Report Finds Mental Heath System Ill-prepared for Another Terrorist Attack
by Sharon Butler

Despite the lessons of Sept. 11, there are serious gaps in preparedness and response to public mental health is­sues related to terrorism, says a report to be released Thursday by UIC’s International Center on Human Responses to Social Catastrophes.

The report will be presented after an ecumenical service commemorating the tragedy.

The service will be held at 12:45 in the First United Methodist Chicago Temple, 77 W. Washington St.

The report contains the findings and recommendations of a summit meeting convened this past summer.

Called “Cities of Fear, Cities of Hope: America’s Public Mental Health in the Age of Terrorism,” the meeting included psychiatric professionals from Illinois and New York, with representatives from government, academia, the community, religion and the media.

They focused on the longterm mental health problems stemming from the events of Sept. 11.

Discussions were led by Stevan Weine, associate professor of psy­chiatry and author of When History Is a Nightmare, Ralph Cintron, professor of English, and Chris Stout, clinical professor of psychiatry and chief of psychology for the Illinois Department of Human Services in the Division of Mental Health.

The report’s recommendations include:

• The consequences of the war on terrorism should be consid­ered for vulnerable populations, such as Muslim and immigrant youth.
• Collaborations between men­tal health professionals and reli­gious organizations are needed to offer culturally and socially ap­propriate assistance.
• Mental health professions must be more effective in advo­cating for mental health to state and local governments.

e-mail: sbutler@uic.edu

The Original Cities of Fear - Cities of Hope Article