WHAT:
Harvard Medical School, through a grant by the National Institute of Mental Health, will recruit 2,000 survivors of Hurricane Katrina to create the Hurricane Katrina Community Advisory Group. The group will provide ongoing information to policy-makers to help monitor the pace of recovery of the more than two million families whose lives were disrupted by Hurricane Katrina, with a strong emphasis on the mental health of the survivors.

Beginning January 10, a national telephone campaign will commence to recruit a representative sample of survivors.

A press briefing about this important initiative will be held this Thursday. To participate in the teleconference, please call 617-432-0442 and reserve a spot. We will provide you with the call-in information and an embargoed copy of the release.

WHEN:
Thursday, January 5, 2006
11:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.
Please RSVP to obtain the call-in number and password, and an advanced copy of the embargoed press release.

NOTE:
The national teleconference is for registered media only. The information obtained prior to the call-in are embargoed until Thursday, January 5, 2005, 12:00 PM U.S. EST.

SPEAKERS:
Ronald C. Kessler, Ph.D.
Professor, Department of Health Care Policy
Harvard Medical School

Anthony H. Speier, Ph.D.
Director of Disaster Mental Health Operations
Louisiana Office of Mental Health

Benjamin Springgate, M.D., M.P.H.
Robert Wood Johnson Clinical Scholar Program
UCLA School of Medicine
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Contact: John Lacey
public_affairs@hms.harvard.edu
617-432-0442
Harvard Medical School
3-Jan-2006

Page: 1
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