Dr. Milligan and others conversing with His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales at Dumfries House in Scotland, on October 22, 2017.

In October, 19 international experts working in the area of trauma and disaster convened in Scotland for a 2-day international roundtable to develop a brief intervention to facilitate recovery and enhance resilience in children, adolescents, and families after the experience of a disaster. Dr. Karen Milligan, Associate Professor in the Department of Psychology and Director of the Child Self-Regulation Lab, took part on the expert panel. Natural disasters, such as Hurricane Irma, or terrorism events, such as the Manchester Arena bombing, can greatly impact the mental health and well-being of youth, adults, families and communities. Identifying challenges, navigating treatment systems and finding help and support can be challenging, particularly if a youth’s symptoms are not severe enough to warrant a mental health diagnosis. The interventions developed at this roundtable will support and improve access to care for this group of youth.

The roundtable was sponsored by the Prince’s Trust Australia and led by Phoenix Australia Centre for Posttraumatic Mental Health. His Royal Highness, Prince Charles attended part of the roundtable discussion and hosted a reception and dinner for the group. He was exceptionally warm and welcoming and took an active interest in learning about the intervention and its potential for implementation around the world.

Phoenix Australia is now taking a lead on developing the protocol for intervention and once funding is secured pilot its implementation. Dr. Milligan and the other roundtable participants, representing Australia, Norway, Germany, the US and the UK, expressed excitement about continuing to consult on this important project and continuing their involvement in evaluating and supporting its implementation once it is shown to be feasible and effective.