SAMHSA Offers Mobile App for Behavioral Health Responders

To ensure that behavioral health responders have all the tools they need when disaster strikes, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) has announced that it will unveil a new mobile app called the “Disaster App.” The app provides evidence-based information and tools for behavioral health responders working in any disaster zone. It will feature information for stages such as pre-deployment, on-the-ground, and post-deployment. 

The app will feature:

• Tip sheets
• Guides for responders, parents, teachers, and caregivers
• Directories of behavioral health services in the impacted area
• Pre-downloaded resources in case of limited internet connectivity
• The ability to share information via e-mail and text

The Disaster App will also provide information for responder self-care in the pre-deployment, on-the-ground, and post-deployment stages. It is currently available for free on the Google Play app store. The SAMHSA press release states that the Disaster App “will help disaster responders focus on what really matters—the people in need.”

For more information, visit SAMHSA. 

To download the app, visit Google Play. 

References:  

Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. (2013). Access critical, disaster-related behavioral health resources right from your phone with SAMHSA’s Disaster App. Retrieved from http://www.store.samhsa.gov/apps/disaster/