The Red PagesBefore A Crisis

BE PREPARED - Plan in Advance

This section focuses on planning before a disaster strikes. It offers guidelines for steps you can take to help individuals, organizations and communities be better prepared.

Be part of your community. Develop relationships before an event happens. An effective response depends on good relationships and preparation. Establish strong collaborative relationships with your health department and/or nursing services, school district, faith community, law enforcement, emergency management, human service agencies, city and county government, and businesses. Members of the media should also be involved in your planning efforts.

Recommended Planning Participants

Agencies serving the elderly / Local and State military resources
Agencies serving people with disabilities / Managed behavioral health care companies
CISM teams / Managed care
Community systems (all responsible agencies) / Media conduits
Crime victim advocates / Medical provider communities
Daycare / National Guard and other military
Department of Education / Public safety
Department of Veterans Affairs / Red Cross
Faith community / Salvation Army
Head Start / School systems
Health authority / Social services
Hospital systems / Substance abuse professionals
Large employer / Unions
Law enforcement / Vocational rehabilitation services
Source: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Mental Health All-Hazards Disaster Planning Guidance. DHHS Pub. No. SMA 3829. Rockville, MD: Center for Mental Health Services, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, 2003

oMake sure your organization has a Disaster Plan and that key staff know what it says and where to access it. Put a copy of your plan in this guide.

oCompile a list of key staff who will need to be notified in the case of a crisis or disaster and develop a communication tree. Ideally, this list should include all management staff. Regularly update the list with phone numbers, pagers, cell phone numbers, home numbers, home addresses and e-mail addresses. That list should be available in their offices, cars and at home.

oDevelop a Crisis Communications Plan. Include procedure for mobilizing your Crisis Communication Team. Attach your updated media list with contact names, phone numbers, e-mail addresses, and fax numbers.

oDuring a crisis the media plays an important role. They can get critical information out to the community quickly. It is good to have established relationships with them prior to a disaster.

oTrain your Crisis Team how to respond to the news media. Consider mandatory media training for the team, for your entire management staff.

oDevelop a variety of fact sheets and public education printed materials and have a supply on hand.

oKnow who the spokespeople and/or Public Information Officers are in other organizations (i.e. police, fire, city, county, schools, emergency management, sheriff, human services) and know how to contact them.

oPlan for how to keep essential operations going while Crisis Team members are on assignment.

oDesign systems for communicating between organizations responding to a disaster.

oIdentify means for coordinating resources and response agencies (including faith community), volunteers, staff.

oProvide training in crisis response and trauma for clinical staff (mandatory).

oIdentify backup communications systems.

oTrain other agencies on crisis intervention and the role of the mental health center in crisis.

oHave staff participate in interagency task forces to get to know others in the community and agencies. Relationships will be key during a crisis or disaster.

oTake part in disaster drills with your local agencies.

Understand what agency responds to what type of event and what is provided; establish protocols for which agency will be the lead agency for which kind of disaster:

Agency / Type of Event / Who is Eligible / What is Provided / When Provided
FEMA/CMHS Crisis Counseling / Natural or human caused disaster. Must have Presidential declaration. / Anyone living, working, or in the declared area at the time of the disaster. / Outreach, short-term counseling, referral, and psycho educational activities provided by mix of professionals and trained paraprofessionals. / Typically for about a year following a disaster. Does not provide long-term treatment.
Red Cross Mental Health Services / Any emergency. Special authorities in transportation emergencies. / Anyone in affected areas. Can provide services to families outside disaster area. / Counseling and referral by licensed mental health professionals. / Typically only for a few days/week following the event.
Office for Victims of Crime / Criminal acts only (including terrorism). / Crime victim's location not critical. / Variety of advocacy and other services including support for short- and long-term mental health services. / As long as necessary
Source: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Mental Health All-Hazards Disaster Planning Guidance. DHHS Pub. No. SMA 3829. Rockville, MD: Center for Mental Health Services, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, 2003.

Before A CrisisPage 1 of 3