Credentialing Disaster Mental Health Workers

Toward this goal, the disaster mental health services Training and Technical Assistance Group (TTAG) will conduct a pilot credentialing process scheduled for January through May 2005. Seven counties have been selected to participate in the credentialing pilot, representing the three geographic regions within the state. 

The goals of the credentialing pilot are as follows:

1) Standardize selection criteria for disaster mental health workers while also allowing for flexibility within counties to meet local needs;

2) Identify workers with skills in various aspects of disaster response, from family assistance centers to crisis counseling programs to clinical service delivery, with the purpose of maintaining an effective degree of quality control within each county; and

3) Integrating credentialing with training, eventually leading to a certification program in disaster mental health services.

In order to achieve these goals, the process will involve several stages, with input from County Mental Health Administrators integrated in each step of the process. These steps will include:

1) Identification of a core “expert review panel” within each county that will serve as a volunteer credentialing body to review applications of disaster mental health workers;

2) Review of existing call-up rosters within each county by this panel of local experts to determine current status of workers;

3) Piloting of a disaster mental health worker application and screening tool designed to assist in the selection of a skilled workforce and the distribution of that workforce to various phases of disaster response as needed; and

4) Refinement of the application tool and the review panel process. 

TTAG consultants are looking forward to working with Essex, Somerset, Middlesex, Morris, Passaic, Ocean and Camden counties in this process. Additional counties may be added to the pilot within the next month. Additional details about the pilot credentialing process will be forthcoming, so watch for the next issue of New Jersey Crisis Counselor coming to your e-mailbox soon!