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Training Manual
for Mental Health and Human Service Workers
in Major Disasters
PREFACE
Since 1974, the Center for Mental Health Services (CMHS) and its
predecessor agency, the National Institute of Mental Health, has administered the Crisis Counseling Assistance and Training Program, in coordination with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). The Crisis Counseling Program provides supplemental funding to States for short-term crisis counseling services to victims of Presidentially declared disasters. The Crisis Counseling Program includes a training component for direct service staff and other disaster service workers to ensure that appropriate services are provided to the community.
Published in 1978, this training manual was the first publication to originate from the program. The primary purpose of this edition is to provide an overview of substantive concepts to assist mental health administrators, planners, and trainers in developing the training component of crisis counseling projects. This edition has been extensively revised to reflect wisdom and knowledge gathered from 25 years of disaster mental health experience.
One of the significant changes America has experienced during the past decade has been the occurrence of human-caused disasters. With the rise in number of complex technological and terrorist events, we recognize the need to emphasize that the practical applications of this manual can be expanded to disasters and emergencies of all types.
One of the challenges of the program is the need to educate human service managers and mental health professionals that the Crisis Counseling Program model differs significantly from the traditional mental health model. Disaster mental health is a specialized service which requires distinct training. The skills, knowledge, and attitudes required for disaster mental health and crisis counseling are quite different from those needed in therapeutic, clinical mental health services. This manual introduces the trainer to the Crisis Counseling Program model, the scope and limits of the program, and elements required for effective service design and delivery.
The manual details specific guidelines on how disasters affect children, adults, and older adults, the importance of tailoring the program to fit the community, descriptions of effective disaster mental health intervention, and strategies for preventing and managing worker stress. It also includes a comprehensive training course (Section 6) with eleven different activities which can be modified to the phase of the disaster response and tailored to current and anticipated needs of the community and program staff. Overheads and educational information have been specifically designed and formatted for immediate use by the trainer.
With the increase in number and complexity of disaster events, there is one factor that remains constant in determining the effectiveness of disaster mental health response and recovery-preparedness. Crisis counseling program services are most effective when there is an existing plan in place for rapid mobilization, response, and implementation of disaster mental health services.
FEMA provided funding to CMHS for revision of this manual as part of the continuing effort by both agencies to assist communities in achieving the goal of disaster mental health response and recovery planning. It is our hope that administrators, managers, and trainers will take advantage of this resource before disaster strikes to ensure that the most effective and appropriate crisis counseling services are provided to disaster survivors.
Mary Elizabeth Nelson, MSW
Chief, Emergency Services and Disaster Relief Branch
Center for Mental Health Services
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
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