Insight Matters
Fall, 2003

What Will Be OPA's Role in Disaster Mental Health Credentialing?
by Marion Sherman, M.D., Chair, Ad Hoc committee on Disaster Mental Health

The OPA Disaster Committee held a teleconference on October 7, 2003. Multiple new and updated ongoing items were discussed, and ongoing OPA potential involvement in local and statewide disaster initiatives. Some of the current issues follow.

An action plan, derived from the FEMA OPA/ODMH April mental health disaster training for psychiatrists was articulated in the last issue of Insight Matters. As you may recall, the action plan was divided into 7 action points:

1. Establish relationships,
2. Get Trained
   
3. Recruit/Train/Educate Others/ Locals for Long-Term Planning
   
4. Link to OPA Plan
   
5. Define the Structure/ Your Plan
   
6. Disaster Response
7. Plan Administrative Issues
   

Individual action plans for psychiatrists designing their personalized approach to preparing professionally for disaster are a critical first step. As we continue to define our roles and responsibilities in mental health disaster response in Ohio, disaster planning, preparation, and building relationships with key partners remain vital components to building for a safer tomorrow.

The APA Committee on Psychiatric Dimensions of Disaster, led by Anthony Ng, M.D., is now connected via email, meeting with APA district branch disaster committee representatives at least annually, and with frequent updates on national and other states' actions in this area, including linkage with CMHS, CDC, ARC, and APA. The APA disaster website is www.psych.org/disasterpsych. One item that came up in this regard, for example, was the American Red Cross request for assistance following the destructive force of hurricane Isabella.

New measures have been identified at the federal, state and local levels to improve general safety and domestic disaster preparedness, focusing almost entirely on the needs of the adults and not children in disaster situations. To address these serious issues, Case Western Reserve University (CWRU) in Cleveland, Ohio, has launched a new training initiative that has been named: "Disaster Management: Helping Ohio's Children", led by Dr. Karen Olness, a world-renowned pediatrician and expert in international child health. Dr. Olness has long been a leader in what has become a growing movement in international disaster training efforts to prepare healthcare professionals to more systematically and effectively address the special needs of children. OPA members have been invited, and the first conference will be in December.

On another note, the Physicians/Professional Volunteers Committee is a multi-agency group including OPA, run out of ODH. This committee designs and coordinates physician/professional volunteer disaster response in Ohio. At the October meeting, Dr. Forrest Smith presented an expanded disaster card/registry model. The group discussed and selected this modified model, so we need to determine the role that OPA wishes to play in this. The Ohio Department of Mental Health is now examining this same question in terms of ODMH role. With federal mandates for state medical reserve corps (the new role of committee volunteers) and the disaster funding coming through, the committee has increased the basic function from one of registry to one of credentialing.

Under this model, ODH would sanction a training in each disaster professional discipline (physician, PA, RN, LPN, pharmacist, pharmacy intern, dentist, mental health licensed independent professional), which is provided and monitored by another sponsoring body (ex, specialty association/agency). The sponsor of the course provides eligibility requirements and training. The sponsor also provides a review of the driver's license and professional license wallet card and thus credentials the volunteer, collects data, trains, and submits to ODH, who issues a "secure certificate". The certificate is issued securely, on special paper like a birth certificate. The volunteer receives secure certificate and takes it to a designated spot (ex, BMV) for obtaining the disaster card.

If you have interest or input into any of the above areas, please contact your local disaster committee representative. We look forward to your comments and involvement.

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