The Dialogue

The Dialogue is a quarterly newsletter for disaster behavioral health coordinators, local service providers, federal agencies, and nongovernmental organizations.

Rural and Remote Disaster Behavioral Health: Volume 19, Issue 4 – 2024 (PDF | 9.5 MB)

• Supporting Seasonal and Migrant Farmworkers: Mental Health and Substance Use Risk in the Face of Extreme Heat and Wildfires (Contributed by the Bioecological Center for Rural Children’s Health [BeRCH] at Florida State University, including Javier I. Rosado, Ph.D., Florida State University College of Medicine’s Isabel Collier Read Medical Campus, Gregg Stanwood, Ph.D., Florida State University College of Medicine, and Joe Grzywacz, Ph.D., San José State University)
• Rural Disaster Behavioral Health: A Guide for Outreach Workers and Crisis Counselors (Contributed by Marisa Fife, RN, B.S.N.)
• Building Relationships, Fostering Trust: Lessons Learned Serving Rural and Remote Communities (Contributed by Lynn Moskowitz, B.S., New York State Office of Mental Health, Steve Moskowitz, M.S.W., B.A., New York State Office of Mental Health, and Sofia Cabrera, B.A., SAMHSA Disaster Technical Assistance Center [DTAC])
• Responding in Rural Communities (Contributed by Beckie Gierer, M.S., Missouri Department of Mental Health, Office of Disaster Services)
• Agricultural Behavioral Health: Meeting Farming Communities Where They Are (Contributed by Jennifer Dunn, LMFT, Georgia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities, and Sofia Cabrera, B.A., SAMHSA DTAC)

Impacts of a Warming Planet: Volume 19, Issue 3 – 2024 (PDF | 12.4 MB)

• Climate-informed Disaster Behavioral Health Response: Preparing for the Challenges Ahead (Contributed by Steven Crimando, M.A., DRCC, New Jersey Department of Human Services, Division of Mental Health and Addiction Services, Disaster and Terrorism Branch)
• Climate-ready Communities: Building Resilience and Hope (infographic)
• Climate Change and Youth: Fostering Resilience in New Generations (Susan Clayton, Ph.D., Whitmore-Williams Professor of Psychology at the College of Wooster in Ohio; and Sofia Cabrera, B.A., SAMHSA DTAC)

Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility in Disaster Behavioral Health: Volume 19, Issue 2 – 2024 (PDF | 7.2 MB)

• How Michigan’s “Stay Well” Program Supported Diversity During the COVID-19 Disaster (Contributed by Paula Detwiller, M.A., Stay Well grant program, Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, with contributions from Jody Lewis, M.A., LLP, Erin Wallace, and Price Pullins, M.A.)
• Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion: A Legacy in Action (Contributed by Kermit Crawford, Ph.D., Department of Psychiatry, Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine)
• Stress, Resilience, and Psychological First Aid for Buffalo: An Exercise in Cultural Humility (Contributed by Karla Vermeulen, Ph.D., Institute for Disaster Mental Health at the State University of New York at New Paltz [SUNY New Paltz]; Amy Nitza, Ph.D., Institute for Disaster Mental Health at SUNY New Paltz; and Robin Jacobowitz, Ph.D., the Benjamin Center at SUNY New Paltz)

Disaster Behavioral Health Planning for the 21st Century: Volume 19, Issue 1 – 2023 (PDF | 4.3 MB)

• New Perspectives: Disaster Behavioral Health Through a Fresh Lens (Contributed by Heather Phelps, M.A., LPC, Alaska Mental Health Trust Authority, State of Alaska; Kalie Burke, M.P.H., Georgia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities; and Sofia Cabrera, B.A., SAMHSA DTAC)
• Steps to Revising an All-Hazards Disaster Behavioral Health Plan (Contributed by Denise Bulling, Ph.D., LIPC, CTM, University of Nebraska Public Policy Center)
• Resources for Disaster Behavioral Health Planning (Contributed by SAMHSA DTAC staff)

LGBTQIA+ Communities and Disasters: Volume 18, Issue 4 – 2023 (PDF | 4.5 MB)

• Two-Spirit and LGBT+ Disaster Vulnerabilities (Contributed by Gary Neumann, Salish and Pend d’Oreille, SAMHSA Tribal Training and Technical Assistance Center, and Sarah Lake, M.A., SAMHSA Tribal Training and Technical Assistance Center)
• Glossary of Terms: Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity, and Gender Expression (Contributed by SAMHSA DTAC)
• Interview: LGBTQ+ Communities and Disasters: Supporting Resilience and Improving Outcomes (Contributed by Leo Goldsmith, M.E.M., ICF, OUT for Sustainability, Michael Méndez, Ph.D., University of California, Irvine, and Kate Hough, M.A., SAMHSA DTAC)
• LGBTQIA+ People and Disasters: New Government Resources (Contributed by SAMHSA DTAC)

Partnerships in Disaster Behavioral Health: Volume 18, Issue 3 – 2023 (PDF | 2.2 MB)

• State and Local Partnerships: Making Room at the Table (Contributed by Chance Freeman, Texas Health and Human Services Commission, Kalie Burke, M.P.H., Georgia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities, and Sofia Cabrera, B.A., SAMHSA DTAC)
• Private-Public Partnerships and Disaster Behavioral Health: New Resources From FEMA (Contributed by SAMHSA DTAC)
• Successful Partnerships in Behavioral Health Disaster Recovery: Lessons Learned Through Crisis Counseling Programs (Contributed by Susan Robinson, M.Ed., Independent Health and Human Services Senior Consultant)

Mass Violence, Community Violence, & Hate Crimes: Volume 18, Issue 1–2 – 2023 (PDF | 2.6 MB)

• A First Responder’s Perspective on Mass Violence Response (Contributed by Melissa Riley, Ph.D., AEMT, CFI, Tennessee State University)
• Community Violence and Healing: Overcoming Trauma and Instilling Hope (Contributed by Ciara Suros, M.S.W., LCAS, LCSWA, Covenants Sandhills Region)
• Bringing More Voices to the Table(top): Planning for Effective Response to Incidents of Violence (Contributed by Tara Hughes, LCSW-R, and Amanda Eagan, M.A.Ed., Improving Community Preparedness to Assist Victims of Mass Violence and Domestic Terrorism: Training and Technical Assistance [ICP TTA] Program)
• Telling Every Story: Building Narratives as a Community After Hate-based Mass Violence (Contributed by Maggie Feinstein, M.A., LPC, 10.27 Healing Partnership)
• Disaster Preparedness and Recovery in the Context of Community Violence: Recognizing and Repairing Fragile Relationships To Minimize Harm (Contributed by Patricia Campie, Ph.D., American Institutes for Research)
• Supporting Resiliency in Communities Affected by Violence: Responding to Incidents in the United States and Around the World (Contributed by Robert D. Macy, Ph.D., DMT, President, International Trauma Center)

Native American Disaster Behavioral Health: Volume 17, Issue 4 – 2022 (PDF | 7 MB)

• Building Relations and Supporting Tribal Communities: New Mexico CCP’s Approach (Contributed by Deborah Altschul, Ph.D., Division of Community Behavioral Health, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center; Stephine Poston, Poston & Associates; Raymond Daw, M.A., Consultant; Neal Bowen, Ph.D., Behavioral Health Services Division, State of New Mexico)
• Crisis Counselors on Navajo Nation Empower and Support Their Community Through Utah Strong Recovery Project (Contributed by Rebecca Minnick, LCSW, Utah Strong Recovery Crisis Counseling Project, with contributions from Calandra Hollie, M.P.H., Jerilyn Price, M.S.W., Susie Martin, M.S.W., Autumn Secody, M.S.W., Deborah Woody, ACMHC, and Rick Hendy, LCSW)
• Building Indigenous Protective Factors for Disaster Preparedness: A Conversation With Seprieono Locario (Contributed by Courtney Freeman Fowler, Muscogee-Creek and Cherokee, SAMHSA Tribal Training and Technical Assistance Center; Seprieono Locario, M.A., Navajo/Sicilian, SAMHSA Tribal Training and Technical Assistance Center)
• Working With Tribal Communities Before, During, and After Disasters (Contributed by the SAMHSA Disaster Technical Assistance Center)

Disaster Behavioral Health in an Era of Climate Change: Volume 17, Issue 3 – 2022 (PDF | 2 MB)

• Climate Change and Community: Addressing Vulnerabilities and Challenges To Encourage Resilience (Contributed by Susan Clayton, Professor of Psychology, College of Wooster, Visiting Fellow, Paris Institute for Advanced Studies)
• Lessons Learned From Ground Zero: Preparing for Future Disasters; A Personal Account (Contributed by James Halpern, Professor Emeritus, Founding Director, Institute for Disaster Mental Health at State University of New York at New Paltz)
• Building Resilience in the Face of Climate Change (Contributed by Jeff Schlegelmilch, Research Scholar, Director, National Center for Disaster Preparedness, Columbia Climate School, Columbia University)

People With Functional and Access Needs and Disasters: Volume 17, Issue 1–2 – 2022 (PDF | 6.6 MB)

• Including People With Access and Functional Needs in Disaster Preparedness, Response, and Recovery (Contributed by SAMHSA DTAC Staff)
• Delivering Accessible Communications About COVID-19 to Individuals With Disabilities (Contributed by Carolyn Phillips, Co-Director, Center for Inclusive Design and Innovation [CIDI], Georgia Tech, Director and Principal Investigator, Tools for Life, Georgia's Assistive Technology Act Program; Liz Persaud, Program and Outreach Manager, Tools for Life, CIDI, Georgia Tech; and Patricia Redmon, Special Project Consultant, CIDI, Georgia Tech)
• California’s CCP Serves People With Different Abilities (Contributed by Kim Flores, M.P.P., Consultant, California Mental Health Services Authority, Project Manager, CalHOPE, and Valerie Nash, M.A., Planning and Development Consultant, San Diego Refugee Communities Coalition)
• Disaster Response for the Whole Community: Colorado’s Work Toward Access and Functional Needs Integration and Community Inclusion (Contributed by Aimee Voth Siebert, M.A., Disaster Behavioral Health and Inclusion Worklead, Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment’s Office of Emergency Preparedness and Response, and SAMHSA DTAC)
• “Help Where You Are and Hope When You Need It”: Meeting the Diverse Needs of Ohio’s Residents in a Pandemic (Contributed by Christine Sielski, M.S.W., Assistant Chief for the Bureau of Grants Administration at the Ohio Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services, and Kirsten Brownlee, Data Entry Operator, Ohio Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services)
• How Service Animals Empower People With Disabilities in Disasters (Contributed by Charlotte Stasio, Director of Operations, Griffin LLC, and Cg Garrard, M.A., Founder and Owner, Griffin LLC)

CCP and Disaster Recovery: Volume 16, Issue 3–4 – 2021 (PDF | 11 MB)

• Crisis Counseling Assistance and Training Program (CCP) (Contributed by SAMHSA Disaster Technical Assistance Center staff)
• Needs Assessment in the Crisis Counseling Program (Contributed by Denise Bulling, Ph.D., LIPC, Senior Research Director with the University of Nebraska Public Policy Center)
• Staying Connected: CCP Fosters Community During COVID-19 (Contributed by Karen Hyatt, M.S.W., Emergency Mental Health Specialist, Division of Mental Health and Disability Services, Iowa Department of Human Services, Disaster Behavioral Health Coordinator for the State of Iowa)
• Crisis Counselors Support Communities and Individuals through Disaster Anniversaries (Contributed by Beckie Gierer, M.S., Director for Continuity of Operations Planning with the Missouri Department of Mental Health Office of Public and Legislative Affairs/Office of Disaster Services)
• Tips for Working With Tribal Communities During a Disaster Response (Contributed by SAMHSA Tribal Training and Technical Assistance Center)
• Crisis Counseling in Rural Wisconsin (Contributed by Jane Gaffney, Independent Contractor, State of Wisconsin, Wisconsin Community Action Program Association, Inc. [WISCAP])

First Responder Training: Volume 16, Issue 2 – 2021 (PDF | 5 MB)

• SAMHSA’s Online Training Courses for First Responders (Contributed by SAMHSA DTAC staff)
• P-FLASH^©: An Empirically Based Disaster Mental Health Training Program (Contributed by Barry A. Hong, Ph.D., ABPP, Professor of Psychiatry, Washington University School of Medicine, and Carol S. North, M.D., M.P.E., DLFAPA, Medical Director, Altshuler Center for Education & Research at Metrocare Services)
• Training with First Responders—Lessons Learned from the U.S. Virgin Islands (Contributed by Brenda Mannix, LMSW, Emergency Medical Services Lieutenant, Rockville Volunteer Fire Department)
• Improving First Responder Organizational and Personal Resilience and a Guide to Self-care (Contributed by Leslie Weisman, LCSW, Bureau Chief [Retired], Behavioral Healthcare Division of the Department of Human Services)

Supporting U.S. Territories and Island Populations After Disasters: Volume 16, Issue 1 – 2020 (PDF | 3.7 MB)

• Island CCP Draws on Close-knit Community in Support of Typhoon Recovery (Contributed by Brian Beck, M.S., Program Manager, CCP Y.U.T.U. [You, Us, Together, United], Commonwealth Healthcare Corporation’s Community Guidance Center)
• A Holistic Approach to Supporting Survivors After Disasters (Contributed by Jonathan Maldonado, Psy.D., Clinical Supervisor, SAMHSA Emergency Response Grant Project of La Administración de Servicios de Salud Mental y Contra la Adicción [ASSMCA])
• Preparing to Train Island Populations (Contributed by Jenny Wiley, M.S.W., LCSW)

Helping People with Serious Mental Illness and Substance Use Disorders During Disasters: Volume 15, Issue 3–4 – 2019 (PDF | 7.6 MB)

• Caring for People With Mental Illness in Disasters (Contributed by Joshua Morganstein, M.D., Associate Professor and Assistant Chair, Department of Psychiatry)
• Activating Legal Mechanisms in a Disaster May Help Meet the Temporary Needs of Individuals With Substance Use Issues (Contributed by Maxim Gakh, J.D., M.P.H., Assistant Professor, University of Nevada, Las Vegas)
• The Lingering Effect of Natural Disasters on Drug and Alcohol Use (Contributed by Imelda K. Moise, Ph.D., M.P.H., Assistant Professor of Geography, University of Miami, Florida)
• U.S. Virgin Islands Recovery (Contributed by Lizette Llanos, Keila Medina, M.A., and Lindsy Wagner, Psy.D., Owner and Chief Executive Officer of Island Therapy Solutions)
• Missouri Planning Activities Around SMI and Disasters (Contributed by Beckie Gierer, M.S., Director for Continuity of Operations Planning with the Missouri Department of Mental Health Office of Public and Legislative Affairs/Office of Disaster Services)
• Strength Through Connection: Disaster Behavioral Health Training in Puerto Rico (Contributed by Linda Ligenza, LCSW, Clinical Services Director for the National Council for Behavioral Health, and Cheryl Sharp, M.S.W., ALWF)

Children and Disasters: Volume 15, Issue 2 – 2019 (PDF | 1.3 MB)

• Texas Child Specialists Serve Communities (Interview with Melissa Pattison, B.S., Child Program Specialist, Hurricane Harvey Crisis Counseling Grant, Veronica Martinez, Associate Program Director, Hurricane Harvey Crisis Counseling Assistance, Chance Freeman, Director of Disaster Behavioral Health Services, Texas Health and Human Services Commission, and Cory Walton, Communications Specialist, Texas Health and Human Services Commission’s Administration)
• Preparedness and Recovery Resources for Children (Compiled by SAMHSA DTAC staff)
• Colorado Spirit’s Approach to Helping Children Recover After a Disaster (Contributed by Koral O’Brien, Volunteer Coordinator, Colorado Department of Public Health)
• Spotlight on Disaster Behavioral Health Programs for Children (Compiled by SAMHSA DTAC staff)

Disaster Apps, Tools, and Technology: Volume 15, Issue 1 – 2019 (PDF | 1.4 MB)

• Social Media Before, During, and After Disasters (Contributed by Eric Frank, Public Information, Education, and Outreach Coordinator, Clark Regional Emergency Services Agency)
• SAMHSA’s Disaster App Helps Responders Access Critical Resources (Contributed by SAMHSA DTAC Staff)
• SAMHSA Mobile App Helps Healthcare Professionals Address Suicide (Contributed by SAMHSA DTAC Staff)
• Are Your Families Prepared for a Disaster? (Contributed by Melissa Brymer, Ph.D., Psy.D., Director, Terrorism and Disaster Programs of the University of California, Los Angeles [UCLA], Duke University National Center for Child Traumatic Stress [NCCTS] and Kristine Louie, Ph.D., Assistant Director, Terrorism and Disaster Program of the UCLA, Duke University NCCTS)
• A Look Inside the Disaster Distress Helpline (Contributed by Christian Burgess, M.S.W., Director, Disaster Distress Helpline)

View Past Volumes of The Dialogue.