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Disaster Mental Health
Disaster Assessment
State of Indiana
BIOTERRORISM
Do you see biological agro-terrorism (i.e. infecting livestock with
disease) as risk in your service area?
|
Response |
Count |
Percent |
| Yes |
7 |
23.3% |
| No |
14 |
46.7% |
| Unsure |
9 |
30.0% |
In the event of biological agro-terrorism, do you see a role for your
agency (i.e. organizations that need to be involved, necessities to fulfill your
role)?
|
Response |
Count |
Percent |
| Yes (If yes, please describe in comment field) |
12 |
40.0% |
| No |
6 |
20.0% |
| Unsure |
12 |
40.0% |
"Comment" responses:
- As a part of the county preparedness plan.
- The role would be two-fold: First, due to the functioning level of
some of our severely mentally ill (SMI) clients, a number of clients will
need to be addressed when any terrorist event occurs. Second, our role
could be providing mass psycho-education to the community.
- Mental Health Services and support
- Possibly could be involved as in other accidents/disasters.
- Provide mental health support
- Yes, linked through to local Red Cross authorities as part of local emergency management
- Support resources to first responders and victims
- With connection to our local hospital, we would likely provide support to the hospital as well as assist with follow-up care and support to
responders.
- Probable management of the psychological consequences in the
community
- Disaster counseling
- The traumas come with psychological problems and our organization is more equipped to handle these kinds of problems in the community.
- Might be slight risk in surrounding counties
- Half of our designated service area is rural and is possibly a target.
This could generate potential hysteria that CMHC staff may need to assist in defusing in coordination with other community agencies.
Have any employees expressed interest/concern about your agency's
preparedness for a bioterrorist event?
| Response |
Count |
Percent |
| Yes |
16 |
53.3% |
| No |
13 |
43.3% |
| Unsure |
1 |
3.3% |
Have any employees received specialized training in this
area?
|
Response |
Count |
Percent |
| Yes |
9 |
30.0% |
| No |
17 |
56.7% |
| Unsure |
4 |
13.3% |
Has your local public health authority received additional funding to
prepare for a bioterrorist event?
|
Response |
Count |
Percent |
| Yes |
4 |
13.3% |
| No |
10 |
33.3% |
| Unsure |
16 |
53.3% |
"Other" responses:
- “Crisis Debriefing Process”
- “Debriefing of first responders; children”
- “Support resources to first responders and victims”
- “Support (CISD) to Emergency services workers”
Are there other comments/concerns/suggestions/plans you would like to
share with respect to your agency's preparedness for a bioterrorist event?
| Response |
Count |
Percent |
| Yes (If yes, please indicate response) |
13 |
43.3% |
| No |
15 |
50.0% |
| Unsure |
2 |
6.7% |
"Comment" responses:
- “Mental health is now being seen as having a role and we want to be able to meet the need as best we can.”
- “Our Community Hospital is presently training all staff in this
area.”
- “We need a lot of help.”
- “Some good relationships with other involved entities; one of our
staff is "clinical director" for county critical incident debriefing team.”
- “A lot of this questionnaire was related to our plan. Our community has met and has some ideas, but no plan yet.”
- “It is very difficult to know how far to go with preparedness.”
- “Equipment is needed.”
- “As we stated a year ago, we need training.”
- “Some YES answers in regards to the plan currently in place reflect anticipated changes with current revision. As an agency, we recently
acknowledged we need a more specific and comprehensive plan.”
- “I would like info on protection downwind from high-risk sites.”
- “Plan needs much more detail and needs to be coordinated with county
plans (which is also not detailed in terms of MH response).”
- “We view bioterrorism to be highly unlikely in this vicinity but would be quite willing to receive expert input on the matter.”
- “Lessons learned from 9/11 that are relevant.”
The following bar graphs are based on a 10-point scale; 0 representing least
prepared for a disaster event, 10 representing most prepared.
Please provide any additional information you think would be
important and helpful in reference to disaster/emergency preparedness.
- “Coordination of the IDEM, Red Cross and local groups is a major
issue. Who is in CHARGE is the most difficult. Also which training would
be of the most use for us?”
- “Basically, the self-evident question: Exactly (or generally) what is our role as a CMHC in the scheme/process of responding to a community/regional disaster?”
- “Behavioral Health Services is a division of our Community
Hospital. Currently, we are using the existing plan for the hospital.”
- “Our preparedness is primarily geared toward our own facilities, staff and clients who may be involved, and not to the community at large.”
- “Just as already cited, one of our staff is the clinical director for
the county critical incident debriefing team.”
- “A template on how other communities organize these efforts would be useful.”
- “The focus of the current plan is on internal operations with no
linkage to the plans for external community agencies.”
- “I am very willing to help design a region-wide plan and coordinate with area services.”
- “We are currently working with other agencies within our county to
develop a plan. We are weaving this into our revised Center plan and also
keeping it consistent with the local hospital’s disaster plan.”
- “Information on adequate protection downwind from a major
terrorism event involving a nuclear plant, an international port, or a
large city.”
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