Criminal Incident Response Teams Disaster Behavioral Health Services Texas Council of Community Centers’ Annual Conference June 2019

Mission The mission of the Criminal Incident Response Teams (CIRT) initiative is to develop a coordinated, statewide model to mitigate the trauma caused by mass casualty criminal incidents by increasing readiness and response capacity, recovery coordination, behavioral health integration, and community resilience. PARADIGM SHIFT Victim-centered / Trauma-informed Continuous and ongoing Collaborative and integrative

RESPONSE READINESS RECOVERY CIRT Model RESPONSE READINESS RECOVERY

Need / Gap Fulfillment In Texas, mass casualty criminal incidents have occurred at least once a year since 2014. Sutherland Springs and Santa Fe shootings highlighted the need for an enhanced coordinated statewide response. The Victims of Crime Act provided funding for five grantees to provide behavioral health services to the Santa Fe community.

Dr. Jackie Schuman Assistant Superintendent Santa Fe ISD Voices from Santa Fe “It is not a matter of if, it is a matter of when.” “Bereavement is different than with a natural disaster” Dr. Jackie Schuman Assistant Superintendent Santa Fe ISD Melissa Tucker Gulf Coast Center CEO “Lean on the LMHA in this type of event; I knew that our school counselors were not prepared” “We need the right people with the right skill sets” “It’s not a sprint, it’s a marathon.” “Melissa and her staff helped control the chaos of those wanting to help” Dr. Julie Kaplow Texas Children’s Hospital “Many Community based physicians did not feel equipped to handle grief reactions and the post traumatic stress”

What We’ve Learned Exercises/drills Relationship with LMHA Get connected Standard Operating Guidelines Know your experts Community resilience Relationships are key Think out of the box and look for the unexpected Vet everyone Everyone is impacted Vicarious trauma treatment for all

Role of HHSC CIRT integration with Incident Command Structure and partners Guide regional CIRT teams Technical assistance, training, and professional development of teams Standard Operating Guidelines Formal evaluation of CIRT initiative Needs assessment and reporting following Criminal Incident Direct service to Incident Command and partners

Certified Community Behavioral Health Centers ( CCBHC) – CIRT Regions Region 1 – Bluebonnet Trails Region 2 – Burke Center Region 3 – Emergence Health Network Region 4 – Montrose Center/Harris Center Region 5 – Helen Farabee Center Region 6 – Integral Care Region 7 – StarCare Region 8 – MHMR of Tarrant County Region 9 – Tropical Texas Region 10 – Gulf Coast Center

CCBHCs – Year One Phase I Staffing Training and education: staff, community partners, and regional LMHAs Networking and relationship building Infrastructure development Anticipatory rehearsal and preparation Response and recovery

CCBHCs – Year Two Phase II Continued training and education Continued infrastructure building Continued networking and relationship building Leading/participating in exercises and drills Sustainability of CIRT initiative Documenting best practices and lessons learned CIRT model program evaluation Response and recovery

CIRT Team Structure/Composition

Staff Roles and Responsibilities Regional Coordinator Counseling and Training Supervisor Counselors Navigator I Navigator II Financial Specialist Administrative Assistant

Community Relationships Established and new Catalog relationships Expand understanding of LMHA role

CIRT Activation and Deployment CCBHC Host and Regional Incidents Incidents occurring in an LMHA catchment area are served by that LMHA; CIRT provides backup and support. Incidents occurring in host CCBHC region are served by the CCBHC with assistance available from LMHA trained staff in region. When local services are over capacity, other statewide CIRT teams will be available.

Increasing Capacity Training Professional Development Technical Assistance

CIRT and Behavioral Health Integration Education Drills and exercises DBHS advocacy

CIRT and Schools Help LMHAs speak the language of schools Advocate the importance of integrating LMHAs in Emergency Operations Plans Emphasize collaborative relationships

CIRT and Councils of Government Introductory meetings Clarify misconceptions CIRT funds from same funding source

Thank You Eugenia (Jennie) Barr, Ph.D. Chance Freeman Director – Disaster Behavioral Health Services 512-380-4971 Chance.Freemen@hhsc.state.tx.us Eugenia (Jennie) Barr, Ph.D. Training/Professional Development Coordinator 512-380-4976 Eugenia.Barr@hhsc.state.tx.us