Red Cross Digital Disaster Volunteers Offer Support Through Social Media

By: John Weaver, LCSW, Valerie Cole, and Gloria Huang

In March 2012, partnering with Dell, the Red Cross launched its Digital Disaster Operations Center in Washington, DC. The digiDOC uses Radian6, a social media monitoring service, to gather large amounts of public social data (tweets, blogs, Facebook posts) via keyword searches. This data is filtered and sorted by event types (e.g., hurricane, earthquake, and wildfire), topic categories, and needs (e.g., emotional support, emergency assistance, shelter, safe and well). One of the goals in launching this digiDOC was to start using the information shared within these online communities to help the organization better assess and address immediate community needs during times of disaster.

In August 2012, during Hurricane Isaac, the American Red Cross piloted the use of digital disaster volunteers (DDVs) to help the Red Cross Social Engagement team provide information and support to online communities. These virtual volunteers work from their homes to monitor and respond to social posts. Social media is perfect for engaging people in the Red Cross story and connecting with communities.

During a disaster, posts coming in from the Radian6 monitoring tool are reviewed by the DDVs, who are trained to respond and provide Red Cross mission-related services, such as virtual hugs, preparedness and safety information, tips for dealing with stress (positive coping messages), and—in some cases—referrals to other partners and resources. Red Cross Disaster Mental Health (DMH) is collaborating with the Social Engagement team to explore ways in which mental health professionals can be more involved in telling the Red Cross story and supporting the community.

The pilot period involved testing the software and the DDVs’ abilities to sort through the high volume of data, triage the needs, and quickly respond to the individuals and organizations who posted. One of the major challenges was selecting the best key words and phrases to include in each search. To give you an idea of the kinds of messages used during the pilot, here are some sample messages and replies:

Hugs

I just want to cry...hurricane isaac ruining everything.

I am so sorry girl. Sending you a digital #RedCross ((HUG))

The hurricane ain’t no joke down here i’m scared as sh*t.

Take a deep breath. Sending you some positive vibes and a #RedCross ((HUG))

Lucy came to work with me today because she's afraid of #Isaac, but not when she’s under my desk!

awww, so cute! I hope Lucy is doing okay! Here’s a @RedCross ((hug)) for her!

Preparedness and Safety

Thankful to have weathered Hurricane Isaac. No electricity but family and friends are safe so feeling blessed. God is good! #Isaac

Glad you are safe! Make sure to download free [Hurricane App, First Aid App, Shelter Finder App] for your smart phone. Ready for next time! http://www.redcross.org/prepare/mobile-apps

Kinda sorta really scared. Haha, moms in Sams while I’m sitting in the car and I can feel the car moving from the Hurricane wind.

Stay safe! I’m with @RedCross and I know it’s scary. You can get safety info at http://www.redcross.org/prepare/disaster. ((hugs)) from us all.

I’m terrified were going to drive through this hurricane weather.

Be careful driving and remember NOAA’s message - “Turn Around Don’t Drown” (more deaths occur due to flooding than any other weather hazard.)

Stress Management

I haven’t eaten all day this hurricane was really stressing me.

I’m the opposite. Stress makes me eat. :( Try to grab something, even just a snack. Sending you a big ((HUG)) #RedCross

STUPID WEATHER!!!! GOSH, THAT FREACKING HURRICANE HAS HAD ME SCARED!!!! :(

Were getting the hurricane Isaac winds here and I’m terrified. It’s never been this windy before.

[Part 1 of 2 part reply] The storm stress sounds awful. Hang in there! (and don’t be afraid to ask for help if you and your family need it)…

[Part 2 of 2] If you need to talk, contact Disaster Distress Helpline 1-800-985-5990 or Text ‘TalkWithUs’ to 66746 http://disasterdistress.samhsa.gov

Thanks for Supporting Red Cross

Wow! Just learned Red Cross Va. Mountain Region has deployed 31 trained disaster responders to the Gulf to assist those affected by #Isaac.

Vicki from Red Cross. We’re thankful for every one of them! {hugs}

Honored to be able to support the @RedCross request for snacks for those impacted by #Isaac. @PepperidgeFarm @GoldfishSmiles on the way!

Thanks to Campbell for the tasty snacks! Those affected will appreciate it :) Thank you for being a #RedCross partner!

To support the @RedCross’ #Isaac Relief Efforts, you can donate $10 by texting REDCROSS to 90999 or visit redcross.org

Thanks so much for your support of @RedCross! There’s a lot of work to be done and you’ve just helped us do it. :)

One challenge with offering service via social media is knowing the impact of the outgoing messages. Sometimes we get replies, often like these:

Thanks for the encouragement! Done this before but it doesn’t get any easier mentally.

Thank you so much, I am just praying it’s not a repeat of 7 yrs ago.

Sometimes the information we provide gets retweeted. Many times we must simply hope for the best. We’re hoping other friends/contacts of people we message will see our posts and offer additional peer support.

Social media will be an important tool in future responses to catastrophic events. It may even be the safest and preferred response option for something like a pandemic or any other event that involves sheltering in place. Red Cross anticipates greater use of DDVs, especially DDVs who also can serve as DMH responders, to help in these areas:

providing mental health support for both disaster victims and responders;

promoting community resilience; and

educating all disaster relief workers about self care.

Red Cross is partnering with SAMHSA, APA, and the Disaster Distress Helpline for this initiative. The pilot utilized an initial group of about ten responders and Red Cross is seeking additional DDVs to expand the program.

Become a DDV

Who is an ideal disaster digital volunteer? Someone who:

is an experienced user of online social tools

is an established member of online communities

is trained on Red Cross social engagement and knowledgeable about Red Cross services

has good judgment

is extremely empathetic

does not have a profane, political, or religious filled social presence

is willing to use his/her personal social presence to act as an official rep of the American Red Cross

is capable of handling many details at once.

Because of the time commitment and technical tools involved in this role, there are a few requirements that you must meet before you can get trained to be a DDV. If you match this profile and would like to become a Red Cross volunteer for the DDV team, see: http://blog.redcross.org/disaster-digital-volunteer-training/

And, in case you are wondering whether all of this will work in serving people without power, turns out it does. Many messages that we responded to came from folks who managed to charge their smartphones and other tech equipment. So it turns out there is an APP (alternate power port) for that; people wisely use cars, transformers, 12-volt car battery jumpers with outlets, and even hand-crank flashlights that can charge phones (http://www.redcrossstore.org/shopper/prodlist.aspx?LocationId=111) to stay connected.

John Weaver, LCSW, is a Disaster Mental Health and PA volunteer for the American Red Cross. John.Weaver@redcross.org.

Valerie Cole is a Senior Associate, Disaster Mental Health, American Red Cross. Valerie.Cole@redcross.org

Gloria Huang is Senior Social Engagement Specialist, American Red Cross.

Gloria.Huang@redcross.org

SIDEBAR

Disaster Distress Helpline Available 24/7/365

The Disaster Distress Helpline (DDH) is the first national hotline dedicated to providing year-round disaster crisis counseling. This toll-free, multilingual, crisis support service is available 24/7 via telephone (1-800-985-5990) and SMS (text “TalkWithUs” to 66746).

The DDH began October 1, 2011. After a five-month transition of services from the former Oil Spill Distress Helpline, the service began taking calls and texts with its current network of crisis call centers on February 28, 2012.

Christian Burgess, LMSW, is director of the Disaster Distress Helpline and oversees all DDH operations under Link2Health Solutions/MHA-NYC. The New Social Worker asked him to tell us a little about the helpline.

Who does DDH serve and what needs does it address? The Disaster Distress Helpline serves any individual or family experiencing emotional distress before, during, or after any natural or human-caused disaster in the U.S./territories. Symptoms of disaster distress may include temporary reactions to the disaster (such as fear, confusion, mild anxiety) or may be an indication of larger mental health concerns (persistent anxiety, substance use, patterns of unhealthy coping, depression, suicidal ideation/attempt).

Who provides the services? As a sub-network of the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline (1-800-273-TALK [8255]), all Disaster Distress Helpline counselors are trained in crisis assessment, intervention, and referral. Additional training is provided in psychological first aid and disaster crisis counseling for phone/texting. The majority of counselors staffing Lifeline/Disaster Distress Helpline are paid professional staff (including many with licensure). However, to staff our lines 24/7/365, many call centers also rely on paid staff from a variety of educational backgrounds, volunteers, and interns. Anyone who answers a call or text for the DDH has received up to 100+ hours of training. The Lifeline and the DDH are administered by Link2Health Solutions, Inc., a subsidiary of the Mental Health Association of New York City.

Who has been helped, and how? Through September 2012, the Disaster Distress Helpline has received more than 1,200 calls and has received more than 1,300 texts—these numbers do not represent individual callers/texters. While caller demographics and other trends of our service are still being established as this is our pilot year, preliminary data suggest that a majority of callers/texters are females ages 40-49, many with a caregiving role—however, again, it should be emphasized that the DDH serves any/all in the U.S./territories experiencing disaster distress, regardless of sex, age, and other identifying characteristics, including immigration status. Preliminary data also indicate that the following are reasons given for calling/texting:

Overwhelming feelings of anxiety, confusion in face of severe weather forecast

Anxiety regarding evacuation (including wildfires), especially if caregiver

Current disasters triggering painful memories of past experience with disasters

Feelings of despair, hopelessness regarding economic loss due to disaster and uncertainty over the future, espescially if not eligible or denied claims

What do you think is the biggest success of the helpline so far? This is our first year of operations and the first national service of its kind, so its creation can be considered a success by the many partners who helped bring this service to the public. I consider it a great success that we have already been able to help so many individuals experiencing disaster-related distress.

What else would you like social workers to know about the helpline? Social workers can help by educating their clients about the benefits of calling or texting the Disaster Distress Helpline. It’s accessible (available 24/7/365), confidential, and anonymous (unless imminent threat to self or others is indicated). Simply by reaching out to a trained counselor when in distress after a disaster and “talking with us,” this connection can go a long way in easing symptoms of distress.

For more information:

Disaster Distress Hotline Web Site: http://www.disasterdistress.samhsa.gov

Facebook: facebook.com/distresshelpline Twitter: twitter.com/distressline