OKLAHOMA-CITY - DISASTER CHALLENGES MENTAL-HEALTH AND MEDICAL ADMINISTRATORS

Mental health and medical administrators responded to the Oklahoma Cit y bombing with cooperative and overlapping efforts to meet community n eeds in the wake of terrorism. The major agencies assisted in the imme diate rescue response, organized crisis hotlines, prepared mental heal th professionals to counsel bereaved families and victims, organized d ebriefing of rescuers, assessed mental health needs of local school ch ildren, planned for longer term treatment, and coordinated research ef forts to learn from the disaster Implications to mental health adminis trators responding to significant acts of terrorism are discussed.