CCP Participant Workbook

Phasedown Training

Crisis Counseling Assistance and Training Program 

Module 5

resilience

community

hope

recovery

partnership

outreach
Crisis Counseling Assistance and Training Program (CCP) 

Participant Workbook

Phasedown Training

Table of Contents

Course Agenda ................................................................................. 3

Course Objectives............................................................................. 4

SECTION 1: Phasedown Components.............................................. 5

SECTION 2: Assessing and Addressing Remaining Survivor Needs 7

SECTION 3: Assessing and Addressing Staff Needs ...................... 13

SECTION 4: Revising Public Education and Media Plans ............... 17

SECTION 5: Leaving a Legacy ....................................................... 23

SECTION 6: Program Final Report ................................................. 29

SECTION 7: Phasedown Plan......................................................... 35

Applying Your Learning ................................................................... 39

Rev. 2/2013
This page intentionally left blank.

2 
CCP Participant Workbook: Phasedown Training

Course Agenda 

8:30 a.m. Welcome and Introductions

9 a.m. Section 1: Phasedown Components

9:20 a.m. Section 2: Assessing and Addressing Remaining Survivor Needs

10:30 a.m. Break

10:45 a.m. Section 3: Assessing and Addressing Staff Needs

11:45 a.m. Lunch

12:45 p.m. Section 4: Revising Public Education and Media Plans

2 p.m. Section 5: Leaving a Legacy

3 p.m. Break

3:15 p.m. Section 6: Program Final Report

4 p.m. Section 7: Phasedown Plan

4:45 p.m. Applying Your Learning and Course Evaluation

5 p.m. Adjourn

3 
Course Objectives 

By the end of the course, participants will be able to do the following: 

• Identify the issues associated with phasedown.

• Identify remaining survivor and community needs.

• Implement strategies to address remaining needs.

• Identify strategies to address staff needs related to phasedown.

• Adapt public education and media messaging for phasedown.

• Describe the CCP’s legacy for survivors, the community, and the staff.

• Help develop a written phasedown plan.

• Assist with the preparation of the CCP Final Report. 

Guidelines for Working Together

• Keep time (start on time, return from breaks on time, end on time).

• Switch mobile phones off or to “vibrate.” 

• Participate fully. 

• Ask questions freely.

• Balance talking and listening.

• Respect each other’s points of view.

4 
CCP Participant Workbook: Phasedown Training

SECTION 1: Phasedown Components Phases of Disaster

Source: Zunin/Meyers, as cited in U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. (2000). Training manual for mental health and 

human service workers in major disasters (DHHS Publication 90–538). Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Health and Human 

Services, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, Center for Mental Health Services. 5 
Phasedown Considerations

The CCP should do all of the following: 

• Support, but not replace, community infrastructure. 

• Transition services to local organizations.

• Facilitate community ownership of meeting the needs of survivors.

• Revise public education and media plans to reflect phasedown efforts.

• Use public education and media messaging to deliver a message of hope, 

recovery, and resilience for individuals and the community.

• Prepare individuals, community, and staff for program phasedown.

Notes:

6 
CCP Participant Workbook: Phasedown Training

SECTION 2: Assessing and Addressing Remaining 

Survivor Needs 

Assessing and Addressing Individual Needs

Questions for Consideration:

• How many individuals are we still serving?

• How many of these individuals need referrals to existing services?

• How will we identify existing services and make referrals?

• How will we transition them to existing services?

• How will we determine when an individual will not need referral?

• How will we handle newly identified survivors who may request services?

Crisis counselors should do these things: 

• Help survivors reflect on the they have made.

• Assist survivors in reflecting on the that 

have been most useful. 

• Encourage survivors to continue to set and goals.

• Use public education and media messaging to promote a message of 

 . 

• Ensure that survivors are aware of existing services and knowledgeable about 

referral mechanisms.

• Continue to utilize public messaging and distribution of educational materials to 

communicate . 

• Engage survivors in assessing their need for 

and services. 

7 
Assessing and Addressing Community Needs

Discuss experiences and analyze data collected in order to do these things: 

• Determine populations and areas with remaining need.

• Identify special populations with remaining needs.

• Identify those who are in need but have not accepted services.

• Inform the community about the project phasedown.

• Inform community service providers of the transitioning of services.

• Enhance community-resilience activities and distribution of educational materials.

• Meet with community organizations to provide opportunities for partnerships and 

lasting relationships.

• Participate in community events that support recovery and resilience.

• Plan a public messaging campaign that:

o Announces the project phasedown, while emphasizing the completion of the 

goals by the time-limited CCP

o Acknowledges progress toward recovery

o Provides information about available community resources

Notes:

8 
CCP Participant Workbook: Phasedown Training

9 

Identifying Community Service Capacity

• Reengage behavioral health providers to identify available services and educate 

them about survivor behavioral health needs.

• Reengage local disaster-related organizations, including faith-based groups, to 

identify available services and inform them of remaining survivor needs.

• Ensure there is a mechanism available to the public to access needed services, 

such as a local hotline.

• Inform individuals and community groups about available resources once the 

CCP has ended through public education and media messaging.

Notes:
10

Working Group Worksheets 

Assessing and Addressing Individual Needs

What are the remaining needs of individuals?

How will we identify individuals who need referrals—for mental health services or 

practical assistance?

How will we handle newly identified survivors who may request services?
CCP Participant Workbook: Phasedown Training

11

Assessing and Addressing Community Needs

What populations and areas have remaining needs? 

What are the needs of those areas and groups?

What are the challenges and opportunities for accessing these areas and groups?
12

Identifying Community Service Capacity

What are the remaining gaps in existing services and resources?

Whom can you meet with to discuss those gaps and potential ability to address them?

How will you engage with potential behavioral health providers and disaster-related 

organizations to establish partnerships?
CCP Participant Workbook: Phasedown Training

13

SECTION 3: Assessing and Addressing Staff Needs 

Assessing Staff Needs 

Consider the following:

• Separation from valued work

• Ending of relationships with disaster survivors and coworkers

• Decreased morale as the program comes to an end

• Job loss and new job search

• Returning to nondisaster work

• Stress related to disaster work and phasedown

Notes:
14

Worksheet—Identifying Staff Needs

Individual Reflection

What personal concerns do you have about the ending of the project?

What are your needs as the project comes to a close?

Group Discussion

What recommendations do you have for program management?
CCP Participant Workbook: Phasedown Training

15

Addressing Staff Needs

• Ensure that staff are aware of the project end date.

• Provide organized opportunities for staff to share experiences and 

accomplishments.

• Connect staff with employment resources (e.g., résumé writing or job search 

workshops).

• Provide references for new jobs.

• Arrange for events or ceremonies to recognize program and staff achievements.

• Encourage staff to continue stress management and self-care.

Notes:
16

This page intentionally left blank.
CCP Participant Workbook: Phasedown Training

17

SECTION 4: Revising Public Education and Media Plans 

Assessing and Revising Public Education Strategies

• What community leaders and groups need to be educated about phasedown?

• What strategies should be used to reach them?

• What are the messages we want to convey?

• How will we convey these messages through public education?

Notes:
18

Assessing and Revising the Media Plan

• What is the current media plan?

• What messages have been conveyed?

• What messages need to be conveyed during phasedown?

• Who should be involved in developing and implementing the revised plan?

Notes:
CCP Participant Workbook: Phasedown Training

19

Developing Talking Points

Talking points should convey the following: 

• Information about availability of 

• Information about of services 

with announcement of end date 

• Education about the status of community recovery with an emphasis on 

 

• Highlights of program successes through 

• Cultural 

Notes:
20

Working Group Worksheets

Assessing and Revising Public Education Strategies

Who needs to be educated about the CCP phasedown?

How will you reach them? 

What are the messages we want to convey to them?

 

What methods will we use to convey these messages?
CCP Participant Workbook: Phasedown Training

21

Assessing and Revising the Media Plan

What is the current media plan?

What messages have been conveyed?

What messages need to be conveyed about phasedown?

Who should be involved in developing and implementing the revised plan?
22

Developing Talking Points

What are the talking points for the CCP phasedown? 

How should these phasedown talking points be used?

Who should deliver them?

Who are the target audiences?

Where should they be presented—in what venues or media?
CCP Participant Workbook: Phasedown Training

23

SECTION 5: Leaving a Legacy

Leaving a Legacy

What does “legacy” mean?

Whom is the legacy meant to affect?

What are some tangible expressions of the legacy?
24

Worksheet—Legacy for Survivors and the Community

What is the legacy of this program for survivors?

What is the legacy of this program for the community?
CCP Participant Workbook: Phasedown Training

25

Legacy for Survivors

• Understanding of the behavioral health effects of disaster

• Improved coping skills

• Knowledge of community resources

• Skills to access existing supports

• The establishment of personal rituals

Notes:

Legacy for the Community

• A cadre of staff trained in disaster behavioral health response

• A more collaborative provider network

• A community that is better educated about disasters and their behavioral health 

effects

• Enhanced resilience

• Established rituals and commemorations

• Community organizations better informed about survivors’ practical needs

Notes:
26

Worksheet—Personal Legacy

What have I done to leave a legacy?

What would I like to do before the CCP is done?
CCP Participant Workbook: Phasedown Training

27

Legacy for Staff

• Improved skills 

• Sense of satisfaction and self-worth

• Improved coping and stress management skills

• Community connections

• Job opportunities

Notes:

Strategies for Leaving a Legacy

• Create public health messages about recovery, social support, and hope.

• Leave educational materials and self-help resources with community partners.

• Include analysis of data and program best practices in the CCP Final Report.

• Provide training and consultation to health providers, educators, and community 

leaders.

• Maintain a database of trained crisis counselors and partner agencies for use in 

future disasters.

• Encourage low-cost or no-cost community projects and collaborations that can 

continue in an in-kind capacity. 

• Determine if the hotline or helpline can continue to handle information and 

referrals.

Notes:
28

This page intentionally left blank.
CCP Participant Workbook: Phasedown Training

29

SECTION 6: Program Final Report 

Program Final Report

A comprehensive CCP Final Report does all of the following: 

• Tells the story of the disaster and the CCP

• Identifies program highlights, accomplishments, and best practices

• Documents programmatic and fiscal accountability

• Provides recommendations to state and federal staff

• Is an essential part of the legacy of the CCP

• Becomes a public document

Notes:
30

Strategies for Contributing to the Report

• The Final Report should “tell the story of the CCP.”

• Include information about the state and all service providers.

• Involve local provider staff in compiling the data and creating the “story.” 

• The Final Report should reflect the activities and accomplishments of the entire 

program.

• Include information on program phasedown and legacy. 

• Be familiar with the Final Report format.

• Incorporate the vision of the program by doing the following: 

o Identifying its greatest accomplishments

o Describing challenges and how they were overcome

o Reflecting on how the community has benefited from the program

• Discuss and document the following: 

o Program vision and accomplishments

o Survivor success stories

o Community success stories

o Challenges and how they were addressed

o Program best practices

o Personal achievements of staff

Notes:
CCP Participant Workbook: Phasedown Training

31

CCP Quarterly and Final Report Format

Preface the report with a contact sheet of identifying information: state contact, Federal 

Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) disaster number, and grant number. 

I. Executive Summary—Provide a brief summary of program activities described in 

the report. Highlight program accomplishments and anticipated challenges for the 

next quarter (if applicable). (2 pages)

II. Program Activities and Management (section length varies depending on 

program size)

A. Staffing—Provide an updated organizational chart. Provide a list of service 

providers that includes staffing (by position and full-time equivalency [FTE]) and 

regions served for each provider. Include number of positions filled compared to 

number allotted for each provider. (2 or more pages)

B. Quality assurance—Describe the program’s internal quality management 

system (e.g., communications, supervision, and staff meetings). (1–2 pages)

C. Program highlights—Describe program successes, achievements, and service 

delivery innovations. (1–2 pages)

III. Fiscal Activities (section length varies depending on program size)

A. Budget—Refer to Template for Quarterly Financial Reporting for budget 

template. Include total, state, and individual provider budgets, amounts 

expended to date, and balances going forward.

B. Budget narrative.

IV. Monitoring and Evaluation1 (section length varies depending on program size)

A. Program monitoring—Provide data and a brief narrative analysis of outreach 

activities and strategies for the state and each service provider. Include details 

on activities related to high-risk groups such as children, adolescents, older 

adults, and others identified in the CCP Application.

1. Primary services:

a. Brief educational or supportive contacts

b. Individual/family crisis counseling

c. Referrals

d. Group counseling and public education

e. Community networking

2. Secondary services—materials distribution

 

1

Please copy the entire evaluation database on two separate compact discs, and submit to the 

Center for Mental Health Services (CMHS) with your report.
32

B. Program evaluation—Provide data and a brief narrative analysis of evaluation 

activities and results.

1. Participant Feedback Survey (if applicable)—Participant Feedback Surveys 

are conducted on a quarterly basis in the Regular Services Program (RSP). 

2. Service Provider Feedback Form survey (if applicable)—Provider surveys 

are conducted semiannually in the RSP.

3. Highlight challenges or issues related to evaluation.

V. Training (1–2 pages)

A. Describe required or recommended CCP staff training conducted. Relate this 

training to the approved training plan.

B. Stress management—Describe how the program has addressed stress 

management for CCP staff.

C. List other or special topic trainings provided for CCP staff, and provide a brief 

description of each additional training.

VI. Media and Public Service Announcements—Describe program marketing and 

public information activities, and the use of media. Refer to websites, flyers, 

newsletters, public service announcements, and the development and use of 

hotlines. (1–2 pages)

VII. Challenges, Goals, and Technical Assistance Needs2

 (2–3 pages)

A. Program challenges—Briefly describe program challenges. Describe possible 

solutions, if any, to implement in the next quarter.

B. Goals for the next quarter.

C. Technical assistance needs.

VIII. Attachments—Programs are encouraged to include educational materials, flyers, 

brochures, videos, training materials, summary data reports, etc., with their 

Quarterly Reports. For the Final Report, programs are required to attach sample 

program materials.

2

For the Final Report, part VII should be replaced with the following: VII. Conclusions, A. Best 

practices and lessons learned, B. Recommendations to FEMA and CMHS. (2–5 pages)
CCP Participant Workbook: Phasedown Training

33

Worksheet—Planning to Contribute to the Final Report

Topic areas:

• Program vision and accomplishments

• Survivor success stories

• Community success stories

• Challenges and how they were addressed

• Program best practices

• Personal achievements of staff

For your group’s topic area, brainstorm one of the following: 

• Key points for that section of the Final Report 

• Actions to take to gather the information needed for that section of the report

Notes:
34

This page intentionally left blank.
CCP Participant Workbook: Phasedown Training

35

SECTION 7: Phasedown Plan 

Preparation for Phasedown

Role of Managers

• Analyze program data and assess provider activity to determine when to begin 

the formal phasedown process.

• Elicit crisis counselor feedback on the status of survivor and community recovery.

• Consider an early phasedown if there is a greatly reduced need.

• Revise outreach and service-delivery approaches to accomplish phasedown.

• Adjust staffing levels according to remaining need.

• Prepare the hotline/helpline for phasedown, and determine availability after 

phasedown.

• Ensure that media messaging is appropriate to phasedown.

• Clearly communicate the end date of the program.

• Prepare final provider reports. 

Notes:
36

Role of Crisis Counselors

• Further identify survivor needs and available local resources.

• Participate in unmet-needs or long-term care committee meetings.

• Develop strategies for addressing continued service needs of survivors and 

special populations.

• Prepare community organizations for transition of services from the CCP.

• Continue distribution of educational and informational materials.

• Adjust media messaging to reflect phasedown.

• Prepare hotline staff for phasedown.

Notes:
CCP Participant Workbook: Phasedown Training

37

Developing a Phasedown Plan

The phasedown plan should address the following: 

• Remaining survivor needs

• Remaining community needs

• Remaining needs of the staff and staffing issues

• Strategies to address these needs

• Final media messaging and public education

• Final reporting activities

Notes:
38

Worksheet—Communicating and Implementing the Phasedown Plan

How should the phasedown plan be communicated to staff and other community 

stakeholders?

How can the CCP ensure effective implementation of the plan?
CCP Participant Workbook: Phasedown Training

39

Applying Your Learning 

Summarize what you have learned and what you plan to do back at work by answering 

the following questions. 

What are the most important things you have learned as a result of this course?

What are three things you plan to do in the next 2 weeks to apply in your work setting 

what you have learned here? 

What are the skills you feel will continue to be the most difficult for you, and what can 

you do to overcome those difficulties? 

How can you continue to get feedback on your crisis counseling skills? Who can help 

you, and how will you approach these individuals?
40

This page intentionally left blank.
CCP Participant Workbook: Phasedown Training

41

Crisis Counseling Assistance and Training Program (CCP) 

Training Feedback Form for Participants

CCP Name/Disaster Number: _____________________________________________ 

1. The goals and objectives of the training were clearly stated.

Strongly Disagree Strongly Agree

1 2 3 4 5 

2. The training content, handouts, and activities were effective in meeting the stated 

objectives.

Strongly Disagree Strongly Agree

1 2 3 4 5 

3. The content of the training module was well organized.

Strongly Disagree Strongly Agree

1 2 3 4 5 

4. The information was clearly presented.

Strongly Disagree Strongly Agree

1 2 3 4 5 

5. The trainer demonstrated thorough knowledge of the subject matter.

Strongly Disagree Strongly Agree

1 2 3 4 5 

6. The trainer facilitated the session effectively (e.g., exercises were appropriate 

and well executed, and the training was on schedule). 

Strongly Disagree Strongly Agree

1 2 3 4 5 
42

7. The length of the training was appropriate for the amount of material covered.

Strongly Disagree Strongly Agree

1 2 3 4 5 

8. The training environment was physically comfortable (e.g., temperature, room

size, setup).

Strongly Disagree Strongly Agree

1 2 3 4 5 

9. What elements of this training session will most assist you in effectively

performing your job duties?

10. How do you think the module content or the training session could be improved?

Thank you for your valued feedback. Please return this form to your trainer. Copies will 

be mailed to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration 

(SAMHSA) Disaster Technical Assistance Center (DTAC) at:

SAMHSA DTAC 

9300 Lee Highway 

Fairfax, VA 22301 

1-800-308-3515