Education and Training

SAMHSA DTAC tracks disaster behavioral health trainings and conferences. If you would like to add an event to our Education and Training listing, please contact SAMHSA DTAC.

Online Training Sites

Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Online Courses
FEMA offers free independent study courses and continuing education units. Courses cover topics such as emergency preparedness, developing and managing volunteers, and incident command system.

Early Responders Distance Learning Center
The Early Responders Distance Learning Center creates and administers accredited courses for the emergency response community on preparing and responding to terrorist incidents with a specialized focus on psychological consequences.

Preparedness Center Training Site
The North Carolina Center for Public Health Preparedness offers a series of free, short Web-based trainings on public health preparedness, focusing on topics including surveillance, agents of bioterrorism, emerging and reemerging disease agents, cultural competency, and risk communications.

Train Maryland
The Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene features a comprehensive database of nationwide learning opportunities for professionals who protect the public's health.

The National Child Traumatic Stress Network Learning Center
This online training center is geared toward professionals and families seeking to learn more about child traumatic stress. Many resources specifically focus on disaster-related trauma and grief.

Field Conferences

National Disaster Preparedness Summit
http://www.nationaldisastersummit.org/
October 22, 2009; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
This is the first in a series of National Disaster Preparedness summits. Topics will include pandemic influenza; business risk analysis; emergency response teams; and Federal, Sate and local government disaster planning and preparedness.

Disaster Management Response & Recovery 2009: Building Resilience at Every Level
http://www.asiansecurity.org/media/events/pdf/DMRR09_brochure.pdf
October 27-29; Singapore
This conference is open to all who are interested in exchanging best practices in disaster management. Discussions involving responses to natural and man-made disasters will take place, as well as how to build better capacity for disaster management and response.

International Association of Emergency Managers (IAEM) 57th Annual Conference
http://www.iaem.com/events/annual/intro.htm
October 31-November 5, 2009; Orlando, FL
This conference will provide a forum for addressing current trends and topics, information about the latest tools and technology in emergency management and homeland security, and advances in IAEM committee work. Sessions will encourage stakeholders at all levels of government, the private sector, public health, and related professions to exchange ideas on collaborating to protect lives and property from disaster.

Disaster Behavioral Health: A Critical Response—Building Maine's Capacity to Respond
http://www.neias.org/mecdc/disaster2009.html
November 5–6, 2009; Saco, Maine
This training, geared toward developing an informed disaster behavioral health response community in Maine, will facilitate the development of a volunteer team of disaster behavioral health responders throughout the State who are available to provide mental health and substance abuse support in the event of a disaster or local emergency.

Disaster Mental Health Conference: Rocky Mountain Region
http://www.rmrinstitute.org/cys.html
November 5-7, 2009; Cheyenne, WY
This conference is intended for disaster mental health professionals and health and mental health professionals in the Rocky Mountain Region. The objective is for participants to learn more about how to serve the people in this region and discuss disasters and response relevant to the area.

International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies (ISTSS) 25th Annual Meeting
http://www.istss.org/meetings/index.cfm
November 5–7, 2009; Atlanta, GA
The ISTSS 25th Annual Meeting, Traumatic Stress Disorders: Toward DSM-V and ICD-11, will provide an opportunity to celebrate the society’s many contributions to the field of traumatic stress studies, and a chance to consider where the field is headed.

American Public Health Association (APHA) 137th Annual Meeting and Exposition
http://www.apha.org/meetings/highlights/
November 7–11, 2009; Philadelphia, PA
Many sessions at APHA’s 137th Annual Meeting will focus on disaster behavioral health preparedness and response.

International Preparedness and Response to Emergencies and Disasters (IPRED)
http://www.ipred.co.il/English/
January, 2010, Tel Aviv, Israel
The goal of the IPRED conference is to provide a platform for the exchange of ideas, experiences and lessons learned about preparedness and response to emergencies and disasters as well as to enhance the potential for international research collaboration in the field of emergency and disaster medicine. Conference themes include lessons learned from mass casualty events, participation in a two day biological drill, and public behavior, risk communication, and mental health during and following emergencies.