503 Disaster Services
Original Approval Date: June 15, 2005
Revision Effective: April 15, 2009
Supersedes: #170
Purpose
The purpose of this plan is to outline emergency behavioral health response and actions by the Tri-County Board of Recovery and Mental Health Services and cooperating private organizations to reduce the vulnerability of Miami, Darke and Shelby County residents to any disasters, and to provide assistance for recovery in the aftermath of any emergency involving debilitating influence on the normal pattern of life within the community.
The Tri-County area could be exposed to many hazards, all of which have the potential to disrupt the community, cause damage, and lead to casualties. Potential hazards include natural disasters (flooding, tornadoes, winter storms, fires and drought), other disaster situations (house or building fires, power outages, hazardous materials accidents, major transportation accidents or civil disorder), and war-related incidents and terrorist activities.
The Tri-County Board system is one of several responders during a time of crisis. As such, it is necessary for the Board to coordinate its efforts with the local Emergency Management Agency and the American Red Cross, as well as other responders.
Authority
The Emergency Management Agencies of Darke, Miami and Shelby counties, as the official coordinating agencies of the County and the State and Federal Emergency Management Agencies (OEMA & FEMA) in times of county, state and national emergencies/disasters, assists and supports the county in reducing loss of life and property from all hazards.
The Tri-County Board’s authority and purpose are authorized and enumerated under Sections 122.23, 124.11, 140.03, 140.05, 1739.01 04 05 06, 5705.19, 5705.221 and Chapter 340 of the Ohio Revised Code as passed by the General Assembly of the State of Ohio on October 4, 1989. Duties of the Board are specified in Section 340.03 of the Ohio Revised Code and other applicable sections of the Code.
The Tri-County Board will work in collaboration and coordination with the County EMA(s) and the local chapter(s) of the American Red Cross to address the behavioral health needs of county residents in times of disaster events. The Tri-County Board will designate a Behavioral Health All Hazards Coordinator to act as liaison between the county EMA(s) and the behavioral health system.
The Tri-County Board will identify trained individuals in the behavioral health system to act as behavioral health volunteers to disasters; these individuals will comprise the Tri-County Behavioral Health All Hazards Teams and will perform duties as assigned by the Behavioral Health All Hazards Coordinator.
Policy
The Behavioral Health All Hazards Coordinator is responsible for assessing the hazard relating to any existing or anticipated behavioral health threats, as well as the psychological and emotional impact of an incident.
The Tri-County Board works closely with multiple agencies and organizations, including but not limited to:
Local
A. All Tri-County behavioral health provider agencies
B. All County Departments and Agencies in the three counties
C. All County educational services in the three counties
D. All County United Way organizations
E. American Red Cross – Upper Miami Valley chapter and Darke County chapter
F. All County Sheriff’s Departments and other local law enforcement agencies in the three counties
G. All three county hospitals
State
A. Ohio Department of Mental Health
B. Ohio Department of Alcohol and Drug Addiction Services
C. Other state departments
D. Ohio EPA
Federal
A. Federal Health Agencies
B. Federal Emergency Management Agency
C. Federal Bureau of Investigation
The Tri-County Board, in collaboration with the local County Emergency Management Agency(s) and the local Chapter(s) of the American Red Cross, will determine what level of coordination with the above entities is necessary in responding to a particular disaster.
This policy applies primarily to large-scale disasters which would have a significant impact on the citizens of any or all of its three counties. Such a disaster would require the activation of the Behavioral Health All Hazards Teams.
Should a disaster occur which requires the activation of the Behavioral Health All Hazards Teams, the following steps will occur:
The County Emergency Management Agency will work in conjunction with the local chapter of the American Red Cross and/or the Tri-County Board All Hazards Coordinator (via telephone, cell phone, pager and/or email) to determine the need for behavioral health intervention (see Appendix A);
If requested, the All-Hazards Coordinator will report to the county Emergency Operations Center to coordinate response efforts for behavioral health-related activities, to advise decision makers, and to maintain contact with other emergency response agencies;
The Red Cross will activate the county Behavioral Health All Hazards Team via the local agency Director (telephone, cell phone and/or email), to assemble at a Red Cross staging location;
The Behavioral Health All Hazards Team will be dispersed to appropriate locations (ie. local hospitals, shelters, etc.) as instructed by the Red Cross.
Once the Tri-County Board All Hazards Coordinator has consulted and coordinated with the local County EMA(s) through the local chapter(s) of the American Red Cross, the role of the Board, the Coordinator and the Behavioral Health All Hazards Team in response to the disaster includes the following components:
I. Consultation
A. Consultation, collaboration, and planning among all mental health resources whose skills and services would be needed in the event of a disaster (local, state, federal, government, private, and nonprofit) to ensure adequate and appropriate mental health response.
B. Consultation to disaster response planners about the nature and number of emotional & psychological casualties to be expected.
C. Advice to planners, managers, administrators, incident commanders, and others in position of power and decision-making regarding emotional & psychological impact of disaster events and response activities (e.g., the need for debriefing, anticipated emotional & psychological reactions, etc.). The reactions will vary depending on the response activities that are required as a result of the disaster
(e.g., evacuation, emergency shelter, body recovery, identification, death notification, quarantine, decontamination, etc.).
D. Consultation and collaboration with public health and medical authorities on issues of physical, emotional & psychological symptoms, and appropriate interventions and treatment.
E. Consultation and collaboration with spiritual care professionals to ensure that emotional & psychological and spiritual needs of citizens and responders are addressed.
F. Situation evaluation and consultation with decision-makers, managers, supervisors, and line workers regarding traumatic stress and stress management for responders in the course of incident response and recovery.
G. Consultation with leaders and the media regarding public information and risk communication in order to prevent widespread anxiety and fear.
II. Outreach/Crisis Counseling
A. Providing an appropriate array of behavioral health resources and services to victims and their families, responders, disaster managers, and community leaders at all stages of the event and its aftermath.
B. Providing services that are sensitive and appropriate to the needs of various cultural groups, and, to the extent possible, providing services in community-based settings.
C. Crisis intervention, information and referral, assessment, individual and group counseling services to citizens and responders to assess and treat the immediate and long-term emotional & psychological effects of the event.
III. Debriefing and Defusing
A. Providing a comprehensive array of debriefing and defusing techniques to assist citizens and responders to cope with traumatic stress and the emotional & psychological impact of the event, aimed at reducing long-term, severe post-traumatic stress reactions and unhealthy coping mechanism such as alcohol or substance abuse.
IV. Education
A. Providing training to responders and to community agencies, organizations, institutions, and caregivers on the emotional & psychological aspects of the event, and behavioral health resources available.
B. Developing public information and education strategies and materials (using the print and electronic media, public speaking, etc.) on emotional & psychological aspects of recovery, coping with traumatic stress and available behavioral health resources.
C. The Tri-County Board’s Director of Community Relations will coordinate all public information, education and materials to be utilized by the Board in response to a disaster.
V. At Risk Populations
A. The Board shall develop a list of facilities supported and/or funded by the ADAMHS network where at risk populations reside. This information shall be kept at the Board and at an off-site location to ensure accessibility during a disaster. The All Hazards Coordinator shall have knowledge of and access to the list. The information will be utilized in cooperation with other disaster workers to help meet the needs of these special populations.
B. The All Hazards Coordinator and Behavioral Health All Hazards Teams, in cooperation and with direction from the local county EMA and Red Cross chapter, shall assist in the evacuation, monitoring or provision of needed services for this population.
During an emergency the Tri-County Board will utilize all local resources. If additional assistance is required, the Ohio Department of Mental Health will be contacted.
The Tri-County Board maintains a resource directory which includes the following information: listing of all local behavioral health resources, contact list, and county maps.
The Tri-County Board will protect all behavioral health records and will comply with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA).
Assigned response personnel will receive training annually regarding emergency responsibilities.
The Behavioral Health All Hazards Coordinator of the Tri-County Board is responsible for reviewing the disaster policy and ensuring that necessary changes to it are prepared and coordinated with the local Emergency Management Agency(s). The Tri-County Board will publish and forward all revisions to all applicable organizations.
The Behavioral Health All Hazards Coordinator of the Tri-County Board will be responsible for coordinating follow-up reports and/or evaluations following a disaster event, and for distributing reports to all applicable organizations.
The Tri-County Board will conduct a formal audit of the entire plan periodically. Some issues to be considered include:
In addition to the periodic review, the ADAMHS Board and Coordinator will evaluate and modify the plan at the following times:
Revision Effective: April 15, 2009
Supersedes: #170
Purpose
The purpose of this plan is to outline emergency behavioral health response and actions by the Tri-County Board of Recovery and Mental Health Services and cooperating private organizations to reduce the vulnerability of Miami, Darke and Shelby County residents to any disasters, and to provide assistance for recovery in the aftermath of any emergency involving debilitating influence on the normal pattern of life within the community.
The Tri-County area could be exposed to many hazards, all of which have the potential to disrupt the community, cause damage, and lead to casualties. Potential hazards include natural disasters (flooding, tornadoes, winter storms, fires and drought), other disaster situations (house or building fires, power outages, hazardous materials accidents, major transportation accidents or civil disorder), and war-related incidents and terrorist activities.
The Tri-County Board system is one of several responders during a time of crisis. As such, it is necessary for the Board to coordinate its efforts with the local Emergency Management Agency and the American Red Cross, as well as other responders.
Authority
The Emergency Management Agencies of Darke, Miami and Shelby counties, as the official coordinating agencies of the County and the State and Federal Emergency Management Agencies (OEMA & FEMA) in times of county, state and national emergencies/disasters, assists and supports the county in reducing loss of life and property from all hazards.
The Tri-County Board’s authority and purpose are authorized and enumerated under Sections 122.23, 124.11, 140.03, 140.05, 1739.01 04 05 06, 5705.19, 5705.221 and Chapter 340 of the Ohio Revised Code as passed by the General Assembly of the State of Ohio on October 4, 1989. Duties of the Board are specified in Section 340.03 of the Ohio Revised Code and other applicable sections of the Code.
The Tri-County Board will work in collaboration and coordination with the County EMA(s) and the local chapter(s) of the American Red Cross to address the behavioral health needs of county residents in times of disaster events. The Tri-County Board will designate a Behavioral Health All Hazards Coordinator to act as liaison between the county EMA(s) and the behavioral health system.
The Tri-County Board will identify trained individuals in the behavioral health system to act as behavioral health volunteers to disasters; these individuals will comprise the Tri-County Behavioral Health All Hazards Teams and will perform duties as assigned by the Behavioral Health All Hazards Coordinator.
Policy
The Behavioral Health All Hazards Coordinator is responsible for assessing the hazard relating to any existing or anticipated behavioral health threats, as well as the psychological and emotional impact of an incident.
The Tri-County Board works closely with multiple agencies and organizations, including but not limited to:
Local
A. All Tri-County behavioral health provider agencies
B. All County Departments and Agencies in the three counties
C. All County educational services in the three counties
D. All County United Way organizations
E. American Red Cross – Upper Miami Valley chapter and Darke County chapter
F. All County Sheriff’s Departments and other local law enforcement agencies in the three counties
G. All three county hospitals
State
A. Ohio Department of Mental Health
B. Ohio Department of Alcohol and Drug Addiction Services
C. Other state departments
D. Ohio EPA
Federal
A. Federal Health Agencies
B. Federal Emergency Management Agency
C. Federal Bureau of Investigation
The Tri-County Board, in collaboration with the local County Emergency Management Agency(s) and the local Chapter(s) of the American Red Cross, will determine what level of coordination with the above entities is necessary in responding to a particular disaster.
This policy applies primarily to large-scale disasters which would have a significant impact on the citizens of any or all of its three counties. Such a disaster would require the activation of the Behavioral Health All Hazards Teams.
Should a disaster occur which requires the activation of the Behavioral Health All Hazards Teams, the following steps will occur:
The County Emergency Management Agency will work in conjunction with the local chapter of the American Red Cross and/or the Tri-County Board All Hazards Coordinator (via telephone, cell phone, pager and/or email) to determine the need for behavioral health intervention (see Appendix A);
If requested, the All-Hazards Coordinator will report to the county Emergency Operations Center to coordinate response efforts for behavioral health-related activities, to advise decision makers, and to maintain contact with other emergency response agencies;
The Red Cross will activate the county Behavioral Health All Hazards Team via the local agency Director (telephone, cell phone and/or email), to assemble at a Red Cross staging location;
The Behavioral Health All Hazards Team will be dispersed to appropriate locations (ie. local hospitals, shelters, etc.) as instructed by the Red Cross.
Once the Tri-County Board All Hazards Coordinator has consulted and coordinated with the local County EMA(s) through the local chapter(s) of the American Red Cross, the role of the Board, the Coordinator and the Behavioral Health All Hazards Team in response to the disaster includes the following components:
I. Consultation
A. Consultation, collaboration, and planning among all mental health resources whose skills and services would be needed in the event of a disaster (local, state, federal, government, private, and nonprofit) to ensure adequate and appropriate mental health response.
B. Consultation to disaster response planners about the nature and number of emotional & psychological casualties to be expected.
C. Advice to planners, managers, administrators, incident commanders, and others in position of power and decision-making regarding emotional & psychological impact of disaster events and response activities (e.g., the need for debriefing, anticipated emotional & psychological reactions, etc.). The reactions will vary depending on the response activities that are required as a result of the disaster
(e.g., evacuation, emergency shelter, body recovery, identification, death notification, quarantine, decontamination, etc.).
D. Consultation and collaboration with public health and medical authorities on issues of physical, emotional & psychological symptoms, and appropriate interventions and treatment.
E. Consultation and collaboration with spiritual care professionals to ensure that emotional & psychological and spiritual needs of citizens and responders are addressed.
F. Situation evaluation and consultation with decision-makers, managers, supervisors, and line workers regarding traumatic stress and stress management for responders in the course of incident response and recovery.
G. Consultation with leaders and the media regarding public information and risk communication in order to prevent widespread anxiety and fear.
II. Outreach/Crisis Counseling
A. Providing an appropriate array of behavioral health resources and services to victims and their families, responders, disaster managers, and community leaders at all stages of the event and its aftermath.
B. Providing services that are sensitive and appropriate to the needs of various cultural groups, and, to the extent possible, providing services in community-based settings.
C. Crisis intervention, information and referral, assessment, individual and group counseling services to citizens and responders to assess and treat the immediate and long-term emotional & psychological effects of the event.
III. Debriefing and Defusing
A. Providing a comprehensive array of debriefing and defusing techniques to assist citizens and responders to cope with traumatic stress and the emotional & psychological impact of the event, aimed at reducing long-term, severe post-traumatic stress reactions and unhealthy coping mechanism such as alcohol or substance abuse.
IV. Education
A. Providing training to responders and to community agencies, organizations, institutions, and caregivers on the emotional & psychological aspects of the event, and behavioral health resources available.
B. Developing public information and education strategies and materials (using the print and electronic media, public speaking, etc.) on emotional & psychological aspects of recovery, coping with traumatic stress and available behavioral health resources.
C. The Tri-County Board’s Director of Community Relations will coordinate all public information, education and materials to be utilized by the Board in response to a disaster.
V. At Risk Populations
A. The Board shall develop a list of facilities supported and/or funded by the ADAMHS network where at risk populations reside. This information shall be kept at the Board and at an off-site location to ensure accessibility during a disaster. The All Hazards Coordinator shall have knowledge of and access to the list. The information will be utilized in cooperation with other disaster workers to help meet the needs of these special populations.
B. The All Hazards Coordinator and Behavioral Health All Hazards Teams, in cooperation and with direction from the local county EMA and Red Cross chapter, shall assist in the evacuation, monitoring or provision of needed services for this population.
During an emergency the Tri-County Board will utilize all local resources. If additional assistance is required, the Ohio Department of Mental Health will be contacted.
The Tri-County Board maintains a resource directory which includes the following information: listing of all local behavioral health resources, contact list, and county maps.
The Tri-County Board will protect all behavioral health records and will comply with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA).
Assigned response personnel will receive training annually regarding emergency responsibilities.
The Behavioral Health All Hazards Coordinator of the Tri-County Board is responsible for reviewing the disaster policy and ensuring that necessary changes to it are prepared and coordinated with the local Emergency Management Agency(s). The Tri-County Board will publish and forward all revisions to all applicable organizations.
The Behavioral Health All Hazards Coordinator of the Tri-County Board will be responsible for coordinating follow-up reports and/or evaluations following a disaster event, and for distributing reports to all applicable organizations.
The Tri-County Board will conduct a formal audit of the entire plan periodically. Some issues to be considered include:
- Are any problem areas and resource shortfalls identified being sufficiently addressed?
- Do members of the response team understand their responsibilities? Are new members properly trained?
- Are the names, titles and telephone numbers in the plan current?
- Have community agencies been briefed on the plan? Are they involved in the evaluation of the plan?
In addition to the periodic review, the ADAMHS Board and Coordinator will evaluate and modify the plan at the following times:
- After each training drill or exercise
- After each emergency
- When personnel or their responsibilities change
- When policies or procedures change
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