Disaster & Mental Health
Disaster Services
The Board’s Director of Contracting & Residential Services will also serve as the Disaster Services Coordinator. The Disaster Services Coordinator will maintain operational readiness, take part in planning and training activities, and officially the Board at County emergency response meetings, activities, and in the emergency operations center.
Disaster Mental Health Services are provided to achieve the following objectives:
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Maintain essential mental health services to persons already receiving mental health care. Priority will be given to those whose disability puts them at the highest risk due to the disaster conditions.
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Respond to the mental health needs of citizens directly or indirectly affected by the emergency situation or disaster.
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Provide services to help response personnel maintain their operational efficiently and minimize post-response stress reactions.
The Disaster Services Team consists of volunteer representatives from area behavioral health and social service providers, EMA, the Decatur-Area Critical Incident Stress Management team, and private practitioners. The team maintains a database of trained volunteers available for activation should the need arise.
The Disaster Services Coordinator will also be a member of the Decatur-Area Critical Incident Stress Management team and certified in CISM.
In the pre-disaster phase, the team shall engage in preparedness activities. This includes developing and honing an activation plan, raising up and maintaining a database of volunteers, providing disaster training for mental health and public safety personnel and developing working relationships with key agencies and organizations within the county.
During a disaster, the team will organize and coordinate the delivery of mental health services to the afflicted area. They will dispatch trained mental health volunteers to designated sites throughout the community and will also lend support to member organizations in maintaining essential services to existing service recipients impacted by the disaster.
In the post-disaster (recovery) phase, the team will oversee efforts to return mental health services to pre-disaster levels, establish any ongoing crisis counseling programs and ensure that critical incident stress debriefings are made available to response personnel. The team will assist the Mental Health Board in securing state and federal grants when applicable to help fund recovery activities. The Macon County Mental Health Board will apply for and manage the state and federal funds. The team will provide appropriate follow-up services on the anniversary of a major disaster.
Contact Information
Marisa Hosier
Director of Contracting and Residential Services/ Disaster Services Coordinator
Macon County Mental Health Board
Office: 217.423.6199, ext. 1131
Email: mhosier@mcmhb.com