Since its inception, in late 2001, the CTRP has: 

• Trained approximately 1000 behavioral health professionals in behavioral health services in the aftermath of critical incident trauma.

• Provided additional intensive training to approximately 500 behavioral health providers to prepare them to serve on their designated Connecticut Behavioral Health Regional Crisis Response Team.

• Provided technical and administrative assistance to DMHAS and DCF in planning for the mobilization and activation of the Behavioral Health Regional Response Teams in the event of a major disaster.

• Provided specialized consultation to four private, non-profit agencies funded by DMHAS, and to 15 communities and more than 150 community representatives and prevention providers, to develop and implement behavioral health interventions designed to strengthen community resilience, improve coping skills in the aftermath of disasters and to reduce risk factors.

• Developed a Prevention Toolkit in collaboration with DMHAS, DCF, and these lead agencies.

• Trained approximately 300 prevention services providers, childcare providers, school personnel, clergy, civic leaders and natural helpers as resources for community preparedness and resiliency, substance abuse prevention and promoting mental health.

• Developed the template for a train the trainer curriculum focusing on prevention principles regarding crisis and disaster. This curriculum will be available later in the year.

•  Trained 250+ behavioral health consumer advocates and consumers to help communities support people in recovery from substance abuse and psychiatric disorders.

• Provided ongoing technical assistance to local volunteer teams to prepare them for disaster response.

• Center academic experts are developing proposals for additional funding to evaluate interventions to increase stress tolerance of the various groups and to identify risk and protective factors in order to improve the coping skills and resilience of all citizens.  

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~ CTRP Tested Preparedness during "TOPOFF 3"
~ Team Members joined in this International Counterterrorism Exercise

During the week of April 4th, 2005, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security conducted the Top Officials "TOPOFF 3" full-scale, international counterterrorism exercise involving the United States, United Kingdom, and Canada. As the name implies, top officials from all levels of government ~ national, state and local ~ participated. The TOPOFF 3 scenario depicted terrorist events originating in New London, Connecticut and Union and Middlesex Counties in New Jersey leading to National and International Response. It was designed to strengthen the nation's capacity to prevent, prepare for, respond to and recover from large-scale terrorist attacks.

For the past several months, Connecticut leaders (including DMHAS and DCF leadership) were working to prepare for the state's role in TOPOFF 3. As part of the exercise, Connecticut tested its behavioral health response to terrorism. The involvement of the DMHAS/DCF /CTRP Behavioral Health Crisis Response Teams added a new and important component to TOPOFF 3 ~ behavioral health.  In the two prior TOPOFF exercises (conducted respectively in 2000 and 2003) a combined 15,000 people participated but the behavioral health response was not tested in either! Thus Connecticut was breaking new ground by testing the readiness of our behavioral health professionals to respond to the needs of our citizens!  

More information related to the success of TOPOFF 3 will be posted as it becomes available.  

CTRP Phase 1 Behavioral Health Provider Trainings

Behavioral Health Services in the Aftermath of Critical Incident Trauma:

Initial Orientation  

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Behavioral Health Crisis Response:
CTRP Phase II Specialized Trainings  

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Disaster Simulations - Behavioral Health Crisis Response 
September/October 2002

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Completed Regional Team Meetings
August/September 2002

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Completed "Make-Up" Disaster Simulation - January 14, 2003
Behavioral Health Crisis Response

Middlesex Community College
Middletown, CT

Because participation in a simulation was mandatory for all team members, we offered this make-up simulation for those team members who were unable to attend one of the five regional simulations conducted in September and October 2002.

As with the November simulations, this training was designed to test many components of our crisis response plan. The activities were structured in such a way so as to allow for substantial team interaction. At the conclusion of the morning we formally evaluated our efforts through a structured group process.

Members were asked to contact CTRP if they had not completed a simulation and were again unable to attend this make-up session. In order to maintain the Behavioral Health Regional Crisis Response Information System (the database that holds all of the information pertaining to the behavioral health providers who are members of a regional crisis response team), it was essential to know if they had a scheduling conflict or if they wished to discontinue their involvement as a member of one of the regional crisis response teams.

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Completed "SPECIAL FOCUS" Trainings - June 2003

PSYCHOLOGICAL FIRST AID:
BEHAVIORAL HEALTH RESPONSE FOLLOWING DISASTER

 
Note: Attendance at the annual "Special Focus" Training was required in order to remain a member in good standing of the crisis response team!!

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Completed "MAKE-UP" Training - September 16, 2003

"Special Focus"
Psychological First Aid: Behavioral Health Response Following Disaster

Connecticut Valley Hospital
Middletown, CT

This training was offered to all team members who did not attend one of the five regionally based Special Focus Training events offered in June 2003. Attendance at the annual "Special Focus" Training was REQUIRED in order to remain a member in good standing of your crisis response team.

In order to update the Behavioral Health Regional Crisis Response Information System, members were also asked to respond to the invitation by completing and returning the CTRP "Member Update/Training Response Form".

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Completed Trainings - October 22 & 23, 2003
for
DMHAS/DCF Behavioral Health Regional Crisis Response Teams
DMHAS/DCF Funded Behavioral Health Agencies

BEHAVIORAL HEALTH PREPAREDNESS POST SEPTEMBER 11:
EMERGING RESEARCH AND EVOLVING PRACTICE

Featuring Internationally Recognized Experts
Fran Norris, Ph.D.
Rony Berger, Psy.D.

University of Connecticut Health Center
Farmington, CT

•  A two-day conference for behavioral health crisis team members and agencies offering services to children or adults who have been affected by terrorism, disasters and/or ongoing threats related to terrorism and war.
• State-of-the-art information on the acute impact and long-term effects of traumatic stress and grief will be presented, with guidelines for safe and effective behavioral health services to survivors

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Disaster Simulations - Behavioral Health Crisis Response
Completed Disaster SIMULATIONS - November 2003

Mandatory for all CTRP
Behavioral Health Regional Crisis Response Team Members

Note: Team members who were unable to attend the simulation for their region due to a scheduling conflict were invited to attend one in another area. Notification of the simulation locations was made a available the evening before each of the dates.

Registration began at 8:30 a.m. each day. The simulations were conducted from 9:00 am to 1:00 pm.

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Completed - CTRP Phase 1 Orientation Training
Completed - CTRP Team Formation Training
February 5, 2004

Connecticut Valley Hospital
Middletown, CT

These trainings were organized to meet the needs of incoming members of Connecticut's Behavioral Health Crisis Response Teams. Completion of the CTRP Phase 1 Training and the CTRP Team Formation Training was a prerequisite to team membership.

Incoming members were invited to register for either/both session. They were also asked to provide information for the Behavioral Health Regional Crisis Response Information System.

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Completed "Make-Up" Disaster Simulation - March 18, 2004
Behavioral Health Crisis Response

Connecticut Valley Hospital
Middletown, CT

Because participation in a simulation was mandatory for all team members, we offered this make-up simulation for those team members who were unable to attend one of the five regional simulations conducted in November 2003. As with the November simulations, this training was designed to test many components of our crisis response plan. The activities were structured in such a way so as to allow for substantial team interaction. At the conclusion of the morning we formally evaluated our efforts through a structured group process.

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Completed Trainings - May 27, 2004
for
DMHAS/DCF Behavioral Health Regional Crisis Response Teams

CONNECTICUT'S BEHAVIORAL HEALTH CRISIS RESPONSE:
SUSTAINING PREPAREDNESS FOR HELPING AND HEALING COMMUNITIES FOLLOWING DISASTERS

Featuring Internationally Recognized Experts
Robert T. Carter, Ph.D.
Brian Flynn, Ed.D.

University of Connecticut Health Center
Farmington, CT

• 9:00 AM ~ noon    "Competent Crisis Response: Considering Culture and Race"
  o Rethinking traditional models of psychological intervention
  o Best practices following disasters with communities of Color
  o Enhancing racial/cultural competence in psychological interventions following disaster
• 1:00 PM ~ 4:00 PM    "Terrorism: Exploring the Centrality of Psychosocial Sequelae"
  o Considering individual and collective impact relevant to behavioral health response
  o Challenges to behavioral health preparedness and response by type of agent
  o Special issues for caregivers in WMD events

Participation in the annual "special focus" training event was mandatory for all team members. Members could fulfill the annual requirement for a half-day of special focus trainings by attending either the morning or afternoon session. However, they were welcomed to attend the full day of training.

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DMHAS/DCF/CTRP
Behavioral Health Regional Crisis Response Teams

Fall 2004 DISASTER SIMULATIONS - Completed

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The following areas of CTRP Services are still under construction: