When large-scale disasters occur, they typically strike without warninga "regardless of whether the cause is natural, such as a tsunami or earthquake, or human-made, such as a terrorist attack. And immediately following a hazardous event or mass violence, two of the most vulnerable groups at risk are a communitya (TM)s children and their family members. Promoting Community Resilience in Disasters offers both clinicians and researchers guidance on hazard preparation efforts as well as early response and intervention practices. It emphasizes an evidence- and prevention-based approach that is geared toward readiness, response, and recovery phases of natural and human-made disasters, examining such key topics as:

Establishing a community resilience framework

Reviewing current theory and research

Understanding the role for schools, youth, and families

Building a partnership and multidisciplinary perspective

Recognizing the importance of readiness and risk reduction

Providing public education and response during a crisis

Developing recovery programs that focus on physical and social factors

Setting evidence-based guidelines for practice

Establishing an interface between research and practice

Promoting Community Resilience in Disasters is specifically geared toward assisting those who work in school or community settingsa "including school psychologists and counselors, emergency managers and planners, and all mental health professionalsa "not only to increase resilience after a disaster, but to respond and intervene as quickly as possible when catastrophe strikes. It will assist those charged with the responsibilityfor helping others respond to and rebound from major traumas, especially clinicians and other professionals who work with children and their family members.

A myriad of models are available to guide practice before, during, and following disasters. As emphasized in this book, we value the role of research in informing our assessment, education, and intervention efforts in this area. Keeping an eye on those elements that have research backing certainly assists with quality control generally. However, more specifically, we also stress the idea that there is evidence to support a role for hope and positive expectations in the motivation and engagement process. In addition, the more that people, including youth and adults, actively participate in efforts designed to help, the more benefits they tend to receive. The role of research in providing that initial hope and inspiring more active engagement with internal and external resources before, during, and after a disaster is part of the foundation of our practice in this area. In fact, in the clinical psychology training program directed by the senior author, the idea that we attempt to inculcate with our trainees is the idea of "hope and engagement on an evidence-based foundation." Consequently, we do advocate for models of practice that have identified "active ingredients" that are included: those particularly identified through controlled evaluation research. However, it is also the case that a number of risk and protective factors identified through a number of studies (e.g., see Chapter 2) have as yet to be systematically included.

The effects of trauma and abuse on children can be long-lasting, acute and damaging. Evidence suggests that cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is a highly effective form of psychotherapy to help children to overcome these effects. This book uses an evidence-based CBT treatment model to assist children and adolescents aged 9-15 years to resolve trauma symptoms and increase their coping skills. The approach is made up of 16 step-by-step sessions to carry out with the young person, and includes worksheets and fun activities using arts and crafts. The model uses four phases: strengthening the child's psychosocial context; enhancing their coping skills; processing their trauma through gradual exposure; and, addressing special issues that the child may have and preventing relapse. The child keeps a scrapbook for the duration of the programme in which they keep worksheets, artwork and any other activities they carry out. The approach is designed for individual therapy but also includes sessions for parents and caregivers. With photocopiable worksheets and easy to follow sessions, this will be an invaluable resource for all practitioners working with traumatized and abused children, including therapists, psychologists, counsellors, health professionals and social workers.