Crisis Counseling 

Assistance and 

Training Program 

(CCP)

What Services Are Funded 

by the CCP? •	 Individual Crisis

Counseling—Helps

survivorsunderstandtheirreactions,

improvecopingstrategies,reviewtheir

options,andconnectwithotherindividuals

andagenciesthatmayassistthem

•	 BasicSupportiveorEducationalContact—

Generalsupportandinformationon

resourcesandservicesavailabletodisaster

survivors

•	 Group

CrisisCounseling—Groupsessions

ledbytrainedcrisiscounselorswhooffer

skillstohelpgroupmemberscopewith

theirsituationsandreactions

•	 PublicEducation—Informationand

educationabouttypicalreactions,helpful

copingstrategies,andavailabledisasterrelated resources

•	 CommunityNetworkingandSupport—

Relationshipbuildingwithcommunity

resourceorganizations,faith-basedgroups,

andlocalagencies

•	 Assessment,Referral,andResource

Linkage—Adultandchildneeds

assessmentandreferraltoadditional

disasterreliefservicesormentalhealthor

substanceabusetreatment

•	 DevelopmentandDistributionof

EducationalMaterials—Flyers,brochures,

tipsheets,educationalmaterials,andWeb

siteinformationdevelopedanddistributed

byCCPstaff

•	 MediaandPublicService

Announcements—Mediaactivitiesand

publicmessaginginpartnershipwith

localmediaoutlets,Stateandlocal

governments,charitableorganizations,or

othercommunitybrokersofinformation

Questions?

If you would like to know more about the

CCP, its eligibility criteria, and its application

requirements, please contact the SAMHSA

DisasterTechnical Assistance Center (DTAC).

SAMHSA DTAC

4350 EastWest Highway

Suite 1100

Bethesda, MD 20814

Toll-Free: 1-800-308-3515

Fax: 240-744-7005

E-Mail: dtac@esi-dc.com

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

Printed 2009 (SMA) 09-4373
What Is the Mission of 

the CCP?

The mission of the Crisis Counseling Assistance

and Training Program (CCP) is to assist

individuals and communities in recovering

from the challenging effects of natural

and human-caused disasters through the

provision of community-based outreach and

psychoeducational services.

What Is the CCP?

The CCP is composed of two grant programs:

•	 Immediate Services Program (ISP)—

60 days in duration

•	 Regular Services Program (RSP)—

9 months in duration

The CCP is:

•	 Authorized under the Robert T. Stafford

Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance

Act (Stafford Act)

•	 Funded by the Federal Emergency

Management Agency (FEMA)

•	 Requires a Presidential declaration of

disaster for Individual Assistance for shortterm behavioral health support when

disaster response needs are beyond States’

capacity

•	 Administered through an interagency

Federal partnership between FEMA and

the Substance Abuse and Mental Health

Services Administration (SAMHSA) Center

for Mental Health Services

•	 Culturally competent, understanding,

respectful, and sensitive to the cultural

makeup of communities served

Who Can Provide CCP 

Services?

•	 States, U.S. Territories, and federally

recognized tribes are eligible to apply for a

CCP grant

•	 Services are typically provided to the

affected areas by behavioral health

organizations through contracts with a

State’s department of mental health

•	 A combination of mental health

professionals and paraprofessionals, who

are trained and supervised to deliver an

array of crisis counseling services

•	 CCP staff are usually indigenous to the

affected communities and are sometimes

survivors themselves

What Are the Goals of 

the CCP?

The CCP strives to:

•	 Reach large numbers of people affected

by disasters through face-to-face outreach

to shelters, homes, and other locations

•	 Assess the emotional needs of survivors

and make referrals to traditional

behavioral health services when necessary

•	 Identify tangible needs and link survivors

to community resources and disaster relief

services

•	 Provide emotional support, education,

basic crisis counseling, and connection to

familial and community support systems

•	 Train and educate CCP staff and other

community partners about disaster

reactions, appropriate interventions, and

CCP services

•	 Develop partnerships with local disaster

and other organizations

•	 Work with local stakeholders to promote

community resilience and recovery

•	 Collect and evaluate data to ensure quality

services and justify program efforts

•	 Leave behind a permanent legacy of

improved coping skills, educational

and resource materials, and enhanced

community linkages

What Are the Key Principles 

of the CCP Model?

CCP is:

•	 Strengths Based—CCP services promote

resilience, empowerment, and recovery

•	 Anonymous—Crisis counselors do not

classify, label, or diagnose people; no

records or case files are kept

•	 Outreach Oriented—Crisis counselors

deliver services in the communities

rather than wait for survivors to seek their

assistance

•	 Conducted in Nontraditional Settings—

•	 Crisis counselors make contact in homes

and communities, not in clinical or office

settings

•	 Designed To Strengthen Existing

Community Support Systems—The CCP

supplements, but does not supplant or

replace, existing community systems