The first of a series of disaster-response training modules for psychiatrists, psychologists, social workers, counselors and other mental health workers was recenlty posted on the UC Davis Health System and campus Web sites. It will serve as a resource for those caring for Hurricane Katrina victims and refugees.

The module, available at http://healthsystem.ucdavis.edu/disastermentalhealth, is part of a larger, comprehensive disaster mental health curriculum being developed by UC Davis researchers in collaboration with the California Department of Mental Health Disaster Assistance Unit.

'Not psychotherapy'

The complete curriculum is slated to be released later this fall. Designed to enhance training for mental health workers throughout the state, the curriculum details the knowledge, skills, abilities and approaches that workers need to understand the disaster response system and to support victims of all types of disasters, from floods and wildfires to bioterrorism events.

The first module, completed just days after Hurricane Katrina hit the Gulf Coast, covers the basic clinical principles of disaster mental health, from the wide range of emotional, physical, behavioral and spiritual reactions that can surface during the early phase of a disaster to how these feelings and responses can evolve months and years after the event. The 1.5-hour training module has been approved for continuing medical education units.

"Disaster mental health care is not psychotherapy," said Peter Yellowlees, professor of psychiatry and principal investigator of the Web-based curriculum project. "Victims may have extreme feelings of fear, depression, guilt and anger, and they may have difficulty 'getting down to business' or 'being practical.'"

He added, "Workers should focus on offering information and encouragement, validating victims' experiences, facilitating connections with natural support systems, and helping victims get back to their pre-disaster level of functioning."

Disaster response

Other training modules in the series will focus on the structure of the state and national disaster response systems and disaster mental health responses to bioterrorism, including events involving chemical, biological, radiation, nuclear or explosive agents.

Yellowlees is an international expert on disaster preparedness and emergency response, especially in the area of mental health.

Co-authors of the training module include Jonathan Neufeld, assistant clinical professor of psychiatry and research manager in the Center for Health Services Research in Primary Care; Philip Foley, Kern County disaster coordinator; Kathy Clark, disaster assistance coordinator for the California Department of Mental Health; Christina Kuenneth, staff research associate in the Center for Health Services Research in Primary Care; and Donald Hilty, associate professor of psychiatry.