Reflections: A Journal of Community-Engaged Writing and Rhetoric Sep 2015 Open Access

Katrina: Reflections on a Social Work Career 10 Years Later

Daphne S. Cain

Abstract

Hurricane Katrina had a tremendous impact not only on the Gulf Coast but on individuals who lived and worked in her disastrous aftermath. I was an assistant professor of social work at LSU when Katrina disrupted my life and career. I recall vividly the first hours, days, and weeks after the storm. I was asked to volunteer in a local hospital emergency room with highly traumatized evacuees, and I, not unlike many other relief workers, developed Secondary Traumatic Stress (STS) symptoms. To cope and heal, I turned to scholarship and research. This is a reflection on how Katrina has defined my professional life for the past 10 years.

Journal
Reflections: A Journal of Community-Engaged Writing and Rhetoric
Published
2015-09-01
DOI
10.59236/rjv15i1pp21-37
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