In 2006, the Baton Rouge Area Foundation created and implemented InCourage, a pilot program to provide mental health services to adults in Baton Rouge La., in the aftermath of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. Five foundations provided support.
InCourage is a 10-session manualized intervention developed to address a range of cognitive, emotional and behavioral reactions to disaster. (A manualized treatment is a set protocol of actions; if a therapist follows that series of steps then a particular result can be expected.)
InCourage was designed to fill the gap between short-term crisis counseling funded by the federal government and mental health services for the chronically mentally ill available through state and local community organizations. The 10 treatment sessions are divided into three main areas: psychoeducation, coping skills and cognitive restructuring.