∙

A Quarterly Technical Assistance Journal on Disaster Behavioral Health 

Produced by the SAMHSA Disaster Technical Assistance Center

2013 | VOLUME 10 | ISSUE 1

IN THIS ISSUE 

 2 The Public and Mental Health 

Response to the Boston 

Marathon Bombing 

 5 Traumatic Reminders: 

Overcoming What You Can’t 

Erase From Experience 

 7 Impact of the Deepwater 

Horizon Oil Spill on Louisiana 

 9 Recommended Resources

10 Upcoming Events
The Dialogue is a quarterly technical assistance journal on disaster behavioral health which 

is produced by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA)

Disaster Technical Assistance Center (DTAC). Through the pages of The Dialogue, disaster 

behavioral health professionals share information and resources while examining the 

disaster behavioral health preparedness and response issues that are important to the field. 

The Dialogue also provides a comprehensive look at the disaster training and technical 

assistance services SAMHSA DTAC provides to prepare states, territories, tribes, and local 

entities so they can deliver effective behavioral health (mental health and substance abuse) 

responses to disasters. To receive The Dialogue, please go to SAMHSA’s homepage 

(http://www.samhsa.gov), enter your e-mail address in the “Mailing List” box on the 

right, and mark the checkbox for “SAMHSA’s Disaster Technical Assistance newsletter, 

The Dialogue,” which is listed in the Newsletters section.

SAMHSA DTAC provides disaster technical assistance, training, consultation, resources, 

information exchange, and knowledge brokering to help disaster behavioral health 

professionals plan for and respond effectively to mental health and substance abuse 

needs following a disaster.

To learn more, please call 1-800-308-3515, e-mail DTAC@samhsa.hhs.gov, or visit the 

SAMHSA DTAC website at http://www.samhsa.gov/dtac.

∙

IN THIS ISSUE 

 2 The Public and Mental Health 

Response to the Boston 

Marathon Bombing

 5 Traumatic Reminders: 

Overcoming What You Can’t 

Erase From Experience

 7 Impact of the Deepwater 

Horizon Oil Spill on Louisiana 

 9 Recommended Resources

10 Upcoming Events

The Dialogue is not responsible for the information provided by any webpages, materials, or organizations referenced in this publication. Although The Dialogue

includes valuable articles and collections of information, SAMHSA does not necessarily endorse any specific products or services provided by public or private 

organizations unless expressly stated. In addition, SAMHSA does not necessarily endorse the views expressed by such sites or organizations, nor does SAMHSA 

warrant the validity of any information or its fitness for any particular purpose.
2013 | VOLUME 10 | ISSUE 1 | PAGE 1

A Quarterly Technical Assistance Journal on Disaster Behavioral Health 

Produced by the SAMHSA Disaster Technical Assistance Center

In This Issue

This year, we complement last year’s newsletter 

theme (“Preparedness”) by highlighting “Response.” 

In this issue, we focus on community resilience in 

the aftermath of disaster. First, we learn about the 

coordinated, collaborative response and recovery 

to the Boston Marathon bombing. We then share 

information on trauma reminders, the effect they can 

have on survivors, and how to cope with them. Our 

final article shows how disaster behavioral health 

responders adapted to community needs after the 

Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill, which occurred in 

the midst of the region’s long-term recovery from 

Hurricane Katrina and economic downturn. We hope 

that the experiences shared by these well-informed 

authors can help with your own response and 

resilience efforts. 

Warmest regards,

Nikki Bellamy, Ph.D. 

Public Health Advisor, Emergency Mental Health 

and Traumatic Stress Services Branch

Nikki.bellamy@samhsa.hhs.gov

CDR Erik Hierholzer, B.S.N. 

Lead Public Health Advisor, Emergency Mental 

Health and Traumatic Stress Services Branch 

Erik.hierholzer@samhsa.hhs.gov

Amy R. Mack, Psy.D. 

SAMHSA DTAC Project Director

Plan

Prepare

Respond
2013 | VOLUME 10 | ISSUE 1 | PAGE 2

A Quarterly Technical Assistance Journal on Disaster Behavioral Health 

Produced by the SAMHSA Disaster Technical Assistance Center

SPECIAL FEATURE

The Public and Mental Health Response to the 

Boston Marathon Bombing 

Contributed by Richard H. Beinecke and Emily Beinecke 

Richard H. Beinecke, Professor and Chair, Suffolk University Institute of Public Service

Emily Beinecke, Boston Marathon bombing survivor and graduate student, Tufts University

The response to the Boston 

Marathon bombings was 

extraordinary. Sadly, three 

spectators were killed in the blast, 

but of the 264 injured, all survived 

as a result of rapid and competent 

treatment. From response to 

recovery, networks of local, state, 

and federal organizations provided 

effective crisis intervention. Many 

people and organizations—from 

local residents to the Boston 

Red Sox—assisted survivors, 

donated to The One Fund Boston, 

and contributed to community 

resilience. These efforts 

exemplified the effectiveness 

of integrated behavioral health 

response services as a critical 

component of all hazard planning 

and services. This article 

highlights the roles of the agencies 

involved in the response and 

recovery phases. 

The Boston Public Health 

Commission Office of Public 

Health Preparedness was the 

lead agency in the response to 

the bombing, and its Stephen M. 

Lawler Medical Intelligence Center 

(MIC)—the only such center in the 

country—was the central hub for 

managing, organizing, monitoring, 

and providing information for 

health and mental health services. 

Representatives from nearly every 

Boston-based public and mental 

health entity helped survivors at the 

MIC. More than 120 teams of grief 

counselors were deployed, and 

more than 207 crisis intervention 

contacts were conducted in 

approximately 600 hours, serving 

more than 1,500 people. 

Federal Agencies. 

Regional emergency coordinators 

from the Boston Office of 

the Assistant Secretary for 

Preparedness and Response

(ASPR, an agency under the 

U.S. Department of Health and 

Human Services) supported local 

organizations with identifying 

and addressing community needs. 

ASPR deployed an Incident 

Response Coordination Team 

with two experts in disaster 

behavioral health.

continued on page 3

Boston Marathon bombing memorial in Copley Square. Photo: Eilis Maynard/ FEMA
2013 | VOLUME 10 | ISSUE 1 | PAGE 3

A Quarterly Technical Assistance Journal on Disaster Behavioral Health 

Produced by the SAMHSA Disaster Technical Assistance Center

continued from page 2

Both the SAMHSA Regional 

Administrator (SRA) and the 

Supervisory Regional Emergency 

Coordinator from ASPR provided 

expert technical assistance and 

educational materials to help 

local organizations access and 

disseminate resources easily and 

rapidly. The SRA organized 

a team of 20 mental health 

professionals from the U.S. Public 

Health Service who worked for 

10 days, providing approximately 

1,100 contacts with survivors 

that included psychological first 

aid, education, and promotion of 

community resilience. Disaster 

behavioral health responders 

shared information about the 

SAMHSA Disaster Distress 

Helpline with survivors and other 

first responders. Survivors were 

able to call and text the Helpline to 

share their experiences and learn 

about other common reactions and 

tips for coping with stress after a 

disaster. Crisis counselors also 

helped survivors locate local call 

centers for follow-up care and 

additional support.

State Agencies. 

The Massachusetts Department 

of Mental Health’s (DMH)

Director of Program Implementation

and Emergency Management was 

the lead for the behavioral health 

response to the bombing. The 

DMH Disaster Behavioral Health 

Committee comprises members 

from DMH, Riverside 

Trauma Center 

(the department’s 

contracted emergency 

response service), 

the American Red 

Cross, and faithbased and voluntary 

agencies active in 

disasters. The Office 

of Communications 

and Community Engagement 

disseminated educational materials 

from SAMHSA and other sources 

to educate survivors about 

common emotional responses to 

disaster and direct them to helpful 

resources. After many agencies 

stood down, DMH continued to 

communicate with key responder 

groups to address unmet needs 

and handle requests for continued 

crisis counseling and referrals for 

mental health services. Staff at 

the Massachusetts Department 

of Public Health’s Marathon 

Operations Center coordinated 

public health activities, organized 

medical supplies, gathered and 

provided situational awareness, 

monitored patient movement, 

and provided shelter and 

meeting locations for runners 

and their families.

Medical Agencies. 

Staff from the Riverside Trauma 

Center, coordinators of the 

statewide Trauma Response 

Network, provided crisis 

intervention counseling. For 3 

weeks, 34 responders spent nearly 

500 hours serving 600 people in 

individual and group contacts. 

Together with the community, the 

responders planned presentations, 

meetings, and vigils. They 

supported schools and businesses 

and were a helpful presence at the 

Armory of the First Corps of Cadets 

(a Boston landmark also referred 

to as “The Castle”), where runners 

and their families gathered. They 

also accompanied local business 

owners to their blood-stained 

locations, provided outreach to the 

Muslim community, and cared for 

retraumatized survivors.

Ten Massachusetts hospitals 

attended to survivors. Those 

with more serious injuries were 

treated at Massachusetts General 

Hospital’s Burns and Trauma 

Psychiatry Consultation. This 

department dealt with new 

patients, continued caring for 

existing psychiatric patients, 

and connected survivors to 

psychiatric services at Spaulding 

Rehabilitation Hospital. 

continued on page 4
2013 | VOLUME 10 | ISSUE 1 | PAGE 4

A Quarterly Technical Assistance Journal on Disaster Behavioral Health 

Produced by the SAMHSA Disaster Technical Assistance Center

continued from page 3

The social workers at Beth 

Israel Medical Center’s Center 

for Violence Prevention and 

Recovery provided individual and 

group supports for survivors who 

remained in the hospital, as well as 

for outpatients and their families.

Support Services for 

Responders. 

The Boston Police Department’s

Peer Support Unit, staffed by five 

officers who are trained crisis 

counselors, was supported by 30 

New York Police Department

stress counselors. Counselors 

identified officers in need, 

provided short-term care, and 

referred officers and their families 

to treatment as appropriate. They 

also bolstered the assistance 

that the Watertown Police 

Department received from its 

employee assistance program 

and from a Bureau of Alcohol, 

Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives 

team. The Cambridge Police 

Department’s Peer Support Team 

worked with its officers who were 

involved in the response efforts. 

Support was also provided to other 

first responders. 

The American Red Cross 

provided a one-stop service center 

for survivors. They supplied 

47,000 meals, shelter for those 

evacuated from the Cambridge and 

Watertown areas, and financial aid 

for survivors’ families; and linked 

injured survivors and their families 

to follow-up care in the United 

States and abroad. Additionally, 

the Red Cross assigned 75 mental 

health professionals to provide 

individual counseling and support 

groups and to participate in 84 

community vigils, as well as many 

memorial services. 

Informal Supports. 

The great outpouring of support 

from the community contributed 

greatly to survivors’ mental 

health recovery. The formal 

response and recovery efforts were 

complemented by the founding of 

The One Fund Boston, numerous 

tributes and memorials, and support 

from the area’s professional athletic 

teams, as well as assistance from 

individuals and groups in the city, 

the country, and even other parts of 

the world. 

Boston’s experience shows that 

supporting community resilience 

after a disaster requires extensive, 

coordinated planning and 

implementation on formal and 

informal levels. We learned many 

lessons from this tragedy, including: 

• Mental health services are as 

essential as primary and public 

health services after disasters.

• Providers should be proficient 

in crisis intervention and have 

skills for determining when 

and how to refer individuals for 

more formal assessment and 

treatment services. 

• Family reunification, meals, 

housing, financial assistance, 

and other practical supports 

remain the primary and most 

salient immediate interventions.

• 

• 

• 

• 

A network of clear and 

coordinated relationships 

developed pre-event can ensure 

an effective response. 

Previous collaborative planning, 

training, and exercising helps 

establish trust and can reduce 

turf wars.

Access to accurate information 

and educational materials and 

appropriate use of all forms of 

media can greatly influence the 

community’s recovery path. 

The use of informal networks 

and social supports remain 

primary ways that individuals 

and communities heal.

The services and care that continue 

for many individuals have added 

to the increased resiliency in 

the Boston area. Plans and 

preparations for the 2014 marathon 

are already underway. ■
2013 | VOLUME 10 | ISSUE 1 | PAGE 5

Disaster response volunteers help clean homes after a flood. Photo: Michael Rieger/ FEMA

Traumatic Reminders: Overcoming What You 

Can’t Erase From Experience 

Contributed by Melissa Riley, Ph.D. 

Wilderness Emergency Medical Technician 

Everything that we have owned 

or touched since we were born 

has been or will be replaced by 

something else. However, we 

retain memories throughout most 

of our lives, easily recalling 

things we loved—a first pet, 

our grandmother’s cooking, a 

favorite toy. How do we bring 

up such cherished memories? 

By using what are known in 

the disaster behavioral health 

field as “triggers.” These are 

reminders that are the gateway 

to remembering or reliving an 

emotional experience. If you look 

around your office or home you 

will likely find a photo or keepsake 

that has meaning—something 

that brings you a grounded, happy 

emotional response. 

Reminders are also associated 

with life-threatening events such 

as disasters or other traumatic 

incidents. These experiences are 

often unexpected, dangerous, and 

one of the most intense emotional 

experiences you may ever have. 

Most people will retain the 

memory of that disaster for the 

rest of their life, and, for some, 

that memory may cause intense 

emotional pain. We refer to that 

type of memory as a “traumatic 

trigger.” Anything associated with 

the traumatic experience, such 

as a smell, sight, certain weather 

condition, sound, dream, person, 

photo, or even a particular word, 

can quickly remind you of the 

experience. This makes it difficult 

to detect what can act as a trigger 

and when it may occur. A survivor 

can experience a traumatic trigger 

many times throughout the day, 

often without warning, reliving the 

intensity that he or she experienced 

during the actual disaster. 

continued on page 6
2013 | VOLUME 10 | ISSUE 1 | PAGE 6

A Quarterly Technical Assistance Journal on Disaster Behavioral Health 

Produced by the SAMHSA Disaster Technical Assistance Center

continued from page 5

These reminders can trap some 

survivors in a state of hyper 

vigilance, fueled by fear and 

anxiety. If this state isn’t understood

and interrupted, the survivor can 

develop depression; post-traumatic 

stress and other anxiety-related 

disorders, such as different types 

of phobias; or other emotional and 

physical illnesses. 

Tennessee experienced four 

federally declared disasters 

between 2010 and 2012, including 

a historic “thousand-year flood,” 

record-breaking Mississippi River 

flooding, and two rounds of deadly 

tornadoes. In my various roles as 

crisis counselor, team leader, and 

state coordinator for these events, 

I witnessed firsthand and heard 

stories about the traumatic triggers 

in Tennessee residents: 

• 

• 

• 

Rain: Anytime it rained, one 

survivor pulled his car over to 

the side of the road and donned 

his life jacket. 

Sleeping location: A child slept 

by the front door, so that she 

could warn her family if water 

entered her home. 

Billboard: A hospital placed 

an ad about disaster survival 

directly (and unknowingly) over 

a trailer park where a disaster 

survivor had committed suicide. 

The sign reminded those who 

knew him, including first 

responders, of his suicide.

• Wind: Whenever it was cloudy 

and windy, a survivor would 

immediately drive home, go to 

her basement, and listen to her 

weather radio until the weather 

cleared.

Traumatic triggers can feel like an 

emotional gut punch. You can be 

going about your day and, out of 

nowhere, become overwhelmed 

by terrifying memories because 

you smelled, saw, or heard 

something that reminded you of 

the original trauma. 

How can we combat such an 

innate, ingrained process that 

is critical to our survival? In a 

disaster zone, visual reminders like 

damaged homes and mangled trees 

can remain for years. Therefore, it 

is important for disaster behavioral 

health providers to explain to 

survivors what triggers are, 

how they affect the psyche, and 

how to recognize or anticipate 

them. Knowing about potential 

triggers ahead of time can lessen 

their impact. You may consider 

giving survivors a list of possible 

reminders related to the disaster 

and ask survivors to circle the 

ones they experienced or add 

new ones. You can also consider 

adding information about traumatic 

triggers to written materials, ads, 

and social media posts.

Survivors are not the only 

ones who are affected by these 

reminders. Disaster recovery 

workers often live in the area they 

DISASTER RESPONSE 

TEMPLATE TOOLKIT

The Disaster Response Template 

Toolkit from the SAMHSA 

DTAC Disaster Behavioral 

Health Information Series 

features public education 

materials that disaster behavioral 

health response programs can 

use to create resources for 

reaching people affected by a 

disaster. The Toolkit includes 

print, website, audio, video, 

and multimedia materials that 

programs can use to provide 

outreach, psycho-education, 

and recovery news for disaster 

survivors. Many of the links 

contain sample materials and 

online tools that have been used 

in previous disaster situations 

across the country. The 

templates can also be adapted 

for future use as desired.

http://www.samhsa.gov/dtac/

dbhis/dbhis_templates_intro.asp

serve, have survived the disaster 

themselves, and can experience 

secondary trauma from helping 

survivors. Ensuring that recovery 

workers remain healthy and 

resilient is a key component to 

a successful recovery process. 

Reminders of traumatic events 

will always exist—anticipating 

and coping with them can make 

a significant difference in a 

survivor’s emotional recovery. ■
2013 | VOLUME 10 | ISSUE 1 | PAGE 7

A Quarterly Technical Assistance Journal on Disaster Behavioral Health 

Produced by the SAMHSA Disaster Technical Assistance Center

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

continued on page 8

Impact of the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill 

on Louisiana Contributed by Anthony H. Speier, Ph.D. (Retired), Danita LeBlanc, Cassandra Wilson, and Garcia Bodley

Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals, Office of Behavioral Health

“Here we go again,” thought many 

people as the Deepwater Horizon 

oil spill unfolded in Louisiana in 

April 2010. This disaster had a 

huge impact on individuals and 

communities along the Gulf Coast, 

which was previously ravaged 

between 2005 and 2008 by 

Hurricanes Katrina, Rita, Gustav, 

and Ike. Eighteen percent of the 

population in this area lives below 

the poverty level, and those at 

highest risk of personal, economic, 

and environmental challenges from 

the spill included the fishermen 

and small business owners who 

lived along the coastal parishes, 

children, older adults, and tribal 

communities. 

Affected communities faced 

the destruction of environment, 

property, marine life, and the 

area’s economy. Oil industry 

workers lost jobs, the impact 

of the spill on marine life was 

a concern, and fishermen were 

not allowed to trawl in affected 

areas. In addition, fears about 

contaminated fish, crab, and 

shrimp contributed to a huge drop 

in seafood consumption, and local 

economies suffered. No one was 

allowed to use the beaches due 

to fears about the immediate and 

future effects of human exposure 

to the toxins. All of these factors 

contributed to a significant loss in 

the sense of community. 

Outreach and counseling contacts 

after the spill revealed that:

Eighty-three percent of 

individuals contacted 

experienced some type of 

adverse reaction.

Seventy-six percent experienced 

problematic emotional responses 

of anxiety, fearfulness, anger, 

and irritability.

Fifty-five percent experienced 

physical symptoms, such as 

difficulty sleeping and fatigue or 

exhaustion. 

Forty-four percent experienced 

extreme changes in activity level 

and hypervigilance. 

Thirty-seven percent had 

difficulty concentrating and 

making decisions. 

Residents felt uncertainty and 

anxiety about the long-term impact 

of the spill, and many experienced 

retraumatization due to associations 

with Hurricane Katrina. 

Louisiana’s populations along the 

coast include Native Americans, 

Vietnamese, Creole, Cajun, 

Laotians, Cambodians, Hispanics, 

Guatemalans, and Croatians; and 

culturally diverse staff reflected the 

population of the areas they served. 
2013 | VOLUME 10 | ISSUE 1 | PAGE 8

A Quarterly Technical Assistance Journal on Disaster Behavioral Health 

Produced by the SAMHSA Disaster Technical Assistance Center

continued from page 7

Translation services were 

provided, and the program 

worked closely with the Houma 

Indian tribal council as well as 

with three groups that work with 

Vietnamese residents. Local 

providers partnered with the 

school system to help children 

and worked with children and 

their families in their homes.

The Louisiana Department of 

Health and Hospitals provided 

case management, help with 

job-seeking skills, and direct 

financial assistance. Providing 

help with basic needs was a major 

factor in gaining trust and opened 

the door for more intensive 

treatment services. Our services 

also encompassed clinical 

treatment for substance abuse 

and mental health and assistance 

with prescription medications. 

Staff from local programs taught 

responders what to look for 

and how to handle incidents of 

domestic violence and how to 

provide services to victims.

Two anecdotal accounts of issues 

and interventions follow: 

Issue: “A” was a 50-year-old 

married fisherwoman; she and 

her husband lost their boat and 

were forced to take up residence 

on another boat with their 

grandchildren. Interventions: The 

couple was educated on common 

stress reactions and introduced to 

stress reduction techniques and 

alternate coping strategies. They 

were connected to sources for 

emergency food, assistance with 

unpaid docking fees, and boat 

repairs. They were also provided 

with the tools needed for fishing 

and trawling. Outcome: “A” 

began sharing coping strategies 

with other fishermen; she became 

an active advocate for the local 

fishermen and participated in local 

recovery events. 

Issue: The “B” family made their 

living from the Gulf, the husband 

as an oyster fisherman and his wife 

as an oyster shucker. They lived 

in a trailer with their daughters 

and eight grandchildren. After the 

spill, they experienced financial 

“ The hurt of Katrina is still very 

fresh. The oil spill adds a monstrous new 

dimension to the prospect of more loss. 

It’s beginning to look endless.” - A Plaquemines Resident 

hardship and marital problems, 

and the husband’s alcohol usage 

increased. Interventions: The 

couple was linked to financial 

support to assist with school 

uniforms, utility payments, and 

food. Individual and group 

counseling sessions were provided 

at home and at school. The family 

received help with developing skills 

in stress management, problem 

solving, anger management, and 

financial management. Outcome: 

Communication improved within 

the family unit. The father was 

willing to get counseling for 

substance abuse issues. School 

reports highlighted positive changes 

in attendance and behavior.

This model of outreach services 

addressing basic needs as an 

engagement and empowering 

technique proved beneficial to 

the implementation of behavioral 

health responses to the BP oil spill. 

This model combined the best crisis 

counseling strategies and, along 

with other beneficial services, made 

for a more effective behavioral 

health response focused on building 

resiliency in the affected areas. ■
2013 | VOLUME 10 | ISSUE 1 | PAGE 9

A Quarterly Technical Assistance Journal on Disaster Behavioral Health 

Produced by the SAMHSA Disaster Technical Assistance Center

RECOMMENDED RESOURCES

New Webinar! Post-Disaster Retraumatization: 

Risk and Protective Factors

This podcast informs disaster behavioral health professionals about the concepts 

and signs of retraumatization and associated risk and protective factors and 

highlights promising treatment strategies and tips for avoiding retraumatization. 

This podcast can be found at 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1O7w6pu4BdI&list=PLBXgZMI_

zqfRcTt9ndxkbieQ-pQslk-R6. ■

This podcast informs disaster behavioral health professionals about the 

psychological responses to mass violence and suggests strategies and 

interventions to provide immediate support and mitigate long-term negative 

mental health consequences.

This podcast can be found at 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GeFrjY9Dfuo&list=PLBXgZMI_

zqfRcTt9ndxkbieQ-pQslk-R6. ■

New Webinar! The Behavioral Health 

Response to Mass Violence

This podcast can help disaster behavioral health professionals learn about the 

positive and negative effects of helping disaster survivors. 

This podcast can be found at 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aSJ0Lk8MsIQ&list=PLBXgZMI_

zqfRcTt9ndxkbieQ-pQslk-R6. ■

New Webinar! Understanding Compassion 

Fatigue and Compassion Satisfaction: 

Tips for Disaster Responders
2013 | VOLUME 10 | ISSUE 1 | PAGE 10

A Quarterly Technical Assistance Journal on Disaster Behavioral Health 

Produced by the SAMHSA Disaster Technical Assistance Center

Upcoming Events

CONFERENCES

International Disaster Conference and Expo

January 7–10, 2014; New Orleans, Louisiana

The purpose of this conference is to bring together 

professionals from the public and private sectors to discuss 

disaster recovery, lessons learned from responding to 

disasters, and best practices. The 4-day event engages 

participants from emergency management, homeland 

security, and other disaster preparedness, response, 

recovery, and mitigation professions in panel discussions, 

plenary sessions, round table meetings, and policy debates 

around issues related to manmade and natural disasters. 

http://internationaldisasterconference.com

Long-Term Care Disaster Conference

January 28–29, 2014; San Diego, California

Presented by the California Department of Public Health, this 

conference will offer information to long-term care providers 

who have leadership responsibilities during a disaster or 

emergency (administrators, directors of nursing, emergency 

planners) on how to recover from emergency events. The 

conference theme is Really Ready 4 Resiliency: Survive 

and Thrive. Speakers representing national, state, and 

local governments and organizations will address key topics 

including disaster mental health, disaster recovery and 

repopulation, crisis communications, and mutual aid planning 

and local networking. 

http://cahfdisasterprep.com/Events/RR4.aspx

National Social Services and Disaster Management 

Conference

March 25–28, 2014; Orlando, Florida

The theme of this conference is “The Power of One Army: 

Transforming Our World.” Conference participants will 

include American and international delegates working 

as social service and disaster service managers, case 

managers, frontline social workers, teachers, and other 

staff who serve and advocate for vulnerable and low 

income populations. The conference will feature exhibits, 

workshops, institutes, keynote sessions, and forums on 

trends in social work and disaster management from a 

macro and micro perspective. 

http://www.nssdmc.org/

American Counseling Association 2014 Annual 

Conference

March 27–30, 2014; Honolulu, Hawaii

This annual conference will provide a forum to present 

and discuss the latest techniques, theories, research, and 

best practices in the counseling field. Sessions will focus 

on individual trauma and disaster mental health, including 

presentations on Hurricane Katrina 7 years later and disaster 

mental health intervention following a terrorist event. 

http://www.counseling.org/conference/hawaii-aca-2014

SAMHSA DTAC WEBINARS 

AND PODCASTS

 Great news! All SAMHSA DTAC webinars and 

podcasts can now be found on SAMHSA’s YouTube 

page (http://www.youtube.com/user/SAMHSA) and 

the SAMHSA DTAC playlist (http://www.youtube.com/

playlist?list=PLBXgZMI_zqfRcTt9ndxkbieQ-pQslk-R6). 

Below we provide summaries of and links to all SAMHSA 

DTAC webinars and podcasts.

Introduction to Disaster Behavioral Health

The goal of this webinar is to educate participants about the 

mental health, substance abuse, and stress management 

needs of people who have been exposed to human-caused, 

natural, or technological disasters. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pwqIHAmO19U&list=

PLBXgZMI_zqfRcTt9ndxkbieQ-pQslk-R6

continued on page 11
2013 | VOLUME 10 | ISSUE 1 | PAGE 11

A Quarterly Technical Assistance Journal on Disaster Behavioral Health 

Produced by the SAMHSA Disaster Technical Assistance Center

WEBINARS AND PODCASTS continued from page 10

Applying Cultural Awareness to Disaster Behavioral 

Health

Participants in this webinar will learn more about tools that 

they can use to assess and strengthen cultural awareness 

practices in disaster behavioral health services.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ngozeGfBOW8&list=

PLBXgZMI_zqfRcTt9ndxkbieQ-pQslk-R6&index=2

Cultural Awareness: Children and Youth in 

Disasters 

Information provided in this 60-minute podcast can help 

disaster behavioral health (DBH) responders provide culturally 

aware and appropriate DBH services for children, youth, and 

families affected by natural and human-caused disasters. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bsaImMbgkh8&list=P

LBXgZMI_zqfRcTt9ndxkbieQ-pQslk-R6&index=12

Deployment Supports for Disaster Behavioral 

Health Responders 

Disaster behavioral health responders and their family 

members can use the guidelines in this podcast to help 

prepare for the stress of deployment and reintegration into 

regular work and family life. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=apQuQm5pQOk&list

=PLBXgZMI_zqfRcTt9ndxkbieQ-pQslk-R6&index=4

Helping Children and Youth Cope in the Aftermath 

of Disasters: Tips for Parents and Other Caregivers, 

Teachers, Administrators, and School Staff

This podcast was designed to inform parents and other 

caregivers, teachers and other school staff, and behavioral 

health professionals about the kinds of responses to expect 

in children and youth in the aftermath of disasters, such as 

school shootings, and to help determine when a child or youth 

exposed to a disaster may need mental health services. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O4GftUhGAtc&list=P

LBXgZMI_zqfRcTt9ndxkbieQ-pQslk-R6&index=15

Disaster Planning: Integrating Your Disaster 

Behavioral Health Plan

The speakers explain how states, territories, and tribes can 

update and integrate their disaster behavioral health plans 

with their overarching disaster response plans. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ipg0_5IOgOg&list=PL

BXgZMI_zqfRcTt9ndxkbieQ-pQslk-R6

Self-Care for Disaster Behavioral Health Responders 

Disaster behavioral health responders can learn about 

best practices and tools that could enable them and their 

supervisors to identify and effectively manage stress and 

secondary traumatic stress in this 60-minute podcast.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G957P6w1Xfs&list=PL

BXgZMI_zqfRcTt9ndxkbieQ-pQslk-R6&index=13

Mass Casualty: Support and Response 

This webinar shares information about emotional reactions 

to mass casualty events, addresses what Medical Reserve 

Corps team members, Commissioned Corps officers, and 

other responders may encounter in the field during a crisis 

event, and familiarizes participants with related disaster 

behavioral health resources available through SAMHSA.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CDUqKO8XdLM&list=

PLBXgZMI_zqfRcTt9ndxkbieQ-pQslk-R6

Introduction to Promising Practices in Disaster 

Behavioral Health Planning 

Participants of this webcast will learn about promising 

practices in disaster behavioral health planning, and 

speakers will share successful examples that have been 

implemented in the field. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_tpsxPB0UoA&list=

PLBXgZMI_zqfRcTt9ndxkbieQ-pQslk-R6 

continued on page 12
2013 | VOLUME 10 | ISSUE 1 | PAGE 12

A Quarterly Technical Assistance Journal on Disaster Behavioral Health 

Produced by the SAMHSA Disaster Technical Assistance Center

WEBINARS AND PODCASTS continued from page 11

Promising Practices in Disaster Behavioral Health 

(DBH) Planning: Building Effective Partnerships 

Participants in this webcast will learn about building 

effective working relationships with federal, state, and local 

government, as well as nongovernment partners, when 

developing a comprehensive disaster behavioral health plan. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e95C4yMybP4&list=P

LBXgZMI_zqfRcTt9ndxkbieQ-pQslk-R6

Promising Practices in Disaster Behavioral 

Health Planning: Financials and Administration 

Operations

The speakers in this webinar identify policies, procedures, 

and promising practices in financial and administrative 

operations in disaster behavioral health before, during, and 

after a disaster.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LkNGb-_

Hlo0&list=PLBXgZMI_zqfRcTt9ndxkbieQ-pQslk-R6

Promising Practices in Disaster Behavioral Health 

Planning (DBHP): Implementing Your DBHP

The speakers explain how states, territories, and tribes can 

update and integrate their disaster behavioral health plans 

with their overarching disaster response plans.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EgXnfGP3LGc&list=

PLBXgZMI_zqfRcTt9ndxkbieQ-pQslk-R6

Promising Practices in Disaster Behavioral Health 

(DBH) Planning: Plan Scalability

In this webinar, speakers provide information and examples 

about the elements of a scalable disaster behavioral 

health plan and identify promising practices in process 

development, standard operating procedures, and 

instructions that should be in place before a disaster. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=osqghXH7Bbo&list=

PLBXgZMI_zqfRcTt9ndxkbieQ-pQslk-R6

Promising Practices in Disaster Behavioral Health 

Planning: Assessing Services and Information

Participants will learn about promising practices in assessing 

services, resources (e.g., equipment and personnel), and 

information before, during, and after a disaster.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TaqQjgLtinM&list=PL

BXgZMI_zqfRcTt9ndxkbieQ-pQslk-R6

Promising Practices in Disaster Behavioral Health 

Planning: Logistical Support

This webinar features a presentation on effective logistical 

support systems, including identification of training mechanisms

for response personnel and utilization of volunteers.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TJpUlxoA4s8&list=P

LBXgZMI_zqfRcTt9ndxkbieQ-pQslk-R6

Promising Practices in Disaster Behavioral Health 

Planning: Legal and Regulatory Authority

Participants will learn about the elements of legal and 

regulatory authority at the federal, state, and local levels, 

including issues of responders’ liabilities, informed 

consent, confidentiality, development of memoranda of 

understanding, and/or mutual aid agreements.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sRL3Fbo9kHI&list=P

LBXgZMI_zqfRcTt9ndxkbieQ-pQslk-R6

continued on page 13
2013 | VOLUME 10 | ISSUE 1 | PAGE 13

A Quarterly Technical Assistance Journal on Disaster Behavioral Health 

Produced by the SAMHSA Disaster Technical Assistance Center

WEBINARS AND PODCASTS continued from page 12

ADDITIONAL WEBINARS AND 

PODCASTS

Integrating All-Hazards Preparedness with Public 

Health 

This webcast by the National Association of County and 

City Health Officials (NACCHO) “feature[s] four NACCHO 

demonstration sites that integrate all-hazards preparedness 

into traditional public health activities.” 

http://webcasts.naccho.org/session-archived.php?id=684

Planning for Pandemic Influenza: Issues and Best 

Practices

This webcast by the National Association of County and City 

Health Officials features discussions of “local challenges 

relating to vaccine distribution, isolation and quarantine, risk 

communication, hospital and personnel surge capacity, and 

community engagement.” 

http://webcasts.naccho.org/session-archived.php?id=505

Psychological First Aid: The Role of MRC 

Volunteers in Disaster Response 

This National Association of County & City Health Officials 

webcast provides an overview of the disaster mental health 

field and the role and evolution of psychological first aid. 

http://webcasts.naccho.org/session-archived.php?id=823

State of All Hazards Preparedness for Children: 

Partnerships & Models for Merging Emergency 

Department & Disaster Preparedness Efforts 

Nationwide 

This webcast by the Maternal and Child Health Bureau 

within the Health Resources and Services Administration 

features resources and tools for pediatric disaster planning, 

lessons learned from the H1N1 pandemic, and perspectives 

from national stakeholders and partners in planning. 

http://learning.mchb.hrsa.gov/archivedWebcastDetail.

asp?id=222

TRAININGS

Early Responders Distance Learning Center 

The Early Responders Distance Learning Center of Saint 

Joseph’s University creates and administers accredited 

courses for the emergency response community on 

preparing for and responding to terrorist incidents. The 

courses offer a specialized focus on psychological 

perspectives and issues. 

http://erdlc.sju.edu

FEMA Online Courses 

FEMA offers free independent study courses that can be 

completed for continuing education units. Courses cover 

topics such as emergency preparedness, development 

and management of volunteers, and the Incident 

Command System. 

http://training.fema.gov/IS

Johns Hopkins Public Health Preparedness 

Programs: Mental Health Preparedness Trainings 

The Johns Hopkins Preparedness and Emergency Response 

Learning Center has developed a variety of mental health 

preparedness trainings that are available online:

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

Disaster Mental Health Intervention

Disaster Mental Health Planning

Introduction to Mental Health and Disaster Preparedness

Mental Health Consequences of Disaster

Psychological First Aid Competencies for Public Health 

Workers

Psychology and Crisis Response

Psychology of Terrorism

Roots of Terrorism

Self-Care

http://www.jhsph.edu/research/centers-and-institutes/

johns-hopkins-center-for-public-health-preparedness/

training/online/mentalhealth_trainings

continued on page 14
2013 | VOLUME 10 | ISSUE 1 | PAGE 14

A Quarterly Technical Assistance Journal on Disaster Behavioral Health 

Produced by the SAMHSA Disaster Technical Assistance Center

TRAININGS continued from page 13

Massachusetts Environmental Health Association 

Disaster Behavioral Health Training 

The Massachusetts Environmental Health Association has 

developed several disaster behavioral health trainings that 

are available online:

• 

• 

• 

• 

Disaster Behavioral Health

Psychological First Aid: Helping People Cope During 

Disasters and Public Health Emergencies

Psychological First Aid in Radiation Disasters

Psychological Issues Following Disasters

http://www.mehaonline.net/member-services/trainingresources-videos/56-disaster-behavioral-health-training

The National Child Traumatic Stress Network 

(NCTSN) Psychological First Aid Online Course 

The NCTSN Learning Center is an online training center 

geared toward professionals and families seeking to 

learn more about child traumatic stress. Many resources 

specifically focus on disaster-related trauma and grief. The 

NCTSN Learning Center also features Psychological First 

Aid (PFA) Online, a 6-hour course in which the student 

plays the role of a provider working in a scene after a 

disaster. According to the online course description, “this 

professionally narrated course is for individuals who are 

new to disaster response and want to learn the core goals 

of PFA, as well as for seasoned practitioners who want a 

review. The course features innovative activities, video 

demonstrations, and mentor tips from the nation’s trauma 

experts and survivors. PFA Online also offers a learning 

community where participants can share experiences of 

using PFA in the field, receive guidance during times of 

disaster, and obtain additional resources and training.”

http://learn.nctsn.org

Office of Minority Health Cultural Competency 

Curriculum for Disaster Preparedness and Crisis 

Response

These four online courses build knowledge and skills for 

disaster and crisis personnel and volunteers to “provide 

culturally and linguistically appropriate services to diverse 

communities during all phases of disaster.” The curriculum 

is grouped into three themes: culturally competent care, 

language access services, and organizational supports.

https://cccdpcr.thinkculturalhealth.hhs.gov

University of North Carolina (UNC) Center for 

Public Health Preparedness Training Website 

This site “offers free short Internet-based trainings 

developed by the UNC Center for Public Health 

Preparedness on public health preparedness topics 

such as disease surveillance, basic epidemiology, 

bioterrorism, and new/emerging disease agents.”

http://cphp.sph.unc.edu/training/index.php
∙

CONTACT US

SAMHSA Disaster Technical 

Assistance Center

Toll-Free: 1-800-308-3515

DTAC@samhsa.hhs.gov

http://www.samhsa.gov/dtac 

SUBSCRIBE 

The Dialogue is a publication for professionals in the disaster behavioral health field to 

share information, resources, trends, solutions to problems, and accomplishments. To 

receive The Dialogue, please go to SAMHSA’s homepage (http://www.samhsa.gov), 

enter your e-mail address in the “Mailing List” box on the right, and select the box for 

“SAMHSA’s Disaster Technical Assistance newsletter, The Dialogue.”

SHARE INFORMATION 

Readers are invited to contribute to The Dialogue. To author an article for an 

upcoming issue, please contact SAMHSA DTAC at DTAC@samhsa.hhs.gov.

ACCESS ADDITIONAL SAMHSA DTAC RESOURCES

The SAMHSA DTAC Bulletin is a monthly e-communication used to share updates in 

the field, post upcoming activities, and highlight new resources. To subscribe, please 

enter your e-mail address in the “SAMHSA DTAC Bulletin” section of our website at 

http://www.samhsa.gov/dtac/resources.asp.

The SAMHSA DTAC Discussion Board is an online discussion forum for disaster 

behavioral health stakeholders. Become a member of this community by visiting 

http://dtac-discussion.samhsa.gov/register.aspx and completing the brief 

registration process. Within 2 business days, you will receive your login and 

password via e-mail, along with further instructions on how to access the site. 

The SAMHSA Disaster Behavioral Health Information Series contains resource 

collections and toolkits pertinent to disaster behavioral health. Installments focus on 

specific populations, specific types of disasters, and other topics related to all-hazards 

disaster behavioral health preparedness and response. Visit the SAMHSA DTAC 

website at http://www.samhsa.gov/dtac/dbhis to access these materials.