Developing Disaster Resiliency Curricula and Resources
The ask: Following natural and manmade disasters, essential workers such as first responders and cleanup workers face unmet mental health and resilience needs. The National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) Worker Training Program (WTP), under an interagency agreement with the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) Emergency Mental Health and Traumatic Stress Services Branch, sought support for these workers following the Deepwater Horizon oil spill.
The solution: MDB worked closely with WTP and SAMHSA staff to develop the Gulf Responder Resilience Training Project. This project began with a needs assessment and literature review and included work with community-based organizations. Then, MDB led a series of three phases that consisted of stakeholder meetings with oil spill responders, curriculum development with behavioral health subject matter experts, and the development of training materials, respectively. MDB facilitated the meetings and developed the curriculum and training materials.
Notable outcomes: The Gulf Responder Resilience Training Project was a valuable opportunity for MDB to work together with local, disaster-impacted, and vulnerable communities, and to understand the cultural sensitivities surrounding the post-disaster mental health consequences and their management within an impacted community.
