Effect
Due to the Great East Japan Earthquake that occurred in 2011 month of 3, Iwate Prefecture was hit by an unprecedented tsunami. Especially in Otsuchi Town, many residents have lost their families, friends, homes and jobs, and the territory, blood, and job ties that have become the foundation of the community are divided, and mental health measures for reconstruction have become a major issue.
During the four years after the earthquake, we learned valuable lessons while working on mental health measures in the affected areas. Local mental health problems cannot be solved with short-term support from psychiatric personnel alone. The most important task is to restore the demand of the victims to the divided territory, bloodline, and job relationship first. To that end, multidisciplinary experts work together to support long-term life. It is necessary to proceed. And as part of that support, I think the time has come for the mental health support that has been provided to Otsuchi to be converted to a long-term and full-scale support model. In the process, in order for multiple support organizations such as governments, medical organizations, private companies, and NPOs to promote complementary collaborative work while sharing information, it is necessary to “bridge” between organizations. Essential.
In 1933, an earthquake occurred off Sanriku, and the coast of Iwate Prefecture was severely damaged by the tsunami. In late years, Inazo Nitobe gave a lecture in Iwate Prefecture, leaving behind the word “Union is Power”, while the path to reconstruction after the earthquake was not visible. The importance of deepening cooperation and uniting toward the common purpose of “reconstruction” remains the same.
We will carry out the following activities in cooperation with related organizations and organizations in the affected areas. Firstly, we will support the creation of a new town from a scientific point of view, carefully picking up the mental health support that local residents are seeking. Second, we will promote preventive awareness activities to reduce and eliminate prejudice against mental health. Third, we will propose a mental health service using ICT (information and communication technology) to address the basic problem of Iwate Prefecture, which is the depopulation of wide-area mental health care. Fourthly, through the above activities, we will nurture mental health professionals who are familiar with disaster recovery and can be used internationally, and support and nurture supporters. Fifth, we will propose mental health services that have been difficult to reach according to changes in local needs.
2015 year 3 month 10 day "Kokoro-no-Kakehashi Iwate" has taken a new step as the 9 certified NPO corporation in Iwate Prefecture. I hope that our activities will help to revitalize the region in Iwate after the earthquake and build a new mental health service.
July 2015
Authorized NPO corporation
Chairman Mitsuru Suzuki
Process until application
With the cooperation of academic societies, mental health professionals who have been recruited from all over the country since last year in 11 have visited Otsuchi-cho in turns. With regard to funding for activities, the funding for activities for 3 years was decided by the Japan Society in New York with the efforts of the American Medical Association. In addition, we have received proposals for human resource development support from disaster mental health professional teams in the United States and the United Kingdom.
We decided to establish a non-profit organization called “Ishibashi Iwate,” a non-profit organization that gathers the ambitions and wisdom of these professionals in Japan and overseas to support various recovery projects related to mental health. It was.
2012/4/14
Authorized NPO corporation
Chairman Mitsuru Suzuki