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. 2014;129 Suppl 4(Suppl 4):96-106.
doi: 10.1177/00333549141296S413.

An academic-government-faith partnership to build disaster mental health preparedness and community resilience

O Lee McCabe  1 , Natalie L Semon  2 , Jeffrey M Lating  3 , George S Everly Jr  4 , Charlene J Perry  5 , Suzanne Straub Moore  6 , Adrian M Mosley  7 , Carol B Thompson  8 , Jonathan M Links  2
Affiliations

An academic-government-faith partnership to build disaster mental health preparedness and community resilience

O Lee McCabe et al. Public Health Rep. 2014.

Abstract

Objectives: Faculty and affiliates of the Johns Hopkins Preparedness and Emergency Response Research Center partnered with local health departments and faith-based organizations to develop a dual-intervention model of capacity-building for public mental health preparedness and community resilience. Project objectives included (1) determining the feasibility of the tri-partite collaborative concept; (2) designing, delivering, and evaluating psychological first aid (PFA) training and guided preparedness planning (GPP); and (3) documenting preliminary evidence of the sustainability and impact of the model.

Methods: We evaluated intervention effectiveness by analyzing pre- and post-training changes in participant responses on knowledge-acquisition tests administered to three urban and four rural community cohorts. Changes in percent of correct items and mean total correct items were evaluated. Criteria for model sustainability and impact were, respectively, observations of nonacademic partners engaging in efforts to advance post-project preparedness alliances, and project-attributable changes in preparedness-related practices of local or state governments.

Results: The majority (11 of 14) test items addressing technical or practical PFA content showed significant improvement; we observed comparable testing results for GPP training. Government and faith partners developed ideas and tools for sustaining preparedness activities, and numerous project-driven changes in local and state government policies were documented.

Conclusions: Results suggest that the model could be an effective approach to promoting public health preparedness and community resilience.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Summary of modular content of PFA and GPP training interventions delivered to all cohortsa in Illinois, Iowa, and Maryland, March 2010–June 2012
Figure 2
Figure 2
Essential responsibilities of the AHC, LHD, and FBO, by stage of model implementation
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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