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American Red Cross Disaster Relief

Learn about managing mental health during radiation emergencies, coping strategies, training for responders, and community support initiatives. Discover insights on resilience, psychological first aid, surveillance, and force health protection.

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American Red Cross Disaster Relief

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  1. Disaster Mental Health Strategies for a Radiation EmergencyBridging the Gaps: Public Health and Radiation Emergency Preparedness Summit 3.22.11 - 3.24.11Atlanta, GeorgiaRob Yin, LISWManager, Disaster Mental HealthNational American Red Cross

  2. American Red Cross Disaster Relief • Humanitarian and independent organization w/ Congressional charter to provide disaster preparedness, response and recovery • Volunteers in 600 chapters respond to 70,000 disasters every year • Disaster mental health (DMH) cadre = 4,000 independently-licensed, master’s level (or higher) • DMH provides crisis intervention, triage, assessment, mental health surveillance, public MH messaging and psychological first aid • NTSB MOU with Red Cross to provide support to families after transportation disasters (1996 Aviation Disaster Family Assistance Act)

  3. Radiation Event: Unique Stressors and Challenges Fear, uncertainty and anxiety over short- and long-term health effects Increased levels of depression, anxiety & somatic symptoms Demand for physical & mental health services exceeds capacity Surge in medically unexplained physical symptoms (MUPS; “worried well”) Critical safety info (e.g., exposure) is difficult to understand and ever-changing Family members and children are separated Routines and community support networks are significantly disrupted Communication systems are overwhelmed Large number of self-evacuees make movement of response assets difficult Responders face difficult situations & decisions (helping others vs. own long term health) Exposed population experiences social stigma

  4. Resilience, PFA, Surveillance & Force Health Protection STATE AND LOCAL HEALTH & MENTAL HEALTH ASSETS DISASTER MENTAL HEALTH COMMUNITY MEMBERS ALL DISASTER RESPONDERS

  5. COMMUNITY MEMBERS Planning Phase • Community members taught “neighbor-to-neighbor” PFA and resilience skills • New Red Cross course: Coping in Today’s World: Psychological First Aid and Resilience for Families, Friends & Neighbors • Pilots in the Gulf region and CA • Curriculum for school personnel in development Response/Recovery • Increased resilience and support provided to adults and children during response and recovery • Continued community PFA and resilience training • Family members reconnect via Safe & Well Linking website (www.redcross.org)

  6. ALL DISASTER RESPONDERS Planning Phase • Disaster PFA training w/ PsySTART triage for all responders • Emotional support and triage “force multiplier” • Exposure-based risk factors (“Saw/heard death or serious injury”) • Highly predictive, especially in contrast to transient symptoms • Force health protection (FHP): • FHP training for workers, supervisors & leaders • Coping & resilience-building brochures & messaging • Pre-deployment screening tool (in development) • Post-deployment support-guidance and screening tool • “Just-in-time” stress inoculation training (in development) Response/Recovery • Increased resilience and quality of work resulting from FHP • Increased PFA support (in-person and telephonic) • Evidence-based triage used for rapid and prioritized referrals

  7. DISASTERMENTALHEALTH Planning Phase • PFA and resilience training for community members • Disaster PFA (w/ PsySTART triage) training for responders • MH surveillance planning with all MH response partners • Force Health Protection activities (pre-deployment) • Embed w/ media teams & promote broad public MH messaging • All-hazards (coping with shelter-in-place emergencies) • Templates for event-specific messaging for later use Response/Recovery • Just-in-time stress inoculation training (event specific) • Standardized MH surveillance for “common operating picture” • Support reception & post-decontamination sites (cold zone) • PFA & resilience training for community members • Force Health Protection (deployment and post-deployment) • Promote event-specific public MH messaging (social media)

  8. STATE & LOCAL HEALTH & MENTAL HEALTH ASSETS Planning Phase • Engage in mental health surveillance planning and exercising • Train crisis response teams in Disaster PFA and triage • Promote public MH messaging (social media) • Support community PFA and resilience training Response/Recovery • Mental health surveillance = common operating picture = efficient allocation of MH resources • MH providers receive rapid referrals for those at greatest risk • Public MH messages help people cope & build resilience • Ongoing community PFA and resilience training assists with disaster recovery efforts

  9. Resilience, PFA, Surveillance & Force Health Protection STATE & LOCAL HEALTH AND MENTAL HEALTH ASSETS • Participate in MH surveillance • Receive rapid referrals of high risk clients • Promote timely and appropriate public MH messaging • Support community PFA & resilience training DISASTER MENTAL HEALTH • Promote Force Health Protection • PsySTART triage/referral • MH surveillance • PFA & resilience training • Embed w/ Public Affairs teams COMMUNITY MEMBERS • Increased resilience • “Neighbor-to-Neighbor PFA support ALL DISASTER RESPONDERS • Provide PFA, triage & rapid referral (“force multiplier”) • Increased resilience via force health protection

  10. Military Families PFA & Resilience Neighbor-to-Neighbor PFA & Resilience Disaster PFA Psychological First Aid: Helping Others in Times of Stress

  11. For More Information:Rob Yin, LISWManager, Disaster Mental HealthNational American Red Crossyinr@usa.redcross.org(202) – 303 - 4036Find your local Red Cross chapter:https://www.redcross.org

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