2015 | VOLUME 11 | ISSUES 3–4

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the Dialogue

A Quarterly Technical Assistance Journal on Disaster Behavioral Health 

Produced by the SAMHSA Disaster Technical Assistance Center

The Road to Recovery: Looking Back 10 Years 

After Hurricane Katrina
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.

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IN THIS ISSUE

2 Katrina the Aftermath and Recovery: 

A Special Infographic Insert

3 Special Feature: Gulf Coast Disaster 

Behavioral Health Coordinators Look 

Back

10 Part of the Fabric of Recovering 

Communities: The Katrina Assistance 

Project

11 All Hands: SAMHSA’s Response to 

Hurricane Katrina

14 Turning Rebuilding Into Reengineering: 

New Orleans School Systems 

After Katrina

17 Hurricane Katrina: Recovery and 

Resilience Among Children

19 Katrina’s First Responders: 

An Interview with Danny Adams, 

Assistant Fire Chief, Ret./Disaster 

Behavioral Health First Responder 

Lead, Baton Rouge, Louisiana

22 Native American Communities 

Affected by Hurricanes Katrina 

and Rita

25 Recommended Resources

26 Upcoming Events

27 Additional Webinars and Trainings

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 | ISSUES 3–4 | PAGE 1

The 2005 hurricane season broke many weather records 

in the United States, including the most named storms 

(28), most hurricanes (15), second-highest number of 

hurricanes to strike the United States (6—Cindy, Dennis, 

Katrina, Ophelia, Rita, and Wilma), the most major 

(category 3 or higher) hurricanes (4—Dennis, Katrina, 

Rita, and Wilma), costliest (Katrina), and most intense 

(Wilma) (Blake, Landsea, & Gibney, 2011; Farris, 2007; 

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, 

National Climatic Data Center, 2012).

More than 1,800 people lost their lives. Over 1 million 

people were displaced with nearly 600,000 evacuated 

from the effects of Hurricane Katrina. Millions more 

survivors were left to find a new normal. It’s the 10-year 

anniversary of that devastating season, and this edition 

of The Dialogue focuses on the recovery of the Gulf 

Coast and those associated with the response. 

Two articles share lessons learned from the SAMHSA 

response perspective. A special feature Q&A with 

the State Disaster Behavioral Health Coordinators of 

Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas describes 

In This Issue

how their disaster behavioral health response operations 

have changed as a result of Hurricane Katrina. Other 

articles focus on the unique challenges of supporting 

special populations—children, first responders, and 

Native Americans—following Hurricane Katrina. 

This special edition is in memory of all those who lost 

their lives and is in honor of all those who survived. 

We wish to thank everyone who worked tirelessly to 

support the survivors on their road to recovery—

a new normal.

We hope you find the articles in this edition helpful and we 

encourage your feedback—what is your “new normal”?

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

References

Blake, E. S., Landsea, C. W., & Gibney, E. J. (2011). The deadliest, costliest, 

and most intense United States tropical cyclones from 1851 to 2010 (and 

other frequently requested hurricane facts) (NOAA Technical Memorandum 

NWS NHC-6). Miami, FL: National Weather Service, National Hurricane 

Center. Retrieved from http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/pdf/nws-nhc-6.pdf

Farris, G. S. (2007). The major hurricanes of 2005: A few facts. In G. S. 

Farris, G. J. Smith, M. P. Crane, C. R. Demas, L. L. Robbins, & D. L. Lavoie 

(Eds.), Science and the storms: The USGS response to the hurricanes of 

2005 (U.S. Geological Survey Circular 1306) (pp. 12–15). Reston, VA: U.S. 

Geological Survey.

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, National Climatic Data 

Center (Cartographer). (2012). Continental United States hurricane strikes 

1950–2011 [Map]. Retrieved from http://www1.ncdc.noaa.gov/pub/data/

images/2011-Landfalling-Hurricanes-32x34.pdf

More than 1,800 people lost their 

lives as a result of Hurricane Katrina.

Source: FEMA
2015 | VOLUME 11 | ISSUES 3–4 | PAGE 2

A Quarterly Technical Assistance Journal on Disaster Behavioral Health 

Produced by the SAMHSA Disaster Technical Assistance Center the Dialogue

19 percent

Mississippi

6 percent

Alabama

of all occupied units 

were damaged

70%

Katrina

The Aftermath and The Recovery

Katrina displaced more than 

1,000,000 people in the

Gulf Coast region.

Estimated number of individuals 

aged 16 years and older that evacuated

from their homes, even temporarily, 

because of Hurricane Katrina 

1.504 Million

Up to 600,000 households were 

still displaced a month later.

Number of Evacuees by State

At their peak, hurricane evacuee 

shelters housed 273,000 people.

At least 114,000 households were relocated to 

FEMA trailers. Source: Groen, J. A., & Polivka, A. E. (2008, March 1). Hurricane Katrina evacuees: Who Source: The Data Center

they are, where they are, and how they are faring. Monthly Labor Review, 32–51. Retrieved 

from http://www.bls.gov/opub/mlr/2008/03/art3full.pdf

Louisiana 

Nation

11.4%

Louisiana 

6.6%

Nation

4.8%

September 2005

Unemployment Rate: Louisiana Versus the Nation

April 2015

200,000

280,000

360,000

440,000

520,000

600,000

July 2005 July 2006 2014

-114.7%

Percent Change in 

Population

Population of the city of 

New Orleans

Number of housing units in 

the New Orleans metro area

40.1%

July 2006 to 2014

-35.2%

Percent Change in 

Housing Units

20.8%

July 2006 to 2012

July 2005 to July 2006

July 2005 to July 2006

In 2014, New Orleans returned 

to the list of the nation’s 50 

most populous cities, ranking 

50th at 384,320.

Source: Population Estimates and Intercensal Population Estimates

Source: Groen, J. A., & Polivka, A. E. (2008, March 1). Hurricane Katrina evacuees: Who 

they are, where they are, and how they are faring. Monthly Labor Review, 32–51. Retrieved 

from http://www.bls.gov/opub/mlr/2008/03/art3full.pdf

Change in the Number of Housing Units in the New Orleans Metro Area Compared to the Change in 

Population of the City of New Orleans, 2005–2014

Percent of Louisiana natives affected by the storm 

that no longer live in the State

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics; 

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, April, 2015

5.4%

75 percent

Louisiana

The Aftermath

The Recovery

*8% of Louisiana's population in 2005

Percent of evacuees who returned to their preKatrina residences or county, October 2005–

October 2006

Percent of evacuees who did not return to their preKatrina residences and did not even return to the 

county in which they were living, October 2005–

October 2006

592,800

494,294

438,278

230,172

553,627

384,320

71%

68%

23%*

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.
A Quarterly Technical Assistance Journal on Disaster Behavioral Health 

Produced by the SAMHSA Disaster Technical Assistance Center the Dialogue

2015 | VOLUME 11 | ISSUES 3–4 | PAGE 3

The Dialogue: How has your 

approach to disaster behavioral 

health planning and response 

improved or evolved since Hurricane 

Katrina?

Acquanetta Knight (AK), Alabama: 

There has been an increased focus 

among partners and stakeholders on 

incorporating cultural competence 

into planning, especially as it 

relates to sheltering during disaster. 

Since Katrina, disaster behavioral 

health training has also been 

designed to expand the response 

workforce. At least annually, 

training on the effects of trauma 

during disaster, posttraumatic 

stress disorder related to disaster, 

and Psychological First Aid (PFA) 

has been provided statewide. 

Plans include the development 

of a Critical Incident Stress 

Management tabletop exercise.

Cassandra Wilson (CW), Louisiana: 

We also have expanded training 

and exercises, including routine 

tabletop exercises conducted with 

the state psychiatric hospitals and 

state university psychiatry units 

in several areas of the state to 

practice evacuation and shelter-inplace protocols for each agency. 

Also, suicide prevention, substance 

use screening and referral, and 

domestic violence training were 

incorporated into the Louisiana 

Spirit Crisis Counseling Assistance 

and Training Program (CCP). 

Additionally, all state employees 

are now required to complete 

Emergency Support Function 

(ESF)-8 training. 

To build response capacity, 

we developed a Behavioral 

Health Cadre to offer support to 

individuals who need crisis, grief, 

and loss assistance after traumatic 

events that is beyond the capability 

of local response systems. Also, 

we established protocols to employ 

needed CCP staff at the state level 

(short term), as contracts are no 

longer feasible, and Louisiana has 

now implemented an Employee 

Emergency Database to facilitate 

call-back of staff for emergency 

assignments.

We expanded planning and 

readiness activities after Hurricane 

Katrina in a statewide effort to 

integrate behavioral health into 

overall public health response. We 

revised data collection systems 

for substance use services to 

determine if clients served were 

affected by or displaced as a 

result of a disaster. We established 

protocols for emergency access to 

psychiatric services in disasters, 

as well as protocols for use in 

medical special needs shelters 

(MSNSs) and for public/quasiprivate hospitals with psychiatric 

units to shelter at the state’s 

psychiatric hospitals in the central 

and northeast parts of the state. We 

developed contingency contracts for 

transportation of psychiatric clients 

to sheltering sites, and we preidentified psychiatric surge beds for 

evacuated shelterees or evacuees. 

Gulf Coast Disaster Behavioral 

Health Coordinators Look Back

Perspectives From Alabama, Louisiana, 

Mississippi, and Texas

continued on page 4

SPECIAL FEATURE

In this special Q&A, Chance Freeman from Texas, Kris Jones from Mississippi, Acquanetta Knight from 

Alabama, and Cassandra Wilson from Louisiana share their insights from responding to Hurricane Katrina and 

talk about how disaster preparedness and response have changed in the ensuing 10 years.
A Quarterly Technical Assistance Journal on Disaster Behavioral Health 

Produced by the SAMHSA Disaster Technical Assistance Center the Dialogue

2015 | VOLUME 11 | ISSUES 3–4 | PAGE 4

We also enhanced backup systems 

for critical data and improved 

emergency communications 

systems for critical staff. We 

initiated annual reviews and updates 

with state psychiatric hospitals for 

prestaging of supplies and staffing, 

and we created written evacuation 

agreements with providers for use 

of the state’s psychiatric facilities 

as an evacuation/shelter site. 

Additionally, we now include in 

our response plans the deployment 

of members of the behavioral 

health first responder team and 

local governing entities in affected 

regions to assist with evacuation 

and sheltering. 

Also, local government entities 

have taken ownership of the 

primary behavioral health responder 

continued from page 3 

role at the community level with 

support from the state as needed. 

Coordination of the behavioral 

health resource is also being pushed 

out to the locals to promote a 

seamless response system and to 

strengthen partnerships with other 

ESF agencies.

Since Katrina, the state has 

also focused on improving how 

services are delivered. In the 

Louisiana Spirit CCP, trained first 

responders and stress managers 

were deployed statewide to support 

other responders post-event. We 

have made this component of 

Louisiana Spirit a permanent part 

of our CCPs. We also developed 

and implemented tools for local 

government entities to support 

timelier implementation of the 

CCP. Additionally, we made 

evacuation preparation plans more 

comprehensive, with specific 

details of supplies, equipment, and 

personnel that need to be in place 

prior to the arrival of evacuees. 

HVAC-capable generators are now 

on site at psychiatric facilities, 

nursing homes, and hospitals 

through Federal Emergency 

Management Agency Hazard 

Mitigation grants.

Kris Jones (KJ), Mississippi:

Mississippi had the opportunity to 

change and improve our disaster 

behavioral health planning and 

response. Prior to Katrina, a formal 

system did not exist. Post-Katrina, 

the Department of Mental Health 

(DMH) recognized the importance 

of solidifying disaster planning and 

continued on page 5 

Houston, TX., 9/1/2005 -- Hurricane Katrina survivors sitting on cots after being evacuated from New Orleans to a Red Cross shelter in the Houston Astrodome. 

FEMA photo/Andrea Booher
A Quarterly Technical Assistance Journal on Disaster Behavioral Health 

Produced by the SAMHSA Disaster Technical Assistance Center the Dialogue

2015 | VOLUME 11 | ISSUES 3–4 | PAGE 5

response activities as part of the 

agency’s mission. DMH created the 

Division of Disaster Preparedness 

and Response to manage not only 

disaster preparedness and response 

activities but also continuity of 

operations activities for the public 

mental health system. Subsequently, 

that division has increased its level 

of responsibility and oversight 

and is now the Office of Incident 

Management. The office remains 

responsible for disaster preparedness 

and response activities, as well as 

the agency’s incident management 

reporting system for agencies 

certified by DMH.

Chance Freeman (CF), Texas: 

Texas is fortunate to have a robust 

network of volunteers and 39 

mental health authorities willing to 

respond to any disaster. However, 

since Katrina, Texas has focused on 

developing tools to assist disaster 

behavioral health responders 

in tracking encounter data and 

response/recovery expenses. This 

toolkit is accompanied by a training 

that explains the role of crisis 

counselors, how disaster response 

differs from the clinical setting, and 

how to track encounters as well as 

how to track and report response 

expenses. The toolkit is updated 

regularly based on lessons learned 

from previous response activities 

and as advancements in data 

gathering are made. 

Understanding Texas’ vastness 

and diverse cultures, the state is 

developing and rostering regional 

disaster behavioral health response 

teams. These teams will be trained 

according to qualifications established 

by the state’s Disaster Behavioral 

Health Consortium and will include 

individuals with specialized training 

in Incident Command, PFA, spiritual 

care, victims assistance, and Critical 

Incident Stress Management. The 

state also recognized the need to 

develop local/regional Disaster 

Behavioral Health Consortia. These 

groups will serve as advisory groups 

to local and regional public health 

planners, emergency managers, and 

incident command. Lastly, the state 

is still in the process of incorporating 

providers of substance use treatment 

services into the overall emergency 

management landscape.

TD: In your opinion, what is the most 

important lesson(s) learned from 

the behavioral health response to 

Hurricane Katrina?

AK: To me, the most important 

lesson learned during Katrina was 

the importance of making sure 

first responders had information 

regarding behavioral health 

resources, particularly information 

specific to substance use disorder 

treatment. During Katrina, states 

and regions were able to effectively 

plan and develop emergency 

treatment protocols for evacuees 

who presented without prescriptions. 

These emergency policies, coupled 

with the dissemination of treatment 

and response information, proved to 

be critical strategies.

continued from page 4

continued on page 6

New Orleans, La., October 1, 2005 — Pharmacist Ed Tate fills an order for Paul Lio, RN at the D.M.A.T. 

(Disaster Medical Assistance Team) center. MARVIN NAUMAN/FEMA photo
A Quarterly Technical Assistance Journal on Disaster Behavioral Health 

Produced by the SAMHSA Disaster Technical Assistance Center the Dialogue

2015 | VOLUME 11 | ISSUES 3–4 | PAGE 6

CW: One key lesson for Louisiana 

was that behavioral health agencies 

should be prepared with training 

and resources to respond to requests 

for crisis support from other partner 

agencies. Also, as Acquanetta 

mentioned earlier, cultural 

competence and appropriateness are 

crucial. In Louisiana, we learned 

that community staffing postevent should reflect the makeup 

of the area to help broker into 

communities that need services. 

We learned the importance of 

identifying specific cultures and 

ensuring that services and staff can 

meet their needs.

Some of our other lessons learned 

are as follows:

■ It is critical to educate staff to 

ensure coordination of crisis 

support and PFA to survivors 

evacuated to MSNSs and critical 

transportation needs shelters 

across the state. 

■ The specialized crisis counseling 

services developed during 

Katrina should be utilized 

to help survivors develop 

the skills needed to recover 

psychologically. 

■ Continuing partnerships are 

essential in each affected area 

(public, private, faith-based, 

advocacy organizations, etc.), 

either directly or indirectly. 

KJ: Two of the most important 

lessons learned from Katrina were 

the importance of establishing 

relationships with emergency 

management partners at state and 

local levels prior to an event and 

the need to engage individuals who 

are most knowledgeable about the 

operations of state systems during 

an event. During the response to 

Katrina, DMH learned that the 

height of an event is not the time 

to learn the incident management 

structure, its moving parts, and its 

key players. Although the CCP is 

a valuable resource to behavioral 

health agencies during and after an 

event, DMH quickly learned that 

engaging individuals who are most 

knowledgeable about the operations 

of state systems led to more 

positive outcomes for communities, 

rather than hiring “unseasoned” 

staff with little systems experience. 

Through our experience with 

Katrina and subsequent disasters, 

we have found that people affected 

by the event most often need 

assistance with getting basic needs 

met. When people were successful 

in getting those needs met, we 

found that the longer-term mental 

health effects of the event were 

lessened.

CF: Substance use-related services 

are important components of 

emergency planning, response, 

and recovery. During Katrina, 

we underestimated the number 

of individuals who needed 

opioid treatment services. 

However, communities stepped 

up and did what was needed to 

ensure individuals received the 

medications, treatment, and wraparound services that they needed. 

This is a true testament of how 

Baton Rouge, La., January 21, 2006 - Discussions with planning team members and local residents at the 

Louisiana Recovery Planning Day open house was one method used to gather public input that will identify 

priority recovery issues unique to each community. This event served as the first of several opportunities for 

Louisiana citizens and organizations to join the local, state and federal initiative to create long-term recovery 

plans for rebuilding hurricane affected areas in Louisiana. Robert Kaufmann/FEMA

continued from page 5

continued on page 7
A Quarterly Technical Assistance Journal on Disaster Behavioral Health 

Produced by the SAMHSA Disaster Technical Assistance Center the Dialogue

2015 | VOLUME 11 | ISSUES 3–4 | PAGE 7

dedicated Texas is when it comes to 

caring for those in need.

TD: Knowing what you know now 

about disaster behavioral health 

planning and response, how would 

you have done things differently in 

Hurricane Katrina?

AK: The only thing that comes 

to mind is alerting the disaster 

response workforce to the 

magnitude of the disaster, which 

was unprecedented and somewhat 

unforeseen. While anyone 

watching news accounts could 

understand the severity of the 

hurricane’s initial impact, the sheer 

number of people presenting with 

overwhelming needs was in some 

ways difficult to prepare for and 

predict. However, Alabama, and 

the surrounding Gulf states, did a 

heroic job in responding to these 

needs, addressing behavioral health 

concerns, and welcoming evacuees 

on short notice.

CW: There are several things we 

would have done differently, based 

on what we learned from Katrina. 

Some I have touched on already. 

Others include better integration 

of behavioral health services 

into overall state planning and 

response efforts. We also would 

have more thoroughly planned 

for and tracked behavioral health 

clients to be evacuated—ensuring 

clinics/providers include readiness 

planning with clients and their 

families, and that clients have 

access to emergency behavioral 

health services. We would have 

ensured availability of onsite 

behavioral health support at 

locations such as parish pickup sites 

and assembled trained behavioral 

health mobile crisis teams. We 

also would have developed and 

implemented organized systems 

and structures at the state level to 

track all evacuees and quickly link 

them to identified resources while 

in shelters and upon discharge. 

Finally, we would have established 

a protocol for mental health clinics 

patients’ medication planning 

during an emergency or disaster.

KJ: Knowing what we know 

now, DMH approaches disaster 

behavioral health much differently: 

technical assistance related to 

disaster preparedness and planning 

for DMH-certified provider 

agencies has been integrated into 

DMH’s routine practice; and 

workforce development in the areas 

of PFA, mental health first aid, and 

suicide prevention is ongoing. A 

critical component of local disaster 

response has become the use of 

mobile crisis response teams (made 

up of clinicians, case managers, 

and peers) funded through state 

appropriation, but operated by 

local community mental health 

centers. The primary role of these 

teams is to respond to behavioral 

health crises in their communities; 

however, the teams respond to and 

coordinate with state and local 

emergency management agencies 

during an event. This enables DMH 

to put into practice the philosophy 

that events are best handled locally.

CF: Understanding the size and 

scope of the event, Texas would 

have requested additional assistance 

through Texas-based membership 

organizations such as the National 

Association of Social Workers–

Texas Chapter and the Texas 

Psychological Association. The 

state would have also looked to 

the Texas Voluntary Organizations 

Active in Disaster (VOAD) for 

volunteers and engaged substance 

use providers much sooner. 

TD: What were some of the most 

significant behavioral health impacts 

among survivors/evacuees and how 

were those different or similar to 

those among residents already living 

in the community (who could also be 

considered survivors)?

AK: The most significant 

differences were cultural. 

Alabamians, for the most part, 

sought shelter in neighboring 

communities during Katrina’s onset 

and returned to their communities 

as soon as possible. Conversely, 

individuals and families from the 

New Orleans area traveled several 

hundred miles to take shelter. 

In many cases, these shelters 

were developed in rural areas 

of Alabama. In some instances, 

transport occurred so rapidly that 

evacuees didn’t know their shelter 

destinations. These individuals 

experienced uncertainties about 

their futures and, in some cases, 

longed for reconnection with their 

loved ones. They also missed 

traditional Louisiana customs 

and foods that provided a daily 

continued from page 6

continued on page 8
A Quarterly Technical Assistance Journal on Disaster Behavioral Health 

Produced by the SAMHSA Disaster Technical Assistance Center the Dialogue

2015 | VOLUME 11 | ISSUES 3–4 | PAGE 8

sense of comfort, routine, and 

security. Rural Alabamians made 

every attempt to welcome and 

accommodate evacuees. Preparing 

communities and providing justin-time or PFA training may have 

empowered more rural areas of 

Alabama to better understand the 

customs and culture of evacuees.

CW: There was a lack of PFA 

training among all responders 

to better prepare them to handle 

survivors/evacuees experiencing 

emotional distress. Another issue 

was cultural insensitivity or 

ignorance of responders, which 

increased the psychological impact 

on survivors. And many evacuees 

in the workforce underestimated the 

psychological impact of losing an 

entire community and the lengthy 

recovery process.

Also, the capacity to rebound was 

just not there for many who found 

themselves homeless and living on 

the streets, in abandoned structures, 

or under bridges with little hope 

of recovery. Residents felt they 

could not survive outside of their 

community and had limited to no 

access to behavioral health services.

TD: In general, how many evacuees 

went home versus stayed in their 

new location?

CW: This number is not definitive. 

According to the U.S. Census 

Bureau, the population estimates for 

New Orleans suggest a 21 percent 

decrease (difference between the 

2000 and 2014 censuses). However, 

this population decline could be the 

result of multiple changes in the 

area and not specifically related to 

Hurricane Katrina.

Another source estimates that as 

many as 30,000 evacuees have 

permanently relocated to Baton 

Rouge and the surrounding area. 

Because there was not a formal 

tracking system in place postKatrina, repatriation of evacuees 

from various shelters (in state and 

out of state) focused on returning 

survivors using state and federal 

transportation assets. The LA Swift 

bus line between New Orleans and 

Baton Rouge, which was started 

after Hurricane Katrina to help 

people return to their homes and 

New Orleans, Sept.1, 2005 -- Survivors of Hurricane Katrina arrive at New Orleans Airport where FEMA’s D-MAT teams have set up a medical hospital and where people 

will be flown to shelters in other states. Photo: Michael Rieger/FEMA

continued from page 7

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 | ISSUES 3–4 | PAGE 9

jobs in New Orleans, transported 

over 12,000 commuters monthly 

from Baton Rouge to New Orleans 

from 2006 until 2013 to help 

displaced residents rebuild their 

homes and livelihoods (Samuels, 

2013).

TD: How many evacuees did your 

state take in following Hurricane 

Katrina? 

AK: It’s reported that 14,500 

evacuees took shelter in Alabama 

following Katrina. In addition to 

shelters established by VOADs, 

Alabama used its statewide 

community college and parks 

systems to provide shelter and 

temporary housing.

TD: What were the challenges to 

providing services to evacuees?

AK: Overall, the challenges were 

few. It’s amazing how seamlessly 

the response effort worked. In large 

part, this is because partnerships 

are maintained in Alabama when 

disasters and disaster recovery are 

not in progress. These preexisting 

relationships stood the most powerful 

test of time to date in the state.

CW: Our greatest challenges were 

not knowing where people were, 

and a completely shut down 

transit system. Most in the New 

Orleans area were evacuated to 

various other cities and states 

immediately after the storm. With 

limited or no infrastructure left, it 

was increasingly difficult to locate 

survivors in need of services. 

This was especially true of the 

school systems. Also, relocation of 

residents resulted in a significant 

loss of staff. 

CF: The greatest challenges we 

experienced regarding evacuees 

included:

■ Locating appropriate service 

delivery sites, especially 

for methadone maintenance 

medications

■ Accommodating the large 

number of individuals in need of 

behavioral health providers

■ Obtaining medical records

■ Tracking clients separate from 

Texas residents

■ Being affected by Hurricane Rita 

1 month after Katrina

TD: How did the communities who 

received evacuees respond to them?

CW: Overall, communities 

seemed to welcome evacuees, 

with the exception of those areas 

less receptive to the culture or 

perceived culture of the evacuees. 

Many states made provisions for a 

number of evacuees with housing 

and jobs. Other evacuees were 

met with fear and with less-thandesirable accommodations for this 

diverse population. 

AK: News stories during the time 

reported how welcomed evacuees 

felt in Alabama. One story indicated 

that the reputation of some of 

Alabama’s shelters resulted in 

evacuees specifically seeking those 

resources based upon word of mouth 

or previous experience. Colleges, the 

faith-based community, and citizens 

provided support to adults and 

children who were being sheltered. 

The governor established a state 

office to manage the extensive 

supply of donations and to develop a 

list of volunteers willing to provide 

additional services. 

CF: Texas communities welcomed 

evacuees. Many benefited from 

the rich culture that the evacuees 

brought with them. The evacuees 

who stayed enriched their 

communities through music, art, 

and food. ■

Contributed by:

■ Chance Freeman, former Texas 

Disaster Behavioral Health 

Coordinator, Texas Department of 

State Health Services

■ Acquanetta Knight, Director of 

Planning and Resource Development 

at the Alabama Department of 

Mental Health

■ Kris Jones, Director, Bureau of 

Quality Management, Operations & 

Standards, Mississippi Department 

of Mental Health

■ Cassandra Wilson, Director, 

Emergency Preparedness Operations, 

Louisiana Department of Health and 

Hospitals, Office of Behavioral Health

Reference

Samuels, D. (2013, July 26). LA Swift service will 

end July 31, funding proposal not accepted. The 

Times-Picayune. Retrieved from http://www.

nola.com/traffic/baton-rouge/index.ssf/2013/07/

la_swift_service_will_end_july.html

continued from page 8
A Quarterly Technical Assistance Journal on Disaster Behavioral Health 

Produced by the SAMHSA Disaster Technical Assistance Center the Dialogue

2015 | VOLUME 11 | ISSUES 3–4 | PAGE 10

It’s hard to believe that it has been 

10 years since Hurricane Katrina 

hit the Gulf Coast. The memory of 

the disaster is still fresh for many 

people. In Katrina’s aftermath, the 

need for mental health (MH) and 

substance abuse (SA) services was 

unprecedented and at times seemed 

overwhelming. In addition to the 

enormous numbers of affected 

individuals, the storm’s destruction 

left many state and local MH and 

SA agencies unable to serve their 

communities. Practitioners were 

dislocated, facilities damaged, 

patient records destroyed, 

and distribution channels for 

pharmaceutical supplies disrupted. 

Most seriously, many hospitals were 

closed, so emergency psychiatric 

services were hard to find. 

SAMHSA determined that as 

many as 500,000 people needed 

behavioral health assistance after 

Katrina’s landfall and so moved 

swiftly to create the Katrina 

Assistance Project (KAP). KAP was 

funded by the Federal Emergency 

Management Agency through 

SAMHSA (at approximately 

$12 million) to support the MH 

and SA needs of people affected 

by Hurricane Katrina. Over 600 

licensed, well-trained, and resilient 

MH and SA clinicians from across 

cruise ships where first responders 

and their families lived. In all these 

settings, KAP professionals brought 

hope to people and helped foster a 

new sense of community.

KAP evolved into an innovative, 

field-based model for providing 

clinical MH and SA services, an 

approach that many equated with the 

mobile medical and surgical teams 

used by the military. 

Katrina brought the need 

for professional MH and 

SA care into public view 

and demonstrated the 

importance of these services 

in the recovery process.

KAP personnel took treatment out 

of traditional clinical settings and 

became part of the fabric of these 

recovering communities. 

The SAMHSA KAP initiative was 

essential to rebuilding communities 

in the Gulf Coast region. While it 

did not involve bricks and mortar, 

it contributed strength of a different 

kind. KAP offered hope where 

it had been washed away, and 

empowered people to rebuild lives 

shattered by Katrina’s destruction. ■

the country deployed to fill the 

gap between the services offered 

through the Crisis Counseling 

Assistance and Training Program 

(CCP) grant and the services needed 

to restore essential local MH and 

SA service delivery systems. 

Enter the “Orange Shirters”

In all, 130,000 people received 

services. Two weeks after Katrina’s 

landfall, KAP “orange shirters” 

spread out over the disaster-affected 

area, offering care wherever they 

found people in need. They helped 

individuals displaced by the storm 

and supported the efforts of first 

responders. By maintaining a visible 

presence where people gathered 

and reaching out to people in need, 

KAP professionals entered the 

mainstream of life in the newly 

created communities of “dislocated” 

and often distressed people. 

The clinicians often had to modify 

their traditional approaches and 

improvise in the fragmented postdisaster environment. Sometimes 

they had to see an agency’s regular 

clients, find and engage new ones, 

and provide professional support 

to local agency staff. Their orange 

shirts could be seen in shelters, 

tent cities, trailer parks, and on the 

Part of the Fabric of Recovering Communities: 

The Katrina Assistance Project

Contributed by Anne Mathews-Younes, Ed.D., D.Min., Director, Division of Prevention, Traumatic Stress, and 

Special Programs, SAMHSA Center for Mental Health Services
A Quarterly Technical Assistance Journal on Disaster Behavioral Health 

Produced by the SAMHSA Disaster Technical Assistance Center the Dialogue

2015 | VOLUME 11 | ISSUES 3–4 | PAGE 11

Hurricane Katrina struck on 

August 29, 2005. Even 10 years 

later, I am flooded by a jumble of 

memories and emotions, and it is so 

difficult to focus on just a few short 

operational lessons learned. 

When Katrina hit, SAMHSA—

for the first time—activated an 

emergency response center for a 

disaster. Previously, SAMHSA 

participated in very limited 

roles during national drills and 

exercises, so few employees had 

any experience with incident 

command or disaster response 

activities. The majority of disaster 

response work was carried out 

by the SAMHSA Emergency 

All Hands: SAMHSA’s Response to 

Hurricane Katrina

Contributed by Brenda Mannix, Project Director, SAMHSA Disaster Technical Assistance Center, and former 

SAMHSA Incident Commander During Hurricane Katrina

continued on page 12 

Coordinator, who at that time was 

Daniel Dodgen, Ph.D., and staff of 

the Emergency Mental Health and 

Traumatic Stress Services Branch 

(EMHTSSB) within the Center for 

Mental Health Services, led by Mr. 

Seth Hassett, M.S.W. EMHTSSB 

houses both the FEMA/SAMHSAfunded Crisis Counseling Program 

and the National Child Traumatic 

Stress initiative; both programs 

provided intensive services and 

supports to the states, communities, 

and individuals affected by the 

disaster. Mr. Hassett also served 

as SAMHSA’s first Incident 

Commander for Hurricane Katrina, 

until he transferred command to me. 

What I remember most always 

comes back to people—the people 

who were affected, our colleagues 

in local and state agencies, 

many of whom themselves were 

disaster survivors and yet became 

responders, and my colleagues 

at SAMHSA and from around 

the federal government who 

volunteered to support SAMHSA’s 

efforts. In total, more than half of 

SAMHSA’s employees worked in 

the emergency response center or 

were deployed to Gulf Coast states 

to assist in response operations. 

The other half of the Agency’s 

staff picked up the work of their 

deployed colleagues and carried 

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 | ISSUES 3–4 | PAGE 12

on regular business. There was no 

“I” in that team, and I continue to 

be proud of being a part of that 

response.

Hurricane Katrina was a unique 

response for SAMHSA. In most 

disasters SAMHSA provides 

technical assistance, training 

resources, and coordination and 

consultation regarding mental 

health and substance use treatment 

needs. Katrina destroyed so much 

infrastructure in the Gulf Coast and 

so many people were evacuated 

and unable to return that a typical 

mental health response could not 

be launched. For the first time in its 

history, FEMA awarded a mission 

assignment to SAMHSA to provide 

mental health and substance use 

services. SAMHSA staff, clinicians 

from other agencies—such as the 

Health Resources and Services 

Administration, the National 

Institute of Mental Health, and 

the Centers for Disease Control 

and Prevention—and clinicians 

from around the country were 

deployed to provide support to 

survivors, help relieve clinicians 

who also needed to attend to 

their own recovery, and stand up 

treatment facilities. With so many 

deployed people, we quickly 

had to develop policies to ensure 

everyone’s health and safety—

managing tours of duty, managing 

each state’s licensing requirements 

and temporary reciprocity 

requirements, providing time for 

rest, transitioning back to work, 

providing an opportunity to share 

on-the-ground assessments, and 

handling sickness, injuries, and 

other emergencies—which included 

for instance, Hurricane Rita. 

A New Framework

Following Hurricane Katrina, the 

U.S. Department of Homeland 

Security and FEMA led an effort 

to update and revise the National 

Disaster Recovery Plan, which 

became the National Response 

Framework. The National Response 

Framework describes how the 

federal government responds to all 

continued from page 11

continued on page 13

types of disasters and emergencies. 

It is built on scalable, flexible, and 

adaptable concepts identified in 

the National Incident Management 

System (NIMS) to align key roles 

and responsibilities across the 

nation. This updated framework 

places a strong emphasis on 

planning and partnership building. 

SAMHSA required all staff to 

become trained on NIMS and 

encourages all states, communities, 

and facilities to develop disaster 

response plans, update them 

regularly, and train staff on 

Photo: Marvin Nauman/FEMA 
A Quarterly Technical Assistance Journal on Disaster Behavioral Health 

Produced by the SAMHSA Disaster Technical Assistance Center the Dialogue

2015 | VOLUME 11 | ISSUES 3–4 | PAGE 13

Incident Command. Through 

the SAMHSA-funded Disaster 

Technical Assistance Center, 

states and communities can access 

disaster planning and response 

tools, including tip sheets, program 

guides, and webcasts discussing 

best practices in planning for 

disaster behavioral health needs and 

responding to special populations. 

All of these advancements are 

for naught if you don’t have 

relationships with people and 

organizations. SAMHSA’s 

Hurricane Katrina response efforts 

succeeded in part because of the 

partnerships and relationships it had 

with other agencies, organizations, 

and states. Knowing whom to 

contact is 90 percent of the battle. 

continued from page 12

SAMHSA staff either knew the 

right people to connect with for 

resources or knew people who 

knew the right people. It’s all about 

relationships. Many of the people I 

worked with during the Hurricane 

Katina response have moved on to 

other roles and positions, but they 

are still people I count on as expert 

resources and great colleagues. 

Dr. Daniel Dodgen is now the 

Director for the Division of At-Risk 

Individuals, Behavioral Health 

and Community Resilience within 

the HHS office of the Assistant 

Secretary for Preparedness and 

Response. Ms. Terri Spear replaced 

Dr. Dodgen as SAMHSA’s 

Emergency Coordinator. Mr. 

Hassett is now the director of 

the Division of State Assistance 

within the HHS Administration 

for Children and Families. Captain 

Maryann Robinson, Ph.D., is the 

current Branch Chief of EMHTSSB. 

As for me, I am just finishing my 

first year as Project Director for 

SAMHSA’s Disaster Technical 

Assistance Center. I am pleased to 

be in a role where I can continue 

to help connect people to each 

other in preparation for responding 

to disasters. I look forward to 

continuing this dialogue, so please 

reach out and let us know what you 

think of this edition and what other 

information would be helpful to you 

in your disaster preparedness and 

response activities. ■

SAMHSA’s response efforts 

succeeded in part because of 

the partnerships and relationships 

it had with other agencies, 

organizations, and states. 

Knowing who to contact is 90 

percent of the battle. SAMHSA 

staff either knew the right 

people to connect with for 

resources or knew people who 

knew the right people. It’s all 

about relationships. 
A Quarterly Technical Assistance Journal on Disaster Behavioral Health 

Produced by the SAMHSA Disaster Technical Assistance Center the Dialogue

2015 | VOLUME 11 | ISSUES 3–4 | PAGE 14

Hurricane Katrina caused 

enormous damage in Louisiana 

and Mississippi, destroying homes 

and businesses, communities, and 

entire public service systems. One 

of those systems severely damaged 

was the public school system 

across much of southern Louisiana 

and Mississippi, and particularly 

the Orleans Parish public school 

system, which includes New 

Turning Rebuilding Into Reengineering: 

New Orleans School Systems After Katrina

Contributed by CAPT Jon Perez, Ph.D., SAMHSA Regional Administrator for Health and Human Services Region IX

Orleans. After the hurricane, New 

Orleans schools were destroyed 

and the entire school system was 

decimated. 

This is a brief story about how 

sometimes just a little help can 

bring big results. 

As part of SAMHSA’s massive 

recovery effort for Katrina, there 

was also a little known, but 

important area of support that 

involved helping the Louisiana 

Department of Education (DoE) 

recover from the enormity of 

the damage caused to the public 

education system in southern 

Louisiana. I led a small team of 

four U.S. Public Health Service 

officers that integrated into the DoE 

recovery team during the critical 

period immediately following the 

continued on page 15

New Orleans, La., June 12, 2013 -- FEMA Louisiana Recovery Office Deputy Director of Programs Andre Cadogan joins city of New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu, 

Recovery School District Superintendent Patrick Dobard and other federal, state and local government officials at the Fisk Howard school groundbreaking ceremony. 

Photo: Lynette Fontenot/FEMA
A Quarterly Technical Assistance Journal on Disaster Behavioral Health 

Produced by the SAMHSA Disaster Technical Assistance Center the Dialogue

2015 | VOLUME 11 | ISSUES 3–4 | PAGE 15

hurricane when DoE created the 

models it would eventually use 

to create the new public school 

models for Orleans Parish and 

New Orleans. Ten years after the 

destruction, those resulting public 

school models are being lauded for 

their innovation.

The job facing DoE was 

overwhelming as Katrina destroyed 

virtually all the existing New 

Orleans and Orleans Parish school 

districts:

All 65,000 public school students 

were forced to evacuate the city. 

Administrators, teachers, and support 

staff were similarly displaced. The 

storm also took an enormous physical 

toll on the public schools’ longneglected facilities. According to a 

facilities assessment done in 2008, 

more than two-thirds of the district’s 

300 plus buildings were considered 

to be in “poor” or “very poor” 

condition due to storm damage and 

long-neglected maintenance.

(Cowen Institute for Public Education Initiatives at 

Tulane University, 2010, p. 4).

This destruction affected an 

already troubled school system that 

perennially ranked as among the 

lowest performing school systems 

in the country. And those charged 

with addressing these problems 

were all personally affected by the 

hurricane, as well. 

“Overwhelmed” was the word 

most often used by the DoE 

team to describe the situation 

and themselves, as the more they 

learned about the destruction, the 

more they wondered how, if ever, 

they could repair it all. That was 

where the SAMHSA team came 

in...the group was composed of 

behavioral health professionals, a 

couple with decades of emergency 

and disaster response experience 

working with entire recovery 

systems. And while our team hadn’t 

seen this kind of devastation before 

in the United States, we had seen it 

in other places, and we knew that 

helping the team heal would help 

the larger system heal as well. 

The SAMHSA team became part 

of the DoE team and functioned 

as liaisons between the ongoing 

federal response and state 

personnel, as additional staff for 

DoE, and perhaps most importantly 

as counsel for the DoE team 

leadership. We were people from 

the outside who came not to tell 

DoE what to do, but be members 

of their team, and work side-byside with them to more fully assess 

damage, begin short-term recovery 

operations, and chart longer term 

healing for the school systems and 

their students. 

From New Orleans to Baton 

Rouge, the team assessed, 

consulted, engaged constituents, 

and developed immediate 

action plans to get educational 

programs, if not all the schools, 

operating again. This alone was 

an extraordinary effort involving 

the range of educational personnel 

and resources in the state, and the 

remaining students themselves. 

But it was during these activities, 

and during ongoing deliberations 

among everyone affected, that 

the possibilities for real successes 

became evident. 

continued from page 14

continued on page 16

Baton Rouge, La., January 17, 2006 - This class is being conducted in a new modular building used as a 

temporary classroom at Audubon Elementary School. Robert Kaufmann/FEMA
A Quarterly Technical Assistance Journal on Disaster Behavioral Health 

Produced by the SAMHSA Disaster Technical Assistance Center the Dialogue

2015 | VOLUME 11 | ISSUES 3–4 | PAGE 16

continued from page 15

What If...?

Integration = 

Critical Change

Rebuilding Reengineering

Crisis Change

Victim of 

Disaster

Leader of 

Innovation

As more information became 

available, and more constituents—

from elected officials to students 

and families—were consulted, the 

idea of just repairing a previously 

problem-plagued system became 

untenable. But for the DoE team, 

what were the realistic alternatives? 

How do you repair and rebuild on 

such a scale?

It was here the integrated 

team, and its members with 

perspectives outside DoE, 

provided a critical change in 

thinking about the overall response 

paradigm. Specifically, we 

ceased approaching the recovery 

effort as system “rebuilding,” 

and began working on system 

“reengineering.” Inherent in this 

was the idea that in great crisis, 

opportunity for great change was 

also present. What it did for the 

team itself was shift the stance 

from victim of disaster to leaders 

in innovation. “What if...” became 

the mantra, and renewed energy 

to promote large scale change 

became evident.

The changes seen now in the New 

Orleans school systems, again 

described by the Cowen Institute at 

Tulane University, which has been 

involved with the effort from the 

beginning, are remarkable: 

The 2013-14 school year marks 

the eighth full school year since 

the dramatic transformation of 

the public school system in New 

Orleans. Although structures and 

policies continue to evolve, the 

overarching reform mechanisms 

that were catalyzed by Hurricane 

Katrina and its subsequent 

flooding in 2005 continue to define 

the public education model. School 

autonomy, parental choice, and 

high-stakes accountability remain 

hallmarks of the system.

(Sims & Vaughan, 2014, p. 2).

A small team helping another small 

team can sometimes promote the 

achievement of significant things. 

And it is a testament to the efforts of 

Louisiana, its people, its government, 

its schools and administrators, and 

even a small team of personnel sent 

by SAMHSA to help in a time of 

overwhelming need. ■

References

Cowen Institute for Public Education Initiatives 

at Tulane University. (2010). The state of 

public education in New Orleans: Five years 

after Hurricane Katrina. Retrieved from http://

www.coweninstitute.com/wp-content/

uploads/2010/07/katrina-book.final_.

CIpageSmaller.pdf

Sims, P, & Vaughan, D. (2014). The state of public 

education in New Orleans: 2014 report. New 

Orleans, LA: Cowen Institute for Public Education 

Initiatives at Tulane University. Retrieved from 

“http://www.speno2014.com/”

New Orleans, La., Nov. 7, 2012 -- The Recovery School District has constructed Arthur Ashe Elementary School, a 

state-of-the-art 97,000 square foot Kindergarten through 8th grade school at the previous site of Bienville School, 

which was destroyed by Hurricane Katrina. Lillie Long/FEMA
A Quarterly Technical Assistance Journal on Disaster Behavioral Health 

Produced by the SAMHSA Disaster Technical Assistance Center the Dialogue

2015 | VOLUME 11 | ISSUES 3–4 | PAGE 17

Hurricane Katrina: Recovery and Resilience 

Among Children

Contributed by Joy D. Osofsky, Ph.D., and Paul J. Ramsay Chair, Department of Psychiatry and Pediatrics, 

Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center

As is well known and very much 

on our minds at the time of the 

10th anniversary of Hurricane 

Katrina and the breach of the 

levees, Katrina caused a disaster 

of proportions not previously 

known in the United States. At 

that time, and for many years that 

followed, there was increased 

need for behavioral health support, 

consultation, intervention, and 

treatment services. This was a result 

not only of the destruction and 

horrors witnessed by many, but also 

the long-term displacement and 

instability in families with children 

attending multiple schools, family 

economic difficulties, stress that, at 

times, resulted in domestic violence 

and substance use, and a change in 

the life, routines, and familiarity 

that children always knew. 

Important questions can be asked 

about the longer term effects 

of the trauma. Does having 

such experiences early in life 

foretell unhappy and unstable 

development? Or can such 

adversity result in greater strength, 

ability to cope, and resilience? 

Depending on the circumstances 

and experiences, both are true. 

Since 2005, as a result of multiple 

grants,1 the Departments of 

Psychiatry and Pediatrics at 

Louisiana State University Health 

Sciences Center have been 

following—and providing schoolbased intervention and treatment 

services to—children affected by 

Hurricane Katrina. In collaboration 

with schools, we have also been 

carrying out screenings once a 

year since Hurricane Katrina, 

1 Through the Louisiana Rural Trauma Services 

Center in the National Child Traumatic Stress Network 

funded by SAMHSA, Louisiana Spirit Crisis Response 

Program through the Office of Behavioral Health 

of Louisiana, and then the Mental and Behavioral 

Health Capacity Project funded as part of the medical 

settlement following the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill

continued on page 18

Houston, TX., 9/8/2005 -- Elementary school students wave good bye to their parents as they leave the Reliant center for their first day of school in Texas. 

FEMA photo/Andrea Booher
A Quarterly Technical Assistance Journal on Disaster Behavioral Health 

Produced by the SAMHSA Disaster Technical Assistance Center the Dialogue

2015 | VOLUME 11 | ISSUES 3–4 | PAGE 18

and as of 2015 have data on over 

54,000 children and adolescents. 

These screenings help us track 

the course of behavioral health 

symptoms, work with schools 

and communities, and guide the 

provision of services. 

Based on empirical data and 

anecdotal reports, our team has 

observed both significant, ongoing 

behavioral health problems, many 

of which are also related to family 

dysfunction, as well as much 

resilience in the children. Most 

children demonstrate resilience, 

even if persistent behavioral health 

symptoms exist. There are so 

many stories describing long-term 

displacement and loss of parental 

employment. For example, one 

teenager 3 years after Katrina 

stated, “I will never have the same 

life that I had before Katrina and 

I may never be successful or rich; 

however, I know that after this 

experience I will be able to face 

and overcome future adversities.” 

Students in one of our strengthbased programs reached out to 

returning younger children to 

decrease risk-taking behaviors 

when usual activities were not 

available, and they volunteered 

with the school to help plant new 

trees to preserve the wetlands. 

Right after Hurricane Katrina, 

almost 50 percent of students met 

the cut-off for behavioral health 

referral, and the percentages 

remained relatively high for 

the next 4 years. Since 2010, 

reductions progressively occurred 

with some transient increases at 

the time of new disasters. By 2014, 

approximately 25 percent of the 

students met the cut-off for referral. 

There has been a further slight 

decline in the past year. According 

to the recovery timeline of the 

Centers for Disease Control 

and Prevention (2012), for most 

children, the greatest improvement 

in symptoms occurs in the first 3 

years following a disaster and then 

symptoms stabilize to expectable 

national levels. After Hurricane 

Katrina, due to the severe nature 

of the disaster, not only has 

stabilization of symptoms in this 

disaster-prone region of the country 

taken longer, but it also remains 

higher than national expectations. 

Important lessons have been 

learned and changes made in this 

region of the country even as we 

now are in the middle of another 

hurricane season. 

■ First, the state is better prepared, 

with preparedness being 

embedded in all systems so 

that by June of each year, most 

institutions, individuals, schools, 

communities, and children and 

families have a plan—a much 

more robust plan than was in 

place at the time of Katrina. 

■ Second, it is recognized that 

some behavioral and emotional 

reactions to trauma may be 

“normal” or represent a new 

“normal” with widespread 

disaster and continuing anxiety. 

■ Third, knowledge has pointed to 

the importance of recognizing and 

addressing, in culturally sensitive 

ways, behavioral health needs 

of children and families after a 

major disaster. 

■ Fourth, special behavioral health 

needs of communities, for 

example, those of first responders 

(including teachers), and their 

families need to be recognized and 

addressed. Self-care for those who 

are responding and supporting 

others needs to be implemented. 

Finally, and perhaps most important, 

we have learned that most children 

will be resilient—especially with 

support from adults. Therefore, in 

responding to disasters, it is crucial 

to be sensitive to both the needs of 

children and those of caregivers and 

community/education providers so 

that they can be knowledgeable and 

emotionally available to support the 

children. We have learned that for 

recovery and resilience, schools and 

communities play key roles. ■

Reference

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 

(2012). Emergency preparedness and response: 

Disaster mental health primer; key principles, 

issues and questions. Retrieved from http://

emergency.cdc.gov/mentalhealth/primer.asp 

2014

2005

approx. 25%

approx. 50%

Percentage of Students Meeting 

the Cut-off for Behavioral Health 

Referral

continued from page 17
A Quarterly Technical Assistance Journal on Disaster Behavioral Health 

Produced by the SAMHSA Disaster Technical Assistance Center the Dialogue

2015 | VOLUME 11 | ISSUES 3–4 | PAGE 19

Katrina’s First Responders 

An Interview with Danny Adams, Assistant Fire Chief, Ret./Disaster 

Behavioral Health First Responder Lead, Baton Rouge, Louisiana

Danny Adams served the Baton 

Rouge area as a firefighter 

for 30 years, retiring in 2008. 

As Assistant Fire Chief, he 

supervised the Critical Incident 

Stress Management Team for the 

Baton Rouge Fire Department. 

He continues to serve on the 

Behavioral Health Board of the 

International Association of Fire 

Fighters in Washington, DC. 

Mr. Adams currently works with 

the Office of Behavioral Health 

(OBH)/Disaster Preparedness. 

He is part of the state behavioral 

health emergency response for 

all disasters, providing support 

to the bus triage process during 

evacuations and stress management 

for employees and volunteers 

working with disaster response. 

He leads the Behavioral Health 

First Responder Team for OBH. 

He served as First Responder 

Coordinator for the OBH/Louisiana 

Spirit Program starting in 2006 

after Hurricanes Katrina and 

Rita, and as Quality Assurance/

First Responder Liaison for the 

Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill. 

Training provided by OBH included 

safeTALK and Applied Suicide 

Intervention Skills Training 

(ASIST) for Hurricane Isaac for 

which he served as one of the 

primary trainers. He also provided 

coordinative assistance to stress 

managers and teams through the 

OBH First Responder staff.

What was your role in the immediate 

Hurricane Katrina response?

At the time Hurricane Katrina 

hit, I was nearing the end of my 

career as Assistant Fire Chief in 

Baton Rouge. As Assistant Fire 

Chief, part of my responsibility 

was running the Critical Incident 

Stress Management (CISM) Team 

for the department and the Baton 

Rouge area. Once we realized 

The “Spirit of Louisiana” is a fire truck given to New York City after 9/11. Following Hurricane Katrina, the city sent it to New Orleans with a full regiment of firefighters.

Photo courtesy of Danny Adams
A Quarterly Technical Assistance Journal on Disaster Behavioral Health 

Produced by the SAMHSA Disaster Technical Assistance Center the Dialogue

2015 | VOLUME 11 | ISSUES 3–4 | PAGE 20

the full devastation caused by the 

hurricane, my chief asked me to 

help other firefighters cope with 

the stress surrounding the rescue 

and recovery process. The OBH 

Crisis Counseling Program (CCP) 

grant to be implemented in the New 

Orleans service area was interested 

in recruiting a first responder 

to coordinate and assist crisis 

counselors with reaching out to the 

first responder community. With my 

background—coming from a family 

of law enforcement personnel—and 

job experience, I felt I was a good 

match for the job and agreed to 

come on board part-time, working 

for the OBH Louisiana Spirit CCP. 

Why do you think you were 

successful in your role?

When I started my outreach work 

with Louisiana Spirit, I realized 

using only behavioral health 

professionals to reach this group 

would not work. By pairing a 

first responder with a behavioral 

health professional, you add a 

level of credibility that opened up 

doors for the crisis counselors and 

help while reducing the stigma of 

mental health. When we ran into 

resistance, as a part of the OBH 

Louisiana Spirit team, I was able 

to reach out to the community first 

responder leadership as a peer, 

resulting in a request from this 

community to “please come help 

my people.”

The Louisiana Spirit program also 

received assistance from other 

jurisdictions. New York City sent 

the “Spirit of Louisiana” (a fire 

truck given to the city by Louisiana 

after 9/11) with a full regiment of 

firefighters to serve as backup so 

our people could go to see their 

families. Catholic Charities and 

Louisiana State University, Health 

Science Center for Psychiatry, also 

provided much-needed assistance. 

Several first responders continue to 

see behavioral health professionals 

in their communities for more 

intense counseling. 

Did you find differences among the 

first responder groups?

We found firefighters to be more 

resilient due to the nature of 

the environment they work in. 

Typically, they work in groups or 

pairs and usually talk about what 

has happened when they return 

from a call. Law enforcement 

officers may not have a partner, 

making it more difficult to cope 

with tragic events. OBH Louisiana 

Spirit partnered with a retired 

officer, Dave Benelli from the New 

Orleans Police Department, who 

later became a CCP First Responder 

Team Lead for the Louisiana Spirit 

Orleans Service Area to help the 

program gain access to the officers 

when we met with resistance. 

How did you best help the first 

responder community?

I found that taking care of the 

wives and families of the first 

responders in the field was the best 

way to help relieve their stress. 

Many of the people our program 

worked with were nearing the 

end of their careers and did not 

want to jeopardize their positions 

by leaving their posts. Letting 

them know that OBH Louisiana 

Spirit had people on site with their 

families helping them allowed 

the first responders to continue on 

with their work. Two unfortunate 

situations occurred where law 

enforcement officers took their 

own lives. During these tragic 

events, our program assisted the 

department and family through peer 

support. 

Through the OBH Louisiana Spirit 

program, we also produced short 

videos using people and scenes 

from the community to increase 

our creditability. These videos 

helped show first responders that 

their reactions to the disaster were 

continued from page 19

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normal. This group is not used 

to asking for help. We tried to 

reinforce the idea that “we are not 

superheroes; we are just human 

beings.” 

Reaching out to the nontraditional 

first responders, those individuals 

that due to the extraordinary 

circumstances found themselves 

in the role of a first responder, was 

a little more challenging. One of 

the groups that Louisiana Spirit 

worked with was the Department 

of Wildlife and Fisheries. We (the 

CCP first responder team) would 

meet them on the docks and talk 

to them before they would go out. 

Sometimes just talking to someone 

about what’s going on helps. In our 

outreach, we made sure we reached 

out to a special population we 

referred to as the “citizen groups.” 

These groups were made up of 

community members who would 

regularly get together to engage 

in rescue activities. Both of these 

groups proved to be very resilient. 

By helping others they were also 

helping themselves through the 

recovery process. 

How is the population of first 

responders dealing with the longterm effects of Katrina?

Responders were in rescue mode 

for nearly 5 years after Hurricane 

Katrina. Many were still living and 

working out of trailers while their 

families were staying out of state in 

apartments or hotels. Responders 

would use their holiday and 

vacation time to visit their families. 

As a community responder, I know 

a lot of responders who had family 

in Houston, Texas, that they visited 

during their time off. 

Even 10 years later, you may still 

hear that people are dealing with 

the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina 

in the field. Some are still dealing 

with issues from the loss of their 

home or income. Many responders 

had second jobs that were lost 

during that period and had trouble 

getting back their second source 

of income. Disasters after Katrina 

that continued to re-traumatize 

responders, such as the Deepwater 

Horizon Oil Spill in 2010, affected 

the income and livelihood of many 

responders operating camps and 

fishing boats in the shrimping 

industry. Also Hurricane Isaac 

in 2012 caused major flooding 

in different areas of Louisiana 

that didn’t normally get flooded. 

The responders were constantly 

handling the unexpected in their 

jobs and daily lives. 

However, overall, responders are 

resilient. I’m seeing responder 

groups across the state come 

together now little by little. We are 

not there yet, but as a responder, 

I see a lot of good things being 

brought to the table and revamping 

of protocols to prepare responders 

for future disasters. Also, our work 

continues at OBH to bridge the 

gap to offer support to responders 

during these times. I also heard 

about a lot of domestic violence, 

alcohol, and substance use after 

Hurricane Katrina, and I have seen 

leadership in this population (first 

responders) work tirelessly to get 

support to address these issues 

while supporting their staff. 

The goal of OBH Louisiana Spirit 

was to make sure responders 

understood that Hurricane Katrina 

was a major disaster that caused 

compounding distress for everyone 

and that it is okay to ask for help. 

When working with this population, 

you need to show them that you 

can recover. An outcome was 

that community first responder 

departments were getting better 

and more prepared to recognize 

signs of behavioral health issues in 

this population and how to connect 

them for further support. 

As a peer, I recently taught a class 

at the New Orleans Fire Department 

and the new chief was very 

supportive of the team-based efforts 

the department had been doing to 

support each other. He said that we 

have to stay prepared for the next 

disaster. I agree with that attitude 

because this population needs to 

prepare and not react post-disaster. 

OBH promotes more community 

trainings and tips for coping with 

disasters. I strongly believe that 

when you have the right coping skills 

instilled in your people, chances for 

bad disaster reactions are reduced. ■

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2015 | VOLUME 11 | ISSUES 3–4 | PAGE 22

While most Americans remember 

that hundreds of thousands of 

African Americans were affected 

by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita 

in the late summer of 2005, few 

people know that thousands of 

Native Americans were also 

affected by the storms. Six 

federally recognized tribes and 

several smaller unrecognized tribes 

along the Gulf Coast experienced 

the destructive effects of wind, rain, 

and flooding. The Mississippi Band 

of Choctaw reportedly experienced 

the most extensive damage, but the 

following tribes also were affected: 

■ Poarch Bank Creek Indian Tribe 

in Alabama

■ Coushatta Indian Tribe

■ Jena Band of Choctaw

■ United Houma Nation

■ Pointe-au-Chien Tribe

■ Isle de Jean Charles Indian Band 

of Biloxi-Chitimacha

■ Grand Caillou-Dulac Band

■ Biloxi-Chitimacha Confederation 

of Muskogee

■ Tunica-Biloxi Tribe in Louisiana 

■ Chitimacha Tribe in Mississippi 

Tribal leaders estimate that 5,000 

to 6,000 Native Americans lost 

their homes and everything they 

owned due to Hurricanes Katrina 

and Rita. Many of those displaced 

lived in areas around New Orleans 

prior to the storm and returned to 

their tribal communities in need 

of shelter, food, water, clothing, 

Native American Communities Affected by 

Hurricanes Katrina and Rita

Contributed by Beth Boyd, University of South Dakota

Charenton, LA October 18, 2005 - Tricia Mora, Vice Chairman of the Chitimarcha Tribe, and USCG Vice Admiral Thad Allen toured the mobile homes which FEMA provided 

for tribe members from several areas of Louisiana who were displaced by the hurricanes. Photo by Greg Henshall / FEMA

continued on page 23
A Quarterly Technical Assistance Journal on Disaster Behavioral Health 

Produced by the SAMHSA Disaster Technical Assistance Center the Dialogue

2015 | VOLUME 11 | ISSUES 3–4 | PAGE 23

and other resources. Some tribal 

communities along the Gulf Coast 

were affected by both storms 

and were then further stressed by 

providing shelter and resources to 

returning tribal members.

Difficulties Obtaining 

Assistance

The media rarely covered these 

groups’ experiences. Because 

media coverage plays a major role 

in the ability to obtain assistance, 

they were largely overlooked by 

governmental and nongovernmental 

relief organizations. FEMA provided 

disaster relief services to affected 

areas generally and the Bureau of 

Indian Affairs provided public safety 

and emergency services for federally 

recognized tribes. 

For tribal groups that have not 

been officially “recognized” by the 

federal government, the process 

of obtaining assistance can be 

even more complex. “Federal 

recognition” is a legal term that 

establishes a tribe’s status as a 

sovereign nation unto itself with 

the right to self-govern, define their 

own membership, and engage in 

a “nation-to-nation” relationship 

with the United States. Federal 

recognition also entitles tribes to 

certain federal benefits, services, 

and protections because of treaties 

and trust relationships made 

between the two governments. 

Much of the post-hurricane 

disaster assistance received by 

tribal groups without federal 

recognition came from other tribes 

and Native American organizations 

across the country. The National 

Congress of American Indians 

set up a relief fund to assist the 

tribes in Alabama, Louisiana, and 

Mississippi. Tribal communities 

across the country sent medical 

personnel, relief workers, financial 

assistance, clothing, food, water, 

and mattresses. 

The Essential Role of Cultural 

Competence

This disaster taught disaster 

response organizations that services 

need to be culturally responsive in 

order to be truly helpful. For many 

rural and minority communities, 

services that were centrally located 

within the mainstream community 

simply did not reach or serve 

the diverse needs of all. This 

is especially true for providing 

psychological support and serving 

the behavioral health needs of those 

affected by the disasters. Culture 

has a great influence on how a 

disaster is perceived, experienced, 

and processed, as well as how 

healing occurs. For many Native 

Americans affected by the storms, 

the need for culturally competent 

support and healing was best met 

by turning to their tribes or other 

Native communities.

Language also plays a role in 

determining whether tribes or 

tribal communities receive needed 

continued on page 24

continued from page 22

Purvis, MS., October 3, 2005 -- Over 1,000 trailers are getting ready for distribution at the FEMA Trailer Staging 

Area in Purvis, Mississippi. Nicolas Britto/FEMA
A Quarterly Technical Assistance Journal on Disaster Behavioral Health 

Produced by the SAMHSA Disaster Technical Assistance Center the Dialogue

2015 | VOLUME 11 | ISSUES 3–4 | PAGE 24

resources in a timely manner 

following a disaster. There are 

approximately 180 tribal languages 

still spoken in North America, and 

many of those languages do not 

have a word for “disaster.” The 

concept of disaster is especially 

difficult when the situation involves 

a natural event. Events such as 

storms, floods, and earthquakes are 

understood to be part of the natural 

world and not conceptualized as 

something unusual or a “disaster.” 

In some situations, this may 

contribute to delays in tribes asking 

for and receiving disaster assistance. 

Although this was not the most 

significant issue following the 

hurricanes of 2005, it often plays 

a role in the aftermath of natural 

disasters in tribal communities.

The effect of Hurricanes Katrina 

and Rita has been long-lasting for 

many and has led to erosion of 

coastal lands, needs for elevated 

lands and housing, and threats to 

fishing and shrimping livelihoods. ■

continued from page 23

References

Boyd, B., Quevillon, R. P., & Engdahl, R. (2009). 

Working with rural and diverse communities after 

disasters. In Dass-Brailsford, P. (Ed.), Crisis 

and disaster counseling: Lessons learned from 

Hurricane Katrina and other disasters. Thousand 

Oaks, CA: Sage Publications. 

Dardar-Robichaux, B., & Verdin, C. (2005, 

October 10). Indian tribes and Hurricane Katrina: 

Overlooked by the federal government, relief 

organizations and the corporate media [Video]. 

Democracy Now! Retrieved from http://www.

democracynow.org/2005/10/10/indian_tribes_

and_hurricane_katrina_overlooked

Federal Emergency Management Agency. (2006, 

August 21). Native Americans find shelter with 

tribes after Katrina. Retrieved from https://www.

fema.gov/news-release/2006/08/21/nativeamericans-find-shelter-tribes-after-katrina

Indianz.com. (2005, September 2). Indian Country 

responds to victims of Katrina. Retrieved from 

http://www.indianz.com/News/2005/010151.asp 

KATRINA RESEARCH 

HIGHLIGHT: 

SUPPLEMENTAL 

RESEARCH BULLETIN

In this issue of the SAMHSA DTAC 

Supplemental Research Bulletin, 

we review five articles about the 

intermediate and long-term negative 

mental health and substance misuse 

trends in survivors of Hurricane 

Katrina to seek an understanding 

of the lasting impact of large-scale 

disasters. 

The analysis looks at the positive 

effects of using coping skills and 

highlights the need to plan better 

in an effort to mitigate distress 

and attend to survivors who are 

displaced or evacuated from 

their communities and ultimately 

separated from their social supports 

as a result of a disaster. 

Read the analysis: http://archive.

samhsa.gov/dtac/bulletin/

SupplementalResearchBulletin_

Issue3.tml.htm
A Quarterly Technical Assistance Journal on Disaster Behavioral Health 

Produced by the SAMHSA Disaster Technical Assistance Center the Dialogue

2015 | VOLUME 11 | ISSUES 3–4 | PAGE 25

 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 | ISSUES 3–4 | PAGE 26

UPCOMING EVENTS

American Public Health Association (APHA) 

Annual Meeting; October 31 – November 4, 2015; 

Chicago, Illinois

The annual meeting of the APHA attracts more than 

12,000 attendees from around the world. This year’s 

meeting will feature scientific and general sessions on 

topics including disaster epidemiology, protecting 

disaster response workers, health care perspectives on 

disaster preparedness and response, and researchsupported ways to reduce the impact of natural disaster 

and war on survivors.

http://apha.org/events-and-meetings/annual

National Pediatric Disaster Coalition Conference; 

November 2 – 4, 2015; Scottsdale, Arizona

The National Pediatric Disaster Coalition Conference is 

designed to serve as a forum for exchange of lessons 

learned and best practices, foster networking and 

relationship development for better pediatric 

preparedness, expedite work to address children’s 

needs related to disasters, and provide opportunities 

for coalitions and alliances. Sessions will cover topics 

such as preparedness for children with access and 

functional needs, community resilience, work toward a 

national concept of operations for children’s and family 

mental health after a disaster, and reunification of 

families after disasters.

https://www.npdcconference.org

International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies 

31st Annual Meeting; November 5 – 7, 2015; 

New Orleans, Louisiana

This year’s meeting will feature symposia, workshops, 

and presentations on a variety of traumatic stressrelated topics, including aspects of the biology, 

physiology, and treatment of posttraumatic stress 

disorder; implementation of evidence-informed postdisaster interventions; post-disaster grief; and long-term 

outcomes after disasters. Meeting planners suggest 

that mental health care providers (psychiatrists, 

psychologists, social workers, counselors), nurses, 

researchers, marriage and family therapists, 

administrators, victim advocates, journalists, and clergy 

may benefit from this meeting. 

https://www.istss.org/am15/home.aspx

International Association of Emergency Managers 

63rd Annual Conference; November 13 – 18, 2015; 

Clark County, Nevada

This event may interest emergency managers, 

homeland security officials, first responder 

coordinators, business continuity planners, and others. 

It provides educational sessions, hands-on training, 

and opportunities for collaboration and networking. 

Sessions at this year’s conference will cover topics 

such as applying research to practice in disaster 

management, post-disaster financial recovery, and 

animals in disasters.

http://www.iaem.com/page.cfm?p=events/annualconference

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Produced by the SAMHSA Disaster Technical Assistance Center the Dialogue

2015 | VOLUME 11 | ISSUES 3–4 | PAGE 27

Association of Healthcare Emergency Preparedness 

Professionals 1st Annual Conference; November 

17-18, 2015; Omaha, Nebraska

This conference will focus on disaster preparedness for 

health care facilities. It will provide a forum for 

networking and information exchange. People who may 

benefit from attending include disaster preparedness 

staff who work in inpatient acute care facilities, 

outpatient clinical services, in residential and long-term 

care facilities, preparedness coalitions, and public 

health agencies. 

https://ahepp.site-ym.com/?page=AnnualConference

ADDITIONAL WEBINARS 

AND TRAININGS 

 NEW! Behavioral Health Response to Ebola

This webinar for providers relates lessons learned while 

supporting a quarantined individual who was homeless 

in Dallas, Texas, during the 2014 Ebola outbreak.

https://youtu.be/MFLBFEb2dok

Poster Winners – Elderly in Disasters: 

An Integrated Review 

In this webinar, presenters affiliated with the Daniel K. 

Inouye Graduate School of Nursing at the Uniformed 

Services University of the Health Sciences, discuss the 

content of their poster, which won and outstanding 

poster award at the National Center for Disaster 

Medicine and Public Health’s Annual Learning in 

Disaster Health Workshop. 

http://ncdmph.adobeconnect.com/r72x5v80yxb/

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

UPCOMING EVENTS

continued from page 26

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Mental Health Preparedness From the John 

Hopkins Center For Public Health and 

Preparedness 

These free online trainings were developed to enhance 

public health system competency, capacity and public 

health workers’ willingness to effectively respond to 

emergencies. Trainings focused on mental health 

preparedness include:

■	 Disaster Mental Health Intervention

■	 Disaster Mental Health Planning

■	 Introduction to Mental Health and Disaster

Preparedness

■	 Mental Health Consequences of Disaster

■	 Psychology and Crisis Response

■	 Roots of Terrorism

■	 Self-Care

http://www.jhsph.edu/research/centers-andinstitutes/johns-hopkins-center-for-public-healthpreparedness/training/online/mental-healthtrainings.html

Building Workforce Resilience Through the Practice 

of Psychological First Aid—A Course for 

Supervisors and Leaders

This 90-minute course from the National Association of 

County and City Health Officials 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&CAT=9403 

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

ADDITIONAL WEBINARS AND TRAININGS

 continued from page 27
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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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 

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

∙

CONTACT US

SAMHSA Disaster Technical 

Assistance Center

Toll-Free: 1-800-308-3515

DTAC@samhsa.hhs.gov

http://www.samhsa.gov/dtac

Behavioral Health is 

Essential To Health

Prevention Works

Treatment is Effective

People Recover