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ANNEX 8: BEHAVIORAL HEALTH

Disasters produce the need for behavioral health response. Most persons coping with the aftermath of a disaster, including emergency responders, struggle with disruption and loss caused by the disaster. The Municipality will coordinate mental health emergency services to help relieve any grief, stress, and other mental health problems caused or exacerbated by a disaster or its aftermath.

OPERATIONAL CONCEPTS

A.      The Municipality will deliver behavioral health services to disaster victims and emergency responders as able at the following locations during or following an emergency:

·        At or near the incident site

·        At evacuation points

·        Initial care centers

·        Congregate care facilities

B.      Following a disaster, the Municipality may coordinate community outreach to seek out individuals affected by the disaster who need mental health services.

C.      Under the national Aviation Disaster Family Assistance Act of 1996, the American Red Cross has been designated as the lead agency to provide emergency mental health services following an aviation incident resulting in a “major loss of life.”

D.     The Anchorage Community Mental Health Services is the lead agency for disaster behavioral health response in the Municipality.

E.      During a state declared emergency, behavioral health responders will be covered for liability as long as they practice within their area of skill and training, and operate under the auspices and supervision of the Anchorage Community Mental Health Services.

F.      A counseling area will be established at all congregate care facilities to facilitate response to any behavioral health needs.

RESPONSIBILITIES

The responsibilities listed herein are not intended to be departmental checklists. Each agency will develop internal policies and procedures to perform its assigned duties. At the discretion of the incident commander not all functions may be performed and nor all agencies used.

Primary Agencies

Anchorage Office of Emergency Management / Emergency Operations Center

1.      Coordinates overall strategic disaster response during a major emergency or disaster.

2.      Secures additional resources through state and federal agencies as needed.

3.      Coordinates and supports requests from field agencies during a major emergency or disaster.

4.      Disseminates public information concerning mental health issues and availability of mental health services during a major emergency or disaster.

5.      Assumes strategic long-term planning for delivery of mental health services during a major emergency or disaster.

Anchorage Community Mental Health Services

1.      Develops a behavioral health disaster plan for the community in coordination with the Office of Emergency Management.

2.      Acts as the lead agency in coordination with the Municipality to deliver behavioral disaster response and recovery services to disaster victims, emergency responders, and other persons needing behavioral health services.

Supporting Agencies

American Red Cross of Alaska

1.      Activates its Air Incident Response Team to meet the acute stress and psychological needs of air incident disaster victims, their relatives and friends, as well as Red Cross personnel responding to the aviation incident.

2.      Assists with referral of disaster victims to appropriate community resources or local, state, or federal agencies to provide additional assistance.

Health and Human Services

1.      Participates in planning efforts for delivery of mental health services to emergency workers and disaster victims.

2.      Ensures the delivery that available community mental health services are delivered as needed to emergency workers and disaster victims.

North Star Hospital

1.      Provides emergency shelter for a limited number of mental health patients.

Police Department

1.      Coordinates with the EOC Behavioral Health Unit to provide chaplains to deliver comfort and solace for emergency workers and disaster victims as able.

Providence Alaska Medical Center, Psychiatric Emergency Department

1.      Operates a psychiatric emergency room to respond to mental health emergencies.

2.      Assists mental health triage efforts as able.

Salvation Army

1.      Coordinates with the EOC Behavioral Health Unit to administer comfort, solace, and pastoral care services to disaster victims and emergency responders as able.

School District

1.      Provides for the mental health needs of students and staff during or immediately following an emergency.

MUTUAL AID, STATE, OR FEDERAL ASSISTANCE

All state and federal assistance is coordinated through the State Emergency Coordination Center. 

The Alaska Division of Behavioral Health can provide assistance in critical incident stress management and other emergency mental health services.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency Center for Mental Health Services can provide funding for delivery of mental health services following a presidentially declared disaster.

The National Disaster Medical System may be able to deploy support teams to assist delivery of mental health services.

REFERENCES

Alaska Behavioral Health Emergency Response Plan

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