One of the Council’s most popular and longest-running projects just got an upgrade to audiobook format.
Why listening is important after a disaster
Human-caused disasters, such as oil spills, affect communities differently than natural disasters, such as earthquakes. After the Exxon Valdez oil spill, many Alaskans suffered devastating mental health effects that lingered for years.
In the 1990s, social scientists studied the social effects of the spill on the community of Cordova. The scientists worked with the Council to use the study’s results to develop a guide called “Coping with Technological Disasters.” The guide can help communities navigate recovery from similar disasters.
One of the resources in the guide is the Peer Listener Training Manual, which teaches active listening skills that help create a social support system that can help communities be more resilient.
Over the years, this program has been revised and adapted for recovery following disasters such as Hurricane Katrina, the BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, and the COVID-19 pandemic. The most recent version reflects recent advances in the fields of peer-to-peer support and community resilience.
The manual teaches peer listening skills, as well as:
- The difference between natural disasters and human-caused disasters, and how the effects differ.
- Where to find additional help when needed.
Resilient communities start with good listeners
The skills in the manual work best when they are in place before a disaster occurs. With this in mind, the Council created a set of resources that can help promote the skills, so that communities can be prepared for any disaster, not just an oil spill. Resources include an article about peer listening, printable flyers, social media graphics (examples below), and more.
These images (and other free resources) are available for free to download and use to promote the Peer Listener Training Manual in your community!
