips to the Gulf Coast to assist in the recovery of victims after Katrina.

?The reason I was asked to go with her and brief her was not only because of my background in childhood stress, coping, factors and terrorism, (but) was because I was deployed to Baton Rouge and Mississippi on numerous occasions,? he said.

Jones' assistance in the Gulf Coast included his service as a mental health consultant, which involved an opportunity to talk with children and adults following the event as well as being able to assist the state in making meaningful linkages with other agencies and organizations and making a number of recommendations in terms of what could be done to enhance individuals' psychological functioning subsequent to the event, Jones said.

Jones provides assessment for treatment strategies to the National Child Traumatic Stress Network, a $90 million initiative with centers in 45 states.

As a member of the Hurricane Katrina Community Advisory Group of the Department of Health Care Policy at the Harvard Medical School, he shared results to the committee that determined the impact the storm had on adults, including stress disorder, anxiety and psychological distress.

Throughout his research of Katrina's effects, Jones found that while victims suffered depression and anxiety, the majority of the people became stronger individuals and have found greater meaning in their lives and felt closer to their loved ones.

?It's immensely rewarding to be able to apply scientific knowledge to real world problems resulting from natural and technological disasters. I'm delighted that I have been able to take our research from the bench to the trench,? he said.