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Former first lady Rosalynn Carter, Rep. Patrick Kennedy,
D-R.I., and Margaret Heldring (right to left) |
Bill offers help for psychological impacts of terror
By Lolita C. Baldor,
Associated Press Writer
America's war on terrorism - with its billion-dollar budgets
and new agencies - is not doing enough to prepare Americans for the psychological
effects of terror, former first lady Rosalynn Carter and other leaders
said Thursday.
Carter, an advocate for mental health programs, backed
a bill that would focus money and expertise on minimizing trauma caused
by terror. She was joined by Rep. Patrick Kennedy, D-R.I., and Tom Kean,
chairman of the panel investigating the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks.
"We have to recognize that a major part of preparing
for a terrorist attack is psychological support," said Carter. "Mental
health needs to be a part of all emergency planning."
The bill would require that 1 percent of the funding states
receive for bioterrorism be used to train officials and first responders
to help people deal with the fears triggered by attacks. The bill, which
Kennedy introduced Thursday, would also create a task force within the
Department of Health and Human Services.
He and Carter noted that Americans were reassured by a calm
Mayor Rudy Giuliani in New York City after the Sept. 11 attacks. But later,
Kennedy said, citizens emptied store shelves of duct tape and plastic sheeting
because federal officials issued poorly conceived recommendations for biological
attacks.
"When you have a homeland security director make an
announcement without appreciating the impact, it is counterproductive,"
said Kennedy. "Terrorism preparedness means making sure that we can
have vigilance without paralysis."
Kean, who is the former governor of New Jersey, said in
a statement that he has heard many stories of Americans emotionally devastated
by the terrorist attacks.
"To help Americans cope with the psychological distress
of terrorism and to help fortify them against the corrosive impact of fear
are compelling national goals," he said.
Read the Bill Drop of “The National
Resilience Development Act of 2003”
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