Mental Health & Psychosocial
Mental Health & Psychosocial
Listen to Past MHPSS-SIG Discussions!
WADEM President Emeritus, Dr. Greg Ciottone converses with Dr. Todd Benham, a clinical psychologist with extensive worldwide experience teaching and training personnel, on the impacts of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Both the mental health of health care workers and the general public are discussed.
Mental Health & Psychosocial Support SIG Leadership
Mission & Vision
Mission: To pursue didactic, research, policy, and operational excellence in international disaster preparedness, response, and recovery, including the prevention and mitigation of mental health and psychosocial stress and the promotion of resilience.
Vision: To enhance the role of disaster mental health specialists in responding to and providing support across the different phases of a disaster.
Objectives
The objectives of the Mental Health & Psychosocial SIG are to:
- Promote the learning and understanding of disaster mental health at the individual and community level;
- Disseminate throughout the international disaster-related community empirically derived "best practices" and "lessons learned" by means of workshops and conference presentations as well as web-based materials;
- Increase the presence and activities of disaster mental health specialists in disaster preparedness and response through their inclusion in existing and newly developed response networks;
- Strengthen the research as well as the intervention skills of disaster mental health specialists through enhanced academic courses and practical training;
- Promote greater involvement in national and international committees in the field of mental health & psychosocial disaster care;
- Coordinate international collaboration in research and in creative care approaches among mental health and psychosocial support;
- Develop tools for measurement of mental health and psychosocial aspects of emergencies and disasters in a standardized and internationally accepted manner.
