988 Lifeline offers a new tool to combat mental health impacts

People in Oregon and across the U.S. struggling with thoughts of suicide, substance abuse or other mental health crises have a new way to quickly reach out for help. The 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline (formerly known as the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline) went into effect on July 16. Modeled after 911, the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline is designed to be a memorable and quick number that connects people who are suicidal or in any other mental health crisis to a trained mental health professional. The program is a joint effort by the Department of Health and Human Services, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) and the Department of Veterans Affairs.

People can dial or text 988 – or chat via 988lifeline.org/chat – and be immediately connected to trained counselors who will listen, understand how their problems are affecting them, provide free and confidential emotional support, and connect them to resources if necessary. The lifeline is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, in English and Spanish.

The State 911 Program and members of Oregon’s public safety answering point (PSAP) community have been partnering closely with the Oregon Health Authority behavioral crisis system and the 988 project lead to identify 911 operational touchpoints with 988 to ensure consistent handling of behavioral crisis requests for assistance. The program has also shared many learned lessons and technical parallels between 911 and the successful establishment of a new three-digit emergency number.

Our state has seen more than its fair share of recent disasters, particularly the devastating Labor Day Wildfires. As emergency managers, we know that the psychological impact disasters have on individuals and communities can linger for years. These disasters, in addition to the ongoing pandemic, impact our collective mental health – as individuals, communities, emergency managers and first responders. The 988 Lifeline will serve as a much-needed tool to combat the mental health impacts of these disasters when they strike.

Take care of yourselves and take care of each other.
Andrew Phelps, Director, Oregon Office of Emergency Management

OEM is now accepting applications to participate in the grant review committee for State Preparedness and Incident Response Equipment (SPIRE) II. Applications are reviewed by the OEM grants team and participants are selected to create a committee that represents the diversity of Oregon as well as the variety of disciplines supported through the SPIRE grant. Committee applicants must be able to dedicate 45 – 65 hours of time to individually read and score every application and must be available for a 1-hour mandatory training and to review applications during the week of August 1. These meetings will be held in-person at the OEM offices in Salem and virtually August 2-4. Applications for the committee are due by July 22; submit at MS Forms.

Neighborhood Emergency Team (NET) training gives people the skills to work with their neighbors to save lives and property during an emergency until professional responders arrive. NETCamp is a place for NETs to gather, sharpen skills, participate in a faux deployment and enjoy the NET community. This year’s NETCamp will take place Sept. 16-18 at Camp Mountaindale in North Plains. Saturday will feature classes and the annual NET Recognition Event; Sunday will offer a 2-hour skills test deployment exercise. Camp registration and class sign-up will open to Community Emergency Response Teams on July 25; registration is open until August 1 or until the event fills. Learn more and register at www.netcamp.net.

BOLDplanning is offering a dozen Continuity of Operations Plan Beginner/Refresher and Advanced Practitioner Workshops to planners in Oregon. Starting July 27 and running through August 9, the workshops are offered in-person and virtually. Planners may attend either or both refresher and advanced workshop formats depending on their use and understanding of their organization’s COOP. See workshop dates and times and register at Signup Genius.

National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine is convening the Pediatric Disaster Science Symposium, a free, virtual symposium of government, academic, clinical and community partners, and subject matter experts to discuss and share perspectives, information and scientific needs related to disasters affecting child populations. The event will take place from 5 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. on August 1 and from 5 a.m. to 1 p.m. on August 2. Learn more and register with Eventbrite. 

Clackamas and Multnomah counties are hosting a Pediatric Disaster Response and Emergency Preparedness course addressing the specific needs of pediatric patients in the context of an emergency response. Pediatric-specific planning considerations include mass sheltering, pediatric-triage, reunification planning and pediatric decontamination considerations. This is a management resource course of lectures combined with small-group and table-top exercises for stakeholders like pediatric physicians, emergency managers, emergency planners and members of public emergency departments. Two full-day courses are available: McMinnville August 9-10 and Oregon City August 11-12. Learn more and register with Teex.org.

The National Emergency Management Association (NEMA) is offering a virtual Mission Ready Package workshop from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on August 11. Mission Ready Packages are credited with accelerating the speed of the Emergency Management Assistance Compact (EMAC) request and offer process, getting resources deployed more quickly and improving reimbursement packages by giving resource providers a better understanding of cost eligibility. Register with NEMA via Zoom.  

Preparing employees for a potential active shooter incident is an integral component of an organization's incident response planning. Because active shooter incidents are unpredictable and evolve quickly, preparing for and knowing what to do in an active shooter situation can be the difference between life and death. The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) is hosting a security webinar to enhance awareness of and response to an active shooter event from 8-10 a.m. on August 19. Register at EventBrite. 

Registration is now open for the 2022 Northwest Citizen Corps Expo, taking place from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sept. 17-18 at Yakima Valley College in Yakima. The expo is filled with hands-on disaster preparedness and emergency response courses covering topics including light search and rescue, basic triage, radio communication, basic first aid, volunteer management and more. Keynote speaker Bill Steele from the University of Washington’s Pacific Seismic Network will give an overview of Cascadia Rising. The expo is ideal for CERT volunteers, people who work or volunteer within medical or emergency management organizations or anyone interested in learning about how to help their community build resilience before, during and after a disaster. Registration is open through Sept. 9; learn more and register at Serve Washington.

The EPA is hosting a virtual workshop for water and wastewater utilities in Northern California, Oregon and Washington from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. on Oct. 13. The workshop is open to representatives from water and wastewater utilities as well as local, state and federal agencies involved in earthquake preparedness efforts in their communities. Learn more and register via Zoom.