The child and adolescent psychiatrist must play an essential role in t
he wake of disaster. The focus of the community and the world understa
ndably turns to the physical devastation wrought, and emergency and me
dical efforts take center stage. Physical evidence of the past may be
lost, but the child psychiatrist is able to maintain focus on what can
not be seen. He or she may be the only one to advocate the child's emo
tional needs. It may be too difficult for others who lack the speciali
zed expertise of mental health training to attend to both the child's
physical and emotional needs, and it may be impossible for those witho
ut medical training to impress on medical personnel the importance of
emotional issues. The child and adolescent psychiatrist, with his or h
er understanding of medical, mental health, and developmental concerns
, is well positioned to support the child, the child's community, and
the helpers whose own responses may complicate recovery.