Disaster Planning and Preparedness and People With Serious Mental Illness

In 2017, about 11.2 million U.S. adults (4.5 percent) experienced a serious mental illness (SMI). SMI is a diagnosable mental, behavioral, or emotional disorder that substantially interferes with or limits one or more major life activities. SMIs include bipolar disorder, major depression, and schizophrenia.

Just as with all people, individuals with SMI and serious emotional disturbance (SED) may have limited reaction to a disaster or they may have a heightened reaction. This may include features that we see in anyone involved with a disaster such as heightened anxiety, irritability, sleep disturbance, sense of hopelessness, or inability to participate in healing community responses. Additionally, persons with SMI and SED may experience worsening in the features of their underlying mental illness or any co-occurring physical conditions. This is particularly true if the treatment they usually receive that helps to manage their symptoms is unavailable and there is a disruption in the continuity of care. These factors make it important for state and local agencies and disaster planners to include programs and activities that meet the needs of people with SMI. The following resources can help you find ways to include people with SMI in disaster planning and preparation efforts.

Responding to the Needs of People With Serious and Persistent Mental Illness in Times of Major Disaster

In this document, the SAMHSA Center for Mental Health Services provides specialized strategies and practical suggestions for disaster preparedness that focuses on the needs of people with SMI. The audience for this document is state and local planners, mental health administrators, and providers.

Addressing the Needs of the Seriously Mentally Ill in Disaster

This fact sheet by the Center for the Study of Traumatic Stress helps local planners, first responders, and emergency health care practitioners. It outlines challenges faced by people with SMI and addresses how to meet the needs of these people in preparedness and planning. It also offers practical recommendations in planning, response, and recovery.

Public Health Emergency Preparedness and Response Capabilities: National Standards for State, Local, Tribal, and Territorial Public Health

In this document, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention presents guidance on planning for public health emergencies. Although the guidance focuses on public health in general, it includes a section on the capabilities needed to coordinate health and mental health care on a mass scale.

Are You Ready? A Guide for Disaster Planning for Clients and Staff

Developed by the South Carolina Department of Mental Health, this state-specific disaster-planning guide can serve as a model for other states who want to develop their own guides. This guide includes personal emergency information forms that anyone can copy and use. The guide also includes disaster planning advice and tips specifically for people with mental illness.

Planning for Psychiatric Patient Movement During Emergencies and Disasters

This webpage from the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response lists questions and situations care providers, planners, and first responders should consider when they prepare to move psychiatric patients in a disaster.

A Clinical Support System for Serious Mental Illness

The mission of this initiative is to advance the use of a person-centered approach to care that ensures people who have SMI find the treatment and support they need. For clinicians, there is access to education, data, and consultations to make evidence-based treatment decisions. For patients, families, friends, people who have questions, or people who care for someone with SMI, there is access to resources and answers from a national network of experts.

Subscribe to The Dialogue

The Dialogue is a quarterly e-newsletter that provides practical and down-to-earth information for disaster behavioral health coordinators, local service providers, federal agencies, and nongovernmental organizations. You can subscribe to the newsletter or contact the SAMHSA Disaster Technical Assistance Center (DTAC) by email at dtac@samhsa.hhs.gov to contribute an article to an upcoming issue.

Questions About the SAMHSA DTAC Bulletin?

The SAMHSA DTAC Bulletin is a monthly newsletter used to share updates in the field, post upcoming activities, and highlight new resources. For more information, please contact:

Captain Erik Hierholzer
240-276-0408
erik.hierholzer@samhsa.hhs.gov

Nikki D. Bellamy, Ph.D.
240-276-2418
nikki.bellamy@samhsa.hhs.gov

The views, opinions, and content expressed in this publication do not necessarily reflect the views, opinions, or policies of the Center for Mental Health Services (CMHS), the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), or the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).