Book Description

Integrating Mental Health and Disability into Public Health Disaster Preparedness and Response brings together the fields of mental/behavioral health, law, human rights, and medicine as they relate to disaster planning and response for people with disabilities, mental and behavioral health conditions and chronic illness. Children and adults with disabilities, mental/behavioral health conditions and chronic illness remain more vulnerable to the negative effects of emergencies and disasters than the general population. This book addresses the effects of emotional trauma, personal growth and resilience, the impact on physical health and systems of care, and legal compliance and advocacy. Following a philosophy of whole community emergency planning, inclusive of people with disabilities, the book advocates for considering and addressing these issues together in an effort to ultimately lead to greater resilience for individuals with disabilities and the whole community. - Provides a public health framework on the phases of disasters, integrating mental health and disability into planning, responding to disasters, and recovering post disaster - Offers solutions for disability and disaster needs, as well as planning and systems for service delivery at multiple levels, including individual, local, state and federal - Provides global examples of real world tools, best practices and legal principles, allowing the reader to think about the role that disability and mental health play in disaster planning, response and recovery across the world - Reflects the best thinking about disaster planning and response and disability-related issues and demonstrates new and creative ways of bringing together these fields to strengthen communities