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the Dialogue 2015 | VOLUME 11 | ISSUE 2

A Quarterly Technical Assistance Journal on Disaster Behavioral Health 

Produced by the SAMHSA Disaster Technical Assistance Center

Weathering the Storm: Building Resiliency, 

Stability, and Cultural Competency in 

Response to Environmental Disasters
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IN THIS ISSUE

2 Special Feature: Post-Disaster 

Resilience and Recovery in the Gulf 

of Mexico: Integrating Communities in 

the Design and Delivery of Resilience 

Trainings

4 Special Commentary: Coming to Terms 

With Climate Change: The Multiple 

Benefits of Psychological Preparedness 

and Taking Action

6 Cultural Competency in Disaster 

Behavioral Health Preparedness 

and Response

10 Recommended Resources

11 Upcoming Events

11 SAMHSA DTAC Webcasts and 

Webinars

13 Additional Webinars and Podcasts

14 Trainings

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 an effective behavioral health (mental health and substance 

abuse) response to disasters. To receive The Dialogue, please go to SAMHSA’s home 

page (http://www.samhsa.gov), enter your email 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, email DTAC@samhsa.hhs.gov, or visit the 

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

The Dialogue is not responsible for the information provided by any web pages, 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.
A Quarterly Technical Assistance Journal on Disaster Behavioral Health 

Produced by the SAMHSA Disaster Technical Assistance Center the Dialogue

2015 | VOLUME 11 | ISSUE 2 | PAGE 1

In This Issue

For this edition of The Dialogue, we turn our attention 

to environmental disasters. Our first article revisits 

the Gulf Coast and examines the effects from the 

Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill, 5 years later. Namely, it 

relates how integrating community organizations into 

resilience trainings can aid in long-term recovery. It also 

notes that because cleanup and recovery workers can 

experience significant mental health effects, resilience 

training should be incorporated into training programs.

Our second article reflects on how the looming threat 

of climate change can affect everyone—those living in 

directly affected areas as well as those who feel anxiety 

at the prospect of our planet changing in a long-term 

way. It sheds light on how the feeling of helplessness 

in the face of climate change can cause distress and 

how having strategies for attending to one’s “internal 

environment” (i.e., distressing thoughts, anxiety) is 

essential.

The final article examines another group of 

responders—the “first” first responders—in need of 

culturally competent support and resilience training: 

911 telecommunicators. This group of dedicated 

workers face unique and powerful stressors every 

day at their job. The article provides insight into their 

experiences and emphasizes the need to take their 

environment into account when providing support.

If you have stories about disaster preparedness, 

response, or recovery that you would be willing to 

share in upcoming issues, please contact us! 

Warmest regards, 

CAPT Erik Hierholzer, B.S.N.

Program Management Officer, Emergency Mental 

Health and Traumatic Stress Services Branch

Erik.hierholzer@samhsa.hhs.gov

Nikki Bellamy, Ph.D.

Public Health Advisor, Emergency Mental Health and 

Traumatic Stress Services Branch

Nikki.bellamy@samhsa.hhs.gov

Brenda Mannix

SAMHSA DTAC Project Director

DTAC@samhsa.hhs.gov

Photo: Cheryl Casey / Shutterstock.com
A Quarterly Technical Assistance Journal on Disaster Behavioral Health 

Produced by the SAMHSA Disaster Technical Assistance Center the Dialogue

2015 | VOLUME 11 | ISSUE 2 | PAGE 2

continued on page 3

SPECIAL FEATURE

Post-Disaster Resilience and Recovery in the 

Gulf of Mexico: Integrating Communities in the 

Design and Delivery of Resilience Trainings

Contributed by Betsy Eagin, M.P.H., Public Health Specialist, National Clearinghouse for Worker Safety 

and Health Training; and Joseph Hughes, M.P.H., Director, NIEHS Worker Training Program

Research from repeated disasters in 

the Gulf—ranging from hurricanes 

to the Deepwater Horizon Oil 

Spill—has shown that all have had 

significant mental health effects on 

disaster workers and communities. 

In response to the mental health 

effects seen after the Deepwater 

Horizon Oil Spill, SAMHSA 

and the National Institute of 

Environmental Health Sciences 

(NIEHS) Worker Training Program 

(WTP) joined forces to develop 

training interventions for disaster 

workers and communities. 

In each training response to 

Gulf disasters, the NIEHS WTP 

emphasized the importance of 

collaboration with Gulf-area 

communities and organizations. 

During the spring of 2012, NIEHS 

held a community listening 

session to explore unaddressed 

needs within Gulf communities. 

During this meeting, community 

members underscored the need for 

mental health training for workers, 

communities, and even area 

health care providers. To address 

this need, SAMHSA and NIEHS 

established the Gulf Responder 

Resilience Training Program. 

Following community discussions, 

the program was developed to 

focus on three target audiences: (1) 

workers and communities involved 

in disasters, (2) supervisors who 

oversee a team of workers, and (3) 

health care providers who may see 

community members. Because these 

audiences face unique challenges 

following a disaster, a unique 

training was required for each.

After a disaster, cleanup and 

recovery workers face many 

stressors in both their professional 

and personal lives. The Worker 

Resilience Training program 

Resilience Training participants celebrate completion of a pilot course with certificates. Pilot trainings of the courses were held at Make the Road New York 

(MTRNY) in the fall of 2014 in support of communities affected by Hurricane Sandy. Participants noted similar needs and excitement about the training as their 

counterparts in the Gulf. MTRNY participants included English-as-a-second-language speakers. 
A Quarterly Technical Assistance Journal on Disaster Behavioral Health 

Produced by the SAMHSA Disaster Technical Assistance Center the Dialogue

2015 | VOLUME 11 | ISSUE 2 | PAGE 3

was created to help address the 

difficulties faced by these workers. 

The 4-hour program uses materials 

and activities to engage participants 

in open discussion related to selfcare, help seeking, and recognition 

of symptoms. This predisaster 

training is intended to build coping 

skills, knowledge of mental health 

symptoms, and resources available 

in communities. 

Supervisors who oversee 

recovery efforts face challenges 

similar to cleanup and recovery 

workers. However, supervisors 

can experience added stress, 

as they often work long hours 

and attend to the needs of other 

workers. Therefore, the Supervisor 

Resilience Training program 

incorporates lessons in coping 

skills, knowledge of mental health 

systems, and ways to seek help. 

Hands-on activities further explore 

how a supervisor can support 

a worker who exhibits signs of 

stress while balancing workplace 

demands. The supervisor course 

follows a format similar to the 

worker course, with additional 

emphasis on leadership in health 

and safety.

Finally, health care providers 

were identified as a third group in 

need of training on mental health 

after disasters. Since there are 

limited numbers of mental health 

professionals in the Gulf region, the 

Healthcare Practitioner’s Training, 

which is currently in development, 

will serve as a 2-hour briefing for 

continued from page 2

general practitioners and health 

providers who may have limited 

disaster experience. This course 

will detail mental health issues 

commonly seen following disasters, 

other associated conditions, and 

guidance on referrals and recovery.

From the program’s beginning, 

community input and feedback 

has been a cornerstone of its 

development. Before curriculum 

development began, NIEHS WTP 

met with community participants 

from labor unions, volunteer 

and community organizations, 

neighborhoods, businesses, and 

universities to receive feedback 

on the project plan. Community 

members provided valuable insight 

regarding terminology used, 

delivery methods, and content. 

For instance, the term “mental 

health” was removed and replaced 

with “resilience,” as participants 

noted the stigma carried by the 

term “mental health.” In contrast, 

resilience implies strength and 

the ability to “bounce back,” 

a characteristic of which Gulf 

communities are proud. 

Delivery of the course is provided 

by community members who have 

a unique ability to connect with 

participants, share resources, and 

understand the cultural context 

of mental health in their location. 

To train community members to 

deliver the course, a unique “trainthe-trainer” module was created 

for each course, and materials are 

customizable for each community’s 

specific context. This customizable 

format allows trainers to provide 

accurate, up-to-date lists of 

resources in the community. 

Involving affected communities in 

the design and pilot testing process 

has ensured that terminology, case 

studies, and examples are relevant 

and useful to the target audience 

and that communities’ needs are 

addressed. 

To learn more, visit the NIEHS 

Resiliency web page at http://

tools.niehs.nih.gov/wetp/index.

cfm?id=2528. Instructor and 

participant manuals, PowerPoint 

presentations, and an abbreviated 

worker training podcast are now 

available. A Spanish-language 

version of the worker course will be 

available soon. ■

Sharon Gauthe, Director of Bayou Interfaith 

Shared Community Organizing, provides 

training to community members in Louisiana 

during a pilot test of the Worker Resilience 

Training. Photo: Bayou Interfaith Shared 

Community Organizing
A Quarterly Technical Assistance Journal on Disaster Behavioral Health 

Produced by the SAMHSA Disaster Technical Assistance Center the Dialogue

2015 | VOLUME 11 | ISSUE 2 | PAGE 4

continued on page 5

Special Commentary: Coming to Terms With 

Climate Change: The Multiple Benefits of 

Psychological Preparedness and Taking Action

Contributed by Joseph Reser, Ph.D., Research Fellow, Behavioural Basis of Health Research Centre; 

Adjunct Professor, School of Applied Psychology, Griffith University, Queensland, Australia 

When one is confronted with 

what the reality of climate change 

actually means for our planet and 

ecosystems, it is not surprising that 

personal and collective concern 

levels—and, for many, genuine 

distress—increase appreciably. 

It is difficult to pick up and read 

any of many current and very 

credible popular science accounts 

of climate change and projected 

human and environmental impacts 

without being overwhelmed (e.g., 

Time magazine’s special issue in 

about climate change, contrary 

to much media coverage, has 

been consistently high in North 

America, and many other 

exposed countries, for the past 

decade. Associated psychological 

responses to the intensity of the 

media coverage include anxiety, 

distress, pessimism, eroded self 

and collective efficacy, and an 

appreciable measure of helplessness 

and hopelessness (e.g., Clayton et 

al., 2013).

2006 and more recent editorial, 

Global warming: Be worried. 

Be very worried, 2006; Briefing: 

Countdown to Apocalypse, 2015).

The 24/7 presentation of the risk 

of climate change, including 

disturbing scenarios of apocalyptic 

losses and human hardship, 

begin to focus serious attention 

on the cumulative psychological 

impacts of such coverage. Recent 

research findings suggest that 

public acceptance and concern 
A Quarterly Technical Assistance Journal on Disaster Behavioral Health 

Produced by the SAMHSA Disaster Technical Assistance Center the Dialogue

2015 | VOLUME 11 | ISSUE 2 | PAGE 5

Perceived personal encounters 

with “climate change”—such as 

local coastal erosion due to rising 

sea levels, noticeably altered 

growing seasons, or unusual 

weather events—also appear to 

be significantly increasing. In the 

United States, 39% of national 

survey respondents report directly 

experiencing what they perceive to 

be the unfolding impacts of climate 

change (Leiserowitz al., 2013); 

in Australia, this corresponding 

figure is 45% (Reser et al., 2014). 

Such personal experience of 

environmental changes and events 

attributed to climate change in one’s 

local environment not only “brings 

the biosphere home,” but makes 

real the daily news bulletins and 

multimedia coverage. It is important 

to underscore the salience and 

significance of direct experience 

here as the personal witnessing and 

experience of “being there” created 

by continuous coverage of this 

ongoing global change.

A question increasingly raised, 

and one which requires careful 

consideration, is the extent to 

which our collective knowledge 

of natural disaster preparedness 

and response can be applied to 

the threat of climate change. The 

recognition that extreme weather 

events are becoming more frequent 

and intense as the environmental 

impacts of climate change unfold 

bring to light important differences 

that should give us pause. These 

differences include the chronic 

versus acute nature of climate 

change and its cumulative stress 

impacts; the “anthropogenic” 

(relating to human-caused alteration 

of natural systems) character of 

these changes; and the reality that 

while extreme weather events are 

a normalized and familiar part 

of human experience, “climate 

change” can feel to some people 

like an overwhelming, worldwide 

problem that they are helpless to 

stop, which can increase feelings of 

anxiety and stress.

In the context of natural disaster 

preparedness and response, being 

prepared includes psychological 

preparedness as well as being 

situationally ready for what might 

be a life-threatening emergency 

(Reser & Morrissey, 2009). This 

requires being mindful of one’s 

own “internal environment” with 

respect to anticipated thoughts, 

feelings, and general arousal, and 

having strategies for managing 

psychological responses such 

as anxiety and felt helplessness, 

should they occur. This is very 

helpful in terms of not necessarily 

reducing, but effectively managing 

distressing thoughts and emotions. 

Similarly, engaging in necessary 

emergency actions, both before and 

during a threatening situation, is 

not only adaptive in very practical 

ways, but confers multiple benefits 

in terms of emotion management, 

felt control, and self-regulation. 

References

■ Clayton, S., Manning, C., & 

Hodge, C. (2014). Beyond storms 

& droughts: The psychological 

impacts of climate change. 

Washington, D.C.: American 

Psychological Association and 

ecoAmerica.

■ Kluger, J. (2006). Global 

warming: Be worried. Be very 

worried. [Time magazine cover. 

lead article, and special issue], 

167 (14).

■ Leiserowitz, A., Maibach, E., 

Roser-Renouf, C., & Hmielowski, 

J.D. (2012). Extreme weather, 

climate & preparedness in the 

American mind. New Haven, 

CT: Yale University and George 

Mason University, Yale Project on 

Climate Change Communication.

■ Reser, J.P. & Morrissey, S.A. 

(2009). Natural disasters and 

psychological preparedness: A 

neglected and critical component 

of prevention and preparedness 

in disaster preparedness and 

response. InPsych, 31, 14–15.

■ Reser, J.P., Bradley, G.L. & 

Ellul, C. (2014). Encountering 

climate change: ‘Seeing’ is 

more than ‘Believing’ Wiley 

Interdisciplinary Reviews: 

Climate Change, 5(4), 521–537.

■ Time editorial (2015). Briefing: 

Countdown to Apocalypse. Time 

Magazine, 185(4), 9. ■

continued from page 4
A Quarterly Technical Assistance Journal on Disaster Behavioral Health 

Produced by the SAMHSA Disaster Technical Assistance Center the Dialogue

2015 | VOLUME 11 | ISSUE 2 | PAGE 6

Cultural Competency in Disaster Behavioral 

Health Preparedness and Response

Contributed by Randal Beaton, Ph.D., Research Professor Emeritus, University of Washington, 

Schools of Public Health and Nursing

continued on page 7

historical context, the roles of faith 

and family, and “ways of knowing.” 

The latter refers to how members of 

a culture group acquire knowledge 

and, for example, may rely upon 

an authority or leader for guidance 

and information. It is definitely 

not enough to “just want to help.” 

Without an adequate understanding 

of cultural factors, or cultural 

competency, any disaster behavioral 

health intervention will likely be 

less effective—and possibly even 

counterproductive.

My work over the years with the 

Northwest Tribal Emergency 

Management Council (http://

nwtemc.org) has impressed 

Over the years as a university faculty 

educator, researcher, volunteer 

EMT, and clinical psychologist, 

I have developed an increasing 

appreciation of the importance of 

cultural competency in every phase 

of disaster management. Especially 

when planning and offering a disaster 

behavioral health intervention, it 

is imperative to understand—and 

respect—the culture of those you 

are hoping to assist. Culture includes 

core values, beliefs, traditions, 

customs, and language, as well as 

upon me the centrality of cultural 

competency in disaster behavioral 

health. Working closely with 

numerous northwest tribal 

representatives and consultants, 

we began to modify, adapt, and 

incorporate the principles of 

Psychological First Aid (PFA) 

as part of northwest Indian tribal 

disaster preparedness and response. 

Tama, IA - August 9, 2014 - Jason and Dara Jefferson watch the Tribe’s 100th Annual Pow Wow which took place at an alternate location due to flooding 

at the historical Pow Wow grounds. Since the 100th annual Pow Wow is critical to Meskwaki culture and economy, FEMA was able to support the 

relocation of the temporary Pow Wow Facility with its Public Assistance program. Photo: Steve Zumwalt / FEMA
A Quarterly Technical Assistance Journal on Disaster Behavioral Health 

Produced by the SAMHSA Disaster Technical Assistance Center the Dialogue

2015 | VOLUME 11 | ISSUE 2 | PAGE 7

I soon came to the realization 

that many of the principles and 

core actions of PFA (access 

Psychological First Aid Field 

Operations Guide at http://www.

ptsd.va.gov/professional/materials/

manuals/psych-first-aid.asp) had 

been embraced and practiced by 

local northwest Indian tribes for 

centuries. For example, members 

of northwest Indian tribes were 

already quite adept at providing 

social support as well as safety 

and comfort to one another in the 

aftermath of any crisis or disaster. 

I also learned the importance of 

embedding any disaster behavioral 

health intervention within the 

existing social structure of northwest 

tribal members—for example, 

understanding and taking into 

account the crucial roles of their 

tribal elders. I also learned from 

my work with the Northwest Tribal 

Emergency Management Council 

that efforts to practice and instill 

cultural competency in disaster 

preparedness and response must 

be ongoing and can never truly 

be considered complete, as each 

American Indian tribe has its own 

relatively unique culture—and there 

are currently well over 500 officially 

recognized American Indian tribes 

(U.S. Department of the Interior, 

Bureau of Indian Affairs, 2012).

continued from page 6

continued on page 8

 

All ethnic groups, institutions, 

organizations, and even occupations 

possess defining cultures that 

are important to consider when 

developing or offering disaster 

behavioral health preventive or 

remedial interventions. As an 

example of the latter, fire service 

GUIDING PRINCIPLES

for Cultural Competence in Disaster Mental Health Programs

■ PRINCIPLE 1: Recognize the 

importance of culture and respect 

diversity.

■ PRINCIPLE 2: Maintain a 

current profile of the cultural 

composition of the community.

■ PRINCIPLE 3: Recruit disaster 

workers who are representative 

of the community or service area.

■ PRINCIPLE 4: Provide ongoing 

cultural competence training to 

disaster mental health staff.

■ PRINCIPLE 5: Ensure that 

services are accessible, 

appropriate, and equitable.

■ PRINCIPLE 6: Recognize the role 

of help-seeking behaviors, customs 

and traditions, and natural support 

networks.

■ PRINCIPLE 7: Involve as “cultural 

brokers” community leaders and 

organizations representing diverse 

cultural groups.

■ PRINCIPLE 8: Ensure that 

services and information are 

culturally and linguistically 

competent.

■ PRINCIPLE 9: Assess and 

evaluate the program’s level of 

cultural competence.

Source: Developing Cultural Competence in Disaster Mental Health Programs, SAMHSA, 2003

 Photo: Steve Zumwalt / FEMA
A Quarterly Technical Assistance Journal on Disaster Behavioral Health 

Produced by the SAMHSA Disaster Technical Assistance Center the Dialogue

2015 | VOLUME 11 | ISSUE 2 | PAGE 8

personnel, with whom I have 

conducted research for decades, 

have an occupational culture that 

values tradition, service, teamwork, 

and the firefighter “family” (Beaton, 

2012; Beaton & Murphy, 1995). 

And while we have developed and 

refined disaster behavioral health 

interventions for fire personnel and 

field rescue personnel that recognize 

their unique organizational cultures, 

our efforts lag in conceptualizing, 

implementing, and evaluating disaster 

behavioral health interventions for 

911 telecommunicators. 

The “First” First Responders

Community 911 call receivers 

and emergency dispatchers are 

responsible for communicating and 

responding under task overload 

conditions that often prevail in 

the immediate aftermath of any 

emergency—and especially in 

the aftermath of a communitywide disaster. People working 

as 911 telecommunicators may 

vicariously experience the 

chaos, distress, and trauma of 

community members calling for 

assistance and are burdened with 

the time-urgent demands and 

responsibilities associated with 

dispatching field personnel. One 

indication of the effects associated 

with 911 telecommunicator 

duties and responsibilities 

are their documented rates of 

posttraumatic stress disorder, which 

are comparable to those of fire 

service personnel (Corneil, Beaton, 

continued from page 7

Murphy, Johnson, & Pike, 1999; 

Pierce & Lilly, 2012). 

Furthermore, as the next generation 

of telecommunicator technology is 

rolled out, 911 telecommunicators 

will be increasingly exposed to 

remote images and potentially 

gruesome real-time streaming 

videos of disaster scenes. We need 

to challenge our own culture as 

disaster behavioral health specialists 

to recognize and include 911 

telecommunicators as the “first” 

first responders in any disaster. 

At the University of Washington, 

with funding from the National 

Institute for Occupational Safety and 

Health (NIOSH), we are currently 

developing and planning to evaluate 

culturally competent interventions 

designed to augment and facilitate 

resilience in 911 telecommunicators.

Chaos

Trauma Distress

Exposure to 

Graphic Media

Urgent 

Demands

Task 

Overload

Impacts Associated With 911 Telecommunicator Duties

References

■ Beaton, R. (2012). First responder 

workforce resilience (Chapter 6). 

In Workforce resilience training 

for Department of Homeland 

Security. Washington, DC: 

National Academies Press.

■ Beaton, R., & Murphy, S. (1995). 

Secondary traumatic stress 

of crisis workers: Research 

implications. In C. Figley (Ed.), 

Compassion fatigue: Coping 

with secondary traumatic stress 

disorder in those who treat the 

traumatized (pp. 51–81). New 

York, NY: Brunner/Mazel.

■ Corneil, W., Beaton, R., 

Murphy, S., Johnson, C., & 

Pike, K. (1999). Exposure 

to traumatic incidents and 

prevalence of posttraumatic 

continued on page 9
A Quarterly Technical Assistance Journal on Disaster Behavioral Health 

Produced by the SAMHSA Disaster Technical Assistance Center the Dialogue

2015 | VOLUME 11 | ISSUE 2 | PAGE 9

stress symptomatology in urban 

firefighters in two countries. 

Journal of Occupational Health 

Psychology, 4(2), 131–141.

■ U.S. Department of the Interior, 

Bureau of Indian Affairs. (2012, 

August 10). Indian entities 

recognized and eligible to receive 

services from the Bureau of Indian 

Affairs [Notice]. Federal Register, 

77(155), 47868–47873. Retrieved 

from http://www.bia.gov/cs/

groups/public/documents/text/

idc-020700.pdf

■ Pierce, H. A., & Lilly, M. 

M. (2012). Duty-related 

trauma exposure in 911 

telecommunicators: Considering 

the risk for posttraumatic stress. 

Journal of Traumatic Stress, 

25(2), 211–215. doi: 10.1002/

jts.21687

Support

Dr. Beaton is currently a research 

consultant to a NIOSH-funded 

project (1 R01OH010536) at 

the University of Washington, 

“Multi-tasking to Hyper-tasking: 

Investigating the Impact of Next 

Generation 9-1-1.” Principal 

Investigator: Dr. Hendrika Meischke 

(School of Public Health). ■

continued from page 8

Why Cultural Competency Is Important to 

Disaster Management

2010

More than half of all 

Americans are projected 

to belong to a minority 

group* by 2044

compared to 36.3% reported

in 2010.

*Minority group is defined as any group other than non-Hispanic white.

Source: 2014 National Projections, Projections of the Size and 

Composition of the U.S. Population: 2014 to 2060

2044

36.3%

50.3%

Source: Projections of the Size and Composition of the U.S. Population: 2014 to 2060, issued March 2015

By 2060,

1in 5of the 

nation’s total 

population is

projected to be

foreign born.
A Quarterly Technical Assistance Journal on Disaster Behavioral Health 

Produced by the SAMHSA Disaster Technical Assistance Center the Dialogue

2015 | VOLUME 11 | ISSUE 2 | PAGE 10

 RECOMMENDED RESOURCES

TIP 59: Improving Cultural Competence

This guidance defines and describes cultural competence and 

explains its importance in behavioral health (mental health and 

substance use disorder) treatment and services. It covers core areas 

of cultural competence for counselors and others who provide 

behavioral health services, ways for individual practitioners and 

organizations to be more culturally aware and competent, and 

information about counseling people of specific cultures (e.g., 

African American, Hispanic and Latino, white American).

Read and download the guidance at http://1.usa.gov/1yTZCrN

Applying Cultural Awareness to Disaster 

Behavioral Health Webinar

This webinar covers key principles of cultural awareness and how 

people of different cultures interact around the time of a disaster. 

It also provides suggestions for more culturally aware disaster 

preparedness, response, and recovery.

View the webinar at http://bit.ly/1d1Ozmh

Understanding Historical Trauma When 

Responding to an Event in Indian Country: 

Tips for Disaster Responders

This tip sheet helps disaster response workers better understand 

historical trauma in the Native American culture and how it may 

affect disaster preparedness and response efforts, and offers strategies 

for providing disaster response assistance with cultural sensitivity.

Download the tip sheet at http://1.usa.gov/1Hsf7tD
A Quarterly Technical Assistance Journal on Disaster Behavioral Health 

Produced by the SAMHSA Disaster Technical Assistance Center the Dialogue

2015 | VOLUME 11 | ISSUE 2 | PAGE 11

UPCOMING EVENTS

NACCHO Annual 2015; July 7–9, 2015; 

Kansas City, Missouri

This conference of the National Association of County 

and City Health Officials (NACCHO) will cover topics 

relevant to work as a local public health professional. 

NACCHO Annual regularly attracts approximately 1,000 

attendees. Conference tracks will include Assess and 

Investigate; Policies, Plans, and Public Health Laws; 

and Evidence-Based Practices. Sessions will cover 

topics such as the Medical Reserve Corps, lessons 

learned from responses to disease outbreaks, using 

social media to support emergency preparedness, and 

mapping to ensure inclusion of at-risk populations in 

emergency plans. 

http://www.nacchoannual.org

123rd APA Annual Convention; August 6–9, 2015; 

Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Each year, the American Psychological Association 

(APA) Convention attracts more than 10,000 attendees, 

including psychologists in research, practice, and 

policy, and psychology students. The convention 

features over 1,000 sessions. This year’s main program 

will include sessions on health disparities, uses of 

technology in psychology, and trauma. Continuing 

education sessions will address areas such as 

telepsychology, self-care for psychologists, suicide 

prevention, treatment for trauma and posttraumatic 

stress disorder, and military psychology.

http://www.apa.org/convention/index.aspx

Second Annual National Tribal Emergency 

Management Conference; August 10–14, 2015; 

Spokane, Washington

Hosted by the Northwest Tribal Emergency 

Management Council, this event will focus on 

emergency management for tribes and best practices 

in disaster preparedness, response, and recovery in 

Indian Country. In its registration materials, the event 

is described as “the largest gathering of tribal disaster 

preparedness, recovery, hazard mitigation, and 

homeland security professionals in the nation.”

http://nwtemc.org/default.htm

SAMHSA DTAC WEBCASTS 

AND WEBINARS

 Great news! All SAMHSA DTAC webcasts and 

webinars can now be found on SAMHSA’s YouTube 

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

the SAMHSA DTAC playlist (http://bit.ly/DTACVideos). 

On the following pages, we provide summaries of and 

links to all SAMHSA DTAC webinars and podcasts.

Post-Disaster Violence Against Women

This webcast describes how disasters can disrupt 

individual, family, and community routines, leading to 

stress and an increase in all types of violent crime. The 

purpose of this webcast is to share recent research 

on post-disaster violence against women with disaster 

responders and disaster behavioral health service 

providers. 

http://bit.ly/ViolenceWomen

Disaster Substance Abuse Services: 

Planning and Preparedness

This podcast helps disaster substance abuse coordinators 

and others who work with people who have substance 

abuse issues understand the importance of disaster 

planning and preparedness.

http://bit.ly/DisSubAbuse

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://bit.ly/introDBH

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://bit.ly/cultureDBH continued on page 12
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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://bit.ly/YouthInDisaster

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://bit.ly/DBHresponders

Helping Children and Youth Cope in the Aftermath 

of Disasters: Tips for Parents and Other Caregivers, 

Teachers, Administrators, and School Staff

This webcast informs 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://bit.ly/HelpingYouthCope

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://bit.ly/DBHplan

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 

webcast.

http://bit.ly/DBHselfcare

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://bit.ly/MassCasualty

Introduction to Promising Practices in Disaster 

Behavioral Health Planning

Participants in 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://bit.ly/DBHpractices

Promising Practices in Disaster Behavioral Health 

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://bit.ly/EffectivePartnerships

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://bit.ly/FinanceAndAdmin

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://bit.ly/DBHPimplementation

WEBCASTS AND WEBINARS continued from page 11

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Promising Practices in Disaster Behavioral Health 

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://bit.ly/PlanScalability

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://bit.ly/AccessingServices

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://bit.ly/LogisticalSupport

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://bit.ly/LegalAuthority

ADDITIONAL WEBINARS 

AND PODCASTS

FEMA Law Talk

This series of audio podcasts covers the legal 

authorities that guide the work of the Federal 

Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), including 

disaster preparedness and response. The collection 

covers authorities such as the Stafford Act and the 

Post-Katrina Emergency Management Reform Act. 

Access the podcasts online or subscribe through 

iTunes.

http://www.fema.gov/media-library/multimedia/

collections/261

Preparedness Summit 2014: Video Podcasts

Access footage from Preparedness Summit 2014, one 

of NACCHO’s major annual events. Podcasts cover 

the roles Medical Reserve Corps members play in 

preparedness, how social media can be used in public 

health emergencies, and SAMHSA’s Disaster Distress 

Helpline.

https://live.blueskybroadcast.com/bsb/client/

CL_DEFAULT.asp?Client=354947&PCAT=7365&C

AT=8499

Integrating Behavioral Health To Strengthen Health 

Care Preparedness Capabilities and Coalitions

This webinar is part of a series for the Hospital 

Preparedness Program (HPP) managed by the federal 

Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and 

Response. It covers ways to make sure behavioral 

health is part of overall health care preparedness for 

public health emergencies such as disasters. In the 

webinar, HPP grantees relate their experiences with 

efforts to integrate behavioral health into overall health 

care preparedness and response. Topics covered 

include disaster behavioral health, resilience at the 

community level, and planning templates.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lqyqio2z7Bw&f

eature=youtu.be

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Strengthening Personal and Community Resilience 

To Mitigate the Impact of Disaster Trauma

Produced by the National Council for Behavioral 

Health, this webinar covers the Adverse Childhood 

Experiences (ACE) Study and what its findings suggest 

about the effects of childhood trauma on lifelong health. 

Presenters also identify common reactions to disasters, 

risk and protective factors in post-disaster behavioral 

health, ways that individuals and communities can 

become more resilient, and how behavioral health 

organizations can help communities increase resilience.

https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/10000000

0065135080;jsessionid=abcu2W5CYfzAghGJV-dZu

TRAININGS

Disaster Mental Health: Introduction

This free, 30-minute online course is designed to 

prepare licensed or certified professionals (psychiatrists, 

psychologists, clinical social workers, marriage and family 

therapists, psychiatric nurses, professional counselors, 

school counselors, or school psychologists) to provide 

disaster mental health services through the American 

Red Cross. The course explains how disaster mental 

health figures into the full array of services that Red Cross 

chapters and disaster relief operations provide. It also 

identifies the psychological effects of disasters, differences 

between what people do as Red Cross disaster mental 

health workers and as mental health professionals, and 

next steps for people who would like to become Red Cross 

disaster mental health volunteers.

http://www.redcross.org/take-a-class/disaster-training

Disaster Planning and Disaster Response Trainings 

From the North Carolina Institute for Public Health

These online trainings cover a range of topics in 

disaster preparedness and response, and disaster 

behavioral health. Trainings and training modules that 

may be of interest include:

■ Assisting Persons With Disabilities During an 

Emergency

■ Disaster Behavioral Health 

■ Emergency Preparedness and the Need To Include 

Persons With Disabilities: Basic Issues for 

Organizations To Consider

■ Equipment and Resources To Assist Persons With 

Disabilities During an Emergency

■ Introduction to Mental Health Preparedness

■ Mental Health Interventions in Disasters

■ Preparing for a Hurricane

■ Responder Health and Safety 

■ Self-Care for Disaster Responders

■ Working With Community Partners

https://nciph.sph.unc.edu/tws/training_

list/?mode=view_kw_detail&keyword_id=2088

https://nciph.sph.unc.edu/tws/training_

list/?mode=view_kw_detail&keyword_id=2089

Building Workforce Resilience Through the Practice 

of Psychological First Aid—A Course for Supervisors 

and Leaders

This 90-minute course from NACCHO provides training 

in Psychological First Aid (PFA), including an overview 

of PFA, how leaders in emergency management and 

other fields can use PFA, and exercises to help leaders 

learn how to use PFA in real-world situations.

https://live.blueskybroadcast.com/bsb/client/

CL_DEFAULT.asp?Client=354947&PCAT=7365&C

AT=9403

CERC Basic Online Training 

Crisis and Emergency Risk Communication (CERC) 

is an approach to communicating during crises and 

emergencies in ways that lead to the best possible 

outcomes for those affected. This online training 

covers CERC principles, audience needs during crises, 

customizing messages for specific audiences, the roles 

of media and social media, and relationship building 

with partners and stakeholders.

http://emergency.cdc.gov/cerc/training/basic/index.asp

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CERC Pandemic Influenza Training

Building upon CERC Basic Online Training, this course 

covers the psychological effects of a pandemic, how to 

craft effective messages to help the public cope with 

these effects, stigmatization and how it can be dealt 

with through official communication, and the importance 

of resilience in individuals and communities in laying 

the foundation for recovery from a pandemic crisis. 

http://emergency.cdc.gov/cerc/training/panflu/

index.asp

University of Minnesota School of Public Health’s 

Online Courses

These free online courses address many topics in 

disaster preparedness and response and disaster 

behavioral health. Available courses include the 

following:

■ Crisis Intervention During Disaster (Public Health 

Emergency Training Series)

■ Dirty Bomb! After the Blast

■ Disaster 101: An Immersive Emergency 

Preparedness and Crisis Leadership Workshop

■ Global Outbreak: A Public Health ICS Simulation

■ Introduction to Business Continuity Planning for 

Disasters and Emergencies

■ Isolation and Quarantine (Public Health Emergency 

Training Series)

■ NIMS (National Incident Management System) 

and ICS (Incident Command System): A Primer for 

Volunteers

■ Personal and Family Emergency Preparedness

■ Planning for and Engaging Special Populations in 

Emergency Preparedness

■ Preparing Employees for a Disaster in the Workplace

■ Road to Resilience: Building Community Resilience 

to Disasters

■ Road to Resilience: Protecting Animals in Disaster

■ Special Populations (Public Health Emergency 

Preparedness Series)

http://sph.umn.edu/ce/online

TRAININGS continued from page 14
∙

Behavioral Health is 

Essential To Health

Prevention Works

Treatment is Effective

People Recover

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 home page (http://www.samhsa.gov), 

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

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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 email address in the “SAMHSA DTAC Bulletin” section of the home page of our 

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

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 

CONTACT US website at http://www.samhsa.gov/dtac/dbhis-collections to access these materials.

SAMHSA Disaster Technical 

Assistance Center

Toll-Free: 1-800-308-3515

DTAC@samhsa.hhs.gov

http://www.samhsa.gov/dtac