Continuity Planning and Preparedness: An assessment of Mental Health Provider Agencies

As part of a program to meet local, state, and national emergency planning requirements, Philadelphia Department of Behavioral Health (DBH) partnered with Temple University's Center for Preparedness Research Education and Practice (C-PREP) to assess preparedness levels and emergency planning activity among contracted agencies that serve the mentally ill. Many agencies serving this vulnerable population have residential programs, so participating individuals are dependent on agency preparedness and planning at the time of an emergency event. C-PREP identified 57 behavioral health provider agencies in the city network and were able to interview 36 (63%) regarding current levels of preparedness activity and planning. Identified gaps in agencies' planning were addressed by providing resiliency-based Personal and Family Preparedness Trainings for staff, Continuity of Operations trainings and workshops, Resource Guides, and opportunities for building additional Disaster Mental Health capacity through training in specific interventions. Survey results showed that funding constraints, recent budget cuts, staffing shortages, and varying levels of agency executive management support yielded a wide range of levels of preparedness and planning. Some agencies have a fairly robust agency disaster plan, but a full 50% (N=18) of the agency identified Planners interviewed had no knowledge of any Continuity of Operations plan for their agency. Only 11% (N=4) practiced their Continuity Plan on a regular basis. The significance of the survey findings includes the identified gaps in provider agency resource allocation for planning and the enormous need for planning and preparedness support for agencies serving vulnerable populations.