Three case studies of community behavioral health support from the US Department of Veterans Affairs after disasters.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Community disaster resilience is comprised of a multitude of factors, including the capacity of citizens to psychologically recover. There is growing recognition of the need for public health departments to prioritize a communitywide mental health response strategy to facilitate access to behavioral health services and reduce potential psychological impacts. Due to the US Department of Veterans Affairs' (VA) extensive experience providing trauma-informed behavioral healthcare to its Veterans, and the fact that VA Medical Centers (VAMCs) are located throughout the United States, the VA is well situated to be a key partner in local communities' response plans. In this study we examined the role the VA can play in a community's behavioral health response using case studies

SUBMITTER: Wyte-Lake T 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8015747 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature