A recent seminar sponsored by Paul Davis Restoration andRemodeling of Suburban Maryland and Washington, D.C. gave advice toinsurance professionals on how to manage the psychological stressof managing claims during times of disaster.

Dr. Raymond Shelton, fellow and director of personal developmentwith the American Academy of Experts in Traumatic Stress, served askeynote speaker for the workshop, which was called, "Catastrophe!Managing the Psychological Trauma." The event was held on March 28in Rockville, Md.

According to Paul Davis, Dr. Shelton's presentation instructedparticipants how catastrophes can create a powerfully negativepsychological response in the policyholder, the claim adjuster, andthe catastrophe response team. Dr. Shelton also instructedparticipants to correctly respond to negative reactions and to helpeffectively manage the victim of catastrophe, plus improve theclaim process. Additionally, the seminar reviewed how a catastropheresponse team can prepare for their own stress reactions while onsite and in the aftermath of catastrophe response duty.

During the half-day seminar event, Paul Davis said thatattendees learned how to define traumatic stress and its effects onthe policyholder and catastrophe response staff, provide specificsafety techniques to effectively manage traumatic stress inpolicyholders and catastrophe response staff, and providestress-management techniques to be utilized during and followingincident engagement.

Lauren Nowak, Paul Davis' marketing director, clarified thereasons why they sponsored the seminar for insurance industryprofessionals. "In our industry and during times of crisis,numerous individuals in the claims and recovery field must arriveon the scene and are expected to stabilize the situation andprovide the means to replace or rebuild lost and damaged property,"she said. "However, many insurance industry professionals are notequipped to deal with the trauma they experience when working withcatastrophe and its victims."

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