C.W. Post Doctoral Psychology Students and Faculty Perform Trauma Outreach at Soup Kitchen

C.W. Post Doctoral students volunteered their services and psychology expertise to soup kitchen staff. From left: Shari Langer, doctoral program student; Adi Avivi, doctoral program student; Emily Engel, doctoral program student; Dr. Geoff Goodman, doctoral program faculty; Leah Beger, doctoral program student; Rev. Alex Jack, Rev. Carol Hall, Pastor Ellen of Lighthouse Ministries; Christine Roufail, doctoral program student; Dr. Thomas Demaria, doctoral program faculty.

On Friday, February 27, a group of C.W. Post Campus of Long Island University Doctoral Psychology students visited the Lighthouse Mission in Patchogue to volunteer at the soup kitchen as part of a community trauma outreach initiative. The Lighthouse Mission feeds approximately 2,000 people each week, many of whom are struggling financially and feeling significant emotional distress.

The C.W. Post Community Trauma Response Team, which is composed of graduate students and faculty from the Clinical Psychology Doctoral Program at C.W. Post, was developed to respond to large and small community disasters, and to provide specialized trauma education and screening services for under-served people in the community.

The Soup Kitchen Outreach is a special project of the C.W. Post Doctoral Psychology Program Community Trauma Response Team. It is a unique collaboration with several faith-based organizations which serve the Long Island African-American and Latino communities. During the visit, the Trauma Team supported the staff and recipients at the Soup Kitchen and discussed ways in which the team could provide counseling services in the future. Pastor Ellen, one of the organizers from the soup kitchen and former student of C.W. Post, expressed her happiness that C.W. Post is providing to the community.

Dr. Thomas Demaria, director of the C.W. Post Psychological Services Center and 9/11 Family Center, which are part of the Doctoral Program in Clinical Psychology, formed the team during the Fall 2008 semester with the support of Dr. Eva Feindler, director of the Doctoral Psychology Program.

Posted: March 9, 2009