Hosted by the Connecticut Mental Health Counselors Association Winter, Spring, Summer, or Fall Disasters Don't Care Frontline Emergency Mental Health Services: Psychological First Aid & Disaster Mental Health Fundamentals Friday, November 6 th, 2015 Anthony s Ocean View, New Haven, CT These two sessions do fulfill some of the course requirements in order to become certified as an American Red Cross Disaster Services Volunteer. Attendees are not required to pursue American Red Cross Certification. For those who wish to become involved with the American Red Cross, you may choose to 1) complete the prerequisites in advance of the conference (preferred) or 2) wait until after the conference (retroactive credit will be offered if prerequisites are completed in a timely manner). For more information, please read more details about the Red Cross process on page 5. Be Prepared - Help In Your Local Communities and Beyond The American Red Cross relies on volunteers to the help prevent and alleviate human suffering in the face of emergencies. Volunteers make up over 90 percent of the Disaster workforce and make it possible to respond to nearly 70,000 disasters every year, most of them home and apartment fires. Disaster volunteers also provide preparedness services and information before disaster strikes and assist those who have experienced a disaster with their recovery. Find out more about Red Cross Disaster Services - http://www.redcross.org/take-aclass/disaster-training Find out Why One Red Cross Volunteer Got Involved: Christine Williams (a psychologist from Cambridge, Mass) - http://www.redcross.org/news/article/local/massachusetts/why-i-volunteer-disaster-mental-health- 1
Description of Sessions Psychological First Aid: Helping Others in Times of Stress Psychological First Aid is an instructor-led, basic level course. It provides a framework for understanding the factors that affect stress responses in disaster relief workers and the clients they serve. Participants engage in practice exercises and complete a self-review questionnaire. The purpose of this course is to prepare American Red Cross workers to provide basic care, comfort and support to people who are experiencing disaster-related stress. Upon completion of this course, participants will be able to: Describe how to recognize the signs of stress in clients, co-workers and themselves. Apply psychological first aid principles in providing immediate support to people who may be experiencing stress. Describe how to obtain additional mental health support for themselves, co-workers and clients. Disaster Mental Health Fundamentals Disaster Mental Health Fundamentals is a basic level, instructor-led course that introduces the key concepts, knowledge and skills required of a Red Cross Disaster Mental Health (DMH) responder. It provides participants the opportunity to apply their learning to real-world examples that reflect challenges experienced by DMH responders. The purpose of the course is to prepare licensed mental health professionals to provide for and respond to the psychological needs of people throughout the disaster cycle of preparedness, response and recovery. Upon completion of this training, participants will be able to: Describe Disaster Mental Health mission and how it supports the services provided by the Red Cross. Explain the psychological impact of disaster and how to apply the three elements of disaster mental health intervention. Discuss strategies to assist disaster survivors and Red Cross responders, including addressing functional needs and incorporating cultural awareness. Identify and employ Force Heath Protection strategies to mitigate the effects of disaster stress on responders. Describe the legal and ethical implications of disaster mental health work, including licensing, HIPAA regulations, confidentiality and professional ethics. 2
Presenter Information David J. Denino, LPC, NCC, is Director Emeritus, Counseling Services and an adjunct professor in Clinical Mental Health at Southern CT State University. He is a past ACCA Executive Board Member, currently serves on the Connecticut Statewide Suicide Advisory Board, and is the Red Cross Disaster Mental Health Lead for CT and RI. He is an instructor/trainer for the QPR Suicide Prevention Institute, Mental Health First Aid, Psychological First Aid, and Foundations of Disaster Mental Health. He is also a board member for the National Behavioral Intervention Team Association and an affiliate with the National Center for Higher Education Risk Management group. He was the recipient of the CCA Distinguished Professional Award for 2015 and the Red Cross Hero s Award. David was a first responder to such events as Hurricane Katrina, Superstorm Sandy, Hurricane Irene, and the school shootings in Newtown/Sandy Hook, CT. Wayne F. Dailey is a licensed clinical psychologist with over 30 years of experience in the public sector behavioral health clinical care, administration and management. During his career he has served in many capacities, including as Regional Director and Deputy Commissioner of the Connecticut Department of Mental Health (and later with the Department and Mental Health and Addiction Services). Following the September 2001 terrorist attacks, he helped organize and lead the Connecticut Disaster Behavioral Health Response Network (DBHRN), which served as a model for many other states. He has several research publications on disaster mental health. In 2005, Dr. Dailey was awarded Distinguished Psychological Contribution in the Public Interest by the Connecticut Psychological Association. He is an active disaster services volunteer with the American Red Cross and currently serves as the State Mental Health Advisor for Connecticut and Rhode Island. Dr. Dailey is also Assistant Clinical Professor in Psychiatry at the Yale University School of Medicine, and Senior Consultant at the Annapolis Coalition on the Behavioral Health Workforce. 3
Schedule 8:00am 9:00am 9:00am 12:30pm 12:30pm 1:30pm 1:30pm 4:30pm 4:30pm Registration and Continental Breakfast Psychological First Aid (includes 10 min break) Buffet Lunch Provided Disaster Mental Health Fundamentals (includes 10 min break) Evaluations / Sign-Out Registration Fees Member Rate - $55 per person Non-Member Rate - $65 per person Registration fees are required to cover meal, event, and facility expenses only. REGISTER NOW!! Online registration through EventBrite https://www.eventbrite.com/e/frontline-emergency-mental-health-services-tickets-18728550599 Cancellation Policy Any requests for cancellation should be submitted in writing to cca_exec_dir@msn.com. No cancellation requests will be honored after October 28, 2015. Regarding Continuing Education Credits A maximum of 6.5 clock hours may be awarded for this conference. The Connecticut Counseling Association has been approved by NBCC as an Approved Continuing Education Provider, ACEP No. 2007. The Connecticut Counseling Association is solely responsible for all aspects of the programs. Clock hours may be awarded if sessions are attended in their entirety. 4
How to Become a Disaster Mental Health Volunteer REQUIREMENTS: To be eligible as a Disaster Mental Health volunteer for either local or national relief operations, an individual must have an active, unencumbered and unrestricted state license issued by a state or U.S. territory licensing authority. NOTE: A state certification is allowable as noted in criterion b. shown below. In addition to the requirements above, the individual must: a) Have an independent license (license to practice without supervision) and a master s degree as a clinical social worker, psychologist, professional counselor, marriage and family therapist, psychiatric nurse, or psychiatrist OR b) Have a state license or state certification and master s degree as a school psychologist or school counselor issued by a state board of education (this is an expansion to the DMH eligibility requirements cited in 2008) OR c) Have a state license and a bachelor s degree (BSN) as a registered nurse and American Nurses Credentialing Center certification for psychiatric and mental health nursing to include RN-BC or PMHNP-BC or PMHCNS-BC. If the eligibility (licensing) requirements are met, it is strongly preferred that you complete the following before the CCA conference: If the eligibility (licensing) requirements are met, then the person must: 1. Register to become an ARC Volunteer using Volunteer Connection http://www.redcross.org/local/ct/volunteer 2. You will be asked to complete the following: a. Health Status Form (Health Status Questionnaire) b. Agree to abide by Red Cross policies c. Agree to the background check (one for an in-state background check and another for a national background check). 3. You must then take these classes: Volunteer Orientation (this is taken online before attending the CCA Conference) Disaster Cycle Services - http://www.redcross.org/take-a-class/disaster-training for an introduction video. Steps To Be Completed at the CCA Conference: Psychological First Aid training session Disaster Mental Health Fundamentals training session Photograph for American Red Cross ID 5