October 2, 2003

Mental Health All-Hazards Disaster Planning Guidance

The Center for Mental Health Services (CMHS), within the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), collaborated with the National Association for State Mental Health Program Directors (NASMHPD) to assess the status of disaster mental health plans in the country, and provide guidance to States regarding important components in the planning process as well as potential content and organization of viable plans. This document is intended to help guide State and local mental health agencies create or revise plans for response to human or natural disasters and emergencies. The document draws heavily on a number of sources, including content review of State disaster mental health plans, in-depth, structured interviews of individuals with long and diverse histories in disaster mental health as well as in State and/or Federal emergency management, the results of a focus group, guidance to SEMAs by FEMA, and the experience of many contributors with relevant knowledge and background. The guidance is based upon the 'all-hazards' model of emergency preparedness. This document can help improve integration of the SMHA's roles and activities into the overall State emergency management and operations.