Global Service

Testimonial

We have had many people come here to help, but I can see that you are different. I see the love of God in you, and now I have hope.

Haitian man
Assisted by the Trauma Team after flooding in 2004

Loma Linda University International Behavioral Health Trauma Team

Established in 1995, the Loma Linda University International Behavioral Health Trauma Team has served as a vital global resource in delivering resiliency and trauma-informed behavioral health services. Guided by a mission to serve communities with limited access to behavioral health infrastructure, the Team focuses on crisis and post-crisis interventions in underserved and disaster-affected regions around the world.

Operating under the leadership of the Loma Linda University School of Behavioral Health, the Team provides:

Crisis and post-crisis response
Training in resiliency and trauma-informed interventions
Support for post-crisis community development
Evaluation and research related to post-crisis intervention and community development outcomes

Over the years, the Team has provided psychosocial crisis and post crisis support for natural disasters, public health crises, and conflict zones in more than 60 countries, including, but not limited to:

The 2005 tsunami in Southeast Asia
Hurricane Katrina in the United States
Earthquakes in China, Haiti, and Nepal
Civil unrest and post-war trauma in Côte d’Ivoire
The Ebola outbreak in Sierra Leone
The conflict in Ukraine
The 2015 mass shooting in San Bernardino, California

The Team is composed of clinical faculty from the School of Behavioral Health, behavioral health professionals from Loma Linda University Health, alumni, and—when possible—advanced-degree clinical students enrolled in graduate programs within the school.

To date, the Team has provided direct services to more than 5,000 individuals and has trained over 7,000 in crisis response and resilience-building techniques. The Team continues to respond globally when called to serve, upholding its commitment to compassion, service, and the advancement of global behavioral health.

International Behavioral Health Trauma Team LLUH Presentation - August 2019 (PDF)
Read updates on the International Behavioral Health Trauma Team in "Behavioral Health," our alumni magazine (Volume 1, Issue 1 | 2018), pages 4-7
American University rolls out trauma training (Samoa Observer)
ADRA Collaborates to Train Mental Health Providers in Sint Maarten (Seventh-day Adventist Church, Inter-American Division)

Life on the Line Episodes

For the Love of Paradise (Episode 501)

Brad Brown, a hospital chaplain in the town of Paradise, risked his own life to help patients escape the deadliest fire in the history of California. Hailed one of the biggest heroes by Time Magazine, he is returning to his burned community with his family and is set on helping others do the same. But as emotional trauma hits residents, a behavioral health trauma team zeroes in to help those impacted by the fire.

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The Aftermath (Episode 203)

In one of the worst storms on record, Typhoon Haiyan hit the Philippines with devastating force. More than 6,000 people died and thousands more displaced, leaving a whole region left to face loss, hardship and depression. In the aftermath of the typhoon, an international behavioral health trauma team touches down to help those facing grief and post-traumatic stress. Journey through the eyes of Nona, a single mother of six, as she shares her story of survival; and Joward, a local pastor determined to help the people in his community.

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