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Learning From The Past and Planning For The Future
METHODOLOGIES
LINKS What is the Institute? Calendar of Trainings and Conferences
Continuing Education Information
Partners, Supporters, Sponsors
Rocky Mountain Region Disaster Mental Health Newsletter
Disaster Mental Health Bookstore
WORKSHOPS
Workshops and other training/educational activities will be developed and presented by two methods:
- Through research, development and production by Institute staff for specific topics. These workshops will disseminate ongoing research information, provide training in areas not covered by other certifying groups, provide follow-up training, and provide onsite, video, email, and website consultations for small groups and individuals. Workshops will also be developed to assist with team building activities.
- Presenters will be contracted with from other sources to provide workshops for various topics along with certifications through various groups/foundations/organizations who have already developed training programs and certification processes (e.g. The International Critical Incident Stress Foundation - ICISF, NOVA, Green Cross, etc.). Eventually, the Institute will develop a corps of trained trainers from each of these sources that can be available to do training within the Rocky Mountain Region.
CONFERENCES
Conferences will be presented on a regular basis (at least one per year) that will address each area of interest and disseminate research and other information. Presenters will be drawn from regional, national and international sources in order to provide expert input and information to registrants on the latest and most up-to-date information available. The Institute will make available conference proceedings through printed format, online dissemination, and audio tapes.
COLLOQUIA
An additional emphasis will be to present monthly colloquia during which those involved in application, research, publication, and training can present short up-dated topics of interest. This will be accomplished by those who are working for and/or with the Institute in various capacities and will usually last from 1-2 hours each.
CONSULTATION
The Rocky Mountain Region Disaster Mental Health Institute will develop model protocols for interventions (e.g. CISD, trauma, disaster mental health interventions, etc.) that can be adapted through consultation to meet local conditions and resources.
Consultation activities will include providing assistance with team building, development of local protocols, how to assess outcomes effectively without compromising confidentiality or other activities, follow-ups to training, video-conferencing, web sites, email consultations with groups and/or individuals, on-site visits to assist with networking activities, etc.
RESEARCH
The Rocky Mountain Region Disaster Mental Health Institute will develop research methodology and tools to assess the efficacy of various protocols and to assess the outcome of various interventions with those involved (e.g. CISD) in order to refine and improve them as well as to pass along evidence-based research results to others in the field.
Areas to be researched will include:
- Rural Areas
- Effectiveness of training
- Evidence-based approaches
- What works and what doesn’t?
Initial Activities will include the following:
- Determine the frequencies of critical incidents in rural and small communities in the Rocky Mountain Region.
- Determine the current frequencies of CISDs performed in rural and small communities in the Rocky Mountain Region following critical incidents.
- Determine the frequencies of CISDs performed for first responders, schools, other groups in rural and small communities in the Rocky Mountain Region.
- Evaluate the outcome and effectiveness of a specific intervention protocol used with first responders, schools, other groups in rural and small communities in the Rocky Mountain Region.
Outcomes of CISM/CISD interventions is difficult to measure and there is limited empirical data available to support or not support its effectiveness. There is next to none available for major rural areas and small towns in the western United States.
Other types of interventions in the areas of disaster mental health, traumatology, reactions to terrorist activities, and other emergency interventions will be assessed and researched in a similar manner.
The long-term goal includes training emergency Disaster Mental Health teams and CISM teams to conduct interventions for corporations, states and municipalities in the Rocky Mountain region and to evaluate their effectiveness in reducing the effects of trauma on first responders and others.
