Clinical Planning and Service Delivery in Disaster Behavioral Health

Clinical Planning and Service Delivery in Disaster Behavioral Health CE Course (PDF document) – Online CE Course

Clinical Planning and Service Delivery in Disaster Behavioral Health CE Course objectives, description, and outline

Course Objectives:

• Discuss at least two core principles of disaster behavioral health, including common disaster reactions, phases of disaster recovery, trauma-informed care, and resilience, as they apply to clinical service delivery across disaster contexts.
• Describe at least one evidence-informed disaster behavioral health intervention, including Psychological First Aid, population-based outreach strategies, and phase-appropriate supports, to match clinical responses to survivor needs over time.
• Explain at least two disaster behavioral health planning concepts—such as all-hazards frameworks, population exposure models, interprofessional coordination, and workforce resilience strategies—to support effective clinical preparedness, response, and recovery efforts.

Course Description:

To promote resilience and assess disaster survivors for additional behavioral health support needs, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) have agencies, offices, and programs that promote the mental health and well-being of people impacted by disaster. Other executive departments, including the U.S. Department of Education and the U.S. Department of Justice under the Attorney General, also administer programs to support those impacted by a disaster or
traumatic event.

To make this guidance document as helpful as possible to your specific planning role, we will highlight both how things fit together and where you might fit within the big picture. Because the picture is so big, and growing, we will aim to look at disaster behavioral health (DBH) efforts throughout the United States, with the intent of piecing together disparate approaches and efforts into a more complete summary.

Course Outline:

1. 1. Introduction
      1. Why We Plan
      2. Why “All-hazards”?
      3. An Overview of Disaster Behavioral Health
   2. The Planning Process
      1. Benefits of the Planning Process
   3. Getting Started
      1. Understanding Existing Plans, Resources, and Authorities
      2. Identifying Partners in Plan Development and Implementation
      3. Conducting a Pre-event Needs Assessment and Risk Assessment
   4. Writing, Testing, Activating, and Deactivating the Plan
      1. Writing the Plan
      2. Testing the Plan
      3. Activating and Deactivating the Plan
   5. Evaluating and Revising the Plan
   6. Elements of Successful Disaster Behavioral Health Plans
      1. Scalability
      2. Clearly Defined Collaborations and Partnerships
      3. Clarity of Financial and Administrative Operations
      4. A Mechanism to Implement a Disaster Behavioral Health Plan
      5. Range and Clarity of Services
      6. A Description of Logistical Support
      7. Definition of Legal, Regulatory, or Policy Authority to Assist Functioning
      8. A Defined Process for Maintenance, Exercises, and Updates
   7. Planning Resources

Instructors: Nicole Hiltibran, MA, LMFT; Julie Campbell, Phd

Author: SAMHSA

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) is the agency within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services that leads public health efforts to advance the behavioral health of the nation. SAMHSA’s mission is to reduce the impact of substance abuse and mental illness on America’s communities.

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