It doesn't take a rocket scientist to know that many people in New Orleans are still experiencing mental health problems. While its been almost three years since the levees broke, the reality is that many people are still living three to four families in a home, more and more people are visibly homeless, most of the levees aren't any stronger than they were in 2005, the service economy still isn't paying living wages, violent crime continues to rise, and the criminal justice system is just as broken as it was before.

An article in this week's Gambit newspaper draws attention to yet another broken social system: mental health care. According to the state board of medical examiners, there are only 138 registered psychiatrists in the city, a third or a fourth of the national average for comparably sized cities. The situation is so bad that for the last 18 months, the federal government has designated New Orleans as a "Mental Health Care Health Professional Shortage Area." And this is in the midst of a documented crisis situation; studies show that 25-40% of New Orleans' residents suffer from disaster-related mood and anxiety disorders.

In this light, MCC's current and partnership with the Twomey Center for Peace Through Justice (Loyola University) seems even more important. For the last 18 months, the Twomey Center has organized and coordinated trauma healing workshops to empower New Orleanians with the skills they need to deal with their own trauma and pass on those skills to others. The 2-day workshop model originated in South America in response to political and natural disasters. In New Orleans, it has been adapted to incorporate the ongoing traumatic effects of racism and other isms, in addition to responding to trauma resulting from Hurricane Katrina and the levee breaks.

The picture above was taken during one of the workshops and provided by the Twomey Center. --Tim