Health care providers for educational programs are now challenged to provide scientific information that help aid graduates, from medical and other health related disciplines, to meet the needs of their communities. Training on disaster preparedness and response is a component that has been overlooked in many of our nations programs. This leaves communities drawing upon unsystematic and fragmented response modes -should a disaster strike.
Health care providers routinely serve as first responders after a disaster has struck a community. Their ability to respond to emotional and physical trauma is crucial to the communitys recovery process. In the wake of recent natural disasters, as well as in light of threats of bioterrorism, it is imperative that all health care practitioners receive training in the areas of disaster preparedness and response. Fortunately, programs already exist that can provide such training and resources to augment the education of students as well as professionals in South Florida.
One such training program for disaster preparedness and response will be implemented at Barry University starting in the spring of 2009 under the leadership of Dr. Pegge Bell, Dean of the College of Health Sciences. Barry is collaborating with the Center for Disaster and Extreme Event Preparedness (DEEP Center) at the University Of Miami Miller School Of Medicine to bring such a program to the Miami Shores campus. Having conducted more than 330 full-day trainings both nationally and internationally since 2003, DEEP Center is a leader in disaster behavioral health, special populations preparedness, and disaster epidemiology. DEEP Center training is primarily federally funded through the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness & Response (ASPR) of the Department of Health & Human Services and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Statewide funding is provided through the Florida Department of Health.
The collaborative effort between Barry University and the University of Miamis DEEP Center is to infuse Barrys educational programs with the principles of disaster health while raising awareness in the community about the necessity of disaster preparedness and response. DEEP Centers “Safety Function Action” program will be used as framework for the training at Barry. Principally developed by Dr. James M. Shultz, Director of DEEP Center, Dr. Zelde Espinel, Co-Director of DEEP Center and myself, the program is an empirically-informed model of disaster health.
Specifically, in an interactive setting, training participants will learn skills for achieving and maintaining a high level of disaster health and well-being. “Safety Function Action” draws upon the most current scientific literature and empirically-informed principles to integrate elements of disaster medical care, public health, and behavioral health in a uniform and systematic framework. The program is dually focused on disaster responders and the disaster survivors who are served by the responders. “Safety Function Action” introduces two sets of skills; a “Prepare Skills Set” focused on responders and a “Respond Skills Set” focused on support for survivors.
Beginning in February 2009, a group of Barry University staff and faculty members will attend training sessions delivered by Dr. Shultz and myself. Ongoing support by DEEP Center staff will be present to facilitate implementation of the “Safety Function Action” skills.
