ABSTRACT
Richard Bigelow, having worked in public and private psychiatric facilities for 29 years, has deployed on disaster response 11 times in the last 13 years. One of these times was in 2011, when a multiple-vortex tornado ripped across Joplin, Missouri, causing catastrophic damage: this chapter recounts his experience. The chapter details discerning observations on how to structure psychological first aid, touching individual stories as part of the response, and Bigelow’s own adjustment processes post-disaster.
