Department Initiatives
Stem Center, Planning Division

Planning Division Initiatives
Stem Center, Planning Division
Psychiatric Social Worker – Hiroyuki Kimura
1. Introduction
Continuing from FY 2012, the Stem Center Planning Division has been engaged in activities
centered on raising public awareness, human resource development, negotiations with externalorganizations, and statistical processing of activities.
Overall, we have struggled to understand the constantly changing problems in disaster areas andto grasp the needs of the survivors and supporters, insofar as what kind of efforts will be of mosthelp to them. Since we of the Planning Division have limited opportunities to actually visit locations,
we have mostly acted in cooperation with the Community Support Departments of each Center.
As a result of our activities, the Center has become well known, and various requests, such as
those for lectures, are increasing. Here, while looking back on FY 2013, we will describe theactivities we plan on implementing in FY 2014.
2. Staff Composition
In April, one administrative staff member was switched out for another, and in July 2013 andJanuary 2014 two psychiatric social workers joined us. We now have a nine-member division: six
psychiatric social workers (one of whom is a transfer employee from a medical institution), one
public health nurse (prefectural posting), and two administrative staff (one of whom is a dispatch
employee).
3. FY 2013 Activities(1) Raising Public Awareness① Creation and Distribution of Pamphlets
We continued to distribute the pamphlets we had created in FY 2012. A pamphlet on alcohol
titled “Symptoms and illnesses caused by drinking” was reprinted because it was in higher
demand than expected. In 2013, we created pamphlets about dementia and are currently
distributing a total of 10 types. We also listened to the opinions of experts outside the Centerand tried to make the content of these pamphlets easy to understand. The pamphlets are
becoming more widely known, and instances in which requests for additional copies from
related organizations lead to consultations are increasing.
(For a list of awareness pamphlets created in 2013, see Page 5, under “Regarding Our
Projects.”)② Creation of a PR Magazine
In order to widely publicize the activities of this Center, we continued to create and distribute
PR magazines for the general public and supporters. The publication highlights regional
cooperation, not only in the activities of this Center but also in those of other organizations.
As for distribution destinations, we are continuing efforts to increase their number so as toensure maximum visibility.
③ Management of Our Website
We updated our webpage 35 times, focusing on training workshops organized by this Centerand on events of other organizations. We also posted published PR magazines and pamphlets towidely disseminate information on mental health in general. Currently, the site is accessed anaverage of 50 times per day.
④ Working with Newspapers, TV, and Other MediaThe Planning Division responded to and coordinated various interviews with newspapers,
TV, and radio.
(2) Community Resident Support① Day Camp for Disaster-Affected Parents and Children(For more information on the objective of this initiative, see page 7, under “Regarding Our
Projects.”)- 69 -

The day camp was held once again this year, on the tail of the FY 2012 event, and threemembers of the Planning Division were put in charge. The program was conducted for parents
and children who lived in coastal areas at the time of the earthquake. Twenty-six children andthree adults participated.
In the children’s program, curry making, recreational activities like cardboard play andtreasure hunting, and psychological education entitled “Studying the Mind” were conducted. In
the questionnaire, all the children who participated answered that they had fun. For
parents/guardians, a self-care program incorporating yoga and aromatherapy was implemented.
<Day Camp Questionnaire Results (1) Children (Excerpted)>
Was the “Studying the Mind” lesson easy to understand?

Easy to understandNormalDidn’t understandTell us what you thought about “Studying the Mind.”
I felt refreshed. / I still use those methods now. / It was very easy to understand and I feel I
will be able to use some of the methods at home. / I think the information was very useful,and I enjoyed learning it. / I was able to really relax, and I think I’ll try it out at home, too. /I’m glad I learned a way to help calm myself down when I’m stressed. / After I laid down, I
started getting really sleepy. I felt relaxed. / I wasn’t able to relax. / I often get stressed, but I
felt better after taking deep breaths.
Let us know any other thoughts or opinions you have about the event.
I want you to have more events, like on Christmas. / The treasure hunt this year was really
fun. I want to go again next year. / I liked eating the food we made and playing and learningwith everyone. / The curry everyone made was really good, and I ate a lot. The roasted marshmallows and sweet potatoes were also super big and yummy. I had a lot of fun playing withthe lady at the camp. / I made a lot of friends, and that made me happy.
Now we’d like to ask the parents. Please let us know what you think of the program after
having let your children participate.
As the camp started early in the morning and continued until evening, I think children werepretty nervous about being away from their parents, that too in an unfamiliar place without
many friends, for an entire day. But the moment my child came home, they said that they“want to go again next year.” I was really surprised! I’m really moved at how much this fun
experience and the effort all of you put in has made my child grow. / Nowadays, their school
is still renting space somewhere else, and there’s only 10–20 school-age children there
anyway. I’m afraid that their worldview is going to end up being quite narrow because of this,so I want them to experience as much as they can to broaden their horizons. / They came backtired, but I think my children really grew as a result of this. The staff were very kind to them,and that made me happy. I hope you do this again next year. / You all did things with themthat us as parents might not be able to. I’m grateful. / My child cried at first, saying that they
didn’t want to go, but I think they had a good time. I’m glad. Thank you. They definitely wantto participate next year, too. / Even among a group of kids and adults they’d never met before,
it seems they were able to share their thoughts and have a good time. I’d like them toparticipate again if and when this sort of event is held again. I’m still a bit worried about thefact that my child is easily scared, but I think that tendency is slowly going away as they gain
more confidence. / The camp appears to have filled up my child’s heart and tummy alike.
Thank you. That night, when they laid down in their bed, they started talking about what they
had learnedin “Studying the
Mind.”
held
my hand and we both breathed together. This
<Day
Camp Questionnaire
Results(2)They
Parents(Excerpted)>really
does
make
you
relaxed.
Do you feel you were able to learn a method that helps you relax?
I can do this yoga even when I’m home alone, and I think I’ll give it a shot. Aromatherapy,
however, is a bit harder for me to do by myself. I hope to participate again if the opportunity
arises. / I think a little light yoga before I go to sleep could work well.
Do you think you’ll be able to use what you learned here in your life?
I tend to get stressed, so I think yoga might be a good way to refresh myself.
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(3) Human Resource Development① Implementation of the Disaster Mental Health Care Exchange
After the earthquake, the Disaster Mental Health Care Exchange (hereinafter referred to as
the “Exchange”) was hosted by the Disaster Mental Health Network Miyagi and this, the second
edition, was co-sponsored by this Center. In FY 2013, the event was held in Kesennuma, Ishinomaki, and Sendai. The Planning Division was in charge of the 7th Exchange Meeting (SendaiCity).
This project was aimed at allowing public health nurses and other officials who had beenworking without reprieve since the disaster a chance to take a step back from their areas ofwork, find time to refresh themselves, deepen their social relationships with participating officials from various other locations, and share information. At the 7th Exchange, in line with thispurpose, we implemented a new initiative titled “Rounding the Edge of Support,” which involved communicating the message that cooperation among related organizations will be indispensable in responding to future problems, including relocation to public disaster housing
and other changes in survivors’ environments.
The number of participants was the highest ever, with 81 people from 50 groups and departments, most of whom were supporters in the prefecture. It was conducted in two parts, aworkshop and a lecture, and in a post-event questionnaire, most participants indicated that itwas either “very good” or “somewhat good.”<7th Exchange Meeting: Disaster Mental Health Care Exchange Miyagi, Questionnaire
Results>
How was the workshop?

How were the lectures?

No response12%
Somewhatgood 28%

No response
7%
Very
good
60%

Somewhatgood 25%

Very
good
68%

What things did you learn at the Exchange that you feel you will be able to use in your workin the future? (Excerpted)
I was able to learn a new perspective on support for reconstruction and temporary housing.
I would like to make use of it in the future. / I was glad to hear various stories concerning
the outflow from temporary housing, the current situation of moving out, and how to proceedwith support for men (salon activities). As a member of a volunteer organization, I wasworried whether it was okay for us to start our activities here. This was a good opportunity
for me to reconsider that. / I was able to meet people from other locations who support me,
and re-recognized my role. I learned it is important to connect as a team. / The perspectives
I heard today reaffirmed that disaster areas and disaster survivors are not one-dimensional. I
think I will be able to be more versatile in my future activities. / Since the third year after
the earthquake is a time when various problems will arise, I felt the need for detailed support
in the future. / It may have been difficult up till now, but I think that our future activities will
be more of a test. I also learned that mental care and urban development are closely related.
Are there any specific things that stayed with you from the Exchange? Let us know yourthoughts. (Excerpted)- 71 -

I felt that connecting people involved in mental care would be the best way to provide great
support to survivors. / It seems there are few meetings aimed at supporter interaction likethis one, so this was a valuable opportunity. / I was able to talk with people from various
positions, and I realized once more that reconstruction happens with the involvement of
everyone. / I was surprised that so many people were involved in supporting the survivors.
There will be more disparities in the future, but I reaffirmed that it is important not only forthe administration but also for various people to support one another because being
connected to someone prevents us from becoming isolated. / I was inspired and awed by thefact that so many people in so many industries and regions are tirelessly pursuing support
activities. / I realized once again that in order to carry out long-term support, it is critical that
supporters themselves receive support. / I wanted to know what is important in the mental
care of the supporter and what to be careful about. Both of you spoke about what you had
done, and I wanted to hear from a specialist. / I learned a lot from the example you gave
about leaving a message for an individual whom you had attempted to meet on a door-todoor visit but were unable to see. I’d like to try this in my own visitations. / I learned a lot
about how other groups share similar issues. / I was able to learn more about the current
status of activities, and I think the event was very meaningful. I’d like to use what I learned
to push me to think about what I can do.
② Media Conference
We co-sponsored a training session with the National
Center of Neurology and Psychiatry to report on mental healthproblems such as suicide and how mental health professionals
should work together, as well as to deepen mutual
understanding. There were 36 participants, including six
people from four media companies.

Not sure
14%

Good
29%

Very
good
57%

③ Alcohol Training for Coastal Psychiatric Institutions
To deal with alcohol problems, which have increasingly
surfaced since the disaster, a training workshop was held (andOpinion on Content
contracted to) Tohokukai Hospital, a specialized hospital, forstaff of coastal psychiatric hospitals and clinics. There was a
total of six participants.
④ Tri-Prefectural Disaster Mental Health Care Center Staff Training, Etc.
The training was conducted jointly by the Miyagi,<Media Conference Questionnaire
Fukushima, and Iwate Heart Care Centers, which were
Results>
established in the wake of the Great East Japan Earthquake.
Yoga was included for the purpose of self-care. It will continue next year as well.
⑤ Training for Supporters
Training was conducted 167 times for those involved in support (including (1)–(4) above).
The content included training on mental illness/disability; assistive technology training such as
listening; mental health training for workplaces, geared toward supporters, children, and theelderly; self-death countermeasures; case studies, etc.
(4) Support for Supporters
In 2013, the Planning Division implemented almost no projects under the category of
supporter support because of the time required to adjust the environment both inside the Center
and with external organizations. In this second year of operations, I was reminded time and timeagain of the difficulty of teambuilding.
As for external bodies, regarding the projects outsourced to four organizations (Tohokukai
Hospital, Miyagi Prefectural Psychiatric Medical Center, JASWA, Miyagi Prefectural
Danshukai), we will coordinate the contents of the outsourcing and provide generaladministrative support.

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(5) Research① Construction of a Statistical System
The statistical system, which was under development since April 2012 for the purpose ofclarifying the activity results of the entire Center, began operations this year. This system
simplifies the aggregation and analysis of activity data.
In the future, we plan to collaborate with the Disaster Mental Health Information Support
System being developed at the National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry, which willautomatically report to the Ministry of Health, Labour, and Welfare and make reportingsmoother.
(6) Support for Various Activities
We carried out a project aimed at cooperating with local governments, Health Centers, andconcerned parties in the prefecture and supporting their activities. In 2013, we provided support
for events hosted by the Sendai Grief Care Study Group, the AA Ojika Group, and the Miyagi
Chapter of the Japan Psychiatric Division Nursing Technology Association.
(7) Staff Training① Regular Training
Training for the staff of this Center has been conducted once a month since its establishment.
These efforts are aimed not only at improving skills and sharing information but also at looking
back on work and maintaining the mental health of staff.
However, as on-site activities increased, it became difficult for the staff to gather, and in
FY 2013, we decided to hold these training workshops every other month. In addition, whilethese events have heretofore been held in Sendai, we also conducted training sessions once eachat the Ishinomaki Regional Center and the Kesennuma Regional Center in order to better
understand the situation in each location.
② A Training System for Maintaining and Improving Specialization
In addition to making training at Tohokukai Hospital and the Tohoku University Endowed
Course compulsory so that staff can acquire more specialized knowledge, we arranged for our
staff to participate in training conducted by other specialized organizations.
(8) Other① Management of the Supporters’ ClubThe Supporters’ Club is a human resources bank consisting primarily of qualified personnel,
founded because it would have been difficult for Center staff alone to meet the enormous needsof various locations at the time of establishment. In FY 2013, in addition to the day campmentioned above, we received cooperation from them for follow-ups after the survey of tenantsof private rental housing and the operation of salons.
② Construction of a Web Meeting System
As the scope of our activities has expanded and the distance of our activity locations makes
it difficult to hold meetings frequently, we introduced a web conferencing system.
③ Japanese Hospital and Community Psychiatry Association
Three Planning Division staff members will participate as secretariat members for the Japan
Hospital/Regional Psychiatry Association to be held in Sendai City from October 31 (Friday)
to November (Saturday), 2014.
4. FY 2014 Plans
Our business plan for FY 2014 is as follows, and we plan to review this business content within
the Planning Division and establish the Planning and Coordination Department (Planning Division/Coordination Division) to implement it.

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(1) Raising Public AwarenessIn terms of our PR magazines and websites, we <PR Magazine Publication Plans>
will continue our efforts so far. In addition to four times per year (June, Sept, Dec,
reprinting previous pamphlets as necessary, we March)
will also create new ones on themes including <Pamphlet Creation Plans>stress and relaxation so that mental health can be About stress and relaxation
incorporated into daily life.
Understanding children and mental healthTraining for the general public on topics such care, for school officials
as basic knowledge of mental health and self-carewill also be conducted according to the actual conditions of the region.
(2) Community Resident Support
A day camp for parents and children in the disaster area will be held in 2014 as well. We will
make a plan by referring to the questionnaire up to 2013 and the voices of local residents. It isscheduled to be held around October.
(3) Human Resource Development
We will continue to hold earthquake-affected care exchange meetings, media conferences,and tri-prefectural Disaster Mental Health Care Center meetings. Our alcohol training sessions,a project we have contracted to Tohokukai Hospital, aim to create a community that can deal
with alcohol problems, and we will consider appropriate topics and program contents to increase
the effectiveness of these sessions. In addition, training for supporters will be conductedaccording to the actual conditions of the region.
(4) Support for Supporters
In FY 2014, as we have done before, the Planning Division will provide support to enable
the smooth implementation of outsourced projects with external organizations and will consider
project content from a medium- to long-term perspective.
(5) Research
The staff will receive regular training so that the statistical system can be operated
appropriately. Based on the data obtained from the statistical system, we will conduct surveys
and research that will be useful for future community mental health, such as comparisons ofdifferent municipalities.
(6) Support for Various Activities
In FY 2014, as we have done before, we will cooperate with local governments, HealthCenters, concerned parties, and other organizations operating in the prefecture and support theiractivities.
(7) Staff Training
Regular training will be held every other month as in FY 2013. Regarding the content of theevent, we will take requests from the staff and plan something that meets the needs of the site.
In addition, we will look back on our activities, share information between Regional Centers,
and maintain the mental health of our staff.
(8) Other
As for the Supporters’ Club, there is still a chronic shortage of manpower in many
communities, so increasing the number of registered members and establishing a system thatmakes it easier to utilize Supporters’ Club members are future issues. The number of members
will be doubled to 10 and we will aim to respond to local requests immediately. Furthermore,
we will clarify the department in charge of the Supporters’ Club and build a system that makes
it easier to make use of its manpower.
5. Discussion/Wrap-Up
In Miyagi Prefecture, the construction of public disaster housing has begun in earnest, and theenvironment surrounding the survivors is about to change further.
Preparing a living environment for the survivors is the first step toward reconstruction, but whenpublic disaster housing was built after the Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake, Niigata Chuetsu
Earthquake, and Chuetsu-oki Earthquake, problems such as the disappearance of communities
created in temporary housing and resident aging surfaced. The solving of brick-and-mortar problems,
like the construction of housing, is often considered to be the only task of reconstruction. However,
we must be aware that new challenges may arise in local communities.
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Until now, we have been working in response to requests from local communities. I think thisapproach allowed us to very effectively respond to the challenges facing the region. However, in
future, it will be necessary for us to proactively communicate with local entities regarding possible
problems from a medium- to long-term perspective while responding to the needs of the region.
Unlike the Regional Support Division, the Planning Division has few opportunities to provide
direct resident support, and it is difficult to see the actual results of our efforts. However, the work
content is wide-ranging, such as negotiations with other organizations, meetings, and development
and implementation of plans that transcend municipalities. We would like to learn from theexperiences of the Hyogo and Niigata Disaster Mental Health Care Centers and aim to create anenvironment where not only the staff of this Center but also supporters related to the earthquake caneasily work. In addition, with the goal of elevating the quality of mental health work throughout
Miyagi Prefecture in mind, we would like to fully consider and implement more effective responses
to the issues that are expected from here on out, even though our manpower is limited.
6. Conclusion
We received support from many people in 2013. In particular, I would like to thank the Disaster
Mental Health Care Centers in both Hyogo and Niigata for their many suggestions from a mediumto long-term perspective. Our activities, aimed at responding to the ever-changing problems ofdisaster areas, are always touch and go. Amidst this floundering, hearing stories of their pastexperiences has been exceptionally reassuring, and we have relied to a great extent on their presence.
And above all else, we hold the most profound respect for the effort and diligence we see in thesenarratives.
With these lessons taught to us by our seniors taken to heart, and as we accumulate experience
after experience, we aim to put forth our best effort each and every day to move forward on ourjourney toward disaster and community mental health support.

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