Addressing the Needs of the Seriously Mentally Ill in Disasters
Source: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA)
Resource Type: Documents and Publications
Focus Population: Family Members, Peers/Clients/Consumers
Topics: Behavioral Health Services, Best Practices, Community Defined or Evidence Based Practices, Behavioral Health Workforce, Crisis Continuum of Care, Peer Support, Trauma-Informed Care
This tip sheet describes how people with serious mental illness may experience and respond to disasters. It identifies ways in which people with serious mental illness are more vulnerable than others in disasters and problems they may face. It also offers tips for disaster planners and responders for helping people with serious mental illness and their families with disaster planning and in the aftermath of a disaster.