During the first month
Psychosocial and mental health plans and responses should be reviewed and regularly updated based on the specific circumstances of the particular emergency and the emerging needs of the people and staff who are affected. This includes interventions begun earlier in the emergency response that may need to continue or change and psychosocial components of the communications strategy. Mental health and social care (and, where appropriate, education) professionals should continue to provide advice during the recovery phase and should be involved in reviewing and developing the broader Care for People strategy.
Local Health Boards should work with partner agencies and lead on delivering primary mental health care and augmented primary mental health services for people who develop mental disorders as a consequence of emergencies. This may include involving mental health clinicians in a 'one-stop-shop' model of service provision.
People who have psychosocial problems that do not resolve after adequate humanitarian aid, welfare services and social support from their families and communities should be identified. These adults and children should be formally assessed in terms of their need for health or social care services. Assessment should consider people's emotional, social, physical and psychological needs and should take place before any specific intervention is offered.
Appropriately skilled staff from the mental health care services should work with and offer supervision and advice to staff in primary care to develop their knowledge, skills and resilience.
People who develop acute mental health problems in the first weeks after an emergency, for example psychotic symptoms or suicidal thoughts, or whose pre-existing mental health problems are exacerbated should be referred for specialist mental health intervention.
The percentage of people affected by an emergency who are likely to develop high levels of distress during the first month after an emergency is low, but they should be identified so that services can maintain contact with them.
Mental health assessments should be undertaken by staff who are skilled and experienced working with specific populations, for example children and adolescents or elderly people. If treatment is considered appropriate, it should aim to promote a sense of safety, calm, self- and community-efficacy, connectedness and hope, as core features before more specialised interventions begin.
In order to identify those at risk of secondary traumatisation or burnout, there should be continued monitoring of staff in responder organisations and other staff working with those affected by the emergency. Special attention should be given to non-professional responders and to those staff living or working in the affected communities. Mental health care services should be provided to those who are assessed as requiring them.