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Calling
All PFLASH/KFLASH Trainees!
In coordination
with the Mental Health Association in New Jersey, the New Jersey Division of
Mental Health Services-Disaster and Terrorism Branch is offering a
full-day, comprehensive disaster mental health training program for those
professionals who have already participated in the PFLASH and/or KFLASH
training programs. This high-intensity program addresses four critical
areas of professional development for disaster mental health responders.
These include:
- Overview of the FEMA Crisis Counseling Program (CCP) model
- The Psychosocial Consequences of Chemical, Biological,
Nuclear and Radiological Terrorism
- Psychological First Aid Training
- Disaster Mental Health Logistics and Operations.
Find out more....
Quick Links...
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Dear Disaster Mental Health Professional:
As many
of you may have heard, these are my last weeks as Director of the Division
of Mental Health Services. After 18 years in this role, I am retiring. As
I look back at my time at the Division, I am proud of the work we have
accomplished together in many areas, but particularly proud of New Jersey's
disaster mental health services program. Together we have met the
challenges of assisting our friends and neighbors after fires, floods,
industrial disasters and air crashes. Our disaster mental health system
has become a model for other states around the nation and we continue to set
the pace in delivery of counseling services to persons impacted by
disasters.
More
from the Director
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Flood
Affected Communities Continue Recovery & Counseling
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The heavy rains and flooding that occurred during the first week of
April resulted in Presidential declarations of disaster in 9 New Jersey
counties. The declaration process opened channels for many types of
assistance including Crisis Counseling services in several counties.
Many areas had experienced serious flooding over the past year, and
many people were just resuming normal life when the spring storms
flooded their communities once again.
More about
the Flood Recovery Programs...
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Building County Disaster Response Capacity
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Last spring, representatives from several agencies and organizations
involved with New Jersey's disaster response system participated in the
regional Disaster Mental Health All-Hazards Planning Conference in
Boston sponsored by the Substance Abuse Mental Health Services
Administration. The byproduct of that conference has been an concerted effort spearheaded by the Division of
Mental Health Services-Disaster and Terrorism Branch, to assist
counties in the process of "recalibrating" their existing or
evolving disaster mental health plans to meet
the requirements of the post-9/11 environment.
More about
Building County Capacity...
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A Survey of
First Responders Services
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For many years New Jersey has been a
leader in providing Critical Incident Stress Management services to the
first responder community in New
Jersey. Over time numerous teams evolved
around the state to provide debriefing and other stress management
services to police, fire and EMS
personnel, both paid and volunteer. With the existence of so many teams
serving the same community some foreseeable problems arose, such as
duplication of efforts and a lack of communication and coordination
between teams. Everyone shared the same goal of getting first
responders the necessary psychological support as quickly as possible
following a traumatic event, but the grass roots nature of this peer
support program created a need for more structure.
Learn more
about NJ's first responder survey...
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International
Perspectives in Crisis Counseling
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The World Health Organization (WHO) has recently published two reports
on the response to the Indian Ocean tsunami and earthquakes that
affected twelve countries in Southeast Asia
and Western Africa.1,3. Dr. Monica Indart of the Disaster & Terrorism Branch has
reviewed and synthesized these reports to give New Jersey crisis counselors the
international perspective on disaster trauma and emergency services.
The lessons learned in this catastrophe have direct implications for
disaster mental health services in New Jersey
and the United
States, and are critically important
for all of us living and working in a global community.
More about
International Perspectives
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Crisis
Counselor Safety
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Flood Survival
One
of the most frequently occurring natural disasters in New Jersey is flooding. Whether
resulting from heavy rains, swelling of the Delaware and smaller rivers and
streams, or coastal flooding after Nor'easters and tidal surges,
flooding is a foreseeable risk in our state. As such, Crisis Counselors
who may be deployed on community outreach assignments should be
particularly aware of some of the hazards of traveling during flood
conditions.
Learn more
about flood safety...
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