Disaster Crisis Counseling To Be Available For American Samoa
Release Date: March 22, 2005
Release Number: 1582-008
PAGO PAGO, American Samoa -- Residents of American Samoa who suffered losses and had their lives disrupted by Cyclone Olaf will be able to get free crisis counseling to help ease their emotional stress, disaster officials announced today.
In addition to the residents of the Manu’a Islands, residents of all of the Islands of American Samoa, including Tutuila, will be eligible to receive this counseling. It is not necessary to be registered with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to obtain counseling.
The counseling will begin Monday, March 28 and those wishing to take advantage of the program should call 699-2443.
The program is to be run by the Territory of American Samoa with costs to be reimbursed by FEMA. The program will include community outreach, consultation and education. Children and the elderly are a special concern because experiencing a disaster often causes them anxiety.
FEMA prepares the nation for all hazards and effectively manages federal response and recovery efforts following any national incident. FEMA also initiates mitigation activities, trains first responders, and manages the National Flood Insurance program and the U.S. Fire Administration. FEMA became part of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security on March 1, 2003.
Last Modified: Wednesday, 23-Mar-2005 08:02:44