Due to the fact that people didn’t have previous systematized experience or information, one of the first goals was to search for information related to critical incidents. And as a first activity the group got in contact with some of the most prominent psychologists of our country that were teaching at UNAM at that time, with the intention of receiving the first crisis intervention, emergency intervention, psychological first aid; as well as treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder training.
So, professor Arturo got to participate in the creation and organization of the first psychological attention activities to attend the serious problematic that was afflicting that great population. He was also receiving training from experts from another country that arrived to the university.
After that he was invited to work as a full time professor in the career of  Psychology of the Autonomous University of Baja California (UABC) and because of his experience, he and other students and academics were frequently invited to give conferences related to the psychological effect derived of earthquakes and natural disasters, giving birth in 1987 to approximately the first outline of what we now call GIPSE.

Recently, approximately  3 years ago , a swarm of earthquakes occured in Mexicali that generated an important aumount of symptoms and psychological reactions, when these appear during the first weeks of the event and/or months afterwards, they are known as post-traumatic stress disorder. At that time we were invited by the M.D. Julieta Bonilla, then President of the College of Psychologists in Mexicali and petitioned by the oficial government agencies to impart conferences and courses about the psychological effects provoked by the natural disasters to firefighters, department of civil defence and general public, activities that were followed by radio and press notes and interviews; these activities intensified the function and sense of our organization… From that moment on we have dedicated ourselves to restructure, update and promote our activities as a group, which also had a relevant function in the 7.2 earthquake occurred in Mexicali on April 4, 2010. Showing thus, the effectiveness and maturity of our programs and proposals to confront quickly and efficiently the psychological consequences and symptomatology that these events bring. We also participated in the training of the first brigades that were to attend the people in the Valley of Mexicali, where the worst physical, structural, medical and psychological consequences occurred, as well as giving psychological attention to the population of Mexicali.

Right now one of the main goals of our group is to give courses and training mainly to students and professionals in the field of psychology and related fields, as well as members of civil associations and organized society groups; because we are convinced that the best way of confronting disasters that put at risk big populations, is in relation to the capacity of immediate response that the prepared members of a society have. These members have to have preparation in psychological emergencies (basic attention and psychological first aid) because, if we give this attention during the first weeks in which this traumatic stress occurs, according to the reports of international level specialists, the psychopathological symptomatology that usually presents itself at medium and long term is impressingly reduced.
In conclusion, our organization has its background in the 1985 earthquake in Mexico city, the seismically situation originated in the system of faults that make up what is now known as the “San Andreas Fault” and the April 4th earthquake in Mexicali. It has always been clear to us that because of the high seismicity situation in our region and the little efficiency of the official state organizations to attend the psychological effects out coming from critical events and natural disasters, we have committed not to wait for a new tragedy to occur without fulfilling our commitments to civil society who demands an attention that they haven’t received up to now; this is why we are not willing to wait one more day to organize ourselves, because not preparing today to attend the psychological effects of the disasters of tomorrow, would be equal to condemn society to serious emotional and psychological problems.

... And humanity’s long story of ineptitude and  negligence would repeat itself again... Just that this time You and Me would be responsible...!

 

 

Psychological Intervention Group for
Emergency Situations GIPSE