Goal: To build local capacity for responding to the needs of black communities in the immediate aftermath of natural disasters by empowering both clinical providers and community-based organization leaders (CBO) leaders in black communities with the knowledge and skills that they need to collaboratively plan for and deliver culturally-responsive and timely PDMH interventions

Aims: Our study involves a train the trainer, group-level intervention designed to improve the local disaster mental health readiness. HERMES' Phase I study developed a training package based on needs assessment. The results indicate that the training of both clinical providers and CBO leaders is a promising model for integrating culturally appropriate mental health in local response strategies. Our Phase II field study will further refine the curriculum components and field test the acceptability, adaptability, effectiveness, and sustainability of our model in under-resourced black communities of coastal and rural eastern North Carolina and downtown Charleston and Low Country areas in South Carolina.

Target audience: We will recruit and train a core team of mental health providers to deliver clinical provider- and community leader-tailored training workshops in eight target communities.

Sponsor: National Institute of Mental Health Phase I and Phase II Small Business Innovation Research grants.

Abstract Assessment of training needs for disaster mental health preparedness in black communities

Abstract Feasibility of Disaster Mental Health Preparedness Training for Black Communities