News > Dr. LaGreca to visit JBCC
Judge Baker Children’s Center welcomes national expert on the mental health of children who have survived natural disasters and other traumatic events
October, 2005
Boston, MA – As part of Judge Baker Children's Center’s efforts to help the victims of Hurricane Katrina, Dr. Annette La Greca, national expert on children and trauma, will visit Judge Baker in the Mission Hill neighborhood of Boston, on October 20, 2005 to discuss how natural disasters and other traumatic events affect children and what kinds of intervention are helpful. A professor of Psychology at the University of Miami, Dr. La Greca is well known for her work with children and families following Hurricane Andrew in 1992. The talk is free and open to the public.
Dr. La Greca will review what is known about the kinds of reactions children show following trauma and natural disasters, and how these reactions change over time. Factors that put children at special risk and factors that protect children from adverse reactions will also be discussed. Dr. La Greca will also describe empirically informed strategies for intervention following trauma and natural disasters, including her own as discussed in her manual, After The Storm: A Guide to help Children Cope with the Psychological Effects of a Hurricane.
After The Storm contains information, activities and coping strategies to help parents and children cope with their reactions and feelings resulting from a hurricane and its aftermath. The book is designed for use with children 6-12 years of age, but much of the information and activities can be adapted for use with older or younger children. For more information on the other ways that Judge Baker Children's Center is reaching out to victims of Katrina, please contact Lauren Wholley at (617) 278-4280.