PURPOSE:

Hurricane Katrina, the most devastating natural disaster to impact our country, ravaged our topography, businesses, and homes; it separated families, dismantled communities, and rendered many immobilized by the traumatic effects of unimaginable stressors and loss. Project Fleur-de-lis™ was created out of a shared commitment to bring hope back to the community, to provide thoughtful and meaningful mental health services to caregivers, children, and families, and to be active partners in the healing and rebuilding of our community. More specifically, the objectives of this collaborative are three-fold: to provide early intervention, to establish a mechanism for identification of and services to children with counseling or mental health needs, and to provide wide ranging and increased access to mental healthcare for children and families.

BACKGROUND:

Project Fleur-de-lis™ a program of Mercy Family Center, is a school-based mental health program, designed to provide long-term care and recovery for children and their families in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.
Through a partnership with schools, local health and human service agencies and national experts, the mission of Project Fleur-de-lis™ is to empower students, teachers and parents of New Orleans area schools to recover, renew and restore in order to inspire healing throughout our community.

PROGRAM SUMMARY:

Tier I: Classroom-Based Mental Health Intervention
> Classroom-based healing programs for students and educational workshops for parents and teachers

Tier II: School-based Mental Health Intervention
> School-based counseling by trained professionals
> Enhance current school counseling through consultation and continuing education
> Provide and supervise staff for schools lacking adequate mental health services

Tier III: Community-Based Mental Health Intervention
> Referral to mental health providers

PROGRAM GOALS:

> address symptoms of trauma at the earliest stage before they interfere with a child’s educational, social or emotional functioning;
> heal school communities through a multidisciplinary program including spirituality and coping skills;
> remain integrated in school communities to provide ongoing mental health care; and,
> become a recognized first responder, best practice model to be implemented following future man-made or natural disasters throughout the nation.

PROGRESS TO DATE:

• To Date, 5,800 children have received mental health interventions through Project Fleur-de-lis™.
• 51 schools currently enrolled in Project Fleur-de-lis™: 40 Catholic, 9 Charter, and two private.
• Over 25,000 children directly or indirectly fall under Project Fleur-de-lis care.
• Nearly 4,400 children are registered and consented to the program.
• 12 school counselors have been provided by Project Fleur-de-lis.
• Over 40 counselors have been trained in Cognitive Behavioral Interventions for Trauma in Schools (CBITS).
• Over 60 counselors have been trained in Classroom, Community, and Camp Based Interventions (CBI).
• 20 counselors have been trained in Trauma Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT).
• Over 50 school counselors have been trained in the use of the electronic records system (ERS) and are coming on line this month with daily use and access.
• Demographic information, consent forms and Post-Katrina experience (Hurricane Assessment Instrument) is continuously being entered into the electronic records system.
• Since September 1st, over 300 children have been referred for third tier services.
• To date, over $165,000 in free third tier mental health services (psychotherapy, psycho-educational testing, and psychiatry) have been provided.
• Two National Center for Traumatic Stress Network (NCTSN) Centers have applied for and received National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) funding to conduct an independent evaluation of a portion of Project Fleur-de-lis™.
• Both school and clinic-based crisis interventions for untimely deaths and suicides/ suicidal intent have been provided by an on-call Crisis Team, as well as by psychiatrists and counselors.

CURRENT FUNDING SOURCES:

Catholic Charities USA, United Way for the Greater New Orleans Area, Louisiana Public Health Institute, Sisters of Mercy Ministries, Louisiana Charities Trust, RAND Corporation, Allegheny Singer-Research Institute, Freeport-McMoRan Foundation, The Booth-Bricker Fund, Almar Foundation, AmeriCares, The Brown Foundation, Foundation for the Mid South.

WEBSITE: http://www.project-fleur-de-lis.org/

May 31st Deadline to Enroll in Access to Care

The American Red Cross Hurricane Recovery Program funded the Access to Care initiative to provide those directly affected by Hurricanes Katrina, Rita, and Wilma with up to $2,000 worth of financial assistance for uncovered mental health treatment costs. Anyone interested must call or enroll on-line before May 31, 2008. To enroll call 1-866-794-HOPE or visit www.a2care.org.

Project Fleur-de-lis™ and Mercy Family Center recognized for outstanding work: