It's going to take months, perhaps years, for the passengers and families of American Airlines Flight 1420 to heal from the wounds, scars and indelible images the experience left behind, team members said. They want to guarantee those affected by the crash of the MD-82 that help will be available during the long recovery. Throughout the recovery period, Red Cross workers, trained in disaster relief and aviation disasters, provide bedside help to survivors, their families and to the families of those killed in the accident, said Carol Miller, a Red Cross spokesman. The safety board determined that the Red Cross offer spiritual care as well as help to the passengers and their families in areas such as mental health, grief counseling, child care, physical aid and disaster relief counseling. The families and the survivors use this as closure to this event in their lives.
Closure is just the beginning of a long road to recovery.
All of the Red Cross volunteers working this case are disaster mental health professionals who include psychologists, certified social workers, practicing counselors and registered nurses with training in psychiatric nursing. The Aviation Disaster Family Assistance Act of 1996 requires airlines to be responsible for the aircraft disaster victims and their families' mental care, transportation, and hotel accommodations for as long as they need help recovering from the tragedy. American Airlines said it has had an active disaster relief policy for the past 10 years, and that now that airlines are required by law to extend these services, the plan is being used as a model for the industry. They will stay with the families and the survivors as long as they need our help. The airline company's CARE members are paid their regular salaries during the time they spend away from their full-time American Airlines jobs.