The August 2023 wildfires in Lahaina, Maui destroyed a community and displaced the majority of its members, requiring a coordinated effort between county, state, and federal agencies. While the existing emergency plan accounted for basic physical and medical needs, it largely neglected survivors’ immediate mental health needs. The result was a grassroots effort by local organizations and independent practitioners to respond to the acute mental health needs of the community. This presentation will review the disaster response timeline for the Maui wildfires and how the community’s mental health needs were assessed and addressed, from the viewpoint of an FQHC in that community.
US Department of Health and Human Services (n.d.). Disaster Behavioral Health Coalition Guidance. https://aspr.hhs.gov/behavioral-health/Documents/dbh_coalition_guidance.pdf
Rural Health Information Hub (n.d.). Mental and Behavioral Health Considerations in Emergency Preparedness and Response. https://www.ruralhealthinfo.org/toolkits/emergency-preparedness/3/mental-health
Federal Emergency Management Agency (n.d.). Animals in Disasters, Module A/Unit 3: The Four Phases of Emergency Management. https://training.fema.gov/emiweb/downloads/is10_unit3.doc#:~:text=Animals%20in%20Disasters,-MODULE%20A&text=This%20unit%20covers%20ways%20in,a%20disaster%20can%20be%20predicted