Education

Webinar: Expect the Unexpected – Thoughts on Disaster Preparedness

A white person's arms working on a flip board filled with Post-Its on a brown surface. Text reads 'Expect the Unexpected: Thoughts on Disaster Preparation'


Disaster preparedness for behavioral health facilities requires a comprehensive and tailored approach. The unique needs of individuals with mental health conditions create the need for expanded consideration before, during and after a crisis.

Planning and preparation are essential. This involves conducting a thorough risk assessment to identify potential hazards and the likely impact on the facility and its clients. Developing a detailed emergency plan is crucial and should include procedures for evacuation, shelter-in-place, communication, and continuity of care. The "Red Binder" protocols are a thing of the past.

Communication is a primary area of focus for behavioral health facilities. This includes establishing reliable internal and external communication systems. Preparing crisis communication strategies to manage resources, expectations and misinformation as well as addressing public concerns during a disaster are all fundamental to success in times of upheaval.

The specific needs of the clients at a behavioral health facility or program are forefront for care providers. This involves planning for secure storage and distribution of medications during emergencies, training staff in de-escalation techniques, and developing individualized emergency plans for clients with specific needs or vulnerabilities.

Safety and security are paramount. Clear evacuation procedures must be established, as well as safe shelter-in-place locations within the facility. Redundancy is key and backup plans are critical. Security measures must be implemented to protect the facility and its clients during a disaster. This includes protected data!

Continuity of care is paramount. No matter the disruption, patients need individualized care that promotes their wellbeing. Behavioral Health providers are responsible for creating options to provide ongoing mental health support, establishing referral networks with other mental health providers, and maintaining secure backup systems for client records.

Finally, recovery and resilience are essential. Planning for post-disaster support, facility restoration, and connecting clients and staff with community resources are key components of the recovery process. Celebrating wins are important for morale and engagement. Teams who navigate the unthinkable together are linked by a bond of resiliency.

Join Jen Carvalho as she shares tools and tips for confidently creating an environment and culture that promotes resiliency and is prepared for the unthinkable.

Continuing Education Information

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This webinar will provide 1 CEU. For more general information about CEs, go here.

CEs will only be available free to those who attend the live webinar. Attendance will be monitored. If you register but do not attend, you can purchase CE access after the webinar is recorded. NBHAP members get it for free.

In order to complete the CE requirements, attendees must complete the online exam. Login access to NBHAP is free regardless of membership. Contact us if you don't have a login.

Presenters

Jen Carvalho: a white woman with shoulder-length brown hair in a forest wearing a yellow blazer over a blue and white checkered shirt. Her left hand is on her hip.

Jen Carvalho

Jen Carvalho is a proven leader in the behavioral health industry -- adeptly leading in times of crisis and calm. As a facility and system CEO for much of her career, she has developed a leadership style that supports professional and system development, transparency, and global thinking. To that end, Jen has served on the boards of CCAPP, NBHAP, and NAATP.

Currently the CEO of The Haven at College, Jen is focused on providing dynamic leadership to multi-disciplinary teams with converging goals. Despite a significant focus on the work of providing access to care, Jen is grounded by her family and a long practice of adventure running. You can hear her on the 14th episode of our podcast, Destination Change.

 

Registration

You can register for the webinar here.

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If you've registered already, you will have received an email from [email protected] with registration information specific to this webinar. You can also log in to see as well. If you can't remember your login and the "Lost Password" option doesn't work, contact us.

Be sure to check out our webinar FAQ before contacting us.


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