Insight Matters
Fall, 2004

Disaster volunteer database launched
by Marion E. Sherman, M.D., Chair, Ad Hoc Committee on Disaster Mental Health

The Ohio Volunteer Medical Response Corps Leadership Committee (OVMRC) continues to grow and organize. Mental health has played a core role in their development of the concept for the Ohio Disaster Professional Volunteer Card, legislation work, credentialing, and training. The Ohio Citizen Corps has integrated other volunteer programs with the professional health volunteers through the OVMRC to create a unique linkage in our state.

On September 11, 2004, the disaster volunteer database was initiated. The database will be maintained and updated by the Ohio Citizen Corps. They have developed a process for volunteers to register, which can be accomplished through the following web procedures:

1) Proceed from www.serveohio.org , to the Homeland Security link or the Ohio Citizen Corps logo, to New Program launch / Ohio Volunteer Medical Response Corps link, to Register link (then fill in registration contact information on Personal tab, click Next or fill in Additional Info section, then click OVMRC-Medical Volunteers section to fill in Professional information, then click Finish to submit information; then a Welcome screen opens; click Continue and then click Logout); or

2) From the Ohio Citizen Corps homepage, go to www.serveohio.org/CitizenCorps/ohio_citizen_corps_home.htm ; or

3) From the OVMRC homepage, go to www.serveohio.org/CitizenCorps/OVMRC/index.htm

Many psychiatrists and mental health professionals have already trained in the FEMA Disaster Mental Health training. ODMH is currently working with Ohio Citizen Corps (OCC) to "backfill" these already trained individuals into the OCC database.

For psychiatrists who wish to train as general physician disaster volunteers, the Ohio Association of Emergency Physicians has worked with the Ohio Department of Mental Health through OVMRC to bring the AMA-Sanctioned Basic Disaster Life Support (BDLS) and Advanced Disaster Life Support (ADLS) courses to Ohio to serve as the training prerequisite for general physician volunteers as soon as the funding piece is fully in place. When members of the OVMRC were asked to pilot the training course, I completed the BDLS, and would recommend this course to other psychiatrists who wish to further expand the scope of their disaster competence into general medicine.

Ohio professional agencies and associations, including the Ohio Psychiatric Association, have successfully linked with OCC, Ohio professional licensing boards and OVMRC. In this integration of the volunteer database, credentialing, and training initiatives, Ohio is unique among states in our disaster preparedness design and progress.

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