The news coverage of Hurricane Katrina's devastation showed flooded homes, displaced residents and stranded pets. But it tended not to show what cannot really be seen: the almost unimaginable mental toll surviving a disaster can take. But Donald Sharps, MD, saw it. And when he arrived as part of an American Psychiatric Association/Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration Katrina Assistance Project, he realized he could help those who suffered the worst when they needed him most.

"When I saw the human toll on the news and heard about it from earlier volunteers, I felt like what I do is what they need," says Dr. Sharps, associate medical director for behavioral health services for the County of Orange, assistant clinical professor of psychiatry at UC Irvine and president of the Orange County Psychiatric Society. "But I didn't know what part of my skill set would be used. It turns out the ability to write a prescription was only necessary maybe 10 percent of the time." Instead, he did a lot of listening and some basic primary care.

His first assignment--"after SAMHSA dressed me in an orange shirt and sent me to Baton Rouge"--was making house calls at the FEMA trailer parks there. Dr. Sharps served a week in the capital and then moved to New Orleans for another week. The SAMHSA mission in the Crescent City was to tend to the emotional stress needs of the first responders--the men and women who literally waded into the mayhem to salvage what they could of thousands of shattered lives.

"I was amazed everyone was open to mental health support," Dr. Sharps says. "Having conversations with people helped them verify and prioritize what they could do something about and what they couldn't. The first people back into New Orleans had relationship issues, sleeplessness, stress and anger. However, all of the people I saw--the first responders and the individuals they were helping--were, in spite of everything that had happened, grateful and gracious. That was uplifting for me."

The experience helped him hone his practice skills back home. "It reinforced something I have been striving for for a long time--helping people focus beyond the symptoms," Dr. Sharps says. "That gives the clinician and the patient a measurable goal to work toward together. Sometimes in psychotherapy defining goals is half the battle."

The trip to Louisiana also gave him a renewed appreciation of his positive day-to-day work environment and a renewed appreciation of the teamwork he has helped create through his administrative leadership. "Through a series of New Orleans reports, Dr. Sharps educated the staff on his psychiatric work there," says colleague Bill Courter, MD. "His intention was not to highlight his own contribution, but to highlight the plight of the victims, their need for services and their process of recovery. In each of his presentations, he shared his firsthand observation of the value of the team approach and the value of treating the person, not just the disease."

According to Dr. Courter, Dr. Sharps makes a habit of expressing his thanks to colleagues and encourages staffers to appreciate each other. "Overall, I think his New Orleans reports have nurtured an even greater appreciation by the staff of our own good fortune and helped foster even more teamwork."

Interestingly, Dr. Sharps has experienced the opposite of a secure, dry and functional work environment before. After finishing his residency in psychiatry at USC, he traveled to Micronesia to practice for two years. In Guam, he was awarded The Ancient Order of the Chamorri by the governor for service to the island. "New Orleans after Katrina was comparable to experiences with frequent typhoons in Micronesia 20 years ago," he says.

Clearly, Dr. Sharps doesn't shy away from difficult assignments--that's why he chose public sector mental health. "I enjoy puzzles," he says, "and public sector mental health is a puzzle, a great challenge. I believed that if I joined the system, I could participate and help from the inside rather than complaining from the outside. And now I've been here for 10 years."

Dr. Courter says mental health services in Orange County wouldn't be the same if Dr. Sharps left. "He's an outstanding psychiatrist because of his willingness to always work as a team," he says. "And [Dr. Sharps] treats the entire individual, not just the illness. If there are nonmedical issues that need to be addressed, he's quick to acknowledge them, quick to allow the patient to share those issues and quick to incorporate those problems into a treatment plan that extends beyond the normal medical practice."

Dr. Courter adds: "He teaches an approach that can change an average physician into a better physician. The key is not your level of expertise, but how you interact, lead and get everyone to come on board."

Collaboration and teamwork are core principles for Dr. Sharps. "If I want to make a change, I have to participate," he says. "I certainly can't just offer my comments from afar."

Spoken like someone who volunteered his mental health services in Louisiana and dedicates himself to those in need in Orange County.