Virgil is joined on the podcast by Brian Hansen, executive director of Spring Lake Ranch. Brian is uniquely qualified to comment on what it takes for organizations and individuals to recover from a crisis or disaster. In this episode, he shared that while organizations are really good at scaling back during a crisis, it’s what happens after the initial shock – the slow and careful return to normal life – that is critical to ongoing stability.
Listen below or find Mental Horizons on iTunes, Stitcher, or SoundCloud.
Before becoming executive director of Spring Lake Ranch in 2019, Brian spent many years working in the humanitarian sector in Africa, The Middle East, and Asia. During his time as a humanitarian Country Director he specialized in complex crises while leading programs that supported the needs of vulnerable populations and weakened government institutions.
His experience includes work in disaster risk reduction and disaster risk management, mental health and psychosocial support, food security and livelihoods, emergency response, and water sanitation and hygiene practices. He shares practical advice on how organizations can and should prepare for what comes next, after the pandemic.
Virgil and Brian’s conversation focuses on three main talking points:
1. Understanding the challenges that programs will face in re-opening your operation.
2. Things to consider when developing a plan of action to reopen.
3. Managing residual and psychological impact today and after the dust settles.