The Dialogue is a quarterly newsletter for disaster behavioral health coordinators, local service providers, federal agencies, and nongovernmental organizations.
People With Functional and Access Needs and Disasters: Volume 17, Issue 1–2 – 2022 (PDF | 6.6 MB)
- Including People With Access and Functional Needs in Disaster Preparedness, Response, and Recovery (Contributed by SAMHSA Disaster Technical Assistance Center [DTAC] Staff)
- Delivering Accessible Communications About COVID-19 to Individuals With Disabilities (Contributed by Carolyn Phillips, Co-Director, Center for Inclusive Design and Innovation [CIDI], Georgia Tech, Director and Principal Investigator, Tools for Life, Georgia's Assistive Technology Act Program; Liz Persaud, Program and Outreach Manager, Tools for Life, CIDI, Georgia Tech; and Patricia Redmon, Special Project Consultant, CIDI, Georgia Tech)
- California’s CCP Serves People With Different Abilities (Contributed by Kim Flores, M.P.P., Consultant, California Mental Health Services Authority, Project Manager, CalHOPE, and Valerie Nash, M.A., Planning and Development Consultant, San Diego Refugee Communities Coalition)
- Disaster Response for the Whole Community: Colorado’s Work Toward Access and Functional Needs Integration and Community Inclusion (Contributed by Aimee Voth Siebert, M.A., Disaster Behavioral Health and Inclusion Worklead, Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment’s Office of Emergency Preparedness and Response, and SAMHSA DTAC)
- “Help Where You Are and Hope When You Need It”: Meeting the Diverse Needs of Ohio’s Residents in a Pandemic (Contributed by Christine Sielski, M.S.W., Assistant Chief for the Bureau of Grants Administration at the Ohio Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services, and Kirsten Brownlee, Data Entry Operator, Ohio Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services)
- How Service Animals Empower People With Disabilities in Disasters (Contributed by Charlotte Stasio, Director of Operations, Griffin LLC, and Cg Garrard, M.A., Founder and Owner, Griffin LLC)
CCP and Disaster Recovery: Volume 16, Issue 3–4 – 2021 (PDF | 11 MB)
- Crisis Counseling Assistance and Training Program (CCP) (Contributed by SAMHSA Disaster Technical Assistance Center staff)
- Needs Assessment in the Crisis Counseling Program (Contributed by Denise Bulling, Ph.D., LIPC, Senior Research Director with the University of Nebraska Public Policy Center)
- Staying Connected: CCP Fosters Community During COVID-19 (Contributed by Karen Hyatt, M.S.W., Emergency Mental Health Specialist, Division of Mental Health and Disability Services, Iowa Department of Human Services, Disaster Behavioral Health Coordinator for the State of Iowa)
- Crisis Counselors Support Communities and Individuals through Disaster Anniversaries (Contributed by Beckie Gierer, M.S., Director for Continuity of Operations Planning with the Missouri Department of Mental Health Office of Public and Legislative Affairs/Office of Disaster Services)
- Tips for Working With Tribal Communities During a Disaster Response (Contributed by SAMHSA Tribal Training and Technical Assistance Center)
- Crisis Counseling in Rural Wisconsin (Contributed by Jane Gaffney, Independent Contractor, State of Wisconsin, Wisconsin Community Action Program Association, Inc. [WISCAP])
First Responder Training: Volume 16, Issue 2 – 2021 (PDF | 5 MB)
- SAMHSA’s Online Training Courses for First Responders (Contributed by SAMHSA Disaster Technical Assistance Center [DTAC] staff)
- P-FLASH©: An Empirically Based Disaster Mental Health Training Program (Contributed by Barry A. Hong, Ph.D., ABPP, Professor of Psychiatry, Washington University School of Medicine, and Carol S. North, M.D., M.P.E., DLFAPA, Medical Director, Altshuler Center for Education & Research at Metrocare Services)
- Training with First Responders—Lessons Learned from the U.S. Virgin Islands (Contributed by Brenda Mannix, LMSW, Emergency Medical Services Lieutenant, Rockville Volunteer Fire Department)
- Improving First Responder Organizational and Personal Resilience and a Guide to Self-care (Contributed by Leslie Weisman, LCSW, Bureau Chief [Retired], Behavioral Healthcare Division of the Department of Human Services)
- Island CCP Draws on Close-knit Community in Support of Typhoon Recovery (Contributed by Brian Beck, M.S., Program Manager, CCP Y.U.T.U. [You, Us, Together, United], Commonwealth Healthcare Corporation’s Community Guidance Center)
- A Holistic Approach to Supporting Survivors After Disasters (Contributed by Jonathan Maldonado, Psy.D., Clinical Supervisor, SAMHSA Emergency Response Grant Project of La Administración de Servicios de Salud Mental y Contra la Adicción [ASSMCA])
- Preparing to Train Island Populations (Contributed by Jenny Wiley, M.S.W., LCSW)
- Caring for People With Mental Illness in Disasters (Contributed by Joshua Morganstein, M.D., Associate Professor and Assistant Chair, Department of Psychiatry)
- Activating Legal Mechanisms in a Disaster May Help Meet the Temporary Needs of Individuals With Substance Use Issues (Contributed by Maxim Gakh, J.D., M.P.H., Assistant Professor, University of Nevada, Las Vegas)
- The Lingering Effect of Natural Disasters on Drug and Alcohol Use (Contributed by Imelda K. Moise, Ph.D., M.P.H., Assistant Professor of Geography, University of Miami, Florida)
- U.S. Virgin Islands Recovery (Contributed by Lizette Llanos, Keila Medina, M.A., and Lindsy Wagner, Psy.D., Owner and Chief Executive Officer of Island Therapy Solutions)
- Missouri Planning Activities Around SMI and Disasters (Contributed by Beckie Gierer, M.S., Director for Continuity of Operations Planning with the Missouri Department of Mental Health Office of Public and Legislative Affairs/Office of Disaster Services)
- Strength Through Connection: Disaster Behavioral Health Training in Puerto Rico (Contributed by Linda Ligenza, LCSW, Clinical Services Director for the National Council for Behavioral Health, and Cheryl Sharp, M.S.W., ALWF)
Children and Disasters: Volume 15, Issue 2 – 2019 (PDF | 1.3 MB)
- Texas Child Specialists Serve Communities (Interview with Melissa Pattison, B.S., Child Program Specialist, Hurricane Harvey Crisis Counseling Grant, Veronica Martinez, Associate Program Director, Hurricane Harvey Crisis Counseling Assistance, Chance Freeman, Director of Disaster Behavioral Health Services, Texas Health and Human Services Commission, and Cory Walton, Communications Specialist, Texas Health and Human Services Commission’s Administration)
- Preparedness and Recovery Resources for Children (Compiled by SAMHSA Disaster Technical Assistance Center [DTAC] staff)
- Colorado Spirit’s Approach to Helping Children Recover After a Disaster (Contributed by Koral O’Brien, Volunteer Coordinator, Colorado Department of Public Health)
- Spotlight on Disaster Behavioral Health Programs for Children (Compiled by SAMHSA DTAC staff)
Disaster Apps, Tools, and Technology: Volume 15, Issue 1 – 2019 (PDF | 1.4 MB)
- Social Media Before, During, and After Disasters (Contributed by Eric Frank, Public Information, Education, and Outreach Coordinator, Clark Regional Emergency Services Agency)
- SAMHSA’s Disaster App Helps Responders Access Critical Resources (Contributed by SAMHSA DTAC Staff)
- SAMHSA Mobile App Helps Healthcare Professionals Address Suicide (Contributed by SAMHSA DTAC Staff)
- Are Your Families Prepared for a Disaster? (Contributed by Melissa Brymer, Ph.D., Psy.D., Director, Terrorism and Disaster Programs of the University of California, Los Angeles [UCLA], Duke University National Center for Child Traumatic Stress [NCCTS] and Kristine Louie, Ph.D., Assistant Director, Terrorism and Disaster Program of the UCLA, Duke University NCCTS)
- A Look Inside the Disaster Distress Helpline (Contributed by Christian Burgess, M.S.W., Director, Disaster Distress Helpline)
- Ask, Respect, Empower—Letting the Community Guide Cultural Sensitivity (Contributed by Aimee Voth Siebert, M.A., Community Inclusion Coordinator, Disaster Behavioral Health Specialist, Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, Office of Emergency Preparedness and Response)
- After the Hurricanes: Culturally Appropriate Disaster Behavioral Health in the U.S. Virgin Islands (Interview with Vincentia Paul-Constantin, Ph.D., Founder of Beautiful Dreamers, Executive Director of CW Educational and Behavioral Center and Carla S. Perkins, M.S.S.W., LCSW, Mental Health Therapist, Crisis Counseling Assistance and Training Program Team Lead, Island Therapy Solutions, Inc.)
- Cultural Sensitivity in Disaster Preparedness and Response (Contributed by Randal Beaton, Ph.D., Research Professor Emeritus, Schools of Nursing and Public Health at the University of Washington and A.B. de Castro, Ph.D., M.S.N./M.P.H., RN, FAAN, Professor and Associate Dean for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, University of Washington School of Nursing)
- Working With Island Populations (Contributed by Mark Fridovich, Ph.D., Adult Mental Health Division Administrator, Hawaii Department of Health)
- Communication Is the Key: Before, During, and After Disasters (Contributed by Roger Williams, M.S.W., LMSW, Executive Director, Spartanburg Area Mental Health Center, South Carolina Department of Mental Health)
- New Relationships With First Responders (Contributed by Pedro Reyes, B.A., J.D./M.B.A. Candidate, University of Minnesota)
- Supporting People With Functional Needs (Contributed by Institute for Disaster Mental Health at State University of New York, New Paltz and the New York State Office of Mental Health and Department of Health)
The Work of Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster: Volume 14, Issue 2 – 2018 (PDF | 1.9 MB)
- Applying the “4 Cs” of the VOAD Movement to Disaster Emotional and Spiritual Care (Contributed by Christian Burgess, M.S.W., Director, Disaster Distress Helpline, with additional contributions from Kit O’Neill, Ph.D., Disaster Mental Health Advisor, North Central Division, American Red Cross; Kathy Fry-Miller, Associate Director of Children’s Disaster Services, Brethren Disaster Ministries; and J. Christie Rodgers, M.S.W., LICSW, Senior Associate for Disaster Mental Health, American Red Cross, National Headquarters)
- Adding Canine Crisis Responders to the Team Builds Bridges (Contributed by Raquel Lackey, Volunteer with HOPE Animal-Assisted Crisis Response)
- The Salvation Army: Helping Communities Recover From Disasters (Contributed by Kevin Ellers, D.Min., Territorial Disaster Services Coordinator, The Salvation Army, U.S.A. Central Territory, and President and Founder of the Institute for Compassionate Care)
- American Red Cross Disaster Mental Health (Contributed by J. Christie Rodgers, M.S.W., LICSW, Senior Associate for Disaster Mental Health, American Red Cross, National Headquarters)
The Effects of Trauma on First Responders: Volume 14, Issue 1 – 2018 (PDF | 1 MB)
- Staying Fit To Protect and To Serve: A Police Officer Talks About Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (Interview with an officer in a large urban police department)
- Perception Is Reality for Disaster Survivors (Contributed by Don McCullough, M.S., CMHC, EFO, Technical Rescue Specialist, Massachusetts Task Force 1, Federal Emergency Management Agency Urban Search and Rescue)
- Psychological Trauma in First Responders Following Disaster Response (Contributed by Robert Cousins, NRP, FP-C, Paramedic and Instructor)
- How Do First Responders Experience and Cope With Trauma? (Contributed by Laura Helfman, M.D., FACEP, WALS, Board-certified Emergency Medicine Physician, Tennessee and North Carolina)
Mass Violence Events: Volume 13, Issue 3-4 – 2017 (PDF | 7 MB)
- Since Columbine: Evolution of Colorado’s Disaster Behavioral Health Response (Contributed by Curt Drennen, Psy.D., RN, Community Outreach Branch Supervisor, Office of Emergency Preparedness and Response, Colorado State Department of Public Health and Environment)
- The Aftermath of the Virginia Tech Shootings (Contributed by Russell Jones, Ph.D., Professor of Psychology, Virginia Tech University)
- Lessons Learned From the Boston Marathon Bombing Victim Services Program (Contributed by April Naturale, Ph.D., Senior Technical Specialist, ICF International)
- Tragedy in the Sanctuary (Contributed by Deborah S. Blalock, M.Ed., LPCS, CPM, Executive Director, Charleston Dorchester Mental Health Center/ South Carolina Department of Mental Health)
- Terror Attack at Work (Contributed by Veronica Kelley, LCSW, Director, Behavioral Health, San Bernardino County Department of Public Health)
- Disaster Behavioral Health Challenges Encountered During the Response to the Pulse Nightclub Shooting in Florida (An interview with Eric Alberts, CEM, CHS V, FPEM, CHEP, FABCHS, Corporate Manager, Emergency Preparedness, Orlando Health)
Low Socioeconomic Status and Disasters: Volume 13 Issue 2 – 2017 (PDF | 1.1 MB)
- A Networked Approach: How Missouri Addresses Residents’ Behavioral Health Needs After Disasters (Contributed by Joan Keenan, M.B.A., PHR, SHRM-CP, Coordinator [Retired], Office of Disaster Services, Missouri Department of Mental Health)
- West Virginia CCP Helps Rural Communities After Thousand-Year Flood (Contributed by Marcie Vaughan, M.A., Licensed Psychologist and CEO, Seneca Health Services, and People Reaching Out in West Virginia (PRO WV) Crisis Counseling Assistance and Training Program Team, West Virginia Bureau for Behavioral Health & Health Facilities)
- Low Socioeconomic Status Communities in Times of Disaster: Understanding the Challenges (Contributed by Adrienne Fessler Belli, Ph.D., LCSW, Director of the Disaster and Terrorism Branch, Division of Mental Health and Addiction Services, New Jersey Department of Human Services)
Public Health Emergencies: Volume 13, Issue 1 – 2017 (PDF | 1.2 MB)
- The Flint Water Crisis: Q&A About the Behavioral Health Response Efforts (An interview with Jody Lewis, M.A., LLP, Community Health Emergency Coordinating Center and Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities Administration, at the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services)
- Rural Indiana Town Responds to HIV Cluster Driven by Drug Abuse (Contributed by Sara K. Cozad, M.S.W., LCSW, Assistant Deputy Director of Adult Services, Indiana Division of Mental Health and Addiction; and Stephanie L. Spoolstra, LCSW, Director of Addiction Recovery Services, Indiana Department of Correction)
- Zika Behavioral Health Resources: Turning Anxiety Into Action (Contributed by Kristin Blank, M.F.A., Materials Development Manager, SAMHSA DTAC)
Stress Management and Self-Care: Volume 12, Issue 3 — 2016 (PDF | 1.4 MB)
- Texas Flooding: A Team Bands Together (Contributed by Nancy R. Divis, LCSW, Crisis Counselor, Texans Recovering Together; and Teresa R. Gonzales, Team Lead Crisis Counselor, Texans Recovering Together)
- Promoting On-the-Job Stress Management Among Disaster Behavioral Health Coordinators and Responders (Contributed by Charlie Cook, Executive Director of Hearth Connection, and Former Executive Director of the Louisiana Spirit Hurricane Recovery Program)
- Stress Management When Implementing a CCP Grant: A Carolinian Perspective (Contributed by Jay Little, M.S., Program Director of Carolina United; and William Wells, M.S.W., Program Manager, Emergency Preparedness and Response)
The Role of Memorials: Volume 12, Issue 2 — 2016 (PDF | 1.7 MB)
- United Flight 93: A Field of Honor Forever (Contributed by MaryJane Hartman, Acting Chief, Interpretation and Education, at Flight 93 National memorial, National Park Service)
- Oklahoma City: Run To Remember (Contributed by Marie Wreath, Oklahoma Resident and Marathon Runner)
- Virginia Tech: The Courage To Move Forward (Contributed by Kelly Lyn McCann, Assistant Director of Alumni Relations at Virginia Tech and Megan Armbruster Franklin, Ph.D., Associate Director of Athletics at Drake University)
- Catherine’s Heart: Helping Communities Grow in Compassion (Contributed by Jenny Hubbard, President of the Catherine Violet Hubbard Foundation)
Lessons Learned From the Ebola Response: Volume 12, Issue 1 — 2015 (PDF | 2 MB)
- Special Feature: Ebola in Africa: Q&A With a U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps Officer (Contributed by CDR Jamie Seligman, LMSW-C, BCD, Program Project Officer in SAMHSA’s Center for Mental Health Services)
- A Public Health Approach to Resilience (Contributed by CAPT Jeff Coady, Psy.D., ABPP, SAMHSA Regional Administrator (Region 5); CDR Erich Kleinschmidt, M.S.W., LICSW, Program Management Officer, SAMHSA Center for Substance Abuse Treatment; and CDR Indira Harris, M.S.W., LCSW, Public Health Advisor, SAMHSA Center for Mental Health Services)
- Firsthand Experience: U.S. Disaster Behavioral Health Response to Ebola (Contributed by Scott Black, LMSW, Owner, Transicare, Inc.)
- Katrina: The Aftermath and Recovery (Special Infographic Insert)
- Special Feature: Gulf Coast Disaster Behavioral Health Coordinators Look Back
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, and Standards, Mississippi Department of Mental Health
- Cassandra Wilson, Director, Emergency Preparedness Operations, Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals, Office of Behavioral Health
- Part of the Fabric of Recovering Communities: The Katrina Assistance Project (By Anne Mathews-Younes, Ed.D., D.Min., Director, Division of Prevention, Traumatic Stress, and Special Programs, SAMHSA Center for Mental Health Services)
- All Hands: SAMHSA's Response to Hurricane Katrina (By Brenda Mannix, Project Director, SAMHSA Disaster Technical Assistance Center, and former SAMHSA Incident Commander during Hurricane Katrina)
- Turning Rebuilding Into Reengineering: New Orleans School Systems After Katrina (By CAPT Jon Perez, Ph.D., SAMHSA Regional Administrator for Health and Human Services Region IX)
- Hurricane Katrina: Recovery and Resilience Among Children (By Joy D. Osofsky, Ph.D., and Paul J. Ramsay Chair, Department of Psychiatry and Pediatrics, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center)
- Katrina's First Responders: An Interview with Danny Adams, Assistant Fire Chief, Ret./Disaster Behavioral Health First Responder Lead, Baton Rouge, Louisiana
- Native American Communities Affected by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita (By Beth Boyd, University of South Dakota)
Volume 11, Issue 2 — 2015 (PDF | 3 MB)
- Post-Disaster Resilience and Recovery in the Gulf of Mexico: Integrating Communities in the Design and Delivery of Resilience Trainings (By Betsy Eagin, M.P.H., Public Health Specialist, National Clearinghouse for Worker Safety and Health Training; and Joseph Hughes, M.P.H., Director, NIEHS Worker Training Program)
- Special Commentary: Coming to Terms With Climate Change: The Multiple Benefits of Psychological Preparedness and Taking Action (By Joseph Reser, Ph.D., Research Fellow, Behavioural Basis of Health Research Centre; Adjunct Professor, School of Applied Psychology, Griffith University, Queensland, Australia)
- Cultural Competency in Disaster Behavioral Health Preparedness and Response (By Randal Beaton, Ph.D., Research Professor Emeritus, University of Washington, Schools of Public Health and Nursing)
Volume 11, Issue 1 — 2015 (PDF | 2.8 MB)
- Aurora Strong: A Colorado Community’s Experience With the SAMHSA Emergency Response Grant (By Melissa Tucker, M.A., and Matthew McGuire, M.A., SERG Outreach Crisis Counselors, Aurora Mental Health Center; and Colin Martin, M.A., SERG and Federal Emergency Management Agency Crisis Counseling Assistance and Training Program Coordinator, Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment)
- Planning for a Disaster Mental Health Response to Ebola in New York State (By Steven N. Moskowitz, LMSW, Director, Bureau of Emergency Preparedness and Response, New York State Office of Mental Health)