The New Jersey Department of Human Services' Division of Mental Health and Addiction Services (DMHAS) is home to a specialized behavioral health unit, referred to as the Disaster and Terrorism Branch (DTB).

The DTB specializes in the preparation and response to the behavioral health effects of disasters and other traumatic events that occur in our communities. 

The DTB works in close collaboration with public health, law enforcement, emergency management, and other professionals at the local, state and federal levels to coordinate efforts in the five standards mission areas: Preparedness, Protection, Mitigation, Response and Recovery.  The DTB actively promotes the participation of trained, vetted volunteers in disaster drills, exercises, and ongoing professional development activities.

The DTB offers, basic and advanced training programs are offered for mental health and substance use disorder professionals and paraprofessionals to help sustain an adequate disaster behavioral health workforce.  Since the early 1990's, New Jersey has been a national leader in disaster behavioral health, having the first vetted, credentialed volunteer disaster workforce.  Today, all 21 counties have viable disaster behavioral health plans and a team of trained disaster behavioral health responders.

In partnership with the New Jersey Office of Emergency Management (NJOEM) located within the New Jersey State Police, the New Jersey Division of Mental Health Services developed its first disaster mental health emergency response plan in 1989.  This longstanding partnership allows the Disaster and Terrorism Branch (DTB) to support all phases of emergency management, including mitigation, preparedness, response and recovery. 

Since the early 1990's, New Jersey has supported behavioral health response and recovery efforts for numerous presidentially declared disasters and community-based critical incidents, including but not limited to:

• 1993 World Trade Center Bombing
• Seton Hall Dormitory Fire (2000)
• September 11th Terrorist Attacks (2001) 
• Anthrax Postal System Attacks (2001)
• Hurricane Katrina (2005)
• Superstorm Sandy (2012)
• Hurricane Irma/Maria response operations in the U.S. Virgin Islands (2017)
• Paramus School Bus Crash (2018)
• COVID-19 Pandemic (2020)
• Hurricane Ida (2021)

Large-scale incidents such as the September 11th terrorist attacks, Superstorm Sandy, and the COVID-19 Pandemic brought increased nationwide attention to the importance of behavioral health preparedness, response and recovery.  Following these events,  New Jersey's public mental health system, through the Branch, provided crisis counseling, clinical support services, information and referral, community outreach and specialized behavioral health interventions to impacted individuals and communities. 

During declared disasters and emergencies, the Disaster and Terrorism Branch, in coordination with the New Jersey Office of Emergency Management (NJOEM) and the New Jersey Department of Human Services Office of Emergency Management (NJ DHS OEM), supports the activation of the State’s Disaster Behavioral Health Response Plan. Each New Jersey County also maintains a county-specific all hazards disaster behavior health plan.  County Mental Health Administrators may activate these plans in coordination with their County Office of Emergency Management and in collaboration with the state partners to support local response and recover operations.

Click here to view the list of County Mental Health Administrators

Following presidentially declared disasters, the DTB administers the Crisis Counseling Program (CCP) in coordination with the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) and Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).  The CCP supports individuals and communities impacted by natural and human-caused disasters through community outreach, emotional support, psychoeducation and referral to behavioral health and community resources.

In addition to helping affected communities, the CCP also helps address the immediate behavioral health needs of first responders and the other disaster workers involved in response and recovery operations.

The Disaster Response Crisis Counselor (DRCC) Program is modeled after the FEMA Crisis Counseling Program (CCP), volunteer-based, neighbor-helping-neighbor approach that equips community members with the tools to support others in the immediate aftermath of disasters and traumatic events.  The program began in 2007 in coordination with The Mental Health Association in New Jersey and the Certification Board of New Jersey.  DRCCs provide Psychological First Aid, emotional support, outreach and resource connection to individuals and communities impacted by critical events. .  To serve in this roll, DRCCS complete a series of training and credentialing  requirements designed to support a coordinated and integrated disaster behavioral health response in partnership with state or local officials.

The credentialing process consists of a series of steps including completing an application and interview.  Participants are also required to attend training, complete fingerprinting and a background check.

For more information or to apply, go to www.njdrcc.org 
You can also contact your County Mental Health Administrator for more information

DTB also offers a Disaster Chaplaincy Program as a distinct certification level within the DRCC program. The goal is to widen the scope of response during times of crisis in recognition that many people affected by disaster will seek comfort from their faith and spiritual leaders. For more information, please visit the DRCC chaplaincy page.

The FEMA Crisis Counseling Program New Jersey Hope and Healing provides Psychological First Aid, individual and group crisis counseling and assessment, and referral and resources linkage. 

During presidentially declared disasters or incidents that significantly impact communities, the Disaster and Terrorism Branch coordinates the behavioral health response by activating the State's disaster behavioral health response plan.  Following declared disasters, DTB works in coordination with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) to implement the Crisis Counseling Program (CCP) in affected communities.

The New Jersey Disaster Behavioral Health Helpline provides individuals and communities access to behavioral health support, information and referral services in following natural disasters, emergencies, traumatic incidents and acts of terrorism. 

Established in partnership with the Mental Health Association in New Jersey (MHANJ) following the September 11^th terrorist attacks, the toll-free helpline supports New Jersey residents impacted by critical incidents.  The Helpline may be activated during large-scale emergencies that significantly impact New Jersey communities to support disaster behavioral health response and recovery efforts coordinated by the Disaster and Terrorism Branch.

Call (877) 294-HELP (4357) • TTY (887) 294-4356
8:00AM - 8:00PM

One of the most effective ways to reduce fear, stress and uncertainty during disasters and emergencies is through personal and family preparedness.  Across New Jersey, preparedness initiatives Community Emergency Response Teams (CERT) help strengthen community readiness and resilience. .  Individuals and families can also help lessen the physical and emotional impacts of disasters by taking practical preparedness steps before an emergency occurs. Please see below resources to help your family better prepare for emergencies

The New Jersey Office of Emergency Management (NJOEM) is the state agency responsible for planning, directing and coordinating emergency operations within the State which are beyond local control.  NJOEM provides information on the various hazards in New Jersey via social media platforms and its website contains guidance for New Jerseyans to be prepared for all types of emergencies.  NJOEM has created a comprehensive guide to prepare for hurricanes you can find HERE.  Included in the guide are links to NJOEM and its social media accounts and websites.

It is also important to know where to get emergency information locally. New Jersey is a geographically diverse state and what affects Warren County may not affect Cape May County.  Each county in NJ has its own Office of Emergency Management that can be found HERE.  Don’t forget to follow their social media accounts and bookmark your county’s websites for easy access to important information.

For the most up-to-date weather information, visit the National Weather Service (NWS) and our local NWS forecast office, NWS Forecast Office Philadelphia/Mt Holly. You can find links to its social media accounts at the bottom of their respective pages. 

Lastly, a few reminders for the Atlantic Hurricane Season:

Want to help your community to recover after disasters? Get involved and become a Disaster Response Crisis Counselor!

Pets are family too! Remember to include them in your emergency plans! New Jersey Emergency Animal Response.

Resources for individuals with disabilities can be found here https://www.ready.gov/disability .

Build a kit, be informed and make a plan with Ready.gov.

• New Jersey Register Ready - NJ's Special Needs Registry for Disasters
• State of New Jersey Office of Emergency Management - Plan & Prepare
• "A Public Health Guide to Emergency Planning" (English)
• "A Public Health Guide to Emergency Planning" (Spanish)
• Ready.gov - a website of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security
• National Institute of Aging - Disaster Preparedness and Recovery for Older Adults
• American Red Cross - Disaster Preparedness Plan