Introduction to Mental Health Preparedness
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The following training is designed to raise awareness of the immediate and short-term mental health consequences of disasters for anyone who may be part of the disaster response. It was originally developed for public health professionals responsible for responding to public health emergencies including natural disasters, disease outbreaks and terrorist events. It may also be useful for staff from other organizations as well as community members who volunteer to assist in responding to emergencies.
Upon completion of this 3.5-hour training program, learners will be able to:
- Describe the mental health consequences of natural disasters and terrorist events.
- Identify the mental health effects of disasters including issues related to anxiety, stress and substance abuse as well as resilience.
- Recognize behaviors that can assist survivors immediately following a disaster.
- Identify additional training and technical assistance resources for mental health preparedness.
The ‘Introduction to Mental Health Preparedness’ training is video- and workbook-based and is appropriate for small group or self-paced learning.
A newly updated version of the training video and participant workbook in English and in Spanish is NOW available.
You may download the participant workbook, facilitator guide, evaluation forms, and the video script/slides here.
You may obtain a copy of the training video on DVD by contacting NCCPHP at 919-843-5561 or nccphp@unc.edu.
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Links to mental health preparedness resources