Mental Health Programs

About CMHS

Seth Hassett, M.S.W.
Emergency Services and Disaster Relief Branch

Seth Hassett is the Chief of the Emergency Mental Health and Traumatic Stress Services Branch (EMTSSB) within SAMHSA’s Center for Mental Health Services. Programs within the EMTSSB include the Crisis Counseling Assistance and Training Program, which is jointly administered by SAMHSA and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), the National Child Traumatic Stress Network, a Public Safety Workers mental health program, and the newly created State Emergency Response Capacity grant program. In addition to grant programs, the EMTSSB supports emergency and disaster technical assistance activities through the SAMHSA Disaster Technical Assistance Center (SAMHSA DTAC).

Mr. Hassett has overseen many large-scale disaster grant programs, including New York's "Project Liberty" crisis counseling program response to the September 11 terrorist attacks and the Project Heartland response to Oklahoma City tornadoes in 1999. Mr. Hassett has also been involved in numerous interagency projects in the U.S. and internationally, including technical assistance to the Tanzanian Ministry of Health to enhance emergency preparedness in the aftermath of the bombing of the U.S. embassy in Dar es Salaam. He represented SAMHSA on an interagency fact finding trip to Great Britain to examine and report on behavioral health lessons learned from the Foot and Mouth outbreak and its containment efforts.

Mr. Hassett began Federal service as a Presidential Management Intern. He is a social worker with experience in program administration, legislation and policy, and direct services in institutional and community settings. In addition to his work related to disasters and trauma, he has experience in Federal homelessness programs, child welfare services, and international assistance programs. Mr. Hassett’s areas of special professional expertise include the organization and delivery of services in large-scale systems, evaluation of program performance, and rapid delivery of training and technical assistance.