The Behavioral Health Services Disaster Response (BHSDR) program is a mobile team of BHS clinicians who receive specialized training in Critical Incident Stress Management (CISM). The team is on-call to provide support to residents with the goal of minimizing lasting, negative impacts from critical, traumatic and/or disruptive events. The team responds anywhere in Orange County or surrounding areas. It is part of the PEI-funded program, Outreach for Increasing Recognition of Early Signs of Mental Illness and is described here due to its specific focus on crisis response. (Source = MHSA… p.117)
The program provides Critical Incident Stress Management (CISM) group debriefings, CISM one-on-one debriefings, CISM briefings and education on grief, stress reactions and self-care. In addition, the team provides Psychological First Aid training to community members. The number of requests for services and/or individuals supported varies based on the number and/or magnitude of critical incidents that may occur in any given year.
