EMERG 230 - Disaster Psychology/Sociology Issues

3.0 Credits
Provides the basic knowledge to recognize and respond to the emotional and psychological effects brought on by an emergency situation, including shock, general stress management, post traumatic stress disorders, and reactive behaviors.

Course Objectives
Upon successful completion of the course, students will be able to:

Demonstrate understanding of the sociological and psychological effects of disasters and critical incidents including the different reactions of first responders, victim/survivors, emergency management team members, community, family members, children and the elderly. [REASON]
Identify symptoms and behavioral patterns of critical incident and disaster caused stress, both rapid onset and cumulative in individuals, groups and communities to refer to mental health specialist professionals and other services. [REASON]
Communicate effectively with persons experiencing a stress induced reaction. [COMMUNICATE]
Provide coaching opportunities for responders on how to provide effective emotional first aid to victims in the field. [COMMUNICATE]
Coordinate with available training programs to prepare for high stress situations such as evacuations, emergency response, providing death notices and dealing with public information forums support. [COMMUNICATE]
Maintain a resource inventory of Employee Assistance Program (EAP), Public and Mental Health professionals’ directory for appropriate requests for assistance. [EXPLORE]
Assist in debriefing facilitation and coordination. [ACT]
Design a personnel stress management plan to mitigate effects of job related stress for staff. [ACT]