Client Story: The Ongoing Impact of 9/11

Mr. R. joined the 9/11 recovery efforts at Ground Zero on September 13, 2001. After spending eight months working for an asbestos removal company at the site, Mr. R. began to experience health problems that forced him to cut his hours and eventually stop working altogether.

In January 2004, the World Trade Center Medical Monitoring and Treatment Program diagnosed Mr. R. with chronic respiratory conditions, acid reflux disease, and totally disabling back injuries. He also suffered from psychological trauma and has been diagnosed with chronic post traumatic stress and major depressive disorder.

He turned to NYDIS for help and was assigned a caseworker who has been helping him since August 2004. The NYC 9/11 Unmet Needs Roundtable has provided Mr. R. and his family of five with rent, utilities, and food payments to aid their long-term recovery when all other means of assistance failed them. As a result of his application to the Roundtable, his wife has received job training and is now fully employed. His family is sustained by his wife’s income along with public benefits, while he is actively pursuing the maximum allowable benefits under workers’ compensation. Mr. R. says about the UNR, “They have helped me move on with my life, to overcome my problems. I am thankful to (NYDIS) for giving me these moments, this peace of mind in times of crisis.”

:: U.S. Government's Focus on Terrorism Frustrates States

State and local governments are becoming increasingly frustrated by the federal government’s focus on terrorism. For example, in order to receive needed federal funding, states are now required to create plans to keep their state safe from IEDs, a threat that is common in the Middle East but that states find to be an unrealistic concern in the United States. Many state and local officials understand the importance of protecting their residents against potential threats but believe that their most important financial priorities involve everyday violence in their neighborhoods. Without any concrete evidence that terrorism is likely, these leaders feel the need to allot the majority of their funding to other causes. Michael Chertoff, secretary of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, explains that federal directives to state governments are not unreasonable. Instead, he argues, the U.S. must take precautions to keep the country as prepared as possible.

Read the May 26 NY Times article: click here

:: Mount Sinai Study Finds High Rates of PTSD in 9/11 Responders

A new study by Mount Sinai School of Medicine reveals that people who served as first responders after the 9/11 attacks on the World Trade Center have significantly higher rates of psychological distress than the general population. Some of these psychological problems include post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, and panic disorder. The study reveals that the number of responders who are experiencing PTSD is comparable to that of veterans who served in the war in Afghanistan. In response to Mount Sinai’s findings, Senator Clinton and Representatives Maloney, Nadler, and Towns have again stressed the need for federal funding to support the physical and mental health care available to these responders.

Read the Mount Sinai Report: click here

Read the May 20 press release from the Office of Representative Nadler: click here

:: Emergency Management Sector Shows Growing Job Outlook

According to FEMA and data from private sector research, the field of emergency management and disaster recovery is growing in the United States in spite of the weakened economy. By 2012, these sources predict that the sector will spend $65 billion in wages alone to employ 1.2 million people. Examples of emergency management jobs include environmental science and protection technicians, paramedics, fire fighters, and occupational health and safety specialists. While $65 billion may seem like a strain on government spending, the cost of not being prepared in a large-scale disaster is much greater, as Hurricane Katrina and Cyclone Nargis reveal.

Read the article in Homeland Security News: click here

:: Larry Silverstein Optimistically Rebuilds the WTC Complex

With construction in progress on the Freedom Tower as well as WTC 3 and 4, Larry A. Silverstein’s company has over $9 billion worth of projects in process at a time when many other developers are suffering in a staggering economy. Silverstein has weathered tumultuous times at the World Trade Center site since 1987, when the first 7 WTC building was finished shortly before the stock market crashed. Just under 15 years later, 9/11 happened. In both instances, Silverstein remained optimistic about his goals for his buildings. Firmly and patiently waiting for the right time and buyer, he does not budge in his rent negotiations. He confidently anticipates an upturn in the economy that will help him fill WTC 7 and that will continue through the upcoming years to coincide with the availability of space in the WTC Complex, which will be completed in 2012.

Read the May 14 NY Times article: click here

:: Health Department Announces New Program for 9/11 Mental Health Treatment

On April 21, the NYC Health Department announced its plans for a new program that will cover mental health and substance abuse treatment for New York City residents and workers who are still struggling with the psychological impacts of 9/11. The program will reimburse eligible New Yorkers for out-of-pocket outpatient treatment including therapy, medication, lab work, and evaluations received anytime between January 2, 2007 and January 7, 2011. According to data collected in the years following 9/11, as many as 40% of Lower Manhattan residents experienced stress symptoms that indicate a potential for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Similarly, recovery workers experienced PTSD symptoms three times more than the rest of the population. Enrollment for the benefit will continue from the present until July 2010.

For more information:
www.nyc.gov/html/doh/wtc/html/home/home.shtml

To find out if you are eligible for the benefit or to enroll, go to:
www.nyc.gov/9-11mentalhealth